WineXpert Tempranillo Kit to Port with VI Barolo on lees

[keithww]

This is a little convoluted, so please bear with me.

I was thinking of taking a Winexpert Tempranillo Kit with skins and starting it according to the instructions. Then once it hits about 1.045 to 1.040 putting a little under 2.75 gallons on to just over a quart of 190 proof everclear and a little oak in to a 3 gallon carboy, call this CB1. I would then move 3 gallons of wine in to a second three gallon carboy and complete as normal using only half of the additives call this CB2. I would then add the juice of 6 boiled bananas and a Vino Italiano Barolo kit to the lees in the primary fermenter and bring the volume of the added liquid up to 6 gallons. This would go to a 6 gallon carboy and be called CB3

CB1 would most likely bulk age for about a year with a little oak about 10 months in and bottle when it was oaked.
CB2 would also sit in a carboy for about a year with American oak added at about 11 months.
CB3 would be bottled once it was ready, about 4 to 6 months in secondary

I have made a few kits according to the directions, I've make a few Vino Italiano and other 40 dollar kits as the base of a fruit wine. I've made pure fruit wine from the loquat trees in my yard. I made a Chocolate Cherry Port according to the directions and now the chocolate is mellowing and the cherry is coming forward it is pretty good. Also a member of the beer side and have made more than I should admit including Chocolate covered beaver nuts in the secondary now.

This issue is I want to try my hand at a good grape flavored port, and don't want to commit to a 6 gallon batch. I also want to see if there is any advantage to reusing the yeast and skins from the premium kit on the VI kit.

looking for thought and comments to improve the process.

 

[keithww]

So I just got this started and realized that my SG was 1.090 but I don't know what the grape pack will add to the gravity, and I've never cared before. Is it safe to estimate that my SG should be 1.10 for the purpose of my pearson's square and ABV calculations.

 

[SouthernChemist]

So I just got this started and realized that my SG was 1.090 but I don't know what the grape pack will add to the gravity, and I've never cared before. Is it safe to estimate that my SG should be 1.10 for the purpose of my pearson's square and ABV calculations.

It would be okay to delay adding the yeast and allow the sugars from the grape pack to dissolve. You can measure the actual SG that way rather than estimating. Just make sure everything is sanitized/covered. I wouldn't expect it cause the SG to go higher than 1.100, if that much.

 

[keithww]

I was messaged for a followup so I decided to post it in the tread.

A little follow up, I used 5 cups of everclear and filled the rest of the 3 gallons with the wine when it was a little over 1.030 or about 10% ABV to give me a final ABV of 20.5%. It was at 1.050 at 11PM and the next morning had shot past the 1.040 target. After a week I racked it to a second vessel and topped off with a little of the wine that was now dry. I also racked the remaining three gallons to a secondary.

I boiled the bananas in a gallon and a half of water and added the concentrate for the Barolo kit and water up to 4.5 gallons, after the banana had cooled I strained that and added it to the must along with a pound of raisins, it is now fermenting away in the primary.

The Port tasted pretty good considering it is less than two weeks old.