Recent content by Mikeymu1

I understand that traditinally wild rosehips are used. "Briar rose" looks like brambles/wild blackberries - on long stalks rather than a bushy shape plants.

Thanks to everyone for posting replies. It was (slightly embarrassed) the final specific gravity I wondered about and not the abv. It is less sweet (and more dry) than I remember shop-bought ports to be though. Now at 1.014, I think I will up it a little to get the balance between the...

An update. It ended up at 20% when I added a bit more brandy then it tasted too dry at gravity 1.012. I added a few teaspoons of golden syrup at a time. I'm going to let it sit for a few weeks in case I decide to add more. At the mo it tastes sweet at first but with a long fruity brandy dry...

Cheers IBGlowin. that makes good sense to me.

Oops. Topped up with maybe too much brandy. Now the fruit flavours are overshadowed! Think I will leave it for a few more months. Meantime, would anyone tell me what they consider the best chance I have of rescuing this?

Thanks IBGlowin. That does help. All the best with this year's harvest!

Thanks for your swift reply but forgive my lack of confidence - produced by many years of non-experience :h - do you mean that it's OK to leave it to age for another year with that amount of head space and if so, is it the high abv that will protect it from oxidation? Do I need to stabilise...

I have a one-gallon batch of mixed berry port (elder, blackberry, blackcurrant and sloe) at 19% that is finished apart from needing to age about another year. There is a 250ml air gap at the top of the demijohn/carboy/jar after the last racking. I could either bottle it now and let it age in...

Just in case anyone's following this post. The sugar was added and now gravity is around 1.007. Tastes sweet but in time I will review and see if more needs to be added. I could not seem to find what a typical % abv of finished port was on the interweb. Anyone know? ABV now 18.8%.

1 gallon batch 2.2 lbs elderberries 2.2 lbs blackberries 1 lb sloes 1 lb blackcurrants Ritchie's port yeast nutrient & water It's now in secondary and, after ten days, perhaps when my brain was disengaged I added 200 ml of brandy. It had already gone to 19.2% abv and I thought to...