Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.

So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.

Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?

Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
in the mix for the week until then?

Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...


Thanks,

Matt
www.man-man.org

"Matt Shepherd"

> Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
> nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
> stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
> store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
> making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.

You could always order stuff for delivery, by telephone or over the
internet. Try Presque Isle (www.piwine.com) or www.walmart.com.

> So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
> pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
> consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
> soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.

Nothing to worry about, assuming the cheesecloth was clean, but I would
recommend you try to pull the pieces out anyway (just on aesthetic grounds).
If I were to make a perry, I would "ferment on the skins", just as you are
now doing involuntarily. It makes for better extraction of colour and
flavour. You will need to "press the cap", i.e. push or stir the solids back
into the wine, so the cap doesn't dry out. This will also aid extraction,
but stir gently. Vigorous stirring will result in evaporation of precious
alcohol.

> Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
> transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
> remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?

Not that I can envision. But, if the cheesecloth "disintegrates", it won't
do a very good job of straining, will it? Surely they sell nylon stockings
in Sherbrooke? Use a new (wash it first anyway) or freshly-laundered
stocking as a press bag. Or use a nylon paint-straining bag, which hardware
and paint stores sell for 1, 2, and 5-gallon buckets. Wash the bag and rinse
thoroughly. Wrap the ends of the stocking or bag around the edges of the
receiving bucket (or funnel, if you are going into a carboy), and pour your
mash through it. Then wrap the ends about a small stick or perhaps a large
spoon or even a rolled-up magazine, and twist (the bag or the stick) to
squeeze out the rest of the juice from the solids. If you don't have a
suitable funnel, cut the top off a large plastic soda or bleach or
distilled-water bottle, and wash and rinse it thoroughly before using.

> Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
> in the mix for the week until then?

No more so than if it were soaking in the "jelly bag" --- IF you punch the
cap down 2-3 times daily. If you let the cap dry out, it encourages
bacterial growth and acetification.

> Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
> bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
> Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
> two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...

Jelly bags can be purchased online at http://www.kitchenkrafts.com or
http://www.lehmans.com/. You should try to find a source in Quebec, though.
I don't know what "duty" HMCS would assess on such things. They might even
consider them dangerous contraband.

Where can I get me one of them 18-year old clerkettes?

You could also go to any fabric store and ask for a metre of natural cotton
muslin. It will make you a bunch of bags for a very small fraction of the
cost for a ready made bag. Of course there's a little cutting and sewing
involved but it shouldn't be a problem unless you don't know anyone with a
sewing machine.
Louise)

"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
> "Matt Shepherd"
>
> > Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
> > nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
> > stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
> > store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
> > making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.
>
> You could always order stuff for delivery, by telephone or over the
> internet. Try Presque Isle (www.piwine.com) or www.walmart.com.
>
> > So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
> > pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
> > consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
> > soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.
>
> Nothing to worry about, assuming the cheesecloth was clean, but I would
> recommend you try to pull the pieces out anyway (just on aesthetic
grounds).
> If I were to make a perry, I would "ferment on the skins", just as you are
> now doing involuntarily. It makes for better extraction of colour and
> flavour. You will need to "press the cap", i.e. push or stir the solids
back
> into the wine, so the cap doesn't dry out. This will also aid extraction,
> but stir gently. Vigorous stirring will result in evaporation of precious
> alcohol.
>
> > Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
> > transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
> > remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?
>
> Not that I can envision. But, if the cheesecloth "disintegrates", it won't
> do a very good job of straining, will it? Surely they sell nylon
stockings
> in Sherbrooke? Use a new (wash it first anyway) or freshly-laundered
> stocking as a press bag. Or use a nylon paint-straining bag, which
hardware
> and paint stores sell for 1, 2, and 5-gallon buckets. Wash the bag and
rinse
> thoroughly. Wrap the ends of the stocking or bag around the edges of the
> receiving bucket (or funnel, if you are going into a carboy), and pour
your
> mash through it. Then wrap the ends about a small stick or perhaps a large
> spoon or even a rolled-up magazine, and twist (the bag or the stick) to
> squeeze out the rest of the juice from the solids. If you don't have a
> suitable funnel, cut the top off a large plastic soda or bleach or
> distilled-water bottle, and wash and rinse it thoroughly before using.
>
> > Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
> > in the mix for the week until then?
>
> No more so than if it were soaking in the "jelly bag" --- IF you punch the
> cap down 2-3 times daily. If you let the cap dry out, it encourages
> bacterial growth and acetification.
>
> > Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
> > bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
> > Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
> > two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...
>
> Jelly bags can be purchased online at http://www.kitchenkrafts.com or
> http://www.lehmans.com/. You should try to find a source in Quebec,
though.
> I don't know what "duty" HMCS would assess on such things. They might even
> consider them dangerous contraband.
>
> Where can I get me one of them 18-year old clerkettes?
>
>

This may be of some help.
I have a book on home preserving which says in the event that if=20
you don't have a "jelly bag" try improvising with a very clean piece of =
fine=20
material ( cotton) laid over a large nylon (not metal) sieve.
Stephen.=20
Do you have a liquidiser?
=20
"Matt Shepherd" > wrote in message =
om...
Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.

So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.

Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?

Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
in the mix for the week until then?

Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...


Thanks,=20

Matt
www.man-man.org

"Ant" > wrote:

> I have a book on home preserving which says in the event that if you don't
> have a "jelly bag" try improvising with a very clean piece of fine
material
> ( cotton) laid over a large nylon (not metal) sieve.

Isn't Mr. Shepherd trying to make a pear wine, not jelly? His stated purpose
for the bag is to hold "pear chunks and chopped golden raisins", presumably
to extact their flavour into the must. If so, he would be better off with a
course material, or no bag at all, to extract the maxium amount of flavour,
tannins, and colour. A fine filter would be counter productive.

with all due respects Mr Shepherd stated a jelly bag.!
Stephen
"Negodki" > wrote in message =
...
"Ant" > wrote:

> I have a book on home preserving which says in the event that if you =
don't
> have a "jelly bag" try improvising with a very clean piece of fine
material
> ( cotton) laid over a large nylon (not metal) sieve.

Isn't Mr. Shepherd trying to make a pear wine, not jelly? His stated =
purpose
for the bag is to hold "pear chunks and chopped golden raisins", =
presumably
to extact their flavour into the must. If so, he would be better off =
with a
course material, or no bag at all, to extract the maxium amount of =
flavour,
tannins, and colour. A fine filter would be counter productive.

I understand that he stated "jelly bag", but from his description of the
application, it seems that something else would be preferable. And, although
the construction that you described would be quite appropriate for making
jelly, or fine filtering of a substance, it wouldn't work very well for
suspending fruit in a primary. I suspect his recipe states something like
"put the fruit in a jelly bag, and ....", because the recipe was written at
a time when the average household had such things and they were readily
obtainable. There are better things for the purpose, and if he doesn't have
any jelly bags handy, it would make more sense to look for a more suitable
substitute. When he's ready to strain the fermentation, the device you
suggest --- without the fine material --- would work, but a funnel with a
strainer (or course bag) would work better.

"Ant" > wrote in message
...
with all due respects Mr Shepherd stated a jelly bag.!
Stephen
"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
"Ant" > wrote:

> I have a book on home preserving which says in the event that if you don't
> have a "jelly bag" try improvising with a very clean piece of fine
material
> ( cotton) laid over a large nylon (not metal) sieve.

Isn't Mr. Shepherd trying to make a pear wine, not jelly? His stated purpose
for the bag is to hold "pear chunks and chopped golden raisins", presumably
to extact their flavour into the must. If so, he would be better off with a
course material, or no bag at all, to extract the maxium amount of flavour,
tannins, and colour. A fine filter would be counter productive.

clean, rinsed and cotton pillow case worked for us one year...no ill
effects.

"Matt Shepherd" > wrote in message
om...
> Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
> nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
> stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
> store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
> making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.
>
> So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
> pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
> consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
> soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.
>
> Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
> transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
> remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?
>
> Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
> in the mix for the week until then?
>
> Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
> bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
> Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
> two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Matt
> www.man-man.org

In article >, (Matt Shepherd) wrote:
>Long story short: I live in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where apparently
>nobody does any home canning. At the very least, I can't find any
>stores that sell jelly-making equipment, the local wine equipment
>store doesn't stock anything but kit stuff, and I don't feel like
>making the 45-minute trek out to Wal-Mart.
>
>So I tried making a "jelly bag" out of cotton cheesecloth to make a
>pear wine with, and it has completely disintegrated. I now have a soup
>consisting of pear chunks, chopped golden raisins, small bolts of
>soggy cheesecloth and fermenting yeast.
>
>Question A: if I wait the requisite week to get the flavour out, then
>transfer to a second primary, would straining through my last
>remaining piece of cheesecloth harm anything in any way?
>
>Question B: Is there any great danger in just letting everything float
>in the mix for the week until then?
>
>Question C: Any good online resources for ordering &?%$ vinyl jelly
>bags? I'm sick of trying to explain the process to 18-year-old
>Francophone store clerks who think that jelly is magically born when
>two jars of jelly love each other very, very much...

Not to worry, the gunk will either float or sink eventually and you'll be able
to get the clear wine bottle around it. I've had this happen to a pear wine,
and everything turned out just fine - although it certainly looked very
unappetizing with what looked like a colony of fungus floating in the middle
of it all (was solids from the pears).

Woods