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First steps 2013

Rose hips

2013/11/26 There is 9.8kg in the plastic container. I think I will shake them portion-wise in the white colander to filter away the leftovers, petals etc. I'm betting on that it'll come off easier when they're frozen. I'm thinking the hip-wall needs softening, that is what seem to happen in nature when they're left in the colder weather. They soften inside and the skin/wall grows soft too.

2013/11/27 I shook the frozen rosehips to try to shake off the dirt, this was somewhat successful. Then I rinsed them with the showerhead. Then I cooked them at low temp for about an hour.

They went quite soft. I reused the water 3litres twice, then added 2kg of sugar and put it back in the vat. I also took about 200ml and added 5ml of the yeast for a starter.

2013/11/28 I added 1L of water and 1kg of sugar, so 4litres and 3kg in total. I also moved to a 30L vat, the 15L vat seemed to have too little room on the top. Total weight = 9.8+4+3 = 17kg.

2013/11/29 Have added in the starter, put on the airlock and moved the vat into the boiler-room. This is going to be interesting. 16:50 Saw a bubble from the hips.

2013/12/01 there is pressure in the rosehips, but no sustained bubbling.

2013/12/02 the rosehips have started to bubble slowly.

2013/12/8 rosehips are bubbling steadily, three times faster than pearjuice and -mash.
2013/12/16 rosehips are bubbling steadily.
2013/12/28 rosehips are bubbling steadily.
2014/6/1 rosehips bubbling slowly.
2014/1/13 rosehips are bubbling. 
2014/1/14 rosehips bubbling. 
2014/1/20 rosehips bubbling.

2014/02/02 rosehips bubbling.

2014/09/13 the rosehips have stopped bubbling long ago. I am wondering if adding some pektinase now might change anything? Hmm, apparently rose hips do not contain any pektin. Maybe give them a good stir with the drill?

Birnebrand 2014

Vat V - birnetrester, frozen+fresh

No. 5 is a 30L vat. It's got the remnants of

• 15kg fresh+squeezed pears, also pureed in Nadine's Champion juicer,
• 15kg fresh+squeezed pears
• 2 x 15kg of frozen+squeezed

Approx 30kg mash in total, it's pretty much full.

2014/09/06 Have added 10ml pektinase diluted in 100ml water to the trester. The first part had already started fermenting, and smelled like acetone.

2014/09/07 Added yeast from a starter made with 2ml from the bottle.

2014/09/10 Added 2L water and 2kg of sugar.

2014/09/10 Bubbling violently, almost overflowing.

2014/09/11 Still bubbling a lot, did not overflow sofar.

2014/09/12 The overflow risk is due to air (CO2) from below pushing up the mash.

2014/09/14 still bubbling a lot, the vat is full, overflow risk still real.

Vat VI - birnetrester, frozen only

No. 6 is a 30L VAT. I've kept the squeezed pears in this, only from frozen batches. I am debating whether or not to add pektinase before starting to ferment it.

2014/09/12 It has started to produce the acetone-like smell, nothing has been added sofar.

2014/09/13 Weight is about 15kg. Have added 10ml pektinase diluted in 150ml of water. Expect to add last 5kg of trester tomorrow.

2014/09/14 Have added most of the left over from squeezing. Also added another 10ml pektinase, 2L of water with 2kg of sugar and the yeast starter.

Vat VII - birnemost

No. 7 is the 100L VAT I got at the Landi moving sale last year in Egg.

I'm filling it up slowly with pear juice and sugar. It started fermenting by itself fairly quickly; next time I'll add my Brennmaischhefe right away. I've worked out that to make 95L @ 20% alcohol, I need 80L of juice plus 27kg sugar. I'm guessing that I should be subtracting the sugar content of the juice, but I don't have an oechsle (refracto-)meter.

2014/09/12 Status: 67L of juice, 23kg sugar mixed in. Have another 15kg of pear defrosting, should be ready for Sunday.

2014/09/14 Have added the rest, status appears to be 79L of juice with 27kg of sugar. The vat is full, it even spilled over a bit when I added the last 2+2.