best way to make pear wine?

I'd make perry out of them.

HTH

Rick, I core them, chop roughly and put in nylon straining bag with

1/2 to 1 pound of golden raisins. Tie bag and put in primary. Mash pears and pour boiling water over crushed pulp. Add crushed Campden tablet, acid blend to 0.55-0.65, tannin and yeast nutrient. Wait 12 hours and add pectic enzyme. Wait another 12 hours and add yeast. Cover with muslin. Stir daily, squeezing bag gently to extract flavor. When vigorous fermentation subsides, remove bag and let drip drain one hour. Do not squeeze or wine will be difficult to clear. Return drained juice to primary and allow to settle 24 hours. Siphon into glass secondary, fit airlock, and set aside. Rack after two-three weeks, top up, and refit airlock. Rack again every two months (at least twice) until wine clears. Rack again, stabilize, wait two weeks, and add 1/8 to 1/4 pound sugar (depending on your taste) dissolved in 1/8 cup water. Bottle and age 6-12 months before tasting. Serve chilled.

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page

Rick, forgot to add sugar to boiling water initially. I would add 1

3/4 pounds and when the must cools strain out enough liquid to float hydrometer. Unless the pears are very sweet, you'll probably need to add a little more, but taking that first reading will allow you to calculate how much to add.

Sorry for the original omission, but I'm watching a movie while doing this and lost concentration.

Jack Keller

talented man, makes wine just about out of anything there is, watches tv, answers posts on the winemaking newsgroup, and realizes your omissions! heh heh heh! thanks, Jack, and everyone else thus far and future, for your responses - I know I'll have 2 bushels of pears, so I'll at least get a 5 gal carboy going eventually...it will be a bit of work, but hey, with free fruit, worth a try at least!

Rick

Hi Rick,

Lum advices a cold extraction for 48 hrs, then siphons off clear juice and add yeast etc. Dunno taste difference, but it came out very nice. Needs lots off acid though, even though the pH is way below 3, stick to the TA of around 0.6!

Rene.

I soaked my pears in a large rubber can with water so they wouldn't spoil so I had time to prepare for wine making. They now are starting to smell like vinegar, are my sugars escaping and are these pears ruined? What should I do? It is a 55 gallon rubber can that is full. Have I ruined them?

I would never store my apples in water before I make cider. I would expect they would rot quickly. I keep then dry in buckets in as cool of a spot as I can, and not for more than a few days.