kit cider with real fruit added

[Keleidoscope]

I just bottled my experiment.

I used the black rock cider kit (which I have used many times before, it always comes out great) and I put some pears in there, to see what happens.

I looked here and googled a bit but couldn't really find out much about adding fruit.

So I sort of winged it. I cut the pears into chunks, threw them into boiling water to sterilise them, put them into a mesh bag and dumped it into the fermenter.

So we've got black rock cider kit, a malt/dextrose mix, lactose, pears, and a champagne yeast.

Has anyone added fruit like this?

I gotta say, when I bottled it before, the colour of the stuff is putrid! Looks like brown murky gutter water. Smelt ok though!

I'm curious about the state of the pears, but I can't get the lid off the damn fermenter, I'll have to wait until one of the guys comes home to have a look.

I thought I'd post and tell you guys about it in case anyone was thinking of trying something simular.

[Chris]

Cutting up chunks of fruit is fine. I generally avoid boiling water due to potential pectin issues-
I usually find 20mins at ~70*C does the job, as well as breaking up the fruit a bit to really let the
yeast get inside for a munch.

[Keleidoscope]

Pectin?

I wasn't sure what to do to make sure there was no bacteria on the fruit, but I tried not to keep it in for water for too long cause I thought it they started to cook it might not have been a good thing. Guess it's ok then?

The colour has improved now that it's settled, should have racked it though, the sediment is still nasty.

[bullfrog]

Only time I've ever added fruit to a batch, I threw them into some cooled, pre-boiled water, threw in a crushed-up campden tablet and let it sit in a sterilised container overnight. I just didn't like the idea of blanching the fruit with hot/boiling water.

[Chris]

70*C is fine, and actually helps soften the fruit up to let the yeast in.

Generally boiling water should be avoided- especially long exposure. A quick dip shouldn't cause too many issues.

Most pectin comes out of the seeds anyway.