# Banana wine, what the..!!!???!!!???!!!



## BigDaveK (Apr 10, 2022)

My first banana wine.
4/7 Put everything together, SG 1.084.
4/8 Added yeast, foam in 4 hours!
4/9 Yikes, SG 1.050!
4/10 SG 1.002, racked, still going crazy, bubble through airlock about every half second.
I don't know if my brew room is a curse or a blessing?


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## VinesnBines (Apr 10, 2022)

Call it a blessing. Have you ever had a stuck fermentation? So frustrating. Though my last stuck has taken off (after I threw up my hands and cried "Uncle".).


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## FlamingoEmporium (Apr 10, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> My first banana wine.
> 4/7 Put everything together, SG 1.084.
> 4/8 Added yeast, foam in 4 hours!
> 4/9 Yikes, SG 1.050!
> ...


Wow. Another fast one. Looks like a “nice” color.


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## BigDaveK (Apr 10, 2022)

FlamingoEmporium said:


> Wow. Another fast one. Looks like a “nice” color.


Yeah, I don't know what's going on. I'm thinking _possibly_ since I've been using that small room (door always closed) for 5 months that _maybe_ I have wine yeast in the air and there's been an extra day of work before my yeast is added. It's one of those "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes" thing.

Oh, and it tastes really good!


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## VinesnBines (Apr 11, 2022)

Are you making small batches and using a whole pack of yeast? You are doing well with the SG; not overshooting and that is key. Most of my ferments take off pretty fast if my SG is good. I've only had a couple stall out....the most recent Chardonnay kits that I started under airlock - finally hitting 1.004 or 0.998 (depending on which hydrometer I use). 

I had one ferment that completely failed. I was trying to make a praline wine with a praline syrup. Sorbate was not in the list of ingredients but it must have been loaded with sorbate. It NEVER started and when I would try a yeast starter, adding a half cup of the must would kill the starter. It was dumped.


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## BigDaveK (Apr 11, 2022)

VinesnBines said:


> Are you making small batches and using a whole pack of yeast? You are doing well with the SG; not overshooting and that is key. Most of my ferments take off pretty fast if my SG is good. I've only had a couple stall out....the most recent Chardonnay kits that I started under airlock - finally hitting 1.004 or 0.998 (depending on which hydrometer I use).
> 
> I had one ferment that completely failed. I was trying to make a praline wine with a praline syrup. Sorbate was not in the list of ingredients but it must have been loaded with sorbate. It NEVER started and when I would try a yeast starter, adding a half cup of the must would kill the starter. It was dumped.


I see most gallon batch recipes call for 1 pack of yeast but I've never done that. I weigh in half or thirds depending on what I'm doing.

Sorry about your praline wine! I love the idea. I wonder if a combination of brown sugar, pecan milk (homemade?), and vanilla would work? (Darn, I just added to my ever growing wine list.)


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## VinesnBines (Apr 11, 2022)

I did try a pecan wine with homemade pecan extract. It was so so. I added it to the coffee wine which was also so so. I won't bother with either again. I tried to turn the coffee with the pecan into a port style. we'll see but I don't have a lot of hope.


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## BigDaveK (Apr 11, 2022)

VinesnBines said:


> I did try a pecan wine with homemade pecan extract. It was so so. I added it to the coffee wine which was also so so. I won't bother with either again. I tried to turn the coffee with the pecan into a port style. we'll see but I don't have a lot of hope.



I admire your attempt! It's a trait shared by many here - dreamers and experimenters on a quest for a sip of WOW.


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## VinesnBines (Apr 11, 2022)

Here is a tip for those wines that don't quite make you go "WOW"! Sweeten a bit and fortify to make a fake port style. Technically you are supposed to stop fermentation with fortification but it can be done after the wine is dry. That's the fate of my Petit Verdot that still isn't up to snuff. Some brandy and a little 1:2 sugar syrup and it is WOW!


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