Banana

[HammerOne]

I started a Bannana wine because the store where I shop sells what they call over ripe bannanas for .25lb I've never had bannana wine before and don't know what to expect. I didn't follow any recipes just threw in some of the generic stuff like any other fruit wine. It's out of the fermenter bucket and in a 6 gal carboy now. I was thinking of throwing in a vanilla bean. So I guess my Question is How do you think that that will taste? and if there isn't enough bannana flavor can I use a little imitation bannana extract?

 

[JasonH]

I just helped a friend rack a 5 gallon of banana from secondary. We made it with 25 lbs of bananas cooked into a soupy mush. The final product is not bad at all but it has absolutely no banana flavor left whatsoever. I'm not sure if it will come back with age and sweetening since it was the first banana batch either of us made but I would suggest if you want more banana flavor that a banana f-pac may be a good idea. I know that we plan on adding one to ours.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I've made it once. Not my favorite. The only way I could get the banana flavor to come out was to add some sugar back in, now it's sweeter than I like and only partially banana-ish. Not many who try it, like it. It is too different (odd). I used this recipe: monkeyshine banana wine If I made it again, I'd try to lower the alcohol some, I think that would help. Maximum of 10% alcohol.

 

[Wade E]

Banana makes and unusual wine and very hard to extract the wanted flavor from. Ive never tried the extract but actually do have the extract in my c ellar just for this purpose if I ever try it again. I made this many years ago and it tasted more like a Chablis then anything else to me even after sweetening it to 1.010. I winged it also and used 4 .4 lbs per gallon. I dont know how much would be needed for banana flavor to come through but must say this was a very good wine.

 

[closetwine]

I would try to pull the banana flavor out and see how you like it, then next time add a vanilla bean in primary. Or when you backsweeten (if using simple syrup) make a vanilla syrup. Store a vanilla bean in with your sugar before you make your syrup. It's yummy. (Good even in coffee.)

 

[St Allie]

It makes more of a generic white wine.. none of the banana flavour was discernable in my batch.

Allie

 

[closetwine]

There has to be a way to get a good banana flavor....

 

[HammerOne]

I think I'll throw a vanilla bean in after next racking and then do some experimenting with extract at bottling. I'm not sure an F-pac would do the trick on this one though.

 

[JasonH]

I think I'll throw a vanilla bean in after next racking and then do some experimenting with extract at bottling. I'm not sure an F-pac would do the trick on this one though.

I have my doubts as well but at the very worst it will backsweeten for us. I thought maybe if we fermented it cold with cote des blanc we could save some of the flavor. Its got to be in there somewhere!