# Here's my OK State Fair Dessert Wine entry: Sherry Style Banana!



## mayberry (Aug 17, 2012)

Simplified recipe that I've shared previously:


*63 bananas (about 25 lbs)
*
*10 peels*
*pectic enzyme*
*1 Tbsp yeast nutrient*
*16 lbs brown sugar*
*6 Tbsp acid blend*
*water to top off to 6 gallons*
 *Cook bananas in water like mashed potatoes (minus stems and butts) for an hour. Peel, dump into 6 gallon fermenter with 10 peels, pectic enzyme, nutrient, sugar, acid blend. Add 6 campden tablets. Let sit 24 hours. Pitch yeast. Stirred daily and racked off sediment in 5 days. Stirred daily and racked again just above dry. Rack every 3 months until clear. Backsweetened with 2 lbs honey and and fortified with 750 mL of banana-infused brandy (soak a bunch worth of coined ripe bananas in brandy, strain). We never topped it up and allowed plenty of oxygen exposure to sort of "sherry" the wine. Bottled it when we liked the flavor.*



My wife and I are proud to send our babies off! This was one of our first wines. : )


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 17, 2012)

Sounds delicious. I love that caramel color.


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## magpiemini (Aug 17, 2012)

Wow impressive color


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## cedarswamp (Aug 17, 2012)

I like those labels, are they stickers?


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## mayberry (Aug 17, 2012)

Boatboy24 said:


> Sounds delicious. I love that caramel color.





magpiemini said:


> Wow impressive color



Thanks! The bananas+oxidation+brandy+honey are to credit for that. The flavor is even more appreciable -- a mouth-coating ambrosia. Floral, banana, sugar, no alcohol sting. The only change I would make is a tannin addition -- were I to do it all over. But I am damn proud!



cedarswamp said:


> I like those labels, are they stickers?


Custom cut vinyl, actually. Same concept, though. It applies like you would a bumper sticker. Luckily, I work with a vinyl plotter in my day-to-day job, so I can reap the benefits come competition time.


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## mayberry (Sep 15, 2012)

No medals this year, but we did win a 1st place ribbon in the amateur label competition!


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## roadwarriorsvt (Sep 16, 2012)

Congrats! Its always nice to walk away with something.


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## saramc (Sep 16, 2012)

Looks and sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing with us. What yeast did you use?


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## jswordy (Sep 17, 2012)

*You ribboned! GOOD DEAL!*

*LOOOOVE* the labels!


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## joeswine (Sep 17, 2012)

*Yes we have know bananas*



NEVER TRIED A BANANA WINE BUT I THINK I'M READY TO.congrats on the wine.........................


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## mayberry (Sep 17, 2012)

Thanks everyone!



saramc said:


> What yeast did you use?



Red Star pasteur champagne yeast


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## DirtyDawg10 (Sep 17, 2012)

Looking good!


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## Wade E (Sep 18, 2012)

Please enter that recipe in the "Recipe" section of this site. It looks like a great 1!


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## saramc (Oct 2, 2012)

Cooking the bananas as I type.


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## Dend78 (Oct 2, 2012)

got mine going in high gear, im following pretty close to what you have here, just slight deviations. one thing you say you would have added tannin if you were to do it all over again, doesn't the skins have tannin in them?


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## mayberry (Oct 3, 2012)

Dend78 said:


> got mine going in high gear, im following pretty close to what you have here, just slight deviations. one thing you say you would have added tannin if you were to do it all over again, doesn't the skins have tannin in them?


The skins didn't add the tannin I was hoping. Maybe if done differently I'd at least throw in a dozen more stems. But powdered tannin would give a predictable result.


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## saramc (Oct 4, 2012)

Amazed at how this started out as dark muddy brown (from boiled banana soup, dark brown sugar) and since fermentation has kicked in it is cloudy light tannish w/ definite ripe banana color tones seen!!


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## Dend78 (Oct 4, 2012)

saramc said:


> Amazed at how this started out as dark muddy brown (from boiled banana soup, dark brown sugar) and since fermentation has kicked in it is cloudy light tannish w/ definite ripe banana color tones seen!!




im still looking at dark muddy soup although it has thinned out more its still pretty thick


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