Banana wine - to simmer or not?

[Vitis]

I have been reading lots of banana wine recipes in preparation for attempting a small 1 or 2 gallon batch. Some recipes call for simmering (but not boiling) the chopped bananas for 45 minutes or so. Most of these recipes then suggest straining the liquid and fermenting without the pulp. Other recipes use the more standard approach of putting everything in a mesh bag and fermenting everything together (without any simmering).

Anyone tried it both ways? Recommendations?

 

[dralarms]

I freeze mine, then let thaw with pectic enzyme and a bit of kmeta to keep it from turning brown.

 

[bkisel]

For my peach wine I quarter the peaches, spritz with kmeta solution and then freeze for at least 3 days before thawing and using.

I freeze mine, then let thaw with pectic enzyme and a bit of kmeta to keep it from turning brown.

I'm interested in doing a banana wine sometime soon...

1. Do you ripen to a certain point and then freeze?
2. Do you freeze with the skins on?
3. How do process or cut your thawed bananas?
4. Are the pectic enzyme and kmeta added to the primary bucket or are the bananas somehow treated before hand?
5. About how much fruit per gallon do you use?
6. How much sugar for fermentation?
7. Do you back sweeten? How much sugar or to what SG?

Thanks a BUNCH

 

[Vitis]

I have mine currently frozen with the skins on. Shooting for about 4lbs per gallon.

 

[bkisel]

I have mine currently frozen with the skins on. Shooting for about 4lbs per gallon.

Thanks.

I was thinking to ripen to where they're just starting to spot. Does that sound about right for how ripened to have the bananas?

 

[dralarms]

For my peach wine I quarter the peaches, spritz with kmeta solution and then freeze for at least 3 days before thawing and using.




I'm interested in doing a banana wine sometime soon...

1. Do you ripen to a certain point and then freeze?
2. Do you freeze with the skins on?
3. How do process or cut your thawed bananas?
4. Are the pectic enzyme and kmeta added to the primary bucket or are the bananas somehow treated before hand?
5. About how much fruit per gallon do you use?
6. How much sugar for fermentation?
7. Do you back sweeten? How much sugar or to what SG?

Thanks a BUNCH

1 wife buys bananas, when the skin starts turning brown she peels them and packs them in a vacuum seal bag and freezes them.

2 see #1

3 I dump them in a 20 gallon bucket with pectic enzyme between the layers and then sprinkle kmeta on top (lightly)

4 see #3

5 I used 61.5 lbs and got 6.5 gallons of juice ( I did add about 1 gallon water so my sugar was dissolved )

6 enough to get to 1.100 on a hydro normally.

7 yes, normally sg hits around 1.012 as a finished product. Sweet enough for my wife but not so sweet that the sugar starts to hide the fruit (yes you can get it that high)

With bananas I let sit since they are frozen it takes a few days to come up to room temperature. I do stir them as they are breaking down and add a bit more kmeta if I can't smell it.

 

[Mismost]

I boiled my only batch of banana wine because that is what the recipe said to do....they were frozen, all brown bananas go in the freezer for banana bread around here....I just swipped them from my wife! Dumped the whole mess into the bucket, did not strain it at all. Used some spices as I was thinking about a spice Christmas wine.

You can look forward to a ton of lees doing it this way. On the plus side, almost a year later, it is a very nice white wine with no banana flavor at all. Next time, no spices...I liked it, but the wife thought it was too over the top (it's not.).