WineXpert Chocolate Rasberry Port

[robie]

Hey all! My CRP is clear and I am bulk aging.. How long would you bulk age this? I usually bulk age 8-10 months before I bottle.. Is port any different?

That port will tend to drop a little of its chocolate in a couple months. After it does that, unless you intend to make other adjustments, and I don't think I would, rack it and bottle it. There is no benefit in letting it set in bulk after that. The smaller the aging container, the faster wine will age.

That port should taste pretty good in only six months. Mine is about one year old now and is very nice. I think it was Wade E who said it really gets great after several years.

 

[Brian]

Thanks Robie! I will wait for a little and then bottle.

 

[jeryjohn12]

Yes I have one. Meant to start it over winter but my Cranberry wine took so long. But it turned out great. I have enough raspberries in the freezer to make Wades recipe. If you are going to do that one too .. let me know and I'll start mine at the same time.. will be interesting to compare results with yours.

 

[Safeone54]

Home brewing in Michigan may have some CRP kits.

 

[roblloyd]

I finished fermenting this week. From the start it dropped to 1.005, then I added the entire sugar pack at once and it went up to 1.022 (or something like that, no notes handy). It finished today at 1.000.
I stabilized and added the f-pack. I was thinking it would be really sweet with that added but it's not.
I have a full 3 gallon carboy and a very full wine bottle (no f-pak in that).

I've heard that it takes at least 6 months to drop some of the sweetness and overly chocolate flavor but I don't taste that now? Is this year's release different that a couple years ago?

How do I figure out what the ABV is with the chap stage? It was at 16.5% before I added the 2nd dose of sugar. I can tell it's a strong one!

 

[robie]

I finished fermenting this week. From the start it dropped to 1.005, then I added the entire sugar pack at once and it went up to 1.022 (or something like that, no notes handy). It finished today at 1.000.
I stabilized and added the f-pack. I was thinking it would be really sweet with that added but it's not.
I have a full 3 gallon carboy and a very full wine bottle (no f-pak in that).

I've heard that it takes at least 6 months to drop some of the sweetness and overly chocolate flavor but I don't taste that now? Is this year's release different that a couple years ago?

How do I figure out what the ABV is with the chap stage? It was at 16.5% before I added the 2nd dose of sugar. I can tell it's a strong one!

Subtract final SG from starting SG.
To that add, based on the above numbers: (1.022 - 1.005)

Multiply the final number by 131.

I would add a full bottle of non-flavored brandy to it. One bottle will have only a slight affect on the ABV, but over a year or so, it will really smooth out the taste.

The chocolate and the raspberry flavor will drop a little and smooth out over the next year. It gets better every year and will last many years, since it has lots of sugar in it.

I made the port for my wife. The first six months the raspberry flavor was fairly bitie to me. I don't care for raspberry, anyway, but since mine is now over a year old, that flavor has blended in well enough that I now enjoy this port very much. I will make another batch or three.

 

[roblloyd]

Thanks. It went to 19.8% all by itself. No issues of stuck fermentation. Must be lucky!

I am going to let it sit bulk aging for a few months, then I'll add some brandy. I might also add some to my dark chocolate orange port. Any particular kind other than non-flavored? Cheapest one I can find or a middle of the road?
How big a bottle?

 

[robie]

Thanks. It went to 19.8% all by itself. No issues of stuck fermentation. Must be lucky!

I am going to let it sit bulk aging for a few months, then I'll add some brandy. I might also add some to my dark chocolate orange port. Any particular kind other than non-flavored? Cheapest one I can find or a middle of the road?
How big a bottle?

Of course that is just an approximation for ABV, but close enough. It is still a little low by port standards, but getting ABV up to say 24% would require 5 to 8 bottle of brandy be added. There is a formula for that.

Just the standard sized bottle of brandy, sorry I don't know its true size, but about the same volume as a 750 ml wine bottle, just shaped a little differently.

Just any non-flavored brandy will work. I don't think a higher quality brandy would make much difference.