Pumpkin dessert wine?

[Wayne1]

Hello all,
I am trying to decide what to do with this new batch of pumpkin wine and am wondering what suggestions you might have? My initial plan was to make it into a port-like dessert wine - - -

My original intention was to make a starting batch of 6 gallons but I didn't figure in the water from the pumpkin - this was the recipe I used:


30 pounds of grated pumpkin flesh
6 gallons of water
10 lbs brown sugar (took SG to 1.054)
an additional 8 lbs white sugar (took SG to 1.090)
6 tsp yeast nutrient
1.5 tsp year energizer
15 tsps acid blend
6 tsps pectic enzyme
1.5 tsp tanin


Also spices -
6 4-inch cinnamon sticks
about 6 inches of grated ginger root
6 whole nutmegs - broken up
about 3-4 tsps of whole cloves (nothing done to them)
Yeast: Red Star Premier Cuvee


When I went to rack it out of primary fermentation, I realized I had a lot more than 6 gallons so racked it into these two 5 gallon carboys - they weren't full but are still fermenting so I am assuming the wine is protected by the CO2 production. I am estimating about 8.5 gallons.


I tasted it when I racked it - there was a good pumpkin flavor and and the spices were noticeable in the background - there was still some sugar in it and I thought it tasted pretty good so I don't want to mess it up! The extra liquid didn't seem to dilute the flavor.


Questions -
I am trying to decide whether to sugar feed it port-style with a port-like wine in mind for the end or whether to let it ferment out and use something like brandy to fortify it? or -just let some or all of it ferment out and age like a regular wine and backsweeten normally


Thanks for any ideas,
Wayne

 

[Wade E]

That sounds delish, what size primary are you using a 10 gallon? What SG are you at now? I would probably fortify as fermenting it more would eat up more flavor, maybe you could do a little of both, I think thats what I would is to do both. It sounds great and I was thinking of doing something like this but with making a whit wine base and getting some of that pumpkin flavor that Dunkin Doughnuts adds to their coffees and use that as an f-pack.

 

[Wayne1]

Hello Wade - thanks - I used a 10 gallon fermenter. I didn't think about sugar feeding eating up the flavor - I'll have to think more about that one.
- the DD pumpkin flavoring sounds like a good idea! I'll check the SG tonight to see where I'm at......
Wayne