Wine for 1st Grandson's 21st bday!

[Vinobeau]

anyone like to share your Port making protocol?

Cheers!

On 9/5, I started out with 13 lbs of the Wild Grapes and froze them for a couple of days. I thawed and crushed them and stole 3 cups of juice to make jelly. Added 4 cups of water and let it sit for 12 hrs. Then added 2 cups of sugar and 2 Campden tabs and let it sit 12 hrs, SG was 1.090. Then added Pectic Enzyme, acid blend, yeast Nutrient & Montrachet yeast. On 9/10, I removed the grapes and racked. On 9/26, I tasted, racked and added Sorbate, some oak chips & a 1/2 cup of sugar. It tasted sour and terrible. On 1/19, I noted that it tasted "Interesting". Now, I'm not sure exactly what I meant!! On 6/9 I racked and added 4 cups of sugar, 4 oz glycerin, and 45 oz Brandy. Bottled on 6/28.

 

[Bmd2k1]

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2021-port/

I'd be curious to know ur FG

 

[winemaker81]

I'd be curious to know ur FG

Your wish is my command. I opened a bottle and checked the SG: 1.008, whereas the base wine was 0.996.

However ... I realized the EverClear and the sugar both change the SG in opposite directions. It's necessary to check the SG again after adding the EverClear, and again after adding the sugar.

I also realized I screwed up and did not add glycerin, which also changes the SG.

For me the FG is simply curiosity. I don't have a target -- the wine tells me how much it needs. Trust your senses.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Your wish is my command. I opened a bottle and checked the SG: 1.008, whereas the base wine was 0.996.

However ... I realized the EverClear and the sugar both change the SG in opposite directions. It's necessary to check the SG again after adding the EverClear, and again after adding the sugar.

I also realized I screwed up and did not add glycerin, which also changes the SG.

For me the FG is simply curiosity. I don't have a target -- the wine tells me how much it needs. Trust your senses.

Thanks! Ur website post indicated glycerin had already been added to the vinos

 

[winemaker81]

Thanks! Ur website post indicated glycerin had already been added to the vinos

It did. but when I looked at the notes for the contributing wines, I spotted that I didn't.

 

[Rice_Guy]

The topic of age has come up before. Do you plan on grape?

* mom’s 29 year old black raspberry, again cleaning out the basement and a solid screw cap.
* in Hungary last year some local variety ten year old reisling type grape
* haven’t opened it yet but I have collected a ten year old wild grape from a church friend.

This is a good thread. When going over several years of rhubarb I noted that retesting the old wines, the TA had dropped relative to the current year. There is more happening than oxidation, ,,, and there isn’t a lot written about age related changes.

I would put the pH at 3.0 or 2.8. I would expect the acidity to drop by .3 or even .4% so start above 1% TA.
In the thread i pulled they mentioned a cranberry which could start above 1.3%, likewise 100% juice from current, rhurbarb, haskap, gooseberry, bitter apples.

Expect the cork to be the weakest point, on my part I would start with Reserva synthetic. Mom’s basement had some 20 year old peach with rusted metal that had turned into a nice peach vinegar. Oxidation will mask all fruity aromatics. As a guess I would put the free SO2 at 75ppm, maybe 100ppm if tannins are low.

I would load it up, as twice maximum package direction, with tannin as Blanc Soft, yes you could use grape tannin but it starts with more bitter notes. Oak is worth using since it provides longer lasting clean flavor notes and tannin.
Expect most of the fruit notes to be gone. I had a 2018 rhubarb (100% juice) at the club last night. This would have started at about 1.2%TA. In 2020 it had already dropped to 1.1% and yesterday was at 0.91% TA. With rhubarb much of the flavor is malic acid which is stable, providing sharp notes over time. This bottle had a honey like note (acids combines with alcohol to make esters).

Color; expect brown notes. From a technical point of view a red or purple named fruit will be better than a clear color where the brown is obvious. Natural pigments are not stable, ,,, I have FDA approved ones that would last. Avoid light.

From a technical point of view, your project has two phases. The first is providing enough reductive compounds as polyphenols and SO2 to sequester total package oxygen when the product is bottled (year zero to two). Second phase is providing an excellent oxygen barrier to minimize oxidation between years 2 and 20. If I had access to aluminum capping at home I would use it as the best oxygen barrier.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Your wish is my command. I opened a bottle and checked the SG: 1.008, whereas the base wine was 0.996.

However ... I realized the EverClear and the sugar both change the SG in opposite directions. It's necessary to check the SG again after adding the EverClear, and again after adding the sugar.

I also realized I screwed up and did not add glycerin, which also changes the SG.

For me the FG is simply curiosity. I don't have a target -- the wine tells me how much it needs. Trust your senses.

Did ya hit the newly created Port with a dosage of Kmeta prior to bottling?

 

[winemaker81]

Did ya hit the newly created Port with a dosage of Kmeta prior to bottling?

Yes. K-meta was added to the base wines, then the wine for the Port was removed. Glycerin was added to the main batches of the base wine after that.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Yes. K-meta was added to the base wines, then the wine for the Port was removed. Glycerin was added to the main batches of the base wine after that.

Any benefit in bottling port in something smaller than 750ml bottles? I see you used 375s

 

[winemaker81]

Any benefit in bottling port in something smaller than 750ml bottles? I see you used 375s

I drink it slower.



If I open a 375, it is consumed. If I open a 750, it still gets consumed ....

 

[Bmd2k1]

I drink it slower.



If I open a 375, it is consumed. If I open a 750, it still gets consumed ....

Ha! Solid strategy

 

[Bmd2k1]

Make a port and change the cork every 5 years.

How about if I bottle it in a grolsch style swing-top bottle?

 

[NorCal]

grolsch style swing-top bottle

I use a few different capacities of this style bottle today for my topping wine. I’ve never had wine in that style bottle for long term and I don’t know what that seal is rated for.

 

[Ohio Bob]

How about if I bottle it in a grolsch style swing-top bottle?

Oxygen permeability of silicone is higher than for other typical plastics. And yet Grolsch-style bottles are still available, they have not gone out of favor. Beer stored in these probably don’t get long term storage though.

One advantage of the Grolsch is you can fill the bottle very close to the top, so the headspace is a lot less than for a corked bottle. I bottled 9 Grolsch-style, 500ml, bottles of blackberry port this week. Hopefully I’ll remember to crack one open every year or so and report back.

 

[winemaker81]

How about if I bottle it in a grolsch style swing-top bottle?

A rubber seal is very likely to degrade within a few years as these seals are not designed for long term storage. You also don't know the O2 ingress rate.

Bottling a wine for a 21 year lifespan is among the very few reasons I'd invest in a high grade cork. Buy 10-15 year corks and recork after 10 years.

I don't expect the O2 in the ullage is the problem -- it's the O2 ingress through the stopper, regardless of what you use.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Oxygen permeability of silicone is higher than for other typical plastics. And yet Grolsch-style bottles are still available, they have not gone out of favor. Beer stored in these probably don’t get long term storage though.

One advantage of the Grolsch is you can fill the bottle very close to the top, so the headspace is a lot less than for a corked bottle. I bottled 9 Grolsch-style, 500ml, bottles of blackberry port this week. Hopefully I’ll remember to crack one open every year or so and report back.

Bravo -- curious what your port making protocol was?


I'm looking at using my FWK Blackberry (which is Amazing!), a Nebbiolo or make some of both.

Cheers!

 

[Ohio Bob]

Bravo -- curious what your port making protocol was?

Freeze all the fruit, take out of the freezer the day before pitching yeast. At sugar addition it will still be very cold.
Simmer raisins/prunes in water, just enough to cover the fruit. Add to the fermentation bucket.
Simmer equal amounts of water and sugar with a tsp of lemon juice (helps break down the sugar). Add until the desired Brix is reached. This will raise the temp of the cold fruit quite a bit.
Add Kmeta, tannin powder, oak chips, pectin enzymes, etc.
Make a yeast starter, see @winemaker81 method for making a starter. Pitch after 8-16 hours, I can’t seem to wait 24 hours.
Avoid stirring for 12 hours, then stir 2-3 times a day, measuring Brix each time.
Add Fermaid O at approx 1/3 sugar depletion. My ferments have been so fast I’m thinking I should just add FO after 12-24 hours. My last ferment got to 1.010 in 48 hours.
Press at SG of 1.010, transfer to carboys with an airlock.
Ferment dry with rackings every 3 months, add Kmeta.
After the first 3 month aging, add chocolate powder. Add Everclear 190 to convert to a port. No Kmeta needed. Use the Pearson Square method for adding the EC190.
After approx 1 year of bulk aging, back sweeten as needed, or back sweeten at any previous rackings if you wish. Blend in any grape wine you want to.
Rack to your bottling bucket, add glycerin, bottle.

 

[winemanden]

21 years? Why not Just keep making great wine for the next 21 years. Give your grandson the best you've got. I'm sure he'll appreciate it just as much!
Anyway, he may end up not liking wine, although it's your job to educate him.

 

[Bmd2k1]

21 years? Why not Just keep making great wine for the next 21 years. Give your grandson the best you've got. I'm sure he'll appreciate it just as much!
Anyway, he may end up not liking wine, although it's your job to educate him.

This will happen too!

 

[Bmd2k1]

Getting close to my port creation time!

I'm going to be using my FWK Blackberry as the base -- it's dang amazing! (it's been bulk aging for just about 5months...)

I'm looking to make (4) 750ml bottles.

The current post backsweetening FG = 1.03 and ABV = 12.4%

My plan is to add some EverClear151 to boost the ABV to 22% and I'd like to keep the FG post-fortification at the 1.03 mark.

I'm using the FermCalc app to help calc my fortification #s -- and am hoping for some feedback -- as I'm not sure of the #'s to add (EverClear & sugar) to get to 22% and maintain the sugar at FG=1.03 (which appears to be 77.8 g/l per VinoLab calc).

Here's some screenshots from FermCalc and VinoLab -- and the FermCalc Resulting SG as 1.003 isn't what I'm shooting for... Thanks in advance for any feedback ;-)