hit the jackpot today

[dralarms]

Had to go to Sam's club this morning and they just put out big bunches of "bruised" bananas at 50 cents a bunch.

I ended up after peeling wth 36 lbs. This is my second attempt at bananas, the first was a very poor tasting rocket fuel.
So I got

36 lbs bananas
5 tsp petic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrinet
4 tsp acid blend
10 lbs sugar
71b-1122 yeast.
1 gal water

This stuff was cranking before I could get the yeast in it, but I added it anyway.

 

[keena]

I'm excited to hear how this turns out, banana wine is one I would really like to try!

 

[Julie]

how big of a batch are you making and what was your sg?

 

[dralarms]

Its in a 7.8 gal carboy. Not sure of the sg since the must was so thick. ( I know). Won't matter too much since I like a sweet wine. Stirred it good this morning. Looks and smells great.

I know it has to age about a year before its worth drinking.

 

[Julie]

Its in a 7.8 gal carboy. Not sure of the sg since the must was so thick. ( I know). Won't matter too much since I like a sweet wine. Stirred it good this morning. Looks and smells great.

I know it has to age about a year before its worth drinking.

Sorry but it does matter. There is no guarantee that the wine will stop at the sweet level you want plus, since you have made this in the past and said it was like rocket fuel, if you do not know what you are starting out at you can very easily be making another batch of rocket fuel.

When I have a must that is too thick to take a reading, I use a stainless steel strainer, I put the strainer onto the top of the must and gently push down until I get enough liquid to take a reading.

 

[dralarms]

Sorry but it does matter. There is no guarantee that the wine will stop at the sweet level you want plus, since you have made this in the past and said it was like rocket fuel, if you do not know what you are starting out at you can very easily be making another batch of rocket fuel.

When I have a must that is too thick to take a reading, I use a stainless steel strainer, I put the strainer onto the top of the must and gently push down until I get enough liquid to take a reading.

Well the last batch was made with ec-1118. That and not enough bananas was my problem. Ill check the sg tonight but I suspect it started around 1.100 to 1.110. That's where it usually is with 10 lbs sugar. It is running wide open so I'm not sure how accurate my reading will be.

 

[dralarms]

OK, that ain't happening. The must is so thick I won't get enough out to test for a few days.

If it turns out too strong I can add juice to take it down if necessary.

 

[TXfanatic]

When I have a must that is too thick to take a reading, I use a stainless steel strainer, I put the strainer onto the top of the must and gently push down until I get enough liquid to take a reading.


Very nice idea!!

Thanks Steve

 

[mayberry]

I made a banana last year following my own recipe:

· 63 bananas
· 10 peels
· pectic enzyme
· 1 Tbsp yeast nutrient
· 16 lbs brown sugar
· 6 Tbsp acid blend
· water to top off to 6 gallons

Cook bananas in water like mashed potatoes (minus stems and butts) for an hour. Peel, dump into 6 gallon fermenter with 10 peels, pectic enzyme, nutrient, sugar, acid blend. Add 6 campden tablets. Let sit 24 hours. Pitch yeast.
Stirred daily and racked off sediment in 5 days. Stirred daily and racked again just above dry. Rack every 3 months until clear. Backsweetened with 2 lbs honey and and fortified with 750 mL of banana-infused brandy (soak a bunch worth of coined ripe bananas in brandy, strain). We never topped it up and allowed plenty of oxygen exposure to sort of "sherry" the wine.

Took a while to clear. It's in bottles now and we recently opened one to log tasting notes, as we're entering it in the OK State Fair dessert wine competition this year. It's sweet, mouth-coating and richly banana. Tastes a lot like a dessert riesling. No alcohol burn at all, plenty of body. Perfect as a dessert wine to be served in cordial glasses. Would be great mulled and warmed.

 

[dralarms]

That's good.

I had to split mine last night. There was enough expansion that it clogged the airlock. So I split it into 2 buckets.

 

[dralarms]

Well, to update. I bottled it last night, 34 bottles. Smells like banana, taste like banana, little harsh but not bad, I figure in 6 months I'll try a taste.