Pear Wine from Juice "Perry"

This is a wine that I would normally not make. I have heard that some people love it, while others think its downright disgusting. Last summer I was volunteering at the Utah Food Bank they had more then 40 boxes of pears that were to be throughout that night. I saw a few people taking boxes and I asked a women what she need a huge box of pear that were going south. She told me that she was planning on bottling them. That became my intention too. At the end of the night. I took a few boxes and started processing them the next morning. After a full days work we ended up with pear juice concentrate to make about 5 gallons. A year later, with 4 gallons and 3 quarts left I knew that fermentation was the only option.

I looked into a bunch of different Pear Wine (Perry) receipts they were all about the same plus or minus some sugar. I decided to go with one off of the wine making forum that seemed to be quite reputable. All the receipts that I found were only for 1 gallon and fresh fruit, so I had to make due.

Pear Wine from Juice

• Pear Juice to make 5 gallons
• 4 lb chopped or minced white or golden raisins (or sultanas)
• 8 cups Finely granulated sugar
• Water to fill the fermenter (more or less, depending on amount of fruit used)
• 7-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 +1/8 tsp tannin
• 5 crushed Campden tablet
• 5 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 packet Champagne yeast

This is were my receipt changes a bit. Have you ever tried to chop raisins in Utah. Everything dries out a bit.... mine were new in the package never opened and ROCK Hard. There was no reviving theses babies. So, I boiled them just enough to revive the life in them. I also dissolved the sugar in warm water, and started to let both the sugar water and the raisins cool. I used a fruit straining bag, poured in the fruit juice, added the cooled raisins and tied the bag shut, followed by mashing the raisins. I then add the concoction of chemicals, except the yeast. Followed by the sugar water to get my hydrometer to float to 1.080 as the original author said "Pear wine is best under 12% alcohol." Followed by topping off my fermentor with water. Word of the wise don't over fill this baby ferments like crazy. I then waited 24 hours and added the yeast, sprinkle style. I also checked my gravity reading and it was at 1.100. So, we are quite a bit over the 12% there... cover with cheese cloth and let the fermentation begin. I pulled the fruit bag out after about 5 days of crazy fermenting. with a gravity reading of 1.040ish I forgot to write it down (another drunken moment.) After fully fermenting I racked the wine into a glass carboy, and will re-rack every two-week or when I feel like it, until it is completely clear. Which takes about 3 months or so. These are my final instructions; if I'm a good girl I will follow them.  The wine must go 30 days without dropping even a few dead yeast cells. When wine pasts the test for no sediment, stabilize it with 2-1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and five finely crushed and dissolved (5) Campden tablet. Remove one cup of the wine and dissolve into it 1/4 pound (1/2 cup) of finely granulated sugar. Stir this into the wine, reattach the airlock, and set aside 20-30 days. If there are no signs of continued fermentation, rack into bottles and age 6-12 months.  Most likely I will I add the Campden a day or two before the potassium sorbate. I'm not quite sure that I will add the extra sugar, the Potassium Sorbate should take care of any secondary fermentation. I guess it's a wait and see kinda of thing...

Good Luck. I'll Let you know how it goes a little later....