Pear Cider From Dad's Old Cider Press

 Hey everyone, How was every ones's fruit harvest this year? I didn't get but very few apples, maybe two peaches but I did get a lot of pears so I guess I'd better just be thankful for that. We canned and dehydrated them and all the blemished or small ones we broke out Dad's old cider press and made pear cider. This old press has been in the family for a long time and I had to rework it a bit, spiffed it up and tightened everything up. I also have an old Buckeye Press that is still in peaces I need to build the wooden part and put it together. I bought for $2 at a farm auction, they were not even going to sell it even after I spotted it and dug it out of the dirt from under a tree. All the parts are there too, even the rings for the press buckets.
 

Thanks for watching and God bless.

Fun fact: the fermented product of pressed pears is actually called Perry.

I love fermented fruit beverages. There's so much room for variety and experimentation in fruit combinations and flavouring options. Add apple, everything changes. Add honey, everything changes. Change the yeast, (you guessed it!) everything changes.

You can treat it traditionally, you can make a pear wine, you can treat it like a beer and hop it, you can treat it like a fruit mead. And you can distill it into a pear brandy for less-than-palatable batches, or let it mature into vinegar.

I love both the fact that you're using your dad's old cider press, and at what you unearthed at auction. Good eye!

Please keep us posted. I find this stuff fascinating, and though I am allergic to apples, pears, and all stonefruit, I am still looking for an orchard to rehab permaculturally, and small-batch fruit and honey-based alcohol production is one thing I am keeping my eye on. The very best of luck to you.

-CK

Hey Chris thank you very much, that was really informative. I used to make all kinds of homemade wine and never went by a recipe, I used all kinds of different yeast, even bread yeast and all my friends were bugging my for more. I would start with a sufficient amount of sugar and then after it brewed would add small amounts till I got the taste I liked, a bit sweet but not too sweet.It was pretty strong stuff too. I put apple wine in a pop bottle and put in the freezer in my redneck attempt to make applejack and it came out pretty good too and high alcohol content. I just turned it upside down after it froze and let the alcohol run out.
Feel free to check out my other videos on youtube also if you like, I'm always coming up with something different and crazy.
Thanks for watching and God bless.

Internal Revenue Code section 5002(a)(4) defines distiller to include
(4) DistillerThe term “distiller” includes any person who—
(A) produces distilled spirits from any source or substance,
(B) brews or makes mash, wort, or wash fit for distillation or for the production of distilled spirits (other than the making or using of mash, wort, or wash in the authorized production of wine or beer, or the production of vinegar by fermentation),
(C) by any process separates alcoholic spirits from any fermented substance, or
(D) making or keeping mash, wort, or wash, has a still in his possession or use.

You can "ice brew" beer removing less that 0.5% water as ice was legal at one point, but could of changed.
You can not remove any water from cider, wine, or predistilled items by using heat or cold.
You can make up to 100 gallons a year for 1 adult in a household and 200 gallons a year total if there is more than 2 adults in the household.


Our apples, pairs, and cherries, end up canned, makeing a lot of cider, and makeing some vinegar.

Bob Anders wrote:Internal Revenue Code section 5002(a)(4) defines distiller to include
(4) DistillerThe term “distiller” includes any person who—
(A) produces distilled spirits from any source or substance,
(B) brews or makes mash, wort, or wash fit for distillation or for the production of distilled spirits (other than the making or using of mash, wort, or wash in the authorized production of wine or beer, or the production of vinegar by fermentation),
(C) by any process separates alcoholic spirits from any fermented substance, or
(D) making or keeping mash, wort, or wash, has a still in his possession or use.

You can "ice brew" beer removing less that 0.5% water as ice was legal at one point, but could of changed.
You can not remove any water from cider, wine, or predistilled items by using heat or cold.
You can make up to 100 gallons a year for 1 adult in a household and 200 gallons a year total if there is more than 2 adults in the household.


Our apples, pairs, and cherries, end up canned, makeing a lot of cider, and makeing some vinegar.

I think you are missing an important phrase. Right before 'not', it should read 'legally, in the US'.

Lots of people live other places..

Well I guess the Governments got to Impose rules until there is nobody left, as for me I quit making wine long ago and only rarely even take a sip. I do love fresh unfermented cider, when they make a law against that its time to move a little farther back in the woods I guess.