Black currant port.

[jimmyjames23]

Hmm, I think I will try to get my submission in the mail soon then. Why do you recommend the port category vs other fortified?

Hehe, are you talking about that port kit you started a long while back? I intend on keeping some of my "port" around for the next few years. However, I am not sure if it would do as well as yours during the 5 year time period because mine is technically fruit based while I believe yours is grape and raisin? Either way, major respects to you.

Nope. This is a traditional port made from the lees of all my batches from 2 years.
I side batch my wines. I brew 7 gallons total with one gallon separated for topping up. When I rack my 6 1/2 gallon to a 6 gallon there is a 1/2 gallon left over in heavy lees/juice. I put that into a gallon jug, top it up to 3/4 and add more sugar to bring the SG from its racked 1.000 back up to 1.080 (ish) and referment. I also take the side batch and rack that to bring the port batch up to full volume. I just keep repeating until my ABV is 18% on the port batch.
The port gallon gets racked. Put into a clean gallon, air locked and stored in a cool dark place until I have enough batches to fill a 50L barrel.
When I'm ready to retire a barrel I just fill it with all the port batches and let it sit a few years.

 

[seth8530]

Sounds like you have an efficient process going on with how you keep on replinishing your top off container. What do you top off your topping off container with before you re-ferment it?

BTW if you are interested in more accurate ABV calculations I have built both a calculator and equation for exactly the kind of re fermenting and re additions you are doing.

Sounds like a very interesting, efficient, and time consuming processes you have going on there ( :

You manage to taste any of your product yet?

 

[jimmyjames23]

I rack into smaller and smaller vessels usually if I have three quarters of a gallon of finished port I will rack it into a few wine bottles for storage. I can always use any of the wine laying around for topping up and re fermenting provided it does not have sorbate in it.

 

[seth8530]

Ah cool deal, So why do you recommend that I compete in the port category vs the other fortified wine category?

 

[jimmyjames23]

Because it's a port. Unless they have a "fruit port" category.

 

[seth8530]

Hmm, im just hoping they dont dq it for not being made from graoes or something

 

[ckassotis]

http://winemakermag.com/images/stories/competition/2012winecompresults6.15.12.pdf

If you look at past results for this competition, the port category is where yours fits best. The other category looks like a hodgepodge of various things - like where good things go to die. Port category saw 181 entries, including many fruit ports, and gave out 30 golds last year. Too many silver/bronze for me to even bother counting. Looks like a good category to be in.

 

[seth8530]

Thanks for the info Chris, I see that many of the entries that did well in the port style were in fact berry based. I assume a 375 ml bottle will work fine?

 

[ckassotis]

It looks like 1 375 will do for this competition. Some explicitly state that if you submit in a 375 they want 2 bottles, but this one says that they only want one bottle per entry. You should be golden! I've got 4 entries for this competition all packaged up myself, will get them shipped out tomorrow or Thursday.

 

[seth8530]

Hah awesome! I its a good thing that they will take the 375 ml format because I do not have my corker with me! Do we just put the check inside of the package that we send them as well as the completed entry information?

BTW am I reading this correctly when it says that I can enter as many wines as I want for a single payment of 25$?

 

[ckassotis]

Yeah I just put the check in the package along with the form. Make sure you fill out the form with your info and the wine info and then make sure you follow the directions for labeling the wine you put in there as well.

Each entry will be an additional $25, sadly.

 

[seth8530]

Ouch, so I guess I shall only have one entry lol. Have you ever used fedex for shipping cooking vinegar before? Or do you still recommend UPS like they do?

 

[ckassotis]

I haven't. I've shipped olive oil via USPS quite a few times with good success, but only when necessary (overseas, etc.). I really like UPS - their prices seem good and they have only broken one box of mine in 5 years of shipping 10+ boxes of wine a year. They were good about that one as well, ended up giving me a $90 check for it. Fedex just isn't as convenient for me and I'm not as sure of their policies, so I avoid them. UPS never even asks what I'm shipping.

 

[seth8530]

Ahh alright thanks, I just got my competition form filled, my shipping label printed, and the wine boxed and packaged. Little bugger will cost 13 bucks to ship /: oh well lol

 

[jimmyjames23]

Keep us posted with the results.

 

[spaniel]

Thanks for all the info in this thread; it has been interesting. I started a batch of black raspberry port last August and have been using information from this thread; completing the oaking now.

 

[seth8530]

No problem at all spaniel.. I am thrilled that you have found my port adventure usefull and interisting.
What kind of oak did you end up using?

 

[spaniel]

No problem at all spaniel.. I am thrilled that you have found my port adventure usefull and interisting.
What kind of oak did you end up using?

Medium toast french oak chips. That's what I had on hand for everything else.

I have a 5gal full to the top, and an additional 1/2gal container. I oaked that 1/2gal to 1.2oz oak/gal for 3mo, and both myself and my wife felt it was light. So today I added oak to the 5gal up to that level, and brought the 1/2 gal up to a total of 2.4oz/gal. I'll give it at least a month before tasting and deciding how much to add to the 5gal batch.

 

[seth8530]

Very interesting, make sure you keep on tasting that 1/2 gallon because that is a lot of oak for such a small volume. However, nothing wrong with a little oak eh?

I encourage you to also post a thread about your own topic. I am interested to see your process ( :

 

[spaniel]

Very interesting, make sure you keep on tasting that 1/2 gallon because that is a lot of oak for such a small volume. However, nothing wrong with a little oak eh?

I encourage you to also post a thread about your own topic. I am interested to see your process ( :

I'm not sure it's worth it's own thread right now; when I get it bottled I'll post the whole process for community info.

The nice thing about having the 1/2 in addition to the carbuoy is that I get to use it to experiment. I agree that with the second addition the oak is quite high. But the first addition (1.2oz/gal) left the oak barely adding taste. This is why I am now bringing the 5gal up to the lower oak level while I bring the test batch up and see if it's too much. 1/2gal is not going to make me cry if I over-oak it.