# Chocolate Strawberry Port



## Wade E

*3 Gallon recipe*
15 lbs – Fresh Strawberries diced up
7 1/2 lbs – White Table Sugar
3 tsp – Acid Blend
1/2 tsp – Tannin
2 cups – Ghirardelli or Hershey's Cocoa Powder
3 tsp – Yeast Nutrient
1 1/2 tsp – Yeast Energizer
3 Gallons – Water
1/8 tsp – Liquid Pectic Enzyme
1/8 tsp – K-Meta
These are extra ingredients for after wine is stable.
8 ounces – Liquid Chocolate Extract
3– Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
2 lbs – White Table Sugar added to 1 Cup Boiling Water
14 ounces – Monin Strawberry Syrup
1 Pint – E&J Brandy
Pour 1 gallon of warm water in 5 gallon primary bucket or bigger. Add K-meta, Tannin, Yeast Energizer, Yeast Nutrient, and Ascorbic Acid and stir well. Put all fruit in fermenting bag and squeeze over primary to extract most of juices and then put bag in primary. Pour the 1 gallon of boiling water with all dissolved sugar over fruit. Add another 3/4 gallon of cool water in. Take 4 cups of water and the 2 cups of Cocoa powder and mix in blender on low speed and then add this to primary and stir well. You should have a SG of around 1.110 give or take a little, if more then add a little more water, if less then add a little more dissolved sugar in small amount of water as sugars from fruit can vary a little. Let sit for 12 hours with lid loose or with a cloth covering bucket with elastic band or string tied around so as that not to sag in must. After those 12 hours add your Pectic Enzyme and wait another 12 hours while also adjusting your must temp to around 75 degrees. After those twelve hours, pitch your yeast either by sprinkling yeast, dehydrating yeast per instructions on back of yeast Sachet, or by making a yeast starter a few hours prior to the 12 hour mark. At this point either leave primary lid off with the cloth again, place lid on loose or snap the lid shut with airlock. Punch down cap twice daily to get all fruit under the liquid level. When SG reaches 1.015, rack to 3 gallon carboy and let finish fermenting with bung and airlock attached. When wine is done fermenting, (check a few days in a row to make sure SG does not change and SG should be around .998 or less), you can stabilize your wine now with 1/8 tsp of K-Meta powder and 1 1/2 tsp of Potassium Sorbate. At this Point I took all extra ingredients listed above and stirred it all in well and then add the wine to it and stir that in and add fining agent the transfer back to glass at which point you will have approximately 3 1/2 gallons. When cleared, rack off lees and bottle or bulk age with another 1/4 tsp of k-meta.


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## WaWa

hi Wade E, 
I'm sooo gonna have a go at this one! I'm in NZ and it's not strawberry season yet, would frozen ones be ok? If so would quantities be the same? 
I'm not sure yet where to get choc essence, is this essential? and the strawberry Daquiri mix, i think we have these here, they are a kit (dry) and you mix and freeze. do you need three of these? What size are the ones available there? Just so I can compare and get the recipe straight. how long do you age this one?
Sorry for all the questions.


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## petes

Wa, you may be able to get the ingredients you need at Liquor****, your closest local takeaway.


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## Tom

Wade,
Where do you get the Chocolate Extract?
And where do you get Monin Strawberry Syrup
What yeast you use..


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## bryano

Just finished a batch and it's outstanding. The only alterations I made to the recipe was 20lbs frozen strawberries instead of 15lb fresh, I used 1/2 cup wine conditioner instead of 2 lbs of sugar after stabalized. I prefer to use the conditioner for sweetening because it is premixed with sorbate so there are no worries of a ferment restart.


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## Wade E

UMMM, yes there is, that conditioner only contains enough sorbate to prevent the product from fermenting, not the wine from re fermenting!!!!! Lots of products contain sorbate just so that it doesnt ferment if it contacts some wild yeast! Glad you liked it though!


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## Wade E

Sorry Tom, never saw the post, I used Cotes Des Blanc to extract lots of fruit flavor. I also did not use Monin Syrup but an all natural syrup from a fruit stand but needed to add something to the recipe that was available just about anywhere for people and that stuff is available in almost every store or coffee or pancakes. The Chocolate extract I used was from a Chef's high end store but you could get this stuff from internet or a import store near you, I wouldnt use some cheap stuff in a grocery store for this 1!


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## Allen

Hi Wade,

Would a D-47 yeast work all right for this recipe?

What yeast would you recomend?


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## Hillbilly Bill

*Lalvin D-47*



Allen said:


> Hi Wade,
> 
> Would a D-47 yeast work all right for this recipe?
> 
> What yeast would you recomend?


 
Hi Allen... I'm not a pro like Wade, but I'm gonna give you my input on this one. Wade will get around to this and will correct anything I say that is erroneous.
Wade stated that he uses Red Star Cote des Blancs yeast on his port because it retains more of the fruity flavor that you want in a port. It is a slower fermenter than most yeasts, but the extra few days it takes is worth it.
I am sure the Lalvin D-47 yeast will work, and it will do a fine job, but the Cote des Blancs is hard to beat for this application.
Let's see what Wade says... good luck.
HB


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## WaWa

sorry for my ignorance, but does anyone know why this three gallon recipe have to be racked into a 6 gal carboy?


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## bryano

well Wade I stuck my foot in my mouth on this one. For the last couple of nights I've got off work and pulled a half glass out of the carboy with the wine thief. As I was sipping away I noticed a bubble in the airlock so I stared at it, and sure enough it fermenting again. I stabalized about 2 weeks ago and added the secondary ingredients. 1 week ago I put in sparkloid, and it's beautiful and clear and taste wonderful. Is there any way to stop the secondary fermentation? or should I just let it do it's thing? The SG is at 1.010


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## bryano

or could this action in the airlock just be the sparkloid. this is my first time using sparkloid so i'm not sure


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## Wade E

Keep checking the sg to see if its just letting some gas out. Fermentation would be more active more likely if its was that starting up again. Use the tool!


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## bryano

there has been no change in 24 hours, I'm thinking if no change for another 24 I'll go ahead and bottle.


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## bryano

Still no change so it's bottled. Two nieghbor ladies, the wife and I put down almost 3 bottles last night. I can surely say that they walked home sideways


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## Wade E

Damn lushes!


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## ap_winer

Hi Wade,

I was just wondering if you add the 2lbs of sugar at the end of fermentation to back-sweeten the wine? If so, can less be added to make it dryer? If I wanted to make a smaller batch (ie: 1 Gal), can I just divide everything by 3?

Thanks,

ap_winer


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## bruno

Wade. I have a 4 oz bottle of LD Carlson Chocolate fruit flavoring for beer & wine. Directions say to use 4-5 oz per 5 gallons. Do you think this would work or is this the cheap flavoring you advised against?


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## jeepingchick

gonna so have to do this next on list!! but my question is a reapeat that i didnt see answer for (forgive me if i overlooked it, its been a long day) 

why do we rack into a 6G carboy if its a 3G batch??


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## Wade E

Sorry, just fixed that as I never noticed that in my instructions everyone. All my recipes are designed for 6 gallon batches except this one so I did a lot of copy and pasting and never caugh that mistake!!!!!!!!!! Im very sorry for the confusion!!!!!!!!!


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## jeepingchick

its all good you still rock for posting the recipie to begin with!! i can not wait to try it!!


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## mrzazz

Hey Wade, I made this and my wife thanks you  my question is.... How does it clear? Mine still looks the color of dark black coffee or coke cola, I guess. Does it really clear more than this?


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## xxplod

Wade E said:


> *3 Gallon recipe*
> 15 lbs – Fresh Strawberries diced up
> 7 1/2 lbs – White Table Sugar
> 3 tsp – Acid Blend
> 1/2 tsp – Tannin
> 2 cups – Ghirardelli or Hershey's Cocoa Powder
> 3 tsp – Yeast Nutrient
> 1 1/2 tsp – Yeast Energizer
> 3 Gallons – Water
> 1/8 tsp – Liquid Pectic Enzyme
> 1/8 tsp – K-Meta
> These are extra ingredients for after wine is stable.
> 8 ounces – Liquid Chocolate Extract
> 3– Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
> 2 lbs – White Table Sugar added to 1 Cup Boiling Water
> 14 ounces – Monin Strawberry Syrup
> 1 Pint – E&J Brandy
> Pour 1 gallon of warm water in 5 gallon primary bucket or bigger. Add K-meta, Tannin, Yeast Energizer, Yeast Nutrient, and Ascorbic Acid and stir well. Put all fruit in fermenting bag and squeeze over primary to extract most of juices and then put bag in primary. Pour the 1 gallon of boiling water with all dissolved sugar over fruit. Add another 3/4 gallon of cool water in. Take 4 cups of water and the 2 cups of Cocoa powder and mix in blender on low speed and then add this to primary and stir well. You should have a SG of around 1.110 give or take a little, if more then add a little more water, if less then add a little more dissolved sugar in small amount of water as sugars from fruit can vary a little. Let sit for 12 hours with lid loose or with a cloth covering bucket with elastic band or string tied around so as that not to sag in must. After those 12 hours add your Pectic Enzyme and wait another 12 hours while also adjusting your must temp to around 75 degrees. After those twelve hours, pitch your yeast either by sprinkling yeast, dehydrating yeast per instructions on back of yeast Sachet, or by making a yeast starter a few hours prior to the 12 hour mark. At this point either leave primary lid off with the cloth again, place lid on loose or snap the lid shut with airlock. Punch down cap twice daily to get all fruit under the liquid level. When SG reaches 1.015, rack to 3 gallon carboy and let finish fermenting with bung and airlock attached. When wine is done fermenting, (check a few days in a row to make sure SG does not change and SG should be around .998 or less), you can stabilize your wine now with 1/8 tsp of K-Meta powder and 1 1/2 tsp of Potassium Sorbate. At this Point I took all extra ingredients listed above and stirred it all in well and then add the wine to it and stir that in and add fining agent the transfer back to glass at which point you will have approximately 3 1/2 gallons. When cleared, rack off lees and bottle or bulk age with another 1/4 tsp of k-meta.



sounds awsome my next project maybe. thanks wade. still working on my sketter pee its looking gr8


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## Wade E

Sorry mrazz, never saw that post, I used SuperKleer on mine and it looks like a darker strawberry wine.


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## DavidB

Wade, a few questions please. I think this is going to be my next project and maybe it will be done just in time for valentines.

1. I only have powdered Pectic Enzyme, will that cause a problem with this recipe? 

2. If I used some white grape juice from concentrate (food lion brand), would that take the place of the 1/2 tsp – Tannin that I don't have? If it would, how much would you recommend to ensure I use enough. I was thinking maybe using 3 gallons?? If I do that, would I need the acid blend? I don't have an acid test kit but I do have the blend. Okay, I know this is more than a few questions. Sorry


An empty carboy is calling my name! I have lost my freaking mind, but it sure has been fun!!!


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## Wade E

The powdered enzyme will work just fine and wont make a bit of difference. Im not sure of using the concentrate though as it really doesnt have tannins or much of it and would most likely throw everything off like SG and acidity and amount toatl of volume. Just so as you know this recipe will make more then the 3 gallons so be prepared with at least another 1 gallon jug. When I make a recipe it will always contain extra for topping off purposes at a later time so you wont have to try and find something similiar as there usually isnt anything similiar! You will need the acid blend and if you dont have a test just follow the directions and you should be close enough. You can add the tannin at a later date as it doesnt have to gom in the primary.


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## DavidB

Wade E said:


> The powdered enzyme will work just fine and wont make a bit of difference. Im not sure of using the concentrate though as it really doesnt have tannins or much of it and would most likely throw everything off like SG and acidity and amount toatl of volume. Just so as you know this recipe will make more then the 3 gallons so be prepared with at least another 1 gallon jug. When I make a recipe it will always contain extra for topping off purposes at a later time so you wont have to try and find something similiar as there usually isnt anything similiar! You will need the acid blend and if you dont have a test just follow the directions and you should be close enough. You can add the tannin at a later date as it doesnt have to gom in the primary.



Outstanding....I'm actually placing an order for some powdered tannin and the Cotes Des Blanc yeast now. Will be here this weekend which falls perfectly in line with when I plan on starting this. Thanks for the information!


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## DavidB

Wade E said:


> The powdered enzyme will work just fine and wont make a bit of difference. Im not sure of using the concentrate though as it really doesnt have tannins or much of it and would most likely throw everything off like SG and acidity and amount toatl of volume. Just so as you know this recipe will make more then the 3 gallons so be prepared with at least another 1 gallon jug. When I make a recipe it will always contain extra for topping off purposes at a later time so you wont have to try and find something similiar as there usually isnt anything similiar! You will need the acid blend and if you dont have a test just follow the directions and you should be close enough. You can add the tannin at a later date as it doesnt have to gom in the primary.



Got the strawberries, chocolate and initial chemicals in the primary today. You weren't kidding, this does make more than 3 gallons. Don't have any empty "primaries" at the moment so I put it in a 5 gallon carboy. There "might" be enough room to allow for expansion when it starts rolling. Going to have to watch this one very closely.


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## Wade E

You will have a lot of sediment on this though especially with the cocoa powder!


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## DavidB

Well, I thought I had ample room for this to do it's thing. Had it in a 6 gallon carboy. Pitched the yeast yesterday and it exploded all over the kitchen today. Had to move it to two 5 gallon buckets to keep it from spewing over.

The upside, it smells fantastic. Didn't taste it yet since I just pitched the yeast, but it sure smells good. If it doesn't work out, at least you can wear it. Or at least I did today! LOL


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## JordanPond

Wade,

Just started a batch of this weekend. When I punch the cap down should I stir in a manner to resuspend any chocolate that has settled or do it genly enought to not disturb any lees that have settled out.

So far, everyone loves how it smells.


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## Wade E

I would try and get the cocoa stirred in as much as possibl while in primary and then let it settle as much as possible when the sg reaches about 1.020.


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## JordanPond

Wade, Thx for confirming. I gave it a good stir tonight and will conitnue until it reaches the 1.020 range.


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## JordanPond

Chocolate Strawberry Port Fementing Question:
The SG is at .994 and is still bubbling away. Is this normal? Is it still fermenting or is there something going on with all the sediment at the bottom? Should I consider racking off the lees or just follow rule #2 (patience)? Rule 1 is sanitize?

Below is a brief history

Starting SG was 1.106 (1/1/11)
Current SG is .994
transfered from primary to 3 Gal Carboy, 1 Gallon Jug 1.5 liter bottle on 1/6 @ 1.014
Day 9 of fermentation (1/9/11)
Lots of sediment in 3gl carboy and 1gl jug


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## Wade E

Everything sounds good. Its a port so the more alc it makes the better. Let it finish which should be very soon and then rack off the heavy sediment again. You see why I have you make more then 3 gallons initially? Lots of sediment to settle out. Once its racked off add the kmeta and sorbate and degas it good and let it sit a week or two then sweeten or you could wait and sweeten but sweetening may cloud it back up and thats why I do it early.


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## JordanPond

Wade, thanks for the reassurance. I'll be patient.


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## gicts

I started this on Saturday. Can't wait!


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## RedNeckWino

Everything is stirred up, room temp and campden added. pitching yeast tomorrow. Smells sooooo good.


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## Wade E

Hope you like as much as my wife and I.


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## gicts

Could you give a little more details to the strawberry and chocolate syrups? Where did you get them? What brands do you recommend? 2 lbs for backsweeting in 3 gallons in addition to the syrups and Daiquiri mix seems a little excessive. Is this right?


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## Wade E

There is no chocolate syrup, there is cocoa powder and chocolate extract. The extract at the end was a product made specifaically for Chef's Emporium with the name Charles Baldwin on it but the strawberry syrup is Monin as stated in the recipe. You dont ned to add any fruit afterwards if you dont want but I felt the strawberry fell a little short and instead of stating some unkown and untested amount of fruit in primary this is what I used and felt it ws just right. The place where I got the extracts was a Chefs supply store called Chef's Emporium. Hope I answered all of your questions.


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## gicts

Wade E said:


> There is no chocolate syrup, there is cocoa powder and chocolate extract. The extract at the end was a product made specifaically for Chef's Emporium with the name Charles Baldwin on it but the strawberry syrup is Monin as stated in the recipe. You dont ned to add any fruit afterwards if you dont want but I felt the strawberry fell a little short and instead of stating some unkown and untested amount of fruit in primary this is what I used and felt it ws just right. The place where I got the extracts was a Chefs supply store called Chef's Emporium. Hope I answered all of your questions.



Yikes! Thanks for the extract catch. I just assumed it was synonymous with syrup.


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## pittspur

How much aging do you recommend for best taste?


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## Wade E

I would say 6 months min or more depending on how much you fortify it.


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## desertwind56

Hubby has been browsing the forums, and after he saw this recipe it looks like I need to make this! (Not that I wasn't thinking of making it before he saw the recipe.)

So the plan is to drive to Walla Walla Friday and see if we can find some frozen local strawberries: http://www.klickerstrawberry.com/ These are incredibly tasty strawberries! If we can't find any, I'll postpone this until summer.

But, I'm thinking instead of the daiquiri mix and strawberry syrup, I'll buy extra berries to make an F-Pack.


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## Wade E

That would work fine Im sure, maybe even better! The reason I used that syrup was because I was at a local farm stand browsing when I saw that and like I said before this was supposed to be a strawberry wine from Jack Keller recipe and after a few months of aging I tried it and it was just plain nasty so I started playing with it and when all was said and done it was very good. It was probably the first time I documented most of the stuff luckily because my wife and mother loved it.


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## DavidB

Wade E said:


> That would work fine Im sure, maybe even better! The reason I used that syrup was because I was at a local farm stand browsing when I saw that and like I said before this was supposed to be a strawberry wine from Jack Keller recipe and after a few months of aging I tried it and it was just plain nasty so I started playing with it and when all was said and done it was very good. It was probably the first time I documented most of the stuff luckily because my wife and mother loved it.



I don't know where I went wrong with this (actually I kinda do, and there were multiple mistakes) but mine turned out just like you said, plain nasty! Glad it was only 3 gallons cause after a taste test yesterday, we tossed it. Couldn't see it coming around to anything that would be good.

If you stick with the recipe Wade has, I think you can't loose. But I played with it and deviated from what was advised, and lost what could have been some good stuff. Live and learn.


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## desertwind56

I was thinking if I made an F-pack and it didn't add enough flavor, I could still and frozen strawberry daiquiri mix and strawberry syrup. Would starting at a lower SG help retain flavor? And then just fortify with brandy? Or maybe start with double the amount of strawberries?

The strawberries I'm planning to use are a bit expensive and I would really hate to mess this up. (Or I could just follow the instructions as written).


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## Tengu

Hi Everyone,

How did your wine turn out? I'm thinking about making this myself as my first attempt on a true home made wine. So let's hope it works out 

I do have a question. Would it be better to dice the strawberries or could I put them though my juicer, use the juice and put the pulp in a fermenting bag? or just use the juice? what do you all think?

Thanks
Shawn


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## SarahRides

*Is this normal?*

Hey All!
So with the 16# of strawberries, everything else, I have about 6 gallons in my primary! I checked the recipe about 3 times, don't think I added anything extra. The only thing I did have to add was an extra 3 1/2 quarts of invert sugar to bring the SG from 1.080 to 1.100 (seemed a little low). I hope I didn't do anything that would water it down! I'll be adding the Pectic enzyme later tonight.


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## Airplanedoc

I just started a raspberry version yesterday , literally just added pectic enzyme a few minutes ago. With 7 lbs of raspberrys I have a little over 4 gallons in my primary so you should be pretty close as strawberrys are bigger and you have a lot twice as many


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## Wade E

That upped the volume a bit, if you read in the end I started with a low abv and then fortified it. You wont believe the amount of sediment youll have later and loose a lot!


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## SarahRides

Wade E said:


> That upped the volume a bit, if you read in the end I started with a low abv and then fortified it. You wont believe the amount of sediment youll have later and loose a lot!



I figured there would be, I added some extra blended cocoa powder, just in case. You can never have too much chocolate, right? ;-) I can always add a strawberry f-pac (or daquiri mix) to boost the strawberry later on if needed. It does smell really good already! Pectic Enzyme is going into it before bed tonight.


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## Airplanedoc

SG on my raspberry is down to 1.010 already


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## Wade E

Cruising right along! What temp are you fermenting it at? I like to cool ferment my fruit wines.


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## SpringRoad

Hello, finding this thread I thought this may be the place to reply and ask this question. Excuse me I put it in another place also. I am tfying to figure out the system.
I have attempted to make the above Recipe switching to Raspberries.
Using: 
Wade E’s Chocolate Strawberry Port Recipe 

3rd day SG was 1.150 so I added Water to get 1.110
4th SG was 1.070 added Sugar Syrup…
5th SG 1.090……warmed wine & sugar
Let sit a few days Put into Carboy …lots of bubbles
17th day SG .090 ( not certain how to write this, the 90 above the Red Wine Bar)
Sadly getting a film ontop.
18	Racked to fresh Carboy.
19	Today I realize after reading stuff here, the SG has been in the same place for days and maybe now is the time to add Brandy and Bottle.
Oh, ought I to put more Campden tablets in now???
What say ye
Again, thanks, Spring Road~~


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## Airplanedoc

Its ranging in the mid 70's, course its been 100+ most of the week, so there isn't much relief even on the cold basement floor. I also started with a pretty strong batch of yeast so it started fermenting pretty quickly.


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## SpringRoad

Hello, I have a few questions I need help with...
21st day on the Chocolate Rasp Port Recipe. 

my first SG was 1.115 (mistake in letter above)
Today SG 1.015 (2 days here)

19th day: The 5 gallons of wine had stabilized so I have added 1 litre Brandy, 20 oz. Rasp syrup(homemade),cant find chocolate extract so I poured brandy over cocoa and strained it in. Gotta do something> no daquiri mix. and 5 cups sugar. 

Wine had cooled below 20degrees so I placed a heating pad close by. 
Next morning the wine began working again, the temp back to 23-25 degrees C.
Was the heat wrong to do ? Did the syrup and sugar get it bubbling again?
If it stays at SG 1.015 for one more day ought I to add Campden Tablets and Bottle?
About 5 Gallons of wine. Is this 1 tablet to gallon to crush/dislove and add?
I guess wait to settle and Bottle.
any thoughts?
Spring Road~~


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## Airplanedoc

Did you add any Potassium Sorbate? If not your yeast will ferment the sugar you added


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## Wade E

As said above only sorbate will prevent refermentaion withthe exception of overcoming the yests threshold with a higher alc like Brandy or everclear etc but I dont believe you used enough brandy to do that. Im thinking that you didnt have it warm enough ot let the yeast ferment out and when you warmed it up it got going again.


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## SpringRoad

Airplanedoc, Wade, 

Before pitching yeast, 2 Campden Tablets were added to Raspberries. No Potassium Sorbate yet.
After reading and rereading, I see that on the 17th day SG .090, might have been the time when the Potassium Sorbate and Campden should have been added. Yikes!
What should I do??
?If the warmth got it going again, and still at 1.015 for 3 days with a bit of bubble on top, ought I to now add the Potassium Sorbate? Or wait til no bubbles, and around .998?
The wine tastes yummy, yet dry-ish, 
?Ought I to add Daquir mix after the Potassium and Campden to sweetin?
and of course ...is it still One tablet per gallon at this stage?
one more question to Wade...did you mean the Brandy may have stopped the yeast, but maybe I did not put in enough to do that?
Whew, feels like a marathon. thanks for your time,
Spring Road~~


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## LJPelletier

SpringRoad said:


> Airplanedoc, Wade,
> 
> Before pitching yeast, 2 Campden Tablets were added to Raspberries. No Potassium Sorbate yet.
> After reading and rereading, I see that on the 17th day SG .090, might have been the time when the Potassium Sorbate and Campden should have been added. Yikes!
> What should I do??
> ?If the warmth got it going again, and still at 1.015 for 3 days with a bit of bubble on top, ought I to now add the Potassium Sorbate? Or wait til no bubbles, and around .998?
> The wine tastes yummy, yet dry-ish,
> ?Ought I to add Daquir mix after the Potassium and Campden to sweetin?
> and of course ...is it still One tablet per gallon at this stage?
> one more question to Wade...did you mean the Brandy may have stopped the yeast, but maybe I did not put in enough to do that?
> Whew, feels like a marathon. thanks for your time,
> Spring Road~~



How did that end up working out for you, SpringRoad?

Campden and Sorbate should be added just before f-pack and backsweetening. The combination of the 2 are what will prevent re-fermentation or any potential bacterial infection.


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## Wade E

Sorry, never saw this post!! Always wait until the wine ferments as far as it will go before adding any sirbate or sulfites or you could end up with refermentation later unless you use enough alc to bring the abv higher then the yeasts threshold.


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## Sammyk

do you think Lalvin 71B would work?


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## Wade E

Should work well.


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## Sammyk

Well, duh? I just checked my yeast in the fridge and it is EC1118, will that work?

I have to roundup all the other supplies so I could get a different yeast if needed?

Do you have any other input on this port? It sure sounds wonderful and am looking forward to making it.


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## GrandpasFootsteps

From "the Chart", EC-1118 looks like it will work well also. 71B has ABV tolerance of 14% and 1118 has 18%. So you may end up with more ABV depending on your SG. 1118 has a wider termperature allowance and a faster fermentation.


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## Wade E

The place I was lookink said 18% for that yeast, must be mislabeled there!


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## Sammyk

I have read most of the tread herehttp://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3349&page=17

Now I am wondering if you think buying the kit is a better idea? I did call a few places and found it will not be available until the fall.

While I did not finish that thread, it seems there are/were a lot of problems for that kit.

And it did not appear you have problems with your version.

Thoughts?


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## desertwind56

Been a little over a year since I started mine and got it bottle a couple of weeks ago. It is my favorite wine project to date. It is so good! I'm planning on have a bottle (or 3-4) with some home grown chocolate covered strawberries this summer.


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## Wade E

Glad you liked it and was worth the work. It is a bunch of work and the funny thing is was that this was not even close to what it was intended to be, it was a Jack Keller recipe that IMO was terrible and this is what came from it!


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## weonlycut

I have done with it by making some alterations myself. But it was a good experience. finally it was delicious!


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## southlake333

Can someone please provide a link to an acceptable chocolate extract to be used with this recipe? All I've found online are these:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/chocolate-extract-4-oz.html

http://www.finevinewines.com/XPListSubRe.asp?MM_PartNumber=3530

Would those work?


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## Wade E

Dont have a link but I went to one of those highend kitchen places to get mine as most are freakin nasty!


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## southlake333

For future reference for others, I was told by others who have made this that they used the following:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/nielsen-massey-chocolate-extract-4-oz

http://www.olivenation.com/Pure-Chocolate-Extract-P88C55.aspx


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## brewski09

Could cocoa nibs be used to impart the chocolate flavors (the alcohol extracts the flavors when I use it in stouts)?


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## keena

Can someone post an Amazon link to the cocoa for this recipe. I typed in Ghirardelli Cocoa powder and it popped up:
Cocoa powder unsweetened
Baking cocoa powder
Cocoa drink mix powder
Ect....

Also what yeast did you guys use? And what abv are you finishing with (before adding brandy)? I would like to use a yeast that maxes out where im aiming for so when I add the brandy it guarantees no refermentation. I've been having trouble with that lately, lol. I really want to try this but I want to know what I'm doin before I put this much effort into it. Also I will probly convert it to 5 or 6 gal recipe, anyone try that? (lacking 3 gal carboys)


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## saramc

Can someone post an Amazon link to the cocoa for this recipe. _I have started using the dutch cocoa powder from Nuts.com __http://nuts.com/cookingbaking/powders/dutch-cocoa.html__, and I also buy my cocoa nibs from them._ _Prior to that I used Hershey's Special Dark--no complaints. Here is a link to Amazon and a good selection of DUTCH COCOA_, _http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_scat_16310101_ln?rh=n%3A16310101%2Ck%3Adutch+cocoa&keywords=dutch+cocoa&ie=UTF8&qid=1345646168&scn=16310101&h=28f14dca63afa90878331f2c38420083f6c3a4d3__. __I would recommend first reading up on using Dutch processed cocoa powder in winemaking at __http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/wineblognew.asp#020512B__ . . . because you then have a better understanding, especially if you plan to make chocolate wines. _
Also what yeast did you guys use? _I used Cotes de Blanc_
And what abv are you finishing with (before adding brandy)? _My recipe notes indicate to allow the ferment to go as dry as it is going to before adding the liquid chocolate extract, frozen strawberry daiquiri mix, sugar syrup, strawberry syrup and brandy. My ferment is still active (just started 2 weeks ago) _
I would like to use a yeast that maxes out where im aiming for so when I add the brandy it guarantees no refermentation. I've been having trouble with that lately, lol. I really want to try this but I want to know what I'm doin before I put this much effort into it. _A specific yeast will give you a RANGE of its alcohol potential, but even then just about every yeast out there has been known to exceed its documented potential by several percent. This is why controlling the starting specific gravity is so important--you can calculate the anticipated final ACV assuming the wine ferments to dry (several online calculators available). Many will attempt to stop an active ferment, and there are various methods: cold crash it, rack, sterile filter (several times), stabilize with k-meta/sorbate and HOPE that will do it..then of course you consider fortifying with a high proof alcohol...or some opt to pasteurize. But in all reality, if you know the ACV you want to target you use a very specific O.G. and you allow the wine to ferment as low as the yeast will go with the available sugars and then stabilize with k-meta/sorbate, & then backsweeten if desired--you will have a better outcome._
Also I will probly convert it to 5 or 6 gal recipe, anyone try that? (lacking 3 gal carboys) _Quite easy to do, just divide the provided recipe by three to obtain your "per gallon" increments, remember that a typical packet of yeast will start five gallons (though many people use a really good starter and will use one packet on six gallons). Don't forget, that whenever working with cocoa powder measure it based on WEIGHT, it makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE (Jack talks about it in his blog that I referenced a few bullet points earlier)_
_If you follow the instructions in the recipe, and you have your winemaking basics down pat, then you should be fine._


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## saramc

*using nibs*



brewski09 said:


> Could cocoa nibs be used to impart the chocolate flavors (the alcohol extracts the flavors when I use it in stouts)?


 
I have used nibs (if you shop at nuts.com they usually have a nice sample bag you can order for minimal price--if you are unsure) to make an extract, but have never added them directly to the ferment. I simply place the nibs in a glass canning jar and cover them with twice the amount of high proof neutral grain alcohol. Seal with airtight lid and try to remember to agitate the jar weekly. It helps if I place the jar next to my bottles of vanilla--that way I remember to give them all a shake.
With time you will notice layering of color, from the bottom up you will have nibs, then a bronze clear liquid, then a clear liquid. I leave the extract on the nibs as I use it, but you can strain it off into a separate bottle, but I wait until the layer of clear liquid is smaller than the bronze layer--just a sign of greater extraction. I have an extraction going now, and I roasted the nibs at 450F for six minutes, stirring/turning then half way thru, allowed them to cool and then placed them in the jar and added the alcohol.

I would love to hear about anyone's experience if adding just the nibs to ferment.


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## saramc

*chocolate extracts*



southlake333 said:


> For future reference for others, I was told by others who have made this that they used the following:
> 
> http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/nielsen-massey-chocolate-extract-4-oz
> 
> http://www.olivenation.com/Pure-Chocolate-Extract-P88C55.aspx


 
I love the Star Kay White chocolate extract that OliveNation sells.


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## keena

Thanks Saramc! You hit my questions head on!


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## brewski09

saramc said:


> I would love to hear about anyone's experience if adding just the nibs to ferment.



I used them in a beer (Left Hand Milk Stout) and it turned out really nice with a light hint of chocolate. I could have left it longer to get more flavor or used more. I bought mine from whole foods in bulk. Apparently, the higher the alcohol content, the better the extraction of the chocolate flavors, so your vodka extract tea should work great and be find in wines. I have been told about 10-12% is a nice ABV to extract flavors over a few weeks in stouts. I'll probably try tossing some nibs into a small batch of wine and see how it works out compared to the vodka tea. it'll be a while before i have fermenting space to try this though...


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## southlake333

For anyone interested, I made a double batch of this and just racked to secondary carboys. It's around 9 gallons total right now. Below is a pic, looks like chocolate milk.


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## SarahRides

Wow! 9 gallons? That is more like a triple batch! It will drop a lot of sediment though. Mine wasn't quite that milky in color, a little more red. But I'm sure it makes a difference with the ingredients you use (the type of cocoa powder, etc.). It will be awesome once it's done and aged!


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## saramc

looks great southlake, though one that one gallon jug that has a bit of headspace I would consider adding some glass marbles to get that level up, or downgrade to a few wine bottles. You will be amazed how it goes from yoohoo colored to red.


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## southlake333

I used the correct amounts of ingredients per the recipe although I guess I did use 16 lbs of strawberries per batch (32 total) since I used frozen 4 lb bags. So I guess the extra 2 lbs contributed a bit of volume. The cocoa powder I used was Hershey's Natural Unsweetened Cocoa.

As for the level in the 1 gallon, I'm not concerned as this stuff is in secondary fermentation now and still blowing out plenty of CO2. I purposely left some headspace in the big carboy to avoid a blowout. In my next racking I expect to have a bunch of sediment and end up losing that partial gallon when I top the others up.

Since I know there was a lot of confusion over what chocolate extract and strawberry syrup to buy for this, I took a pic of what I'm going to use when I backsweeten. I hope this helps anyone else wanting to try this recipe.


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## thrion

For making a single batch, are most of you guys using a 6 gallon carboy for the secondary? The recipe says it makes around 3.5 gallons and that seems to be a lot of head space...is it better to use a 3 gallon carboy and a couple wine bottles for the overage? Or just go with a standard 6?

Thanks!


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## mutterback

I posted this elsewhere, but it seems more appropriate here. Are there some opinions out there for a target ABV? I got an inaccurate SG reading initially, so I tried the Honneyman Method and if I did it right, it looks like I'm at 16%. Also, is there a formula someone can point out for me in figuring how much brandy to add to it? It came out to be a 5 gallon batch, so I'm a little off from following the recipe. Thanks


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## agb4090

Wade E said:


> *3 Gallon recipe*
> 15 lbs – Fresh Strawberries diced up
> 7 1/2 lbs – White Table Sugar
> 3 tsp – Acid Blend
> 1/2 tsp – Tannin
> 2 cups – Ghirardelli or Hershey's Cocoa Powder
> 3 tsp – Yeast Nutrient
> 1 1/2 tsp – Yeast Energizer
> 3 Gallons – Water
> 1/8 tsp – Liquid Pectic Enzyme
> 1/8 tsp – K-Meta
> These are extra ingredients for after wine is stable.
> 8 ounces – Liquid Chocolate Extract
> 3– Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
> 2 lbs – White Table Sugar added to 1 Cup Boiling Water
> 14 ounces – Monin Strawberry Syrup
> 1 Pint – E&J Brandy
> Pour 1 gallon of warm water in 5 gallon primary bucket or bigger. Add K-meta, Tannin, Yeast Energizer, Yeast Nutrient, and Ascorbic Acid and stir well. Put all fruit in fermenting bag and squeeze over primary to extract most of juices and then put bag in primary. Pour the 1 gallon of boiling water with all dissolved sugar over fruit. Add another 3/4 gallon of cool water in. Take 4 cups of water and the 2 cups of Cocoa powder and mix in blender on low speed and then add this to primary and stir well. You should have a SG of around 1.110 give or take a little, if more then add a little more water, if less then add a little more dissolved sugar in small amount of water as sugars from fruit can vary a little. Let sit for 12 hours with lid loose or with a cloth covering bucket with elastic band or string tied around so as that not to sag in must. After those 12 hours add your Pectic Enzyme and wait another 12 hours while also adjusting your must temp to around 75 degrees. After those twelve hours, pitch your yeast either by sprinkling yeast, dehydrating yeast per instructions on back of yeast Sachet, or by making a yeast starter a few hours prior to the 12 hour mark. At this point either leave primary lid off with the cloth again, place lid on loose or snap the lid shut with airlock. Punch down cap twice daily to get all fruit under the liquid level. When SG reaches 1.015, rack to 3 gallon carboy and let finish fermenting with bung and airlock attached. When wine is done fermenting, (check a few days in a row to make sure SG does not change and SG should be around .998 or less), you can stabilize your wine now with 1/8 tsp of K-Meta powder and 1 1/2 tsp of Potassium Sorbate. *At this Point I took all extra ingredients listed above and stirred it all in well and then add the wine to it and stir that in and add fining agent the transfer back to glass at which point you will have approximately 3 1/2 gallons. *When cleared, rack off lees and bottle or bulk age with another 1/4 tsp of k-meta.


I'm new to wine making so this might be an extremely stupid question. When it says "add fining agent" what fining agent and how much should I use?
Thanks in advance.


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## photoactivist

mutterback said:


> Also, is there a formula someone can point out for me in figuring how much brandy to add to it?








Cheers, mate.


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