# Blueberry Port Game plan



## gaudet (May 15, 2010)

Ok here's what I have come up with so far.......
This may be more than a 3 gallon batch but that is what I am shooting 
for 

2 gallons of blueberry juice (steamed) (was 16.25#'s of blueberries last week)
4 oz pack of elderberries
5-6 pounds of bananas
2#'s light malt extract
2 cans welches white grape concentrate (maybe)
White sugar to make the SG 1.110 - 1.120 to start
Yeast is probably gonna be Lalvin K1-1116, but I can be swayed.........



pectic enzyme
acid blend ( a light hand on the acid blend as I know the berries have a lot 
themselves)
tannin powder (or liquid if I can get some today) as required 

Blueberries are coming into season soon, so I will be able to get some more for an F-pack if needed.

Any hints or suggestions welcomed.


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## Wade E (May 15, 2010)

Thats sounds good Gaudet but I do believe youll want more blueberry so the F-pack will be needed most likely as you are now at the level for a normal wineplus some other added fruits. Not really sutre what that pack of dried Elderberries would equal though if it were not dried, do you?


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## Waldo (May 15, 2010)

gaudet, come ere boy, listen man, I know you got a pretty good recipe worked out there buddy but I would highly recommend you consider throwing a few cubes of maybe a medium toast french oak in that there fermenter aftter them yeastie beasties get to gobbling that sugar really good


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## Goodfella (May 15, 2010)

Lookin good Gaudet...


Would white grape be better than red?


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## Wade E (May 15, 2010)

Id say no at that due to diluting the color some and with a dark berry you want it to stay as dark as possible usually, with the peach you made the white was the better option.


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## Goodfella (May 15, 2010)

Yeah, I thought so also...


I was a little suprised to see "white grape" in Gaudets recipe.


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## gaudet (May 15, 2010)

The whole reason I post my recipes is to gain knowledge from your collective expertise. My evil plan worked once again!!!! You guys never fail me.



















I used the white grape in another port I made, but it was orange chocolate. And when I tell you it was dark, it is pitch....... Still haven't bottled it. 

So, nix the white grape. Not a problem. I picked up some medium french toast oak as per the Portmaster Waldo's suggestion. I forgot to get the liquid tannin, but I have powder so not an issue there either. I still have to collect the nanners tomorrow and get it going.


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## Wade E (May 15, 2010)

Some of Georges Grape concentrates would work well to add a little more body also. The red would be good in this if you want.
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdASC.asp


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## Goodfella (May 15, 2010)

I used welches red grape and some raisinson my Blueberry Port, and so far its tasting nice.










psssss.... I also used some honey.


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## Wade E (May 15, 2010)

Does that make it a Mort or a Pead?


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## gaudet (May 16, 2010)

I vote pead.....

Anyways, I am in the process of this right now. Its a mighty rainy day here. &gt;5" rain in less than 24 hours....

simmering now
1 gallon water
4 oz dried elderberries
4#'s chopped bananas

earlier I began a starter mix in my flask. 
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp energizer
1/2 tsp nutrient
.5 liters h20 
added all ingredients and brought to a boil

More news later.................Pictures at 11


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## Goodfella (May 16, 2010)

Nice.... Go get em Gaudet.


Is this your first Blueberry Port?


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## gaudet (May 16, 2010)

Yes sir....... I've done a muscadine port under Waldo's guidance. I did an orange chocolate port on my own following someone elses lead here. But this is my first blueberry. I went and got some cans of welches grape concentrate, it didn't say red, but it was the regular. I am assuming that it is red grape you were talking about.

Just pitched two packs of lalvin k1-v1116 into my flask with the preboiled water/sugar/nutrients. About to get back to construction of the must.


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## Goodfella (May 16, 2010)

Yep. Those are the ones. (grape concentrate). 












Good luck... l look forward to the pics.




P.S. I just racked my Apricot Port to secondary, and now I am going to rack my 6 gallons Blueberry wine to secondary. Both bubbling away nicely. (not trying to highjack thread)


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## Wade E (May 16, 2010)

Apricot Port, I dont recall reading up on that 1!


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## Goodfella (May 16, 2010)

You havn't...


I need to make a thread


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## Goodfella (May 16, 2010)

I forgot to ask Gaudet...


Are you gonna use any DME?


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## gaudet (May 16, 2010)

Forgot to list that. I will edit the recipe. I did use 2#'s golden light dme
I also had to add 2.5#'s sugar to get my sg to the 1.104 range.....


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## gaudet (May 16, 2010)

Official recipe so far is.....

dried elderberries 4 oz
chopped bananas 4#’s
golden light dme 2#’s
blueberry juice 2 gal
Welches Grape Concentrate 2 cans 
Sugar 2.5#’s
Pectic Enzyme 4 tsp
Yeast energizer 2 tsp
Yeast Nutrient 3 ½ tsp
Tannin 1 ½ tsp
Acid Blend Will add if needed
K-Meta 1/8 tsp


Lalvin k1-1116 yeast 2 packs (10g)

Notes:

To one gallon of water, add 4 oz dried elderberries and the 4#’s of chopped bananas. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally. When done strain the pulp from the juice into the fermenter. In one half gallon of water dissolve 2#’s golden light dme. Added it to the fermenter when dissolved. Added 2 cans of grape concentrate to must and mixed in well. Added 1 ½ gallons of blueberry juice, poured half of the last two quarts and then mixed the PE, YE, YN, Tannin, and K-meta into the two mason jars. Put the lids back on and shook both jars until all was dissolved. Added remaining juice to the must. Initial gravity is 1.084. Dissolved 2.5 pounds of sugar in ½ quart boiling water. Must sg was 1.104, so the potential ABV 14.7%

I need to beef up the abv some. I'm thinking I should chapitalize maybe another 1.5 pounds of sugar with maybe a cup of must when I rack it to the secondary. Adding it to the ferment will bring the total sg to 1.124, that should beef up the abv to 17% if it goes dry and if it doesn't then it will leave a little residual sweetness and I will beef it up with maybe some 80 proof vodka or (shudder



) everclear. There is a little more than 3.5 gallons in the fermenter, I figure it will fit just about perfect.


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## Goodfella (May 16, 2010)

DUDE.... I think that recipe should be illegal!!!


That looks awesome. I fortified mine with both Brandy and everclear. I love the taste the Brandy adds. You may want to consider using it.


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## gaudet (May 16, 2010)

Thanks Goodfella

I almost forgot, I have some medium toast french oak as well, I will add that to the recipe as well. I will add that when I rack to secondary as well


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## Wade E (May 16, 2010)

I think the brandy will add even a little more body so the mixture of brandy and Everclear is a good idea.


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## Goodfella (May 23, 2010)

How's the BB Port coming along Gaudet?


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## gaudet (May 23, 2010)

Funny you should ask........ I am chapitalizing it today. Will put it 
in a 5 gallon carboy to let it finish then rack it off, Decided to go with 2#'s of dissolved sugar which I am waiting to cool to add in. It should bring up the total SG to the 1.126 range.


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## gaudet (Jun 4, 2010)

Racked it today into a 3 gallon and 1 gallon carboy. Added 2 oz Medium Toast French Oak (eyeballed it for each container). I will get an sg in a month. Taste it in two or three weeks to see how the oak is doing. The little sample I sipped this morn was dry, but I didn't get a SG.


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## Wade E (Jun 4, 2010)

Sounding good there buddy!


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## Waldo (Jun 5, 2010)

I would go ahead and backsweeten now gaudet if you are going too. If you wait until you get the oakiness like you want and then backsweeten it will change it on you.


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## intoxicating (Jul 26, 2010)

Question for blueberry wine lovers:
I have a three gallon batch that I am ready to divide into 1 gallon batches. One I plan to bottle dry, the other two I will sweeten. One of the sweetened ones will not be oaked. It is not chewy or port, only around 10 to 12 %, and elderberries, but no banannas or DME. I will NOT be adding anything to this batch to boost the ABV.

I bought cubes of Med toast and house toast American oak. How many cubes to one gallon? Which should I put in first, Med or House? Should they be stirred, or left alone? It is in the bulk age stage.


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## Waldo (Jul 27, 2010)

Assuming the cubes are 3 oz packages which are intended for 6 gallon batches then you can just "guesstimate" 1/6 of the package and put that in. You do not need to stir either. If you are going to use both styles in the same batchthen i would add them all at the same time. Just out of curosity, why are you using two different oak profiles?


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## intoxicating (Jul 27, 2010)

Yes, they are 3 oz packages, and it would be no trouble to guestimate, or even to count the cubes if I was feeling especially obsessive/compulsive.

No one stirred water in the concrete yet, so I am open to suggestions. I thought I wanted the med. oak for the vanilla notes, and the darker one for the "jammy" notes. I have a batch of brandywine, that I want to be chewy and vanilla-ey but haven't completely decided on the blueberry.

What do you think?


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## gaudet (Oct 26, 2010)

Status update:

I got a little lazy and let this sit on the oak for almost 3 months. Was a little scared about what it would taste like. I can only say that I was extremely surprised. I racked it all into the fermentor and added the appropriate k-meta and k-sorb. Took a fg reading and it ended at 1.010. I did have to top up the 1 gallon jug with some spring water, but only a pint. I estimate the ABV to be about 15.50% to 15.75%. I think its going to be a great sipper, even if I don't add any brandy to up the abv a little more.


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## Wade E (Oct 26, 2010)

Sounds like a good one there!


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## Waldo (Oct 27, 2010)

How much oak did you have in it and was it chips or spirals? I bet its gonna be a winner


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## gaudet (Oct 27, 2010)

It was 2 ounces of medium French toasted oak chips Waldo


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## gaudet (Mar 11, 2011)

More impatience pays off again...... The blueberry port was pretty good, could probably use a little more sweet, but I think I will let it be as is about 15.75% abv and it has a good oakiness to it as well... I think its gonna need a year or so to develop some more good flavors to it, but its gonna be a nice one.


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## Wade E (Mar 12, 2011)

Sounding good there buddy. 15.75% is a good number for a fruit Port.


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## Goodfella (Mar 13, 2011)

I am happy this is turning out good!!! 


I have to put in my 2 cents though....


I would bump it to 19-20% ABV (or at least 18), then sweeten it to 1.030 SG and it will turn out awesome.


It can handle the extra ABV. IMO


P.S. The Brandy adds a great flavor to it. IMO


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## Waldo (Mar 13, 2011)

Im gonna jump on the wagon with Goodfella on this one. Bump er up buddy and sweeten morewith a good Fpack


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## gaudet (Mar 16, 2011)

Ok I'm convinced to add the brandy and bump it up to 1.030, now what brand of brandy is suggested. I have never had brandy before, never really wanted to try it, so I guess I never got any....


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## Goodfella (Mar 19, 2011)

I would use E&amp;J XO. It is a little more mild... A good fit for BB Port.


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## Waldo (Mar 20, 2011)

Or use Everclear


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## Wade E (Mar 20, 2011)

I agree that the best options for you would be the 2 above. Id do the brandy myself but if you dont want to change the flavor profile as much the Everclear would be a better option as it wont require as much with the much higher abv!


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## vcasey (Mar 20, 2011)

What about a blackberry brandy? I've never tasted one, so I could be way off, but wouldn't it be a good choice to help keep the flavor profile and add alcohol?


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## Wade E (Mar 20, 2011)

IMO not a good match. They are very fake tasting at least all the ones Ive had. Out of them though if I were going to use one Id go with the Poilsh Jesznowka (spelling ?)!


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