Steam Juiced Grapes, what to do now?

[Mumazilla]

I got the Mehu-Liisa last week, to do elderberries, which are in the freezer. But, my neighbor (yes, they are great) has brought me loads and loads of Concord grapes. I've done around 4-5 gallons. There is no way I can make that much jam, so I am going to make a wine. I saved 2.5 lbs of grapes and they are in the freezer, so I can add skins. I normally follow a recipe, but I'm stuck for one now. Anyone want to pitch an idea? I'd really like to make a port style, but I don't know if Concord can pull it off. I'm only a few years into brewing.
Anyone else like to steam fruits for wine? I read somewhere that it won't clear. Is there any truth in that?

 

[MJD]

I'm taking a WAG here since I don't have any experience with steaming grapes, but perhaps the heat mucks things up? Even so, I'd be surprised if bentonite or other clarification treatments wouldn't knock it back anyways.

If it was me - I'd add whatever skins you have, adjust the wine's parameters as needed, follow normal port wine fermentation, and see what happens.

Since Concord gives a deep color and flavor, a port would be worth a shot - I'd try it, if you are up for an experiment.

 

[Chris Gibbs]

I'm in the same boat kind of. I just purchased a steam juicer this year and used it for the first time to juice mustang grapes. I've read as much as I can about steam juicing for wine, and I've noticed a lot of statements like "be sure to add pectic enzyme," and "the acidity doesn't carry over from steam juicing." I've got a two gallon batch of mustang grape wine in secondary that I need to degas soon. I haven't gotten to the point of testing TA in my wines, but this wine is very tart, so it seems like at least some of the acidity carries over from steam juicing. As for pectin, time will tell.

I followed a Jack Keller recipe for mustang grape wine from juice. For your port idea, maybe look over his requested recipes to see if there is a port style that you could use as an outline. Or maybe adapt one - make a blackberry concord port from his blackberry port recipe.