# Pearson Square Port Calculation Help Needed!



## ibglowin (Mar 6, 2011)

Need someone with Port experience to help me out here.

I have a double batch of La Bodega Port (6 gallons) bulk aging and I am trying to figure out how much Brandy to add to bump it up. Using Pearsons Square calculator found here 

If I have 23L of Wine at 15% ABV and I want to bump it up to 20% ABV using 40% ABV Brandy

The calculator says I need 5 Parts Brandy for every 20 Parts Wine.

With that said 5/20 = 0.25.

23L x 0.25 = 5.75L of Brandy = 7.67 Bottles of Brandy. That seems like a LOT of Brandy! I also have to add the Port Essence packs which I have 2 of and they appear to be ~ 1 liter each so that will dilute it down somewhat.

Do I take that into account somehow or just forget about that dilution factor. 

Is my math right on this?


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## Tom (Mar 6, 2011)

Have you tried this?

Pearson's Square
Pearson's Square is a method for determining the relative amounts of wine and fortifying agents (ie vodka, brandy, grain alcohol, etc) to use to increase the alcohol content in the wine to a given amount. The only required information is the alcohol content of both the wine and the fortifying agent, as well as the desired alcohol content. It makes no difference what scale you use for the alcohol content (U.S. proof, Syke's, or % alcohol) except that Brittish proof must be converted to degrees Sykes by adding 100. 
To lay out the square and do the calculations by hand use the following instructions: 
A D

C

B E
A - C = E
C - B = D 
Where: 
A = Alcohol content of the fortifying spirits
B = Alcohol content of the wine
C = Desired final alcohol content of fortified wine
D = Parts of fortifying agent in fortified wine
E = Parts of original wine in fortified wine
For example: 
If you use vodka (40% alcohol) as the fortifying agent and wine with an alcohol content of 12% which you want fortified to %18 alcohol: 
40 6

18

12 22
40 - 18 = 22
18 - 12 = 6 
You would use 22 parts of wine and 6 parts of vodka to obtain a fortified strength of 18% alcohol. 
Note: 
This can also be used to determine quantities for dilution. (The above example could be considered as diluting the vodka from 40% to 18%.) When diluting with water, just use 0 (zero) for the alcohol content.


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## Wade E (Mar 6, 2011)

The math is right Mike and its why lots of people use Everclear or substitute some of the brandy for it. It just takes too much and will change the profile too much.


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## Randoneur (Mar 6, 2011)

You could add less if you used "shine"

It would be a waste of good shine though.


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## ibglowin (Mar 6, 2011)

Decisions, decisions........

Thanks for double checking the math. Leaning towards Brandy still as I like the theory of it marrying with the wine much better than grain spirits could.


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## Wade E (Mar 6, 2011)

Grappa would fit the bill pretty good as its grape based.


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## Randoneur (Mar 6, 2011)

I was just kidding, grain and grape - bad mix.


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## ibglowin (Mar 6, 2011)

:< $$$$$$$ :<



Wade E said:


> Grappa would fit the bill pretty good as its grape based.


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## Wade E (Mar 6, 2011)

Not over here $$$$$$!


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## ibglowin (Mar 7, 2011)

You saying Grappa is cheap in your neck of the woods?

Cheapest full bottle over at K&L is about $30 with most bottles selling for $30 for a 375ml split! :<

We have a local boutique distillery making Pisco and they get $45 for 375ml. Its only 40% ABV as well.......

E&J (VSOP or XO ) locally is about $13 a bottle.


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## seth8530 (Mar 18, 2011)

If you tell me the abv of the wine and the abv of the brandy and the target abv i can figure it out for ya and ill be more than happy to post the math.


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## ibglowin (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks much, I think we got it under control!


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## seth8530 (Mar 19, 2011)

awesumsauce


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## ibglowin (May 18, 2011)

Update: 

I blended up this bad boy last night. The wine was right at 6 mo bulk aging all by itself. I have to admit that this was by far the BEST tasting kit wine EVER. I was so tempted to pull a few bottles aside and not fortify but I held true and fortified all 6 gallons. 

I ended up using the new 8 gallon primary fermenter as the mixing bucket. I added a single packet of Sorbate from one of my Cellar Craft kits that I didn't use. I have added Sorbate to my recently bottled CC Riesling as well as Pinot Gris as they had a flavour reserve pack and I did not notice the bubble gum smell like I did with the Sorbate packs from Mosti so with fingers crossed I added it in and stirred well before I added in the 2L of Port Essence packs. A quick taste test afterwards revealed no funky bubble gum taste so I was happy camper. 

I then added in 3 bottles of E&J XO Brandy and 3 bottles of E&J VSOP Brandy for a total of 4.5L of Brandy. 

Using the Pearson's Square formula this should yield a 19% ABV Port since the wine finished out at 15.2% ABV. Adding in the 2L of Port Essence should drop the ABV somewhat but not exactly sure. Should end up in the 18% range +/- 0.5% I would guess. 

Taste test of the mixed up batch immediately afterwards was double YUM! 

The Brandy while blended in had not married by any means but it was still smooth, sweet and delectable. Another years aging in carboy should make this a wonderful experience in a bottle. 

I hope I can wait that long! I ended up with 8 gallons of finished product that will be all bottled in 375ml split bottles (approx 80 bottles).


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## Stefani (Aug 7, 2011)

*I found this site with a Pearson Square Calculator*

Now that I thinking of doing some mixing of the first few batches of my wine I was reading, "The Wine Makers Companion" by B.C.A. Turner and C.J.J Berry. 

In the chapter on blending they discuss the use of a Pearson Square for the mixing of wine and to change the alcohol proof level. I'm sure it can be used to adjust other characteristics (like acidity, PH, and sugar levels) of the wine as well. 

Here is a site that I found that has an online Pearson Square:


http://wine.jerrybilous.ca/testcalculators/pearsoncalc.asp


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