New banana started

[John Pichnic]

Wow, that's a lot of juice! I'm guessing that it is juice on bottom and fruit mush on top. You only added 2-3 gallons of apple juice?

 

[Johnd]

This is todayView attachment 54069

No view of the inside action???

 

[dralarms]

Wow, that's a lot of juice! I'm guessing that it is juice on bottom and fruit mush on top. You only added 2-3 gallons of apple juice?

2 gallons per bucket.

 

[dralarms]

No view of the inside action???

I’ll get that this morning before stirring

 

[dralarms]

 

[stickman]

I don't see any hydrometer readings, looks like it's moving along, just curious where it's at.

 

[dralarms]

I don't see any hydrometer readings, looks like it's moving along, just curious where it's at.

Started at 23.2 brix, added 14 lbs sugar but after stirring wasn’t able to get hydrometer reading due to thickness of must. Usually finishes dry, back sweeten to 1.014 for a sweet strong wine.

 

[dralarms]

It’s in secondary, got 2 6.5 gallon car boys full and a 5 gallon with about 3 /12 gallons in it. There’s probably another 3/4 to 1 gallon in the leftovers, draining overnight.

 

[Jal5]

So what does the finished wine taste like? Banana I’m sure but what would you compare it too in the realm of white wines?

 

[dralarms]

So what does the finished wine taste like? Banana I’m sure but what would you compare it too in the realm of white wines?

Tastes like banana.

 

[dralarms]

Checked sg today. .986, starting brix was 23.2, added 14 lbs of sugar, have 17 gallons of wine (still has to clear, so it will probably be 16) any guess as to abv?

 

[Johnd]

The 14# sugar addition to a 23.2 BRIX must, yields a SG of 1.1285. If it really finished below .990 at .986, I'd say that you're pushing 19.2 % or 19.3 %...........that's pretty stout!!!!

 

[dralarms]

The 14# sugar addition to a 23.2 BRIX must, yields a SG of 1.1285. If it really finished below .990 at .986, I'd say that you're pushing 19.2 % or 19.3 %...........that's pretty stout!!!!

That’s about right, I can drink a bottle of anything else and I can’t even tell it, but I can drink a bottle of the banana and can really tell I’ve drank it.

 

[dralarms]

Racked off today, got 16.5 gallons. Got my refractometer that I measure sg with and measured for grins and giggles, got a reading of 10 brix.. took the one I bought for measuring alcohol (wasn’t sure on this one) and it measured 25. If that’s accurate then that’s a pretty stout wine.

 

[dralarms]

As a test of the refractometer I tested vodka, label said 100 proof, 50% abv. My refractometer measured it at 50%. So I guess I can assume that the banana is really 25%. That’s some stout stuff.

 

[John Pichnic]

25% Wow! That's strong mix-drink territory.
I've been suspecting that I was breaking the 18% limit of EC-1118.
You used 71B?

 

[dralarms]

25% Wow! That's strong mix-drink territory.
I've been suspecting that I was breaking the 18% limit of EC-1118.
You used 71B?

Yes, 71b. I suspect that it’s the type of sugar in the bananas. I’m thinking that the yeast is able to utilize more of it.

 

[user 36973]

Racked off today, got 16.5 gallons. Got my refractometer that I measure sg with and measured for grins and giggles, got a reading of 10 brix.. took the one I bought for measuring alcohol (wasn’t sure on this one) and it measured 25. If that’s accurate then that’s a pretty stout wine.

Probably worth mentioning that any residual sugar will greatly throw off the refractometer measurements. For example, my Catawba completed fermentation and measured 7.0 on the refractometer. I can guarantee it is not 18%abv, so I figure it is upwards of 2% RS on top of a 10%abv wine.

I'd bet your banana wine has substantial RS. 71B is a decent fermenter, but not a Superman!

 

[dralarms]

Probably worth mentioning that any residual sugar will greatly throw off the refractometer measurements. For example, my Catawba completed fermentation and measured 7.0 on the refractometer. I can guarantee it is not 18%abv, so I figure it is upwards of 2% RS on top of a 10%abv wine.

I'd bet your banana wine has substantial RS. 71B is a decent fermenter, but not a Superman!

I guess you missed that the current sg is .986. Not sure how much rs is left at that point

 

[bkisel]

I made a 6 gallon batch of banana wine a year or two ago. Myself and a few other folks liked it well enough but overall it wasn't well received by those that typically share my wine.