Help with Port/ Fortified wine

[Phished880]

I was unsure where to post this. Please feel free to move it if necessary.
I posted this in another forum and then realized, wait this is perfect for the wine guys and gals!

I was give 1/2 gallon of grade B VT maple syrup. I was think about making 1.5 gals of maple "wine" and taking 1/2 gal and making a port/ fortified wine. My question are

1. What yeast should i use?
2. When do i fortify?
3. What booze should i use to fortify?
4. How much should i use?

Also any other suggestion or tips for me would be GREAT!!!!

thanks
J

 

[Wade E]

Yoi can use just about any yeast as youll be boosting the abv up with alc later but I would say either Lalvin EC1118 or Red Star Premier Cuvee. Usually what people use to boost the port is brandy or grain alc which is usually 190 proof and tasteless. You can either fortify it during fermentation to stop the wine from fermenting out all of the sweetness or let it finish fermenting and sweeten back and then fortify to the abv you are looking for. As far as how much to use here is a link below to use which is a fortifying calculator.
http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/resqu17p/convhelp.html#pearson