Mosti Mondiale Help me calculate ABV for this port wine

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geek

Still lost.....
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Made MM La Bodega Jan. 2015 and did Chaptalization a couple times, so need a hand to make sure I have the real ABV:

-very initial SG was 1.114, added 1lb provided raisins and SG went up to 1.120 next day
-pitched yeast
-at 1.022, added ¼ simple syrup jar. SG=1.026
-at 1.014, added ¼ simple syrup jar. SG=1.018
-couple days later final SG=0.996

I know I added some brandy but don't have this in my notes.
 
Varis,
My take is that it's 17.32. I calculated that by starting at 1.120 then adding .004 for first chaptalize then another .004 for the second to get to 1.128. I then used the ABV calculator at Brewers friend with initial at 1.128 and final at ,996 to get 17.32. Other calculators may give a slightly different answer. If my logic is wrong hopefully I will learn something too.
 
I thought that when adding sugars during an active fermentation there was a different way to calculate the numbers.
So, you're adding the .004 Chaptalization increments to the original SG of 1.120, didn't know was that simple.
 
Varis, I may be missing something here or in your question but I don't see how you can know the ABV without the information on the brandy you added, i.e. the amount and the proof.
 
Right Rocky, but I wanted to have a number based on the starting SG, sugars added and final SG.
I looked at the remainder brandy in the bottle (yep, still sitting in the wine area) and it seems like I used 2/3 of its contents (only 1/3 left); I will check when I get home but it's the bottle people usually recommend for ports (VSOP).
 
I just added a bottle of that to my WE Chocolate Raspberry port this morning. My ABV before the flavor pack was the same as yours. I'm assuming the flavor pack took it to the low 17s. Using Pearson's Square I figured that putting in the whole 1.75l bottle to my 3 gallons of port would leave me with an ABV of 20%.

The dessert wine before adding the Brandy was too syrupy sweet for me and the alcohol was mostly hidden behind it. After the Brandy I think it tastes much better, and has a nice alcohol warmth.
 
Varis, That's the same Brandy I am using for my Ports. I also like it with a little Vermouth, for a reasonable priced Brany it makes a mean Brandy Manhattan. I'm making a dessert port & a Spanish port. My math isn't too good on them. One I have at 18.3 the other 17.9 and still playing around with them. Roy
 
You guys are a lot richer than I am. (The city is about to tear down my house to build a slum!) I use the least expensive brandy I can find because all I want is the fortification from it. Some people just use grain alcohol.
 
You guys are a lot richer than I am. (The city is about to tear down my house to build a slum!) I use the least expensive brandy I can find because all I want is the fortification from it. Some people just use grain alcohol.


Rocky, in Georgia I pay about $10 for E&J brandy, but I use Golden Grain. It doesn't change the taste and I don't need to use as much.
 

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