Banana Bochet Port

[seth8530]

Keep us posted, this sounds really exciting. My one recommendation, which I mentioned before would be possibly to somehow concentrate your bannana juice. whether that be by boiling or freeze fractionating.

BTW im not sure if you are wanting to go down this path or not, but this right here caught my eye.
http://www.amazon.com/Bakto-Flavors...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

[Deezil]

Keep us posted, this sounds really exciting. My one recommendation, which I mentioned before would be possibly to somehow concentrate your bannana juice. whether that be by boiling or freeze fractionating.

BTW im not sure if you are wanting to go down this path or not, but this right here caught my eye.
http://www.amazon.com/Bakto-Flavors...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

I'm hoping this will turn out without any extra additions other than what i've laid out.. I figure if it really does come out to 5 gallons like i plan/want, that'll be the 20lbs/gallon neighborhood & surely the flavor will come through then

There's a lot else going on in this recipe though so i'm hoping the overripe nature of the fruit will help the flavor not get lost in the other facets

That looks like a nice extract though, just not my approach/thing usually

 

[Deezil]

I figure if it really does come out to 5 gallons like i plan/want, that'll be the 20lbs/gallon neighborhood & surely the flavor will come through then

So this thought, triggered a thought.... Going to lose a bunch of weight by shedding the peels, so i need to buy more to compensate for the loss.. Cause i really do want to smash 100lbs of fruit into 5 gallons of finished wine.. Just to do it..

Oh, thats right.. i broke the scale (had the dogs help, poor scale couldnt take my 250 plus the dogs 90-95).. Gonna need to replace that i guess..

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

OK Deezil, you can freeze the peels and send them to me to make a monster bananer mead If you let the flesh get soft and squishy and jellylike without rotting you would probably be able to get more juice than pulp. Good Luck, WVMJ

 

[Deezil]

OK Deezil, you can freeze the peels and send them to me to make a monster bananer mead If you let the flesh get soft and squishy and jellylike without rotting you would probably be able to get more juice than pulp. Good Luck, WVMJ

Bananas generate their own pectinase as they ripen which is why they soften up (nifty fact i learned the other day) so as far as rotting goes, im looking for foul smells & molds... If theres none of that, its good... And when they're that ripe, you're kinda right although its not that they have more juice, its just more accessible because the sugars are more soluble than starches...

Should be an event, im excited even though its still a while away

 

[seth8530]

So this thought, triggered a thought.... Going to lose a bunch of weight by shedding the peels, so i need to buy more to compensate for the loss.. Cause i really do want to smash 100lbs of fruit into 5 gallons of finished wine.. Just to do it..

Oh, thats right.. i broke the scale (had the dogs help, poor scale couldnt take my 250 plus the dogs 90-95).. Gonna need to replace that i guess..

That sounds impressive. Do you intend on using pectic enzyme on the pealed bananas?
Also, I know you are not new to this game that we play here, but I have found that honey can be quite a strong flavour at times.

 

[Deezil]

That sounds impressive. Do you intend on using pectic enzyme on the pealed bananas?
Also, I know you are not new to this game that we play here, but I have found that honey can be quite a strong flavour at times.

Pectic enzyme is one of my best friends

And ive used this honey before - it was great in the blackberry-cherry melomel thats still aging, blended in well with the strawberry-kiwi thats still aging, and was really nice in the 2011 blackberry that had unstable color and got mixed into the 2012 blackberry..

It should make a great addition to the bananas, its just a little sweet on the palette so i'll have to be careful what final SG i end up at

 

[seth8530]

Yeah, that final sg is exactly what i would watch ouf for. That is where i see you most likely losing your bannanas

 

[fatbloke]

Just remembered Deezil, when I was getting the free banana last year, the first gallon batch I did with slicing and boiling the fruit before straining the skins/sludge and fermenting with the boiling liquor.

It came out pretty bananery in the end, but that was after back sweetening. And I did sweet mainly with honey, but I recall attempting to sweeten it with a 1lb jar of liquid malt extract from the health food shop. It'd be equivalent to a light to medium colour malt extract I'd have thought. I was just a bit disappointed that it didnt sweeten as much as I thought and then used honey.

What it seems to have done is enhance the banana flavour i.e. complimenting it increasing its depth. A bit like adding a bit of vanilla to a banana milkshake - you get some vanilla taste but the banana milk seems stronger tasting too.

So maybe that might give you something to ponder i.e. natural flavour enhancers for the banana.......

 

[Deezil]

It came out pretty bananery in the end, but that was after back sweetening. And I did sweet mainly with honey, but I recall attempting to sweeten it with a 1lb jar of liquid malt extract from the health food shop. It'd be equivalent to a light to medium colour malt extract I'd have thought. I was just a bit disappointed that it didnt sweeten as much as I thought and then used honey.

What it seems to have done is enhance the banana flavour i.e. complimenting it increasing its depth. A bit like adding a bit of vanilla to a banana milkshake - you get some vanilla taste but the banana milk seems stronger tasting too.

So maybe that might give you something to ponder i.e. natural flavour enhancers for the banana.......

It's actually something i've done a bit of research on before, although not related to this project & definitely gives me food for thought.

I think the only malt i'd consider is the Briess Pilsen Light with a "clean, sweet, delicate malty flavor" & according to this, 1, 3.3lbs LME would make 'wort' of SG 1.020 in 6 gallons

Thought would be to add it prior to fermentation though, and would use the boil-water (SG 1.020ish when dilluted) to also dissolve some honey before pouring over the peeled overripe bananas & giving it all 24 hours with some pectic enzyme before taking SG/TA/pH readings for adjustments

It's a thought..

 

[Deezil]

I didnt mean to, but i was checking the bananas and as i set the bunch down, one of the peels broke off from where it meets the bunch - cant just leave it, it'll just rot..

So "Surgery #1" happened

Unfortunately, i only got 1 picture before the camera died on me, but that will show the spotted coloration on the skins.

The peel/skin had 1/32" difference between this banana and the "Control". The peel also tore lengthwise without me trying, and cross-grain instead of an uneven tear as per the "Control", this time it was a clean tear on the first tug where as the "Control" was a struggle to tear.

The banana is basically perfect to eat right now, a nice mixture of starches and sugars - definitely sweet and an increasing banana aroma over the "Control"; the starch wasnt mouth-coating although it left a lasting effect on the top of my throat/back of my mouth, it didnt coat my mouth and tongue like the "Control"

When i tore the banana, as opposed to slicing it, it still showed definitive texture which to me is a sign that theres still credible amounts of starches to convert & sitting longer should prove worthwhile.

And the camera is charging so this doesnt happen again in this experiment

 

[dcteague]

I've just finished making a somewhat unusual port mixing blueberry, fig and banana. I'm now itching to make a white port using fig, banana and agave. Would love to see how this comes out to inform that recipe build - keep the info coming.....and thanks for sharing.

 

[Deezil]

So i've been sitting here, and i keep getting these absolutely to-die-for whiffs of banana, making me salivate

So i took a look.. Probably do daily-updates now, as you can see the ripening process - theres another whiff whoooo! - is speeding along visibly...

Where's the Frosted Flakes?!?!?!

 

[Deezil]

And again..

It's been fun watching the progression so far, although i have a feeling its just starting to get interesting

The smell has intensified, the peels are getting softer, where the bunch meets has turned black and the stems are starting to shrivel a bit

 

[dcteague]

Have you considered the species of banana you're using? Your post prompted me to see what else in the banana family was suitable for wine, and found that the Cavendish variety (most popular in the US), was created in the 50s when the original Chiquita variety was hit with Panama virus. The Cavendish is not as sweet as the original Chiquita and has more starch. Apparently not many varieties are available in the US anymore, but the Red Banana has become increasingly available in high end grocery stores - these apparently are sweeter than the yellow variety and less starchy - but more expensive. Here's a basic description:

Red bananas, also known as Red Dacca bananas in Australia, are a variety of banana with reddish-purple skin. They are smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color. They are also softer and sweeter than the yellow Cavendish varieties, with a slight raspberry flavor.

Your post has prompted me to start coming up with a recipe and I am going to see if I can find any red bananas locally. I have some leftover fig concentrate, and think it might make for another interesting desert style wine - Red Banana, Fig and Agave is my thought!

 

[Deezil]

Have you considered the species of banana you're using? Your post prompted me to see what else in the banana family was suitable for wine, and found that the Cavendish variety (most popular in the US), was created in the 50s when the original Chiquita variety was hit with Panama virus. The Cavendish is not as sweet as the original Chiquita and has more starch. Apparently not many varieties are available in the US anymore, but the Red Banana has become increasingly available in high end grocery stores - these apparently are sweeter than the yellow variety and less starchy - but more expensive. Here's a basic description:

Red bananas, also known as Red Dacca bananas in Australia, are a variety of banana with reddish-purple skin. They are smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color. They are also softer and sweeter than the yellow Cavendish varieties, with a slight raspberry flavor.

Your post has prompted me to start coming up with a recipe and I am going to see if I can find any red bananas locally. I have some leftover fig concentrate, and think it might make for another interesting desert style wine - Red Banana, Fig and Agave is my thought!

I appreciate someone else doing a little bit of footwork on this all, thanks for that. My biggest fear is that the different variety of banana would bring flavors (like the raspberry quality) to the party that wouldnt mesh with the "mental profile" ive built up thusfar on what to expect... So the 'smartest' thing i could see doing is doing both varieties.. Cavendish then Red Banana.. To see the differences...

Same recipe.. Different bananas.. Might do it... I think i'll have leftover honey even

 

[dcteague]

I'm going to put something together with the red ones, but a small batch to see how I like it, and probably a bit different than your recipe - but I'll post some info once I have a chance to taste a ripened one. I bought about 5lbs I'll be using in a 1 gallon recipe.

 

[Deezil]

And again..

Come to find out, my experiment has been thieved! My 16 yr old brother (autistic) loves bananas, i'm honestly surprised i'm not starting over because he ate them all - its a variable i didnt see coming



What can ya do?
Here's the 4 survivors

 

[seth8530]

Speaking of eating bananas I found last night that chilled bananas cut into thin slices with a small chink of dark chocolate on top served with bourbon is like amazing.

 

[Deezil]

And another...

Nothing eventful in the banana's world today, thankfully

Although feeling them, i can tell the fruit is starting to pull away from the end of the peel - not where its attached to the bunch but the other end