Mosti Mondiale La Bodega Port Started

[geocorn]

I started my La Bodega Port today. Well, actually, I started 2 of them so I would have 6 gallons. My plan is to separate the wine into 6-1 gallon jugs so I can play with them. I plan to fortify some with grain alcohol, some with brandy and not fortify some. I also plan to use different oaks. I don't normally do this, but temptation overwhelmed me. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I really want to see what we can do with kit.

 

[Waldo]

At least one gallon fortified with brandy and aged with a medium toast French Oak

 

[otto6183]

I am anxious to see how the grain alcohol (Everclear, I presume) fortification works out. I have a 750ml bottle of it sitting on the shelf just itching to 'spike some LaBodega'.

Cheers

 

[rshosted]

Glad to see that you are trying your own kits. I think it goes to show
that you are truely a good vendor. By trying them you can give a good
review of them. Thanks George.



Also, I just started a WE kit and it's SG was about 29.2 brix (about SG 1.113)



Do you have to add sugar to the La Bodega during fermentation?

I am contemplating adding some blended raisins to improve body... too....

 

[geocorn]

You do not add sugar, but a boat load of raisins. I peak in on them everyday and they are just a bubbling a way and smells awesome. I don't think I have ever made a kit with so much aroma. I don't think the first batch will age very long.

Will rack tomorrow.

 

[Waldo]

PICTURES!!! PICTURES !!! PICTURES !!!

 

[bmorosco]

Agree with waldo...Picture Pictures......GEORGE thanks for the advice on the port it worked...adding sugar today!!!!

 

[rshosted]

Hey George,
I just got my La Bodega from you. Inside it said it should have a list of packages. But it said it would have one pack to add add at the end. But it has two bags of liquid (not the primary juice). Did your kit have two foil bags with liquid to add after fermentation?

 

[geocorn]

Some of the Port kits have 1 bag and some have 2. I believe they are moving to only one bag, but some of the kits still have 2. Just be sure to use both. I made 2 ports at once and one box had 1 large bag and the other one had 2 small bags.

 

[rshosted]

Thanks. I have two other port kits fermenting right now. As soon as one of them is done, I'll probably start the 'La Bodega'.

I was talking with some friends last night and am tentatively planning on fortifying with 190 proof everclear. They suggested that I run the everclear through a charcoal filter since it it a grain alcohol and is not filtered. Have you ever heard of this?

I wonder if that is just like what I run my water through in the fridge?

 

[bmorosco]

Can someone explain the fortification?? With Everclear??? I thought you are supposed to follow the kits instructiions? My kit is Selection Spéciale 3271

I know this is not the highest end kit but will this give me a decent port??? Edited by: bmorosco

 

[PeterZ]

In Portugal, where port comes from, the practice is to ferment to a target sg well short of dry, and then add "brandy" to boost the abv to about 20%. This stops the fermentation cold by killing the yeast, and balances the sweetness with alcohol content.

The "brandy" in question is not the brandy we think of in stores. All brown liquor, be it scotch, bourbon, cognac, etc. starts as the fermentation of something. In the case of brandy it is grapes, for calvados it is apples, and for scotch and burbon it is grains.

Once fermented to dryness, the "wine" is distilled up to 160 - 180 proof (80 - 90% alcohol). At this point it is almost clear, but does have flovor characteristics from the original "wine." This is what they use to fortify port.

From that point, the distilled spirit is placed in charred oak barrels for years. Over time alcohol evaporates out and is replaced with water. After sufficient time the liquor is removed from the barrel and further diluted to the target % alcohol.

How long can liquor remain in the barrel? In 1978 I was a bartender in a hotel in Houston. They had a resturant upstairs (I worked in the casual place in the basement) called Che. In my opinion, that was the finest resturant in Houston at the time. They obtained a bottle of Courvoisier Demi-Millennial (I heard that only one case came to the US) that was a blend of one barrel of 75 year old (in the barrel) cognac and one barrel of (wait for it!!!) 500 year old cognac.

At $75 per in 1978 ($300 today) I never did get a taste. The Chef at Che, Tom Emerick, taught me a lot, though. When I was working in the evenings I would make him fruity frozen drinks, and when I worked the day shift he let me hang around after work (for a price - ever had someone hand you a cold copper bowl, a foot long whisk, and a quart of cream and say "whip this"?) and watch what he did in the kitchen.

That is an experience I will cherish forever.

Edited by: PeterZ

 

[KONACONDO]

Running grain alcohol through a charcoal filtration will smooth it out. I use the Brita water system. I also run cheap vodka through it and voila, Kettle one at the other end. I usually run it through the Brita 5 times. See the Web site under alcohol kits, Oh God it Burns. I think they perfected the process.

 

[rshosted]

I wonder where one would get there hands on this "special Brandy". I wonder if one ran a regular brandy through a charcoal filter if it would make it more akin to the "special brandy"?

 

[rshosted]

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

I just read a great idea (if I do say so myself; and this is not my idea, so I am not taking credit for it) Since we can't get the "special Brandy" mentioned above, and some feel that by not adding Brandy they lose that speciale 'something' without adding the brandy. But then because of the low alcohol they get too much of the 'brandy flavor'. Then with Everclear they get the alcohol without dilution, but lack that 'brandy special'.

The answer was so simple, I couldn't believe it. Mix the brandy and everclear 50/50 to get about 77% ABV. Then you have a similar strength that they actually use for ports. Plus you get a litte of the brandy flavor without too much dilution.

I'm really stoked about this and thought I would share

So simple....

Edited by: rshosted

 

[jwmaverick]

I've always used the E&J VSOP brandy in my ports. It has always blended well with the ports I have made. It is a good brandy and not very expensive. George can contest to the smoothness of my ports with this brandy as he has had a few bottles over the years. Especially the Chocolate port a few months ago.

 

[rshosted]

JW,

Please would you give us a full descriptoin of the tast of your brandy?

Also what kit RJ Orange Choco I assume???

Also what ABV did you end up at and where did you take it to?

I have one bubling right now and would love to hear how yours went to see if I should change mine a little.

 

[jwmaverick]

E&J VSOP is a smooth brandy. It does have a slight bite to it but quickly fades after the first couple of sips. It's the closest I've found to the higher end brandys for the price.


The kit was a modified version of the WE Port. Since WE Ports doesn't really call for brandy, I added 750 ml bottle (and a bit more to top off)along with a 1.5 oz of Adams Best Chocolate extract.


The ABV was at 26 when it was bottled.


I have theLa BodegaPort in its third stage now and willuse the brandy and try the Liquor Quik Swiss Chocolate Almond Liquer (3 bottles) in replacement of the chocolate extract (doing this for George

).

 

[geocorn]

Joseph and I split the port today. We added the flavoring packs and wound up with 7 1- gallon jugs from the 2 port kits. Here are the pictures

All 7 in a row.

Left to right:


Unfortified, no oak, 16% ABV
Unfortified, 1/2 oz. Stavin French House Toast, 16% ABV

Fortified with Everclear, no oak, 20% ABV
Fortified with Everclear, 1/2 oz. Stavin French House Toast, 20% ABV

Left to right:


Fortified with E&J Brandy and Everclear, no oak, 20% ABV
Fortified with E&J Brandy andEverclear, 1/2 oz. Stavin French House Toast, 20% ABV
Fortified with E&J Brandy andEverclear, 1/2 oz. Stavin French Heavy Toast, 18.5% ABV


Now, all I have to do is wait for 6 months

BTW, Joseph worked out all of the formulations and was a great help in this project.

 

[rshosted]

Come on!!!! Your killing us!!!! You didn't even sip a little bitty sips!?!?!?!? You have to give us something.... SIX MONTHS! Man.....

How about a first taste that way we can compare waht it is like now compared to six months?