Mint Wine - Will this work?

[KatyDinkle]

One Gallon Mint Wine Newbie Experiment: Advice Welcome!

So far...

Stripped leaves off of freshly picked spearmint. Washed and dried in a salad spinner.

Yielded 2 quarts of PACKED leaves and another handful or two.

Added leaves to 1 gallon of spring water and brought to a boil. Immediately removed from heat. Seeped for about 90 minutes.

Strained leaves from liquid.

Added 4 cups sugar (1/2 raw cane, 1/2 white) to get SG 1.095.

Added:

1 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4 cup of cocoa powder

Taste: Delish but a little sweeter than I like.

When at room temp (70 degrees or so), I will sprinkle with 1/2 pack of Red Star Cotes Des Blanc yeast.

Plan on fermenting in primary until SG reaches 1.040 (ADVICE??)

Would like to have a semi-sweet delicate wine. Plan on aging in 1 gallon jug for up to a year.

Questions:
Should I add banana?
Should I let the secondary ferment out to whatever it wants to do and then backsweeten if needed?

 

[SarahRides]

I did a mint wine about a year ago, except the recipe called for honey instead of sugar (I believe I technically made a metheglyn then). It is still in the gallon jug. I haven't tasted it yet, but it smells awful, it doesn't smell anything like mint. I'm hoping it eventually comes around, but who knows.

I would just let it ferment dry, then backsweeten to taste. It is difficult to stop a fermentation.

 

[jdrum]

the mint didnt come through that well for me when i made a batch last fall. i used pomagranit green tea for tannin, he spearmint was not young tender leaves so that may have affectede it, im the only one in the family that likes it cauzz its different. going to experiment with it some more. wife pulled all my spearmint up so i started another patch where she cant see it

jim

 

[mmadmikes1]

Made it once, it sucked.

 

[Julie]

You need to add some pectic enzyme, tannin and I would throw a banana in there as well. Also, don't try and stop a fermentation, you need to let it go dry then backsweeten to how sweet you want it. Personnally I think I would have made a Welch's white grape concentrate wine and used the mint to flavor that.

 

[KatyDinkle]

Thanks. I'll add the banana, etc.

If it's not great but not terrible, would you trash it or try adding it to another wine? Doesn't sound like a success story in the making...

 

[KatyDinkle]

One more question...can I add the banana AFTER the yeast? Pitched the yeast this morning.

 

[KatyDinkle]

the mint didnt come through that well for me when i made a batch last fall. i used pomagranit green tea for tannin, he spearmint was not young tender leaves so that may have affectede it, im the only one in the family that likes it cauzz its different. going to experiment with it some more. wife pulled all my spearmint up so i started another patch where she cant see it

jim

Good luck trying to hide the mint from your wife! That stuff takes on a life of its own!

 

[Julie]

Thanks. I'll add the banana, etc.

If it's not great but not terrible, would you trash it or try adding it to another wine? Doesn't sound like a success story in the making...

don't pitch, there are very few wines that are not worth saving. don't forget to add some pectic enzyme after you are done fermenting, you can't do it now because you have pitched the yeast.

and yeast you can add the banana now, this will help in the fermentation.

 

[KatyDinkle]

Thanks, Julie.

Maybe it will be decent blended with a raspberry I'm aging? Chocolate mint raspberry?

We'll see. At least I don't have a lot of $$ invested in it.

 

[Julie]

Thanks, Julie.

Maybe it will be decent blended with a raspberry I'm aging? Chocolate mint raspberry?

We'll see. At least I don't have a lot of $$ invested in it.

I make a candy cane wine that I infused with chocolate, this is about the same thing you are doing except you are using real mint leaves. Anyway, the mint doesn't come thru real good after fermentation, go Watkins mint extract, it is natural, add about a tsp, taste and see if you need to add more. I'm thinking this is going to work out ok.

 

[jdrum]

i backsweetened my mint some last night and it helped, didnt check sg but i think its up about .020 now going to try .030 on test bottle and see how it is.

jim

 

[KatyDinkle]

Update...racked and tasted it today. Strange immediate taste - sort of sour? But the chocolate and mint flavor is evident and leaves a nice after taste. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'm going to put it in the basement for several months. Any suggestions welcome!