Making your own Port Wines

[St Allie]

Does anyone here make Port?

I am making a port style berry fruit wine and it occurred to me that I could try stealing one gallon from the secondary just before it finishes fermenting and fortify it as a port.

Can I do this? Can anyone give me a hand with when and how to add the brandy? Storage etc. from reading online, it appears they arrest fermentation at 1.015 - 1.030 with the brandy then rack and clear.

Allie

 

[St Allie]

Not to worry...

I figured it out ..

cheers

Allie

 

[Tom]

try this Pearsons sguare made easy

View attachment Pearson Square made EASY.doc

 

[Tom]

Or this way

View attachment pearsons-square.xls

 

[Wade E]

Glad you got it figured out. I use the pearsons square to a degree just to get close but also go by taste mainly.

 

[St Allie]

Thankyou Guys,

Located the pearsons square in the general winemaking forum ( courtesy of Wade)..it made calculating it much easier.

I wish we could buy Everclear here.. it's twice the proof of our local vodkas and brandies.

I'm leaning towards adding brandy rather than vodka,

any thoughts?

Allie

 

[Wade E]

Isnt distilling legal there, if so find someone whi does it and use that!

 

[St Allie]

yes it is.

I'm inexperienced in that department..

............and I don't associate with distillers!

hehehhehe

Allie

 

[Tom]

yea right !

 

[Boozehag]

Im going to use brandy for my port Allie. Ill be using the Pearsons Square formula when I do. Will need to sort that tomorrow I think as its probably already that low now. Its a one gallon batch.

I associate with distillers lol

 

[Wade E]

I would use soe of that Allie as when its done right its a better product then anything commercial with higher abv and less taste.

 

[St Allie]

The bloke will be in New orleans in July.. Too long to wait for him to bring me some everclear back for this port..

I will get him to bring some home if they sell it in that state. Will save it for the next batch.

In the meantime I'm chatting to the brewshop owner to see if I can locate something grain alcohol based over 80 proof.

Allie

 

[Wade E]

It is a port, you have years not months or weeks! He is not around now, this stuff stays good a very long time!!!!!!! I would know if you know what I mean!

 

[St Allie]

Well the point being that you stop the ferment early with the addition of the brandy..at about 10%.. it'll be way beyond that before I could get the everclear into it.

It;ll be brandy this time round I think.

Allie

 

[Wade E]

You could always sweeten back instead.

 

[St Allie]

I could, however this berry style port started with OG of 1.100 and there is still another 3-6 lbs of sugar to go in it yet.. and a backsweeten of 6 cups as well..it'd be rocket fuel hehehhe

I'll post you a bottle, it'll get there under it's own power!



Allie

 

[Boozehag]

My Port is ready for fortifying now. I have worked out with the Pearsons square that I need 8 parts brandy to 20 parts wine to get my 20% desired level.

I have 5 litres of wine and have worked out I should put 625mls of brandy in it...now maths isnt my fortay, so if I have that wrong can you correct me please?

Also I figure that I should put the wine and brandy into a primary container, stir it well and return it to the carboy and the excess to a smaller bottle and allow to clear...possibly racking in a month or so???? Should I add sweetner at the same time as the brandy or wait a while, Im planning on using a concentrated juice for that or should I use the sugar syrup here also?

 

[St Allie]

My maths isn't all that great either.. I work that out to be 2 litres of brandy to 5 litres of wine. Most recipes I have seen online allow at least a cup of brandy per litre of wine.

Sulphite the wine. Mix the brandy and the wine, backsweeten to taste and leave to clear. I intend to bulk store mine for at least 6 months.

Allie

 

[Boozehag]

Wow Im way off then arent I!

Should have another cup of coffee before i do calcualtions.

Im bulk aging mine for at least 6 months too Allie. And I plan on keeping a bottle labeled for each 5 year, 10 year and 15 year to try at those times and see what its like.

 

[St Allie]

Fruit based wines generally don't store as well as the grape based wines as far as I can tell. If you're going to keep them that long I'd probably put a bit extra brandy in..

I reckon mine will be lucky to survive 5 years!

hehehehe

Allie