peppermint wine

[LieutenantFF]

I am interested in starting a batch of chocolate peppermint wine. the question I have is how much dried leaved do I need for 6 gallons of wine? At the bottling phase I plan on putting a drop or 2 of pure chocolate extract in each bottle. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[Julie]

i would put the extract in the whole batch not a bottle at a time, put a little in and taste, same with the peppermint, put so much in, taste and add to what you like. adding an extract to each bottle will not give you any consistancy and the chances of you repeating this are slim and done.

 

[LieutenantFF]

Thanks! That makes sense. Also. With regard to fresh vs dried mint how much dried should I use compared to the fresh. I don't have access to fresh right now down here in dusty SW oklahoma but I know a reliable dealer online with a good selection of dried.

 

[Julie]

that is a tough question, not sure, how much would you add to a glass? I make the candy cane wine but the flavor is very weak, so I add pepperment extract, a couple of teaspoons for a 3 gallon batch works for me. What are you going to use as our base wine?

 

[LieutenantFF]

I've run across a few recipes for strictly "mint wine" or "peppermint wint". Basically make a tea drom the leaves, a strong tea, then add sugar, tannin, acid, nutrient, water and then yeast. Though every recipe I have found calls for a large amount of fresh leaves depending on the amount made anywhere between 5 cups to 3 quarts of leaves. And here where I am I have zero fresh mint.

 

[Julie]

Don't you use twice as much fresh than dried in recipes. I would use a welchs frozen grape concentrate or an apple as a base. I would think without this as a base your wine would be pretty thin

 

[LieutenantFF]

I was planning on using white grape concentrate. Also I could pobably use say 2.5 cups in a tea and I meeded I could use more in an fpak as needed. I'm not really sure on this one. Everything I have read says fresh. We will see. I will be starting this wine tomorrow after I get home from work. I will surely keep you updated!