Becks the Elder
Country Wines.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
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Hi everyone,
Having posted a few weeks ago about my over sweet elderberry wine which eventually stopped at 16% abv. I have decided to turn most of it over to port. I tried to drink it but it is just far too sweet for my taste. What I intend to do is take 4 bottles of sweet wine and add 1 bottle of dry elderberry wine (also 16% abv.) and 1 bottle of Shop Brandy (40% abv.)
I figure that should produce a strong sweet Elderberry Port of 20% abv.
I have four questions:
1. Is the above calculation correct in regard to the final alcohol content of the Port?
2. Do I need to age the sweet wine for a few months before adding the other drier wine and the brandy? (It was started in early July and won't be considered for storage until the start of December.)
3. Once the brandy is added will the batch still be liable to oxidize if not treated in the usual 'wine' manner or will the 20% abv protect it against the evils of oxidation?
4. I have bottles and typical spirit style stoppers (short tapered corks with plastic top [http://www.homebrewcentre.co.uk/product.asp?pID=503&cID=162). Can I bottle the brandy, use these with shrinks and store the bottles on their sides for a year or more or would I be better off corking them in the usual wine cork style?
Thanks in advance,
Becks.
Having posted a few weeks ago about my over sweet elderberry wine which eventually stopped at 16% abv. I have decided to turn most of it over to port. I tried to drink it but it is just far too sweet for my taste. What I intend to do is take 4 bottles of sweet wine and add 1 bottle of dry elderberry wine (also 16% abv.) and 1 bottle of Shop Brandy (40% abv.)
I figure that should produce a strong sweet Elderberry Port of 20% abv.
I have four questions:
1. Is the above calculation correct in regard to the final alcohol content of the Port?
2. Do I need to age the sweet wine for a few months before adding the other drier wine and the brandy? (It was started in early July and won't be considered for storage until the start of December.)
3. Once the brandy is added will the batch still be liable to oxidize if not treated in the usual 'wine' manner or will the 20% abv protect it against the evils of oxidation?
4. I have bottles and typical spirit style stoppers (short tapered corks with plastic top [http://www.homebrewcentre.co.uk/product.asp?pID=503&cID=162). Can I bottle the brandy, use these with shrinks and store the bottles on their sides for a year or more or would I be better off corking them in the usual wine cork style?
Thanks in advance,
Becks.
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