Welch's Port (style) Experiment

[PPBart]

I've got my first batch of muscadine port aging in carboy now, great expectations for that batch...


As an experiment, I decided to make another 3-gal batch in port style, this time using Welch's Juice. Basing it on the recipe(Waldo's) that I used for the muscadine, Isimply substituted Welch's. Ingredients for 3-gallon batch were:<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />


· 6 cans Welch’s Frozen Grape Juice
· 0.5 Ltr Red Grape Concentrate
· 1 lb Muntons Light Malt Extract
· 2 oz. Dried Elderberries
· 1 lb Raisins
· Liquid from 1-1/2 lbs boiled ripe bananas &amp; Dried Elderberries (approx 1 qt)
· 3 tsp Pectic Enzyme
· 1.5 tsp Grape Tannin
· 3 tsp Yeast Nutrient
· 1 tsp Yeast Energizer
· (?) Acid blend as needed
· 1 oz Bentonite
· 3 ea Campden Tablets
· 2 ozs French Oak Medium Toast cubes
· 1 Pk Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
· Sugar to bring starting SG to 1.120
· F-Pack to back sweeten (additional juice from 1 can of Welch’s, just thawed without water addition).

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I stopped by local Walmart yesterday afternoon and bought the 6 cans of Welch's. Those were thawed and dumped into a 5-gal primary.ThenI added:
§ ½-ltr red grape concentrate
§ Liquer from 1.5-lbs stewed bananas
§ 1-lb malt (dissolved in hot water)
§ 2-lb sugar (dissolved in hot water)
§ 1-lb raisins (free-floating)
§ 1.5-tsp pectic enzyme (should have been 3 tsp!)
§ 1.5-tsp tannin
§ 3-tsp yeast nutrient
§ 1-tsp yeast energizer
§ 3 crushed C-tabs


Added sugar to adjust SG to ~1.120 and left to sit overnight.


This morning, SG measured 1.028(!). Added 6 tsp acid blend and an additional 1.5 tsp pectic enzyme.


I'll post updates as appropriate.

 

[Wade E]

Sounds like a good experiment!

 

[PPBart]

Pitched yeast starter last night ~8 PM. Some evidence of fermentation this morning: sizzling with a few bubbles.

 

[Waldo]

Might just be a winner here

 

[ithink2020]

How's this going?

 

[PPBart]

How's this going?

Yesterday the SG was 1.024. I scooped out and discarded the raisins, and poured the must into a 5-gal carboy with an airlock. Within a few minutes the airlocked started burping regularly, which it continues to do this morning. Wine has a nice deep ruby color, not quite as dense as a carboy of muscadine portsitting next to it (sorry, no pics at moment; will add later).

 

[PPBart]

How's this going?

Yesterday the SG was 1.024. I scooped out and discarded the raisins, and poured the must into a 5-gal carboy with an airlock. Within a few minutes the airlocked started burping regularly, which it continues to do this morning. Wine has a nice deep ruby color, not quite as dense as a carboy of muscadine portsitting next to it (sorry, no pics at moment; will add later).

This morning the airlock is only burping once every 2-3 minutes, so later today I willrack the batch over from the 5-gal carboy to a 3-gal carboy...

 

[Waldo]

Looking good !!!

 

[Cracked Cork]

What was your SG before you added the sugar, I keep wondering if we could do one of these Concords and only use the grape concentrate as the sugar source, I just havent gotten around to making one yet. Crackedcork

 

[PPBart]

What was your SG before you added the sugar, I keep wondering if we could do one of these Concords and only use the grape concentrate as the sugar source, I just havent gotten around to making one yet. Crackedcork

Sorry, I did not record the initial SG. The batch notes only say: "Adjusted SG to 1.120 and left to sit overnight."


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