Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Discussions of fruits, veggies and grains other then just mashing

Moderator: Site Moderator

User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

@Cranky
I'll be calling on you here this fall. I have been given the opportunity to have all the pairs I can take from two trees on a friend's property they recently purchased.
I'm still not sure how in going to process them since in not set up for fruits but I figured since they're free and it's all I want, I'd take the opportunity to learn how to make pear brandy. In the mean time I'm just reading what I can find on pear brandy ferments.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Deplorable wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 6:01 pm @Cranky
I'll be calling on you here this fall. I have been given the opportunity to have all the pairs I can take from two trees on a friend's property they recently purchased.
I'm still not sure how in going to process them since in not set up for fruits but I figured since they're free and it's all I want, I'd take the opportunity to learn how to make pear brandy. In the mean time I'm just reading what I can find on pear brandy ferments.
I like pears better than apple, I would love to find a couple of mature pear trees to pick so I could make pear brandy. Pears are almost completely juice. Pears tend to over ripen on the tree so you have to watch them carefully, when the neck is slightly soft they are ready to pick. My experience with running pears is that the flavor lasts throughout the run but peaks at the hearts to tails transition.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

I got two stripping runs in yesterday and am doing another right now. This one is even worse than the runs yesterday. I can't run it over 10 amps without it surging and puking but I'm going ahead and stripping it at that speed. This will finish the 1118 / D47 batches. I might even do the spirit run tomorrow or the next day, then start doing daily runs of the Ciderhouse. I'm actually interested to compare the cider from the different yeasts. Right now I'm getting a lot of green apple carry over, I'm curious to see what the final results will be like.

I also refilled one of the 6 gallon carboys with the remaining juice and added a package of 71B to make sure it starts good. I'm not sure what I will do with this batch since it's likely I'll have all my runs done by the time it finishes so it may just get bottled and given away at Christmas. I managed to get 5 cases (120 bottles) of 12 fl oz bottles out of the bottle dumpster today which along with bottles I already have is enough for around 15 gallons of Christmas cheer :D

There is one small problem with the bottles but I will discuss that in a different thread in a few days.
User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

cranky wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:32 pm
Deplorable wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 6:01 pm @Cranky
I'll be calling on you here this fall. I have been given the opportunity to have all the pairs I can take from two trees on a friend's property they recently purchased.
I'm still not sure how in going to process them since in not set up for fruits but I figured since they're free and it's all I want, I'd take the opportunity to learn how to make pear brandy. In the mean time I'm just reading what I can find on pear brandy ferments.
I like pears better than apple, I would love to find a couple of mature pear trees to pick so I could make pear brandy. Pears are almost completely juice. Pears tend to over ripen on the tree so you have to watch them carefully, when the neck is slightly soft they are ready to pick. My experience with running pears is that the flavor lasts throughout the run but peaks at the hearts to tails transition.
Pot still it or reflux? I'm thinking pot still. Seems the CCVM would just strip all the flavor out.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Deplorable wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 5:04 pm Pot still it or reflux? I'm thinking pot still. Seems the CCVM would just strip all the flavor out.
Definitely Pot still run through twice. I've done pear using my pot head and flute. In my case the flavor of pear was strong enough that it worked well in the flute but the pot gave better results.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Just to add to what Cranky said about the ripeness of pears. They can indeed be deceptive and if you wait till they feel perfect often the middle will be rotten. I pick when they are still slightly hard and let them sit until they are ready. For some reason they don't get the heart rot that way. It is odd, you would think being on the tree still being fed and watered from the tree would be better but it isn't.

I made a pear/apple brandy last year that was really good. I just have a few drops left.
User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

Good info. I'll start a thread when the fruit gets close to harvest. I've still got some things to work out, like how I'm going to crush and press them all.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

Messy buggers, pears are. I use a HF wood chipper and I have a traditional apple chipper too. I have an old school apple press but there are some threads here about DIY versions. I find the pears break down more and more gets through the mesh of the press bag. I would do a primary fermentation and then rack into a secondary to leave the lees behind. Don't be in a rush for it to ferment, I think the best brandy comes from a slower, cooler ferment.
User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

Since the trees are right across from the new production building for their winery, I'll be doing everything there in their shop. I've thought about using their vertical wine press.
The two trees were pretty neglected, so I don't know that this year's yeild will be very large, but this winter they'll get a healthy pruning and start training them into a proper shape to improved harvest yeild.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

See if they need fertilizer too. For a pear the new growth should be about 12 to 18" in length. If it is shorter then you should consider fertilizing them. I use Nutririch pellets. However, if you prune more than about 20% of the canopy it said to be better to fert the following year.
User avatar
Hambone
Rumrunner
Posts: 509
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2020 7:24 am
Location: MO, just around the bend...

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Hambone »

stillanoob wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 5:28 am Messy buggers, pears are. I use a HF wood chipper and I have a traditional apple chipper too.
I run my pears or apples through my meat grinder...
Good judgement is the result of experience.

Experience is usually the result of bad judgement..
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Pears are only perfectly ripe for 15 minutes of it's life but once ripe or over ripe you can usually just squish them with your hands, depending on the variety. I've actually done just fine with them squishing with my hands then placing in a pillow case and wringing the pillow case out. It's not ideal but it works. There are lots of other ways, my preferred being through the chopper and into bags for pressing but I've also used a food processor.
User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

cranky wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 1:15 pm Pears are only perfectly ripe for 15 minutes of it's life but once ripe or over ripe you can usually just squish them with your hands, depending on the variety. I've actually done just fine with them squishing with my hands then placing in a pillow case and wringing the pillow case out. It's not ideal but it works. There are lots of other ways, my preferred being through the chopper and into bags for pressing but I've also used a food processor.
See, this is what I was thinking.
I figured I'd just pick them and toss them in a blue barrel and hit then with a mortar mixer, then press them through a BIAB, and into a clean barrel for fermentation, or run them through their wine press and into a fermenter.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
NormandieStill
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1715
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:17 pm
Location: Northwest France

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by NormandieStill »

I wonder what the juice to pulp ratio of pears is and if you couldn't ferment on the pulp as if making a wine. It might require some more available fermenter volume but could maybe extract a little more flavour.
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Deplorable wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:02 pm See, this is what I was thinking.
I figured I'd just pick them and toss them in a blue barrel and hit then with a mortar mixer, then press them through a BIAB, and into a clean barrel for fermentation, or run them through their wine press and into a fermenter.
I think that would work just fine if the pears are ripe and soft.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

NormandieStill wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:12 pm I wonder what the juice to pulp ratio of pears is and if you couldn't ferment on the pulp as if making a wine. It might require some more available fermenter volume but could maybe extract a little more flavour.
In my experience very little of a pear is pulp but I have never fermented them on the pulp so don't know how much would settle out.
stillanoob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 736
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:15 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by stillanoob »

I have only pressed and don't think I would want to leave it on the pulp. Pears seem to go nasty easily. Pure pear cider gets infected more easily than apple in my experience. Maybe it is less acidic or something. I am extra careful with the sanitation when working with pear. Although I am very careful with apple too. With the longer ferments I do I have to be.

Did the spirit run from last year's apple. Came out really good. Me and my still buddy each got about 3/4 of a gallon and it is now on oak. Such a bummer my apple crop is looking mediocre at best.
Sailman
Swill Maker
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2019 7:02 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Sailman »

I just got a chance to label some bottles of my peach.
IMG_20210606_124854.jpg
NormandieStill
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1715
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:17 pm
Location: Northwest France

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by NormandieStill »

stillanoob wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:42 am Pears seem to go nasty easily. Pure pear cider gets infected more easily than apple in my experience. Maybe it is less acidic or something. I am extra careful with the sanitation when working with pear. Although I am very careful with apple too. With the longer ferments I do I have to be.
I seem to recall hearing this somewhere else in relation to making poirè (pear cider) so that makes sense. I was just wondering out loud.
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
User avatar
Saltbush Bill
Site Mod
Posts: 9644
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
Location: Northern NSW Australia

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Nice job on the waxed bottles and labels Sailman.
You've come a long way from those first questions when you joined :thumbup:
User avatar
8Ball
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1399
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by 8Ball »

cranky wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 4:31 am
NormandieStill wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:12 pm I wonder what the juice to pulp ratio of pears is and if you couldn't ferment on the pulp as if making a wine. It might require some more available fermenter volume but could maybe extract a little more flavour.
In my experience very little of a pear is pulp but I have never fermented them on the pulp so don't know how much would settle out.
I ran my pears through a blender and fermented on the pulp. Had to gently push the cap down a couple times a day. Turned out good. https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... hilit=Pear
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
Sailman
Swill Maker
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2019 7:02 am

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Sailman »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:59 am Nice job on the waxed bottles and labels Sailman.
You've come a long way from those first questions when you joined :thumbup:
Thanks Bill I've tried to do more reading than asking questions. With that being said I still may ask a question that can easily be found the answer to but I've learned to try and find it for myself.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Yesterday I did the spirit run on the apple I stripped last week. That went mostly well but required less than half power to keep at the collection rate I like. Then as I neared the tails it decided to puke, which is weird. I've only had that sort of thing happen with blackberries and only very very late in the run, well after I should have shut down but this was still producing well above 30%. I ended everything there and will do the blending today or tomorrow and see what I think. It seemed pretty promising.
User avatar
Fredistiller
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 253
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Somewhere in Europe

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Fredistiller »

We had terrible weather this may, temp like in November and rain al lday long. I heard a specialist on the radio say that the bees could fly 2hours/day when they had normally should be flying 10.
But finally it back to normal. But everything is a month later. Elder are only in full bloom now. Hope everything would be okay for the summer.
The elders are booming finally!
The elders are booming finally!
NormandieStill
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1715
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:17 pm
Location: Northwest France

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by NormandieStill »

Elders in full bloom here in northern France as well. Got my first batch of Elderflower bubbly on. Should be ready to bottle in a day or so.
"I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway" - Jimbo

A little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17975
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Bushman »

I see a liqueur in your future :thumbup:
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

I'd like to have elderberries...but then I'd like to have pretty much every fruit :D
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Today I finished the last of the stripping runs on the canned apple juice. It went pretty well but there were issues I don't normally run into. On the stuff fermented with 1118 / D-47 foaming was a real issue but not on the stuff fermented with the Ciderhouse. The Ciderhouse ran off more or less like I am used to but had a slightly lower yield that the 1118, which wasn't unexpected given that that yeast is known to finish a little less dry than the 1118. I also had an unusual problem with my cooling water heating up faster than normal and having to be changed half way through the runs. I should make some mods so I can hook a garden hose to my condenser but it's not high on my priority list.

During the final stripping run I looked over and the light caught one of my most valuable carboys just right to reveal this
BROKEN CARBOY #1 - C.jpg
Which is a 2 inch long crack :( and effectively renders a $200 carboy both worthless and useless all in one go. I knew I should have sold that thing years ago and used the money to buy more cheap carboys. I'd be even more upset if I had payed more than $15 for it but it's still upsetting. It does make me think that maybe I should sell off my other valuable carboys now rather than risk them also getting damaged.

In other fruity goodness news my cherries are ripening :D
CHERRIES 12 JUN 21 #2A - C.jpg
CHERRIES 12 JUN 21 #3A - C.jpg
The only problem is that I haven't gotten around to netting the trees and I'm, taking Mrs Cranky to the coast for a few days and by the time we get back the trees will probably be stripped bare.
User avatar
Deplorable
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3980
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 pm
Location: In the East, (IYKYK)

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by Deplorable »

The f-ing starlings will strip them bare in no time.
Last year I shot no less than 40 starlings with my pellet gun, and neve put a dent in the local population.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
User avatar
cranky
Master of Distillation
Posts: 6505
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

Post by cranky »

Deplorable wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:33 pm The f-ing starlings will strip them bare in no time.
Last year I shot no less than 40 starlings with my pellet gun, and neve put a dent in the local population.
They never even get close to ripe, the birds hit them as soon as they show any signs of redness. One year I did manage to net them which got me some but some birds even managed to find their way through the net and eat about half of them. I understand rainier Cherries often get ignored by the birds because they don't look ripe.
Post Reply