Thinking about making some port

[Tom_S]

I've never made a fortified wine before, but thought it'd be nice to make some port. From what I understand, you make wine, then just add brandy (or some other alcohol, but usually brandy) which boosts the alcohol content up to around 20%. Sounds fairly easy enough.

I read today that if you end up with a wine at 16% ABV, then adding 750ml of brandy to it will get it up to 19% ABV. The highest alcohol wine I made was 17%, but I didn't make it very well since I just added all the sugar at the beginning and then turned EC-1118 yeast loose on it. So what I plan to do is start a batch at around 12-13%, ferment it dry, then add a little more sugar to continue the fermentation up to about 16%. Then finish it out by stabilizing and adding brandy.

Does this sound like a plan that should work? Any comments appreciated.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Hi Tom
Well this is how I make port from wine juice or grapes. I start regular fermation process and typically start with 12% potential alcohol and I keep checking as fermation is going till I only have 4% potential alcohol left or residual sugar left. I then add 10% of 195 proof alcohol and that will kill off my yeast and I should end up in the area of 18 - 20% alcohol. I do not have to add sorbate,because the alcohol killed off all the yeast.

 

[Ricky]

Hey Steve, love the pump brother.....can ya simplify it a little more...lol...first where ya get 195 proof?.... And 10% of ?..... I read people add a 750 ml of brandy per gallon of port... I'm starting my port Sunday.... Gettin my feet back under me,got my *** kick from the storm....

 

[Deezil]

195 proof Everclear is only sold in some states, in the US.

I'm guessing he means 10% of his total volume.... (ex: 10% of 2 gallons = 750ml)

Theres various ways to make port-type styles of wine...

- Traditionally, ports sweetness comes from residual sugars & not backsweetening
- Also, as vacuumpumpman hinted to, the fortification is actually what stops the fermentation - by adding the spirits when the residual sugars are where you want them, it raises the ABV to a point that the yeast cant tolerate.

Calculating the volume of a particular spirit, that you need to add to your wine to reach a certain ABV, is done with the use of a Pearson's Square

Other WMT discussions on it can be found here & here

And now here is the same Example :

A = Your wine, ABV 12%?
B = Your Brandy, 40%?
C = The ABV you want - 18%?

D = Brandy by 'parts'
E = Your wine by 'parts'

C - A = E
B - C = D

18 - 12 = 6
40 - 18 = 22

22 parts wine, 6 parts brandy

22 + 6 = 28 total parts
6/28 = 21.42% brandy
22/28 = 78.57% wine

78.57% = 6 gallons of wine
6 gallons x 5 bottles per gallon = 30

BottlesBrandy = [%Brandy * (BottlesWine / %Wine)]
Brandy = [21.42 * (30/78.57)]

8.17 bottles (fifths) of 40% brandy to reach 18% from 12%


Just substitute your numbers all the way through, and do the simple math.. If you need help with it, lemme know

 

[Tom_S]

I was doing some thinking about it, is that 750 ml of brandy mixed with a gallon of wine, or 750 ml of brandy to finish making up a gallon of wine? I don't have any gallon +750 ml fermentation vessels. I was thinking of using 3 quarts of juice, fermenting that out dry, then backsweetening a bit, adding the brandy, then adding a bit more juice to top up so that I'll have a gallon of port. In that case, the ABV would be slightly higher than 19%, but I don't think that would be a problem.

Or, I guess an alternative would be to go ahead and make a gallon of wine, then siphon one 750 ml bottle full, and then add the 750 ml of brandy. Let the port age in the jug and then throw the bottle of wine in the fridge to drink or else put it in the cellar and let it age.

 

[Deezil]

Well.. Keep in mind, you always wanna make a little extra for topping-up

It's 1 gallon of wine + 750ml brandy, usually... But if you aim to make a particular end volume, thats not too difficult to do either...

Keeping in mind the first thing i said, and shooting for the latter... I'd still make 1 gallon of wine so i had extra to top up, even after adding the brandy..

It's always somewhat difficult to speculate how much sediment will drop & how much wine you'll lose because of it - and for that reason i always make a bit more than i wish, because i'd rather have to worry about pouring some out than topping off with water or wine i didnt make

You can work through the Pearon's Square, backwards in a sense, if you know how much volume you want when finished, the strength of your fortifier, and what ABV you want it to have..

I would make atleast an extra quart though (for the 3 quart + 750ml idea), personally


Post fermentation the wont be very vulnerable (it wont be bulletproof though) until the CO2 starts to dissipate... Personally, i dont hesitate to use quart/pint jars with veryveryverrrry loosely sealed lids (so they dont blow up) for excess, when a wine first comes out of primary fermentation and is loaded with co2... Any ill feelingss about it, add a smidge k-meta - but make sure the lids are loose.

 

[Deezil]

Or, I guess an alternative would be to go ahead and make a gallon of wine, then siphon one 750 ml bottle full, and then add the 750 ml of brandy. Let the port age in the jug and then throw the bottle of wine in the fridge to drink or else put it in the cellar and let it age.

Chances are, you'll end up needing most of that bottle for topping off as time goes on, when the wine drops sediment

 

[ibglowin]

The 750ml bottle is added on TOP of a gallon on wine that has been back sweetened.

I have talked to quite a few professional (commercial) wineries. Not a single one uses grain spirits, they all use grape spirits. Now for the home winemaker that means Brandy which is only 40% ABV but the big boys are distilling their stuff out to MUCH higher ABV then fortifying with that.

Put me in the I will NEVER use Everclear in my Port wines box!

Grain spirits and wine will never "marry" like grape spirits and wine will.

Any questions?

 

[Tom_S]

I plan to use brandy only. Not being a usual brandy drinker, anyone got a recommendation on a good one to buy?

 

[ibglowin]

E&J VSOP or E&J XO if you want to spend a little more.

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree, no grain alcohol. I made three RJS port kits and added about 3/4 of a bottle of Brandy to two of them. I thought it was a bit over powering in flavor, so be careful what you pick out. Also if your making a port from scratch ensure you're picking a fruit that can handle the high alcohol content. Some flavors will get lost with high alcohol and your efforts will be wasted.

 

[Jeff180]

If you want to add brandy to a full gallon, put the excess in a regular wine bottle with a #2 or #3 bung and airlock. Or you can always add the brandy on bottling day.

 

[andy123]

Guys, what about the yeast? I use a lot EC -1118 (because it is bullet proof) but it seems to take an act of God to stick champagne yeast. What would be a preferred yeast for a scratch port?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Thanks Deezil - for answering all the questions that were directed to me, I walked away from the computer and then noticed all the posts I missed.

I like to use 195 proof grain alcohol - after I run it thru charcoal carbon first.
It seems to increase the alcohol % and not take away to much of the original wine taste. I would have to add alot of brandy to increase the alcohol to get the same % and I think it would also change the overall taste of the wine.

 

[Ricky]

Tom,i didn`t mean to hi jack your thread..... thanks ibgowin...good info....runninwolf(cujoe)...3/4 bottle to 3 gallon batch?.....tom there are a lot of port threads here,im trying the chocolate raz port...seam like a difficult adventure for my third kit.....just covering all my bases...still don`t understand WHEN to add the brandy....3 gallon kit....my guess is add at bottling?.......

 

[Tom_S]

VSOP? I don't remember getting invited to a party...

Sorry, just wanted to use that joke.

 

[Runningwolf]

Ricky that amount worked for me. The alcohol was increased but having the right balance was most important to me (alcohol and taste). Yes you can add the brandy just before bottling but my choice is to add it 2-4 weeks before bottling. This allow time more time for everything to blend together and smooth out a bit. It also allows you to taste it before bottling in case you decide to make an adjustment.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Dan
If you dont mind me asking what is the ABV of the brandy you are using ? I know most brandys are typically 40.

 

[Ricky]

Steve(the pumpman), I thought charcoal was a no-no in wine making?....pal i can`t express how inpressive you pump is..(to a JR wine maker )...degassin ...is a gas....lol

 

[Ricky]

ok Runningwolf....question is ....after primary.....using a 3 gallon carboy....adding the brandy .... it will overflow a 3 gallon CB....BUT NOT enought for a 5 gallon cb.... what about the headspace?