# Hunting > Game Cooking and Recipes >  Nashi Pear Cider

## P38

Mrs Dundee started a thread last night asking "Does anyone else Like Cider"?
http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...-ciders-12113/

Well I do and so do lots of my friends.

This thread inspired me to give it a go and make some.

Thanks Mrs Dundee  :Thumbsup: 

I have made apple cider before with my Poppa but that was a couple of decades ago and to tell the truth I really didn't pay too much attention other than it was bloody nice to drink.

I currently have a Nashi tree loaded down with ripe fruit just perfect for making some cider.

So this morning I picked three shopping bags full (one and a bit branches) of Nashi from my tree and juiced it.

End result was 2 1/2 bags of fruit makes two gallons of juice with some Nashi left over for lunches next week.  :Have A Nice Day: 



Next step is to add the yeast, fit air locks, and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.

I'll let you know how I get on.

I sure hope it's at least drinkable  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## veitnamcam

looking forward to the next installment:thumbup:

----------


## Rushy

You could be on to something there Pete. Then again it might also strip paint.

----------


## Raging Bull

Are you going to filter it at all or keep it old school? 

Looking forward to the results.

----------


## Rich007

> You could be on to something there Pete. Then again it might also strip paint.


In my experience with home brew there is never an in between - it's either fantastic or horrific. Time will tell :Have A Nice Day: 
That said you may be a better brewer than me  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Wildman

What yeast are you using? Might have been worth a boil first to make sure it was clean?

----------


## Raging Bull

> What yeast are you using? Might have been worth a boil first to make sure it was clean?


Yes, best to boil it, cool it and then pitch the yeast.  If you are using dry yeast, probably best to hydrate it first before you pitch.   

You don't want any funny bugs ruining all that juice.

----------


## P38

Yep

Got the juice on ice at the moment.

Will heat treat it to kill any wild yeast or moulds and pitch it with yeast tomorrow when the brew shop opens.

I'm not sure what the best yeast to use is, I'm open to suggestions.

Probably depend on what's available too.

As for filtering ..........  If you cant see any bits floating in it then it's not really a cider is it?

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Pengy

I read somewhere that Champagne yeast is best for Ciders

----------


## P38

> I read somewhere that Champagne yeast is best for Ciders


That's what I thought as well Pengy.

I'll see what the store has.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## EeeBees

> looking forward to the next installment:thumbup:


+ 1 indeed!

----------


## P38

Stage 2

Yesterday I pasteurised the Nashi Juice 
cooled it to 20c
Pitched it with yeast (S-04 was recommended)
Fitted the air locks and sat back and waited.
1st stage of fermentation should take about a week.
This is the result so far.



Cheers
Pete

----------


## P38

Starting Specific Gravity is 1.054

Which suggest a finished alcohol content of around 6-6.5% could be achieved.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Wildman

> Starting Specific Gravity is 1.054
> 
> Which suggest a finished alcohol content of around 6-6.5% could be achieved.
> 
> Cheers
> Pete


Exciting :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## mrs dundee

That sounds very interesting p38 with the nashiepears they are yummy 4 a start,so your cider will be even yummer.

----------


## P38

> That sounds very interesting p38 with the nashiepears they are yummy 4 a start,so your cider will be even yummer.


MrsD

The Nashi juice was very nice, I think I drank about another litre while I was juicing it.  :Have A Nice Day: 

I'm hopeful the cider will taste just as nice.

Thanks to your post the other night you inspired me to use this fruit which would otherwise have been wasted.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## JayColli

Good call with the S-04. I tried a Champagne yeast Lalvin EC-1118 on my first batch of pear cider and it totally dried it out while consuming all but the faintest hint of pear so I was left with bubbly booze water - not a total loss...

----------


## P38

One week one and it's looking good.

Another couple of day to finish fermenting then I'll rack it off and let it completely ferment out.




Cheers
Pete

----------


## kotuku

well pete if it not "throatworthy" youllhave a nice batch of borecleaner to flog off on here.actually i tasted som old mout ?raspberry cider yesterday -first time for me -i was pleasently suprised.
ex homebrewer -may have to restart my plant.

----------


## P38

Day 11

And I have racked it off for secondary fermentation.

SG started out at 1.054 and is currently sitting at 1.001 which is around 7% alcohol.




Unfortunately for those amongst us that were hoping for Paint Stripper and Bore Cleaner, including my Wife, You will be very disappointed.  :Wink: 

Initial tasting is very promising and already it's very drinkable.  :Thumbsup:  

I'll let it sit for another week before bottling, maturing and final taste testing.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## veitnamcam

good music choice:thumbup:

I was goin to ask what "racking off" is but i guess the vid explained that.

my wife gets racked off when i leave empty bottles or cans on the coffee table.

----------


## P38

> good music choice:thumbup:
> 
> I was goin to ask what "racking off" is but i guess the vid explained that.
> 
> my wife gets racked off when i leave empty bottles or cans on the coffee table.


VC

Grace Slick can really belt that out alright.

Yeah, "Racking Off" can mean lots of things depending on the situation.

In this case it means taking the clear Cider off the top of the Lees, which is the dead yeast and fruit pulp that's settled to the bottom.

VC what happens if you *Don't* leave your empties on the coffee table?

Cheers
Pete

----------


## kotuku

well thats great to hear P38-Ive in the past with home brewing -put a disposable automotive fuel filter in the hoseline when bottling the brew to remove some of the more minute lees &sediment.apparently winemakers started this trick .it works too.

----------


## veitnamcam

Just means she has to think of something else to be racked off about :Grin:

----------


## mrs dundee

Wow p38 that looks very interesting,i bet it will taste nice when its brewed.By the way where did you get yr  flagons from.

----------


## JoshC

Wish I could try some

----------


## P38

> well thats great to hear P38-Ive in the past with home brewing -put a disposable automotive fuel filter in the hoseline when bottling the brew to remove some of the more minute lees &sediment.apparently winemakers started this trick .it works too.


Good Tip Kotuku  :Thumbsup: 

Thanks for that.

A Paper Coffee Filter placed inside a funnel works a treat too

Cheers
Pete

----------


## P38

> Wow p38 that looks very interesting,i bet it will taste nice when its brewed.By the way where did you get yr  flagons from.


Mrs D

The Cider tastes nice already.
Notice how I snuck in a good swig when I was starting the siphon  :Wink: 
I'll let it ferment out completely and back sweeten it if it needs it before bottling.

The Cider will probably remain in the secondary fermenter for an month or more to let it mature and develop it's flavours.

I might even rack it off one more time if there is too much dead yeast collecting on the bottom so we don't get any off flavours from the dead yeast.

The Demi Johns came from the Pepsi factory in Mount Wellington Auckland.
They are filled with the "Secret Pepsi Syrup" mix in this case they were 7 Up syrup Demi Johns.

One Demi John is mixed with 10,000L of water to make the 7 Up before bottling.

Demi Johns can be bought from any Wine/Home Brew Shop.

or 

You can buy them at Bin Inn in Hastings for a much lower price  :Thumbsup: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## P38

> Just means she has to think of something else to be racked off about


 :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 

Best you behave then.

----------


## JayColli

Lookin good!!! I take it you're going to bottle the cider 'still'? I've had difficulties re-starting fermentation after prolonged secondaries.

----------


## P38

JayC

The plan is to end up with a sparkling cider.

Secondary fermentation is still happening, currently getting about a bubble an hour or so.

I'll keep testing it with the Hydrometer to make sure the SG doesn't go too low.

But I have been told that the longer you can leave it the better it will mature, especially in the bottles.

If your having difficulty restarting fermentation then the addition of a few grains of yeast into the secondary with a bit of sugar a few days before bottling may help.

At this stage I may leave it in the secondary for up to a month.

But basically I'm still guessing as this is my first attempt at Pear Cider.

Cheers
Pete

Cheers
Pete

----------


## P38

Bottling Day  for this Nashi Cider.

Another month or two and it's drinking time.   :Thumbsup:  

It tasted pretty good as a still cider so I'm hoping it will be even better as a Sparkling Cider




Cheers
Pete

----------


## mrs dundee

I bet it will taste yummy as.

----------


## P38

> I bet it will taste yummy as.


I hope so Mrs D

----------


## P38

Well after seven weeks in the bottles there has been a slight set back.

I opened the first bottle the other day and while it was quite drinkable and very tasty it was flat.... well almost flat.  :Oh Noes: 

That's ok if you want still cider, but not too good if you were expecting it to be sparkling.

After retracing my steps and giving it a bit of though I have come up with several possible reasons why this has occurred and solutions to try and remedy this situation. 

Reason 1. 
The bottled cider is stored in a cool place, maybe too cool for secondary fermentation to occur. 
Solution:  
Move bottles to a warmer place for a week or so. 
This is the easiest solution and I have moved two bottles to the hot water cupboard and will observe the results.

Reason 2. 
Not enough viable yeast to complete secondary fermentation. Specific gravity at bottling was 
Solution:
I can open the bottles and drop a grain or two of fresh yeast into each bottle. This has some risk as if too much yeast is added secondary fermentation may become too vigorous and create gushers or worse still blow the bottles.

Reason 3. 
Not enough sugar was added at bottling to complete secondary fermentation. I used dextrose as the sugar and added 1/4 of a cup. I have since read that it's better to weight dextrose as measuring by volume can lead to inconsistent results.
Solution:
Open the bottles and add some more sugar. This also has some risk as if too much sugar is added secondary fermentation may become too vigorous and create gushers or worse still blow the bottles.

Reason 4
A combination of some or all of the above.
Solution:
Try each solution and observe the results.

I'll keep you posted on the outcome of my experiments.

Looks like I may a volunteer (Read Guinea Pig  :Wink:  ) to test and appraise the results for us.  :Thumbsup: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Rushy

> Looks like I may a volunteer (Read Guinea Pig  ) to test and appraise the results for us.


Sounds like a tough job Pete but I am sure you are up to it.

----------


## mrs dundee

P38 have fun being the guinea pig.Possum Trapper made some lemon moon shine and it was nice as.

----------


## P38

> P38 have fun being the guinea pig.Possum Trapper made some lemon moon shine and it was nice as.


Lemon Moonshine sounds nice.

I'd be hopeless as a Guinea pig.

Had someone else in mind Mrs D   :Wink: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## deepsouthaussie

I use 210g of dextrose with 300ml of boiling water for batch dosing 23L of home brew beer for my carbonation.  Works a treat. Might be a good ratio for other brews too?

Hope you can get her sparkling.



Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk

----------


## P38

> I use 210g of dextrose with 300ml of boiling water for batch dosing 23L of home brew beer for my carbonation.  Works a treat. Might be a good ratio for other brews too?
> 
> Hope you can get her sparkling.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk


Yep I'm sure I can sparkle it up.

Worst comes to worse I'll empty it into my Corney Keg and carbonate it with CO2, but I'm sure I can kick it off again.

The bottles in the Hot water cupboard seem to have perked up a bit.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Pondmeister

Hi P38

I have a Nashi tree and found this thread when doing some research into how to make pear cider.

Good thread!!

Please can you update with how you finally got on and whether or not it was sparkling?

Cheers

----------


## P38

> Hi P38
> 
> I have a Nashi tree and found this thread when doing some research into how to make pear cider.
> 
> Good thread!!
> 
> Please can you update with how you finally got on and whether or not it was sparkling?
> 
> Cheers


 @Pondmeister

The Nashi Cider was nice enough to drink, very clear with a distinctly Nashi flavour, however it did not sparkle up anywhere near enough for my liking.

I was using 450ml bottles and added the dextrose to the Cider before bottling to carbonate the cider.

I now know that when using dextrose as a substitute for sugar you need to use more dextrose to achieve the same effect as sugar.

This year I will use the same 450ml bottles but put one and a 1/2 teaspoons of sugar directly into each bottle before adding the cider instead of the dextrose.

My Nashi are ripening as I type. 

The plan is to make at least 15 litres this year  :Have A Nice Day: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Tommy

Sing out if you want some extra swingtops for bottling. I have a good amount  :Wink:  The trick is to get your flatmates addicted to grolsch and kidnap the bottles. Call it a 'pay it forward' exercise. I'll get them to you too

----------


## P38

> Sing out if you want some extra swingtops for bottling. I have a good amount  The trick is to get your flatmates addicted to grolsch and kidnap the bottles. Call it a 'pay it forward' exercise. I'll get them to you too


  @Tommy

Thanks for the offer, However I have plenty of empties and a steady supply of new ones courtesy of mates who like to drink Grolsch.

A better use for your might be to put down a batch or two of Apple Cider for yourself and/ or your flatmates.

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...e-cider-13017/

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Wirehunt

> My Nashi are ripening as I type. 
> 
> The plan is to make at least 15 litres this year 
> 
> Cheers
> Pete


So you are very light on it.

----------


## P38

> So you are very light on it.


Guess so.

Got 60l of apple cider to bottle as well  :Have A Nice Day: 

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Pondmeister

Hi P38

You inspired me to give Nashi Cider making a go.

Made two carboys one with SN9 & other with MA33

Bottled after 20 days fermentation, was very dry however tasted good enough.

Added 1.5 tspn of sugar to swing top bottles

No sign of carbonation yet as far as I can tell

----------


## Pondmeister

Hi Tommy
I would like to buy your grolsch bottles if they are still available?

----------


## P38

> Hi P38
> 
> You inspired me to give Nashi Cider making a go.
> 
> Made two carboys one with SN9 & other with MA33
> 
> Bottled after 20 days fermentation, was very dry however tasted good enough.
> 
> Added 1.5 tspn of sugar to swing top bottles
> ...


Good on ya Pondmeister  :Thumbsup: 

Leave them for a couple of months to mature

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers
Pete

----------


## Pondmeister

Hi P38
Thank you for your motivation and guidance!!

I am very satisfied with the results, Nashi cider is crisp and clear, carbonated, but not overly so and not too dry.

Have made 3 carboys this season and experimented with using my own honey to bring up the hydrometer reading to around 1060 prior to primary fermentation. Left over yeast from last season still worked and primary fermentation has stopped after 12 days, considering adding some sugar to get it going again or bottling as is, what do you think?

----------


## Pondmeister

Hi Tommy

Thank you again for the bottles, first brew was good so I am doing it again this season.

Cheers
Pondmeister

----------

