- Wine from pears at home - the basic technological principles
- Factors affecting the quality of pear wine at home
- Recipe 1. Pear wine at home, sweet, ordinary
- Recipe 2. Pear Wine at Home, Ordinary, Dry
- Recipe 3. Pear wine at home, strong, sweet
- Recipe 4. Pear wine at home, blended, sweet
- Recipe 5. Pear wine at home using vermouth technology
- Recipe 6. Pear wine at home, with citrus and honey
- Recipe 7. Pear wine at home, with raspberries and apricots
- Recipe 8. Pear wine at home, strong, with herbs
- Pear Wine at Home - Tips and Tricks
Fruit trees and berry groves delight their hosts with a no less valuable crop than grapes.
Depending on the type of pears, you can collect from 20 to 160 kg of fruit from one tree. And if 20 kg can still be processed into jams and juices, then 160 kg is a clear prerequisite for the start of making pear wine at home.
Even for those who buy berries and fruits on the market, but prefer to have their own wine in the home bar, it will not be superfluous to learn about some of the intricacies of technology.
Wine from pears at home - basic technological principles
The main points of the production of wine from fruit and berry raw materials and grapes do not have significant differences.
The stages of winemaking in both cases include:
Collecting, sorting and preparing raw materials:
The distinction of wine from pears and grapes - a traditional product for winemaking - lies only in the wine material itself.
The grapes are smaller, and there is no need to chop them. In addition, unlike pear fruits, grapes have fiber, which contains juice, has a less dense structure, which makes it possible to extract it with little effort, without prior processing. Thousands of years of breeding experience in viticulture has allowed to bring the most valuable varieties of culture for the production of grape wines. Fruit and berry winemaking is a relatively young technology, therefore, in the sense of varietal diversity for wine production, it is relatively not rich in choosing the right material.
For wine made from pears at home, fruits of technical ripeness are suitable, that is, they are not over-ripe. They are harvested when seeds are not yet ripe in the fruit. This is explained by the fact that getting a clear juice from ripe pears, and then wine without sediment is quite difficult. Overcooked pears during fermentation also emit methyl alcohol, which is extremely dangerous for health.
To wash or not to wash? On the one hand, on the skin of pears, wild yeast necessary for fermentation is naturally settled, and on the other hand, everything depends on the ecology of the area where the crop is harvested. Road dust and other pollutants will not enhance the taste of the wine if the tree grows in such conditions. Therefore, it is better not to risk - wash the pears, preferably under a strong stream of water. And after, be sure to proceed with their immediate processing. Remove the stalks, seeds, cut all the damage to the fruit.
Getting juice or pulp:
It is rather difficult to get juice from the pulp of pears with the help of a juicer and even a press, grinding the fruits by hand or chopping them through a meat grinder or combine. And the difficulty lies in the large losses of fruit material, which can be used more productively.
On average, 600 ml of juice can be obtained from 1 kg of cultivated varieties of pears, and 500 ml from wild pears. A 40-50% loss is a rather impressive figure, making pear pears a precious pleasure if it is prepared using any of the available methods of squeezing the juice.
There is a more economical option that is applicable to the technology of wines.
Since juice is necessary for making wine, that is, for further fermentation, you should not spend energy and time on any of the methods of pressing: just chop the pears, add sugar and add a small portion of water or any other juice (if you plan to make blended wine ). That is, we immediately get pulp, which is also a must, bypassing the process of pressing or pressing.
Fermentation, just, and there is a way that allows you to get the maximum juice. As soon as the wine is ready, the thick of it will settle to the bottom of the bottle and will only need to remove the young wine from it. In this way, it is possible to increase the yield of juice from fruits by another 20%.
Preparation of the wort and its saturation with the elements necessary for fermentation:
To start the fermentation process in the prepared wort, it is necessary to start the yeast and provide them with conditions for normal operation. In particular, for pears, it is necessary to bring the wort to the desired level of acidity and sugar content.
• Acidity. The acid content in wine at the initial stage matters as a fermentation factor, and its presence later forms the taste of the drink. In grapes, the average acidity is 1.1%, in apples - 0.7-1.2% (depending on the variety), and in pears - 0.4-0.6%.
It should be noted that in the wild pear varieties the acidity nevertheless reaches 1%, but in some cultivated varieties it is absent altogether, with the exception of tannic acid, which is present in fruits in insignificant quantities (0.1-0.4%).
It follows from the above that it is necessary to artificially increase the acidity of pear wort: by adding citric acid or blending a pear wort with fruits that have a higher acid content. Blending allows you to get new and interesting flavors, while creating the necessary environment for fermentation.
• Sugar. For the production of wine, the sugar and acid content of the raw materials used is extremely important. In most cases, in fruit winemaking it is necessary to flavor the resulting juice or pulp, due to the lack of a sufficient amount of sugar in the fruit, or, conversely, diluted with water due to their high content. For comparison: the sugar content in technical grape varieties reaches 24% per unit volume, in apples, this indicator varies between 6-12%, and in pears it is 5-10.5% per 100 ml3.
Despite the apparent sweetness, pears contain less sugar than, for example, apples, as they have a lower acid content. • Yeast. Wine yeast is a determining factor for fermentation. As for all living organisms, yeast needs:
a) Food (ammonium salts).
Nitrogen stimulates the reproduction of yeast and an increase in the number of their colonies. This, in turn, increases the intensity of fermentation. In addition, nitrogenous compounds ferment the future wine, creating its aroma.
b) The energy that gives sugar (carbohydrates).
He also participates in the formation of alcohol.
c) Oxygen.
At the beginning of fermentation, its entry into the wort, where colonies of wild or artificial yeast are already located, is necessary. It is impossible to cause fermentation without air access, because its absence stops the growth of yeast. But too much oxygen in the wort can cause oxidation of the wine and turning it into vinegar. Therefore, as soon as a frothy “cap” forms on the surface of the fermented wort, the container is closed with a water seal or a rubber glove to ensure the output of carbon dioxide and, at the same time, protect the wine from souring.
d) Temperature.
Here it is necessary to know that at temperatures below + 15 ° C the yeast becomes sluggish and fermentation slows down significantly. Even lower temperatures can cause it to stop completely. It should also be borne in mind that the upper threshold of temperature that yeasts are able to withstand is + 38 ° C, and at a temperature of + 50 ° C, wine yeast dies. And if, in the case of the overcooling of the wort, the process can still be started by placing the container in normal temperature conditions, then it is impossible to correct the situation at a critically high temperature.
Preparation of the leaven.
If it turns out that there is no special wine yeast, and the process of making wine is already in full swing and it cannot be put off, then you can use the universal starter recipe:
1 part raisins;
3 parts sugar;
4 parts of water.
Raisins are covered with syrup so that the container is filled to 3/4 of the volume. Crockery with starter is covered with a hygroscopic cloth and retracts into a dark and warm place. This leaven can be thrown into the wort with raisin after 7-10 days.
The norm of the finished fermented mixture for dry wine - 2% of the volume of wort for sweet, and for dessert wines - 3%. A jar of any jam, figs, raspberries, currants, which are prepared in the same way, is suitable as a starter material.
Fermentation:
As soon as all necessary conditions are fulfilled, fermentation will begin. Then getting the wine is a matter of time. At the initial stage, fermentation will be stormy. Up will rise the "cap" of small particles of fruit. Then they (particles) will begin to gradually sink to the bottom of the bottle, fermentation will gradually become quiet. And as soon as the release of the smallest gas bubbles stops completely, the process can be considered complete. But the wine is not yet ready.
Clarification and removal from sediment:
Now we have to wait until the whole suspension settles to the bottom, and the young wine reaches transparency. Take a flexible hose or tube, made of plastic or rubber, and use it to strain the wine into another dish from the sediment at the bottom. Perhaps the withdrawal will have to be repeated if the wine is not transparent enough. Just let it stand for a while and repeat the procedure.
Binding:
Before you put the wine on the shutter speed and bottling, of course, you must first taste it, and then fix it.
• One of the ways to fix (preserve) wine is adding sugar. Recall that with elevated sugar content (from 30%), yeast is suppressed. And if the wine is properly removed from the sediment and clarified, the negligible amount of yeast, which could accidentally get into the wine, is not able to cause re-fermentation. This method is suitable for the preparation of sweet, dessert wines and liqueurs. Using sugar also increases the strength of the wine. Knowing that 20 g / l increase the alcohol content per degree, bring the alcohol content to the desired value. In this case, the required amount of sugar is dissolved in a small part of the same wine (can be heated to dissolve), poured into the total mass and left for aging.
• The second method of fastening is spritting. Everything is simple here: we bring wine to the fortress over 15% (18% - for sure). What alcohols to add? It all depends on taste. You can add ordinary ethyl alcohol, but if it is pre-infused on the same pears, or herbs, or other spices, then the wine will only benefit from this, having received an additional taste and aroma. Spiriting is an indispensable method for preparing sherry-type wines. • The third method is pasteurization. Wine yeast dies at a temperature of + 50 ° C, but when sending wine for long-term storage, you need to be sure that other harmful microorganisms will not enter it, and that its color and taste will not change. Therefore, the wine is pasteurized in closed bottles so as not to evaporate the degree and aroma, at a temperature of 65-70 ° C. Do not forget about the expansion of wine when heated - it is better to fill it with a bottle than to pour it. After natural cooling in the same container where the bottles were pasteurized, they are removed to the basement.
• Chemical method of binding. This method is used mainly for white wines (12-14%) in order to avoid browning when the wine is “old”. 1/4 part of the potassium pyrosulfite tablet is added to the deciter (1 tablet - 10 mg).
Exposure and storage.
Exposure of wine - this is, to some extent, the patience of the winemaker. Exposure time for pear wines should be from six months and above, if you want to get this wine. Well, if you want to quickly taste, then wait at least a couple of months.
As for storage issues, it is easier to remember what wine does not like in order to create the necessary conditions for it, based on its capabilities. Wine does not like:
- Direct sunlight;
- High temperatures (above 12 ° C);
- Raw, unventilated areas where there is a risk of infecting it with mold or other diseases;
- Improper use of storage tanks: iron is primarily concerned. And, if you come across tips on how to store wine in plastic containers for water on the Internet, ignore that the wine does not suffocate with this plastic and does not lose work.
Factors affecting the quality of pear wine at home
Fortress.
The low sugar content of pears does not allow for a high alcohol content during natural fermentation. The limit of wine strength from pears as a result of natural fermentation reaches 12%. If the winemaker is satisfied with this result, then you can proceed to the next stage of preparation. But if you need to get a wine of greater strength, you can resort to the following methods: a) adding alcohol - add 1% ethyl alcohol (96%) or 2% vodka per unit of total wine volume.
b) adding sugar to unfertilized wine — sugar is added to the silent stage when fermentation goes to the wort: every 200 g per 10 liters. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the amount of sugar from this calculation accordingly. Pour all the sugar in one step, at the very beginning of fermentation, it is impossible. Yeast can not cope, and fermentation, if it does not stop at all, it will proceed very slowly, without giving the desired strength.
c) freezing is an ancient and almost forgotten method, but relatively simple and effective. Its essence lies in the removal of water, which, as is well known, in any liquid, when freezing, goes into a solid state. Not frozen are only minerals, trace elements and alcohol. But the volume of wine at the same time decreases in direct proportion to the volume of crystallized water. After removing the water crystals, the wine must be given “rest” and kept warm so that it becomes transparent again: during freezing, the wine gets a matte shade.
Transparency.
Due to the insufficient index of tannins, pear wine turns out to be unstable and requires careful clarification. To do this, use:
Gelatin for white wine;
Egg white for red wine. In the case of wine from pears, red wine can be obtained by blending with other fruits, red.
Tannin is used to lighten sweet wines.
Solutions of these substances are introduced into the finished wine, followed by settling to obtain transparency. After the wine is poured the same way as when removed from the sediment.
Organoleptic indicators.
In home winemaking, it is possible to determine the sugar and acid content only by focusing on your own taste buds. In other words, the wine must be tasted at least three times in the cooking process: during the preparation of the wort, at the end of fermentation and before sending it to the end, adding everything you need.
Tableware.
If for grinding pears you still have to use metal, copper or aluminum dishes, then try to make sure that this process does not take more than half an hour. Even taking into account the fact that pears contain little of their own acid, the dishes still interact with the material for future wine. Aluminum, iron and copper are an aggressive and unfavorable component. And it is better, nevertheless, to use utensils that are not susceptible to oxidation: from glass, ceramics, food-grade plastic, enameled containers. Water.
It is not necessary to repeat that, as a source of life and health, the water for pear wine at home should, of course, be absolutely pure. It depends on the taste and quality of the drink.
Of course, there are still many unsolved theoretical issues, but the main thing is experience. As they say, if you don’t try, you don’t know. In addition, winemaking is not only science, but also art. And in art there is always a place for improvisation.
And, for the “launch” of inspiration - a few recipes for pear wine at home.
Recipe 1. Pear wine at home, sweet, ordinary
Composition:
• Pulp of pear (table, sweet variety) - 9.5 kg
• Juice, natural (apple, unclarified) - 4.75 l
• Acid, citric (or wine-stone) - 20 g
• Sugar - 2.7 kg
• Sourdough (or wine yeast)
Preparation:
At the beginning, all the components, except the leaven, should be placed in an open container, in which it will be convenient to mix the mash 2-3 times a day. The tank must be placed in a warm place and covered with a hygroscopic cloth so that air can flow in and at the same time protect the wort from dust and accidental contamination. When signs of fermentation appear, pour the wort into the bottle, add the leaven and install the water seal. Further actions are described in technological principles.
Recipe 2. Pear Wine at Home, Ordinary, Dry
Composition:
• Pears, forest (wild) - 8.3 kg
• Water - 14.8 L
• Sugar - 3.1 kg
• Acid - 5-6 g
• Pear essence (or any, to taste)
• Sourdough
Preparation:
Prepare syrup and pour hot washed and chopped pears. Syrup is prepared in a ratio of 1: 1. Acid is added simultaneously. Sourdough is poured into the wort when the syrup is warm.
Wine from wild pears will be more resistant, but the flavor in the forest pears is not enough. Therefore, before aging in a young wine, add an alcohol extract for flavoring.
Recipe 3. Pear wine at home, strong, sweet
Composition:
• Pears, table (sweet variety) - 4.8 kg
• Water - 2.6 l
• Acid - 7-8 g • Sugar - 1.5 kg (for fermentation)
• Honey, liquid (for sweetening) - 370 g (approximately 0.5 l)
• Ethyl alcohol (96%) - 900 ml
• Sourdough.
Preparation:
The wort is prepared according to the method above. After the first removal from the sediment, honey and alcohol are added to the wine. Repeated removal from the sediment is carried out after complete clarification. For aging it will take 3-4 months or more.
If the cottager is not satisfied with the pear-flavored wine, and the harvest still needs to be “attached,” recipes for the preparation of blend wines from pears will help out.
Recipe 4. Pear wine at home, blended, sweet
Composition:
• Pear, dining room (late grade) - 3.6 kg
• Kalina (berries) - 1.2 kg
• Water - 4.0 L
• Sugar - 4.6 kg (including fermentation)
• Sourdough
Preparation:
According to the recipe, make a gruel of fruits and 1/2 part of sugar, pour it with warm water and, when the wort ferments, add the leaven. Pour the compound into the fermentation bottle by sealing the neck with a rubber glove or water seal. At the end of the fermentation act on the technology.
Recipe 5. Pear wine at home using vermouth technology
Composition:
• Spicy, herbal tincture (alcohol) - 1.2 l
• Sourdough
• Water - 6.5 liters
• Pears and apples (pulp) - 4 kg
• Sugar - 3.7 kg (including for sweetening)
Preparation:
1.8 kg of sugar used for making wort. The remaining amount to add in the process of alcoholizing wine, pre-dissolving it. At the end of fermentation, clarify the wine and, adding syrup with herbal tincture, send for aging for at least six months.
For the preparation of herbal tinctures, use the traditional composition of herbs for white vermouth: wormwood, mint, lemon balm, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon or other charges. Wormwood notes should prevail in the tincture for white vermouth. The remaining components can be changed at their own discretion. Vermouth tincture needs to be prepared in advance, before the end of the clarification process.
Recipe 6. Pear wine at home, with citrus and honey
Composition: • Orange zest (5-7 oranges) - 150 g
• Lemons - 1.5 kg
• Sweet pears (table) - 8.4 kg
• Water - 5.8 L
• Honey - 3.2 kg
Preparation:
Zest is better to use fresh, just removed from the fruit. After that, squeeze the juice from citruses and use it to add to the wort, instead of acid. If you like a bitter taste, then part of the lemons can be simply cut into slices and thrown into the wort along with the peel.
This wine will have a strength of up to 6-8%. If you want to raise the degree, you can add brandy. The aroma of citrus makes the presence of pear almost imperceptible. Cooking does not differ from the technology described above.
Recipe 7. Pear wine at home, with raspberries and apricots
Composition:
• Raspberry 2.1 kg
• Apricots 2.7 kg
• Pears (early variety) 5.3 kg
• Water 7.5 l
• Sugar 2.8 kg
Preparation:
For this recipe, no leaven will be needed and the preparation of the wort does not take much time. Collect everything that has ripened on the site in sunny weather, wash the berries and fruits under running water: everything except raspberries. Next, prepare the syrup and fill it with the entire harvest. We wait for fermentation, add water and isolate the wort from oxygen. Everything is very simple. Wine after clarification need to endure at least a month. But he has a fragrance from the first days such that it is difficult to expect a whole month.
Recipe 8. Pear wine at home, strong, with herbs
Raw materials:
• Chamomile
• Linden (flowers)
• Melissa
• Sugar 1.6 kg
• Wine spirit 1.7 L
• Sourdough
• Honey - 2.8 kg (or 3.6 kg of sugar)
• Water 3.5 L
• Lemons 1 pc.
• Pears 4.2 kg
Preparation:
Wine should get sweet, up to 45% and a strength of up to 30%. In fact, it is a pear liqueur.
Pear mashed potatoes combined with sugar and pour water (20-25 ° C). Squeezed lemon juice is added to the wort, instead of tartaric acid, and the zest with herbs is drawn onto vodka, along with honey, until the end of the wine fermentation. After removal from the sediment, it is filtered with alcohol, filtered tincture and set for aging.
Homemade pear wine - tips and tricks
• For pear wine, yellow pear varieties are most suitable. They give a beautiful color. If you are using green varieties of pears, you can make a rich amber color by preparing caramelized syrup from sugar. For alcoholized wine, you can use chamomile, linden, tea infusions as a natural dye. Also gives a pleasant shade of brandy or rum, if used to increase the strength of the wine.
• The residue remaining at the bottom of the bottle can be used for other wines in the same season. The same sediments are useful for feeding tomatoes, strawberries and many plants.
