Mike,
I started like you did - I got a recipe and just did it. I was probably
worse, I didn't even talk to any brew shop people. I look at the recipes
and the different ways people do things, as different cooks who still come
up with the same thing. Yes, they do things a bit different, but on a whole
the similarities are what you have to key on.
Having said that, your batch will probably still come out fine - mine
did. What you've already done is okay and your batch is fermenting. I
would definitely get a hydrometer. What you need to do is to make sure your
fermentation continues and finishes. That's what a hydrometer will tell
you. Once the fermentation is complete, you want to finish the wine. This
takes time....
You'll notice that the wine is murky now. When the fermentation is
complete, you'll need to get the pears out of there and then carefully rack
the wine off the sediment at the bottom of the bucket (save any extra wine
which won't fit in your carboy for top-up later). This sediment is called
lees - it's dead yeast cells and pear gunk. Typically you ferment in a
plastic or glass container, but them rack the wine to another container
(carboy) to age the wine in (there should be very little air space in the
carboy when you're done (1/2 inch)). Ask at your brew shop, they should
have glass containers/carboys to purchase.
Once you rack the wine off the lees into a glass carboy with a airlock
and bung, you'll notice that more lees will fall out of the wine and settle
at the bottom of the carboy. You'll also notice that the wine will start to
clear from the top to the bottom. You'll need to rack again to get the wine
off the lees which will continues to fall to the bottom. That's why you
need the top-up wine, to use to fill up the container to the top after you
rack. I typically rack a wine 3-4 times in a 7-8 month time frame to help
the wine clear. Usually at about 7 months I bottle.
Hope this helps a bit more. Before you start another batch, I would
read up a bit. Certain things will help or hurt your fermentation process.
For example, yeast nutrient/campden tablet should be added first, then wait
12 hours to add the pectic enzyme, then wait 12 hours to add the yeast.
Another example, don't add campden tablets at the same time as the yeast -
campden tablets will inhibit yeast growth and you don't want that. I
started with a book called Home Winemaking by Terry Garey...it is a very
easy book to follow which simplifies the process and starts with a beginner
level, intermediate level, etc. I use Jack's site because he has more
recipes and more information. Some prefer Lum's site - it is just a matter
of preference.
Darlene
"Mike" > wrote in message
...
> "Dar V" > wrote:
>
>>"Mike" > wrote in message
>
>>> Read different methods have left me a tad confused, perhaps
>>> someone will help..
>>>
>>> I had a 25ltr plastic container full of home-grown pears. Last
>>> Saturday I chopped them, removed the stalks and seeds and placed
>>> the remainder, complete with skins back into the container. I
>>> added water, sugar, yeast and some pectolase. Any activity got
>>> off to a slow start and I stirred the mix once a day for the
>>> first three days. Now it is bubbling and releasing gas about once
>>> every twenty seconds. The fruit looks ok floating on the top, the
>>> liquid is a brown colour and there is about 2cm of sediment at
>>> the bottom of the container.
>>>
>>> I will purchase a SG meter tomorrow.
>>>
>>> Have I done this right, what do I do next and when please?
>
>>You've started like I think most of us have.... Please check Jack's site
>>for recipes, directions, etc. http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp.
>
> This is what I mean by "a tad confused"..
>
> http://www.wineworldfdw.com/fruit_wine.html
> http://home.att.net/%7Elumeisenman/appen_a.html
> http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/basics.asp
>
> ..all seem to suggest conflicting views.
>
>> I
>>guess I would stir 2tx a day to help the fermentation along with a little
>>extra oxygen - sounds like you have it under a bung and airlock already.
>
> I do now, the lid was left loose for the first 2-3 days.
>
>>I
>>guess I would wait a few more days to see if the fermentation continues to
>>increase or starts to decrease. I would wait until it decreases
>>considerably before racking off the lees to a carboy with bung and
>>airlock.
>
> What is "lees" and "carboy" ?
>
>>It is hard to say because it sounds like you didn't have a hydrometer to
>>check what your starting SG was.
>
> That is correct.
>
>> Nevertheless, if you do get one and test,
>>I would wait until the SG is at or below 1 before racking. At least then,
>>you know it has fermented almost to dry.... Good-luck.
>
> I must get a meter.
>