Fortify Port

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Cannew

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I'm planning on starting a Diamanti port kit and plan to leave it in the carboy for about 5 months.

Should I add the brandy before or after the 5 months, and for 23L's how much brandy should I add? Or is a personal taste thing?

Thanks
 
The kit should tell you how much to use unless you are planning on fortifying above and beyond the instructions.

My 3-gallon port kit did not call for fortification with brandy, but I did anyway. I bought a regular bottle (about 750 ml (?? I guess but don't know the true size) of plain brandy, not a flavored brandy. I put in about half that bottle after clearing.

Later, I use the brandy to top off. In the end, I used less than the whole bottle for a 3 gallon batch of port..

I would recommend tasting as you go. I would not just dump the bottle in. You can over do it.
 
Thanks for the info. I'll try to figure the Pearsons Square. For the 6 gal I'll probably add half a bottle of brandy, then go by taste later.
 
As a rough estimate, (1) 750ml bottle of Brandy will raise the ABV of a 3 gallon batch of wine roughly 1% depending on the starting ABV.

When I fortified my 6 gallon double batch of La Bodega Port I added 6 bottles of Brandy to get it close to 19% ABV. I had a starting ABV 0f ~15.5% IIRC.
 
As a rough estimate, (1) 750ml bottle of Brandy will raise the ABV of a 3 gallon batch of wine roughly 1% depending on the starting ABV.

When I fortified my 6 gallon double batch of La Bodega Port I added 6 bottles of Brandy to get it close to 19% ABV. I had a starting ABV 0f ~15.5% IIRC.

6 bottles of brandy!!!!!! :rdo
Wow, I thought I had over done it when I added almost 1 whole bottle. Of course the port I made didn't call for fortification. Mine likely wouldn't qualify as a real port, but it still tastes pretty good.
 
Yep, that's what it takes to bump it up to ~19%. I was shocked as well. I suppose thats why some folks will say grain spirits are the way to go as you use sooo much less. This is turning out fantastic and I have to put a lock on the carboy to keep friends out of it. Its that good and it has also turned out to be the most expensive kit by far, bar none....

But its soooooo gonna be worth it. I will bottle at 1 year in Bulk.
 
I didnt fortify my La Bodega and have to say even without the Brandy this is a fabulous Port kit, way above all other Port kits Ive tried!
 
We just opened a 2009 blueberry port to celebrate Dad's 80th birthday.
If I remember it was 6 pounds per gallons of fruit, an f-pack, and a bunch of brandy to reach 18%, and 18 months in the rack. I was informed the remaining 15 bottles were not to be shared. First time thats ever happened!

Sometimes you just get it right.....
 
Serious? This was the absolute best "wine" I have ever made before I fortified it but I bought it to make a fortified wine so I went forward with the "plan"....

I didnt fortify my La Bodega and have to say even without the Brandy this is a fabulous Port kit, way above all other Port kits Ive tried!
 
Just received and started the Diamanti port kit (made by Pak Lab). It's 23L (no water to add) with another 3L Sweeten must.

It will be completed by the end of Oct 2011 when I plan to leave it in the carboy with Airlock, till we return in April 2012. My daughter will ensure the airlock has sanitizer in it.

In Apr I'll rack and filter than add 2 750ml brandy. I'll sample at that point and decide if more brandy is needed.

Let you know how it turns out then.
 

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