Mosti Mondiale LaBodega Port - Chaptalize?

[richmke]

I will be making a LaBodega Port. From what I read, the port finishes at an ABV of around 15%. The WE Port kit has you chaptalize to get it around 18%.

A lot of people fortify to bring the LaBodega up to 20% ABV. Any reason not to chaptalize to bring it up to 18%, and then fortify?

How much sweetness does LaBodega's F-Pack ad? With the WE Choc Rasp Port, I only added 1/2 of the f-pack, and the sweetness at 1.017 SG was good for me (prior to fortifying).

 

[ibglowin]

Mine was around 15.5%ABV out of the box IIRC. I see no reason why you couldn't step feed it in increments until the yeast peter out or you reach your target ABV. Anything you can do in order to add less fortifier the better. The F-Pack on the LaBodega is around 1L I think and it sweetened it to around 8 Brix I think.

 

[Enologo]

Forgive me for not researching first but I wondering how do you figure the abv after you Chapatalize? Do you take the increase in SG and add it to the original SG??

 

[Boatboy24]

Forgive me for not researching first but I wondering how do you figure the abv after you Chapatalize? Do you take the increase in SG and add it to the original SG??

If you're chapitalizing, you're adding sugar prior to the start of fermentation, so simply re-checking SG will do the trick.

When step feeding (adding sugar during fermentation), I take a before sugar reading and an 'after' reading, then add that difference to my starting SG. It isn't an exact science, but gets me close enough.

 

[sour_grapes]

Here is an article by Seth (that was adopted from a post of his): http://www.winemakingtalk.com/step-feeding-calculator.html

His point is that when you add sugar, you also change the volume, so the ABV is not, in principle, neatly given by just taking the changes in SG in the manner that Jim (Boatboy) suggests.

HOWEVER, I fully agree with Jim. There are many uncertainties in determining the ABV. The change in volume upon adding sugar is not very large. Just adding up all of the "delta-SG's" and multiplying by 131 is going to be close enough.

 

[Longtrain]

Last year I did a double batch with a friend, the base wine rang out at 17%, the prior year 15%. We added only one complete sweetener pack to the 6 gallons and 3 liters of 80 proof brandy. IMO that was sweet enough, oak was added, bottled at 9 months. Just started to drink a little at one year, very smooth, full bodied Port.

Following that I picked up a 6 gallon Red Zin budget kit, made it to specs, added left the over sweetener pack and brandy and it turned out to be very good indeed. Another 6 gallons to share with friends. ;-)

This year, we're going for a triple batch and will try one sweetener pack for the 9 gallons along with 4.5 liters of brandy. I can't imagine how sweet a whole pack to 3 gallons would be...

Tony

 

[jsiddall]

This year, we're going for a triple batch and will try one sweetener pack for the 9 gallons along with 4.5 liters of brandy. I can't imagine how sweet a whole pack to 3 gallons would be...

Tony

I made a 3 gal kit and from experience it is pretty sweet. I may blend it to reduce sweetness a bit. Mine went up to an SG of 1.03 after fortifying with 1 L brandy and adding the F-pack.

 

[Longtrain]

I'd like to be around 1.010, but we'll have to see how it rings out.