how to process pureed pears for fermentation ??

[amcclai7]

there's a pear tree on city property in my neighborhood that hundreds and hundreds of pears sitting on the ground waiting to rot. Rather than let them go to waste I decided to try my hand at cider. I grabbed around 50 pounds of pears. I did not peel them but I cored them and used my friend's blendtec to turn them into either a very thin puree or a pulpy juice depending on how you want to describe it. I then frozen what is probably 6 or more gallons of the stuff.

My question is this. How do I remove the remaining solids, or do I even need to before I thaw and pitch the yeast?

 

[Larso]

I don't know about the remaining solids but you can expect a spontaneous fermentation to take off if you don't do something fairly quickly. Read first post in this thread http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=4308.0

 

[cernst151]

I wouldn't worry about the solids. They'll settle out in the trub.

 

[amcclai7]

I don't know about the remaining solids but you can expect a spontaneous fermentation to take off if you don't do something fairly quickly. Read first post in this thread http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=4308.0

Even though I froze the juice??

 

[acemannw]

You are going to have to thaw it out and do something with it.

 

[amcclai7]

I wouldn't worry about the solids. They'll settle out in the trub.

Sounds like a plan to me. I suppose it'll be a lot of trub then and I wont get the full 6 gallons, but that's fine.

 

[RegarRenill]

Make sure to give it a nice dose of pectic enzyme, should help break down the solids even more for sugar/juice extraction.

 

[cernst151]

Sounds like a plan to me. I suppose it'll be a lot of trub then and I wont get the full 6 gallons, but that's fine.

If you get a high floculation yeast it could help press that trub cake down giving you a little more yield.

 

[ong]

I would add campden tablets as well (campden, wait 12 hours, pectic enzyme, wait 12 hours, yeast).

 

[amcclai7]

I would add campden tablets as well (campden, wait 12 hours, pectic enzyme, wait 12 hours, yeast).

Thanks!

 

[amcclai7]

Make sure to give it a nice dose of pectic enzyme, should help break down the solids even more for sugar/juice extraction.

How much would you recommend for 5-6 gallons?

Also, while I'm at it, whats the shortest amount of time I could let this ferment for and still get a good cider?

My reason behind asking this is the following: I am opening a nanobrewery and would like to have something on tap to please celiacs and non-beer drinkers alike. I obviously want to make a quality product but I don't know if I can afford to have a fermentor tied up for 3-4 months. If I can only afford to wait a month or so, what kind of steps should I take? I imagine the most important factors would be yeast selection and ferm temp but I don't know how to manipulate those.

Ideas??

 

[cernst151]

Also, while I'm at it, whats the shortest amount of time I could let this ferment for and still get a good cider?

My reason behind asking this is the following: I am opening a nanobrewery and would like to have something on tap to please celiacs and non-beer drinkers alike. I obviously want to make a quality product but I don't know if I can afford to have a fermentor tied up for 3-4 months. If I can only afford to wait a month or so, what kind of steps should I take? I imagine the most important factors would be yeast selection and ferm temp but I don't know how to manipulate those.

Ideas??

Depending on yeast, temp and pitching rate cider shouldn't take more than a couple weeks to ferment. Once you've bottled or kegged the cider may continue to mature for a while. That really depends on what kind of cider you've fermented. If you're using the crap on the shelf what you see is likely what you get, and it's not great. If you're using real pressed cider it will likely improve with age.