JW's Inspiration OCP

[gaudet]

You guys have just about convinced me to do one of these!

I thought I heard the truck start up...........

Waldo, I did not get a really good taste of it. Though I should have. I promise to take one when I rack it off the gross lees in 3-4 weeks. Its got hints of chocolate, but I think its going to need to be sweetened up a bit to bring back the orange chocolate that I would like. Or it might just need some of that JW extract....

 

[gaudet]

okey dokey...

Got out the tools and racked this today. The sludge at the bottom is unbelievable. I think using one of those separatory funnels would work great with this as it would have probably saved me at least a 1/2 liter of wine that I cannot salvage. Anyways to the details.....

Racked it from the 3 gallon and 750 ml bottle. Got an orange colored liquid that would need to be topped up. I cleaned the wine thief/tester tube and sanitized cleaned and sanitized the hydrometer.....

While shaking off the k-meta from the hydrometer snap it broke in half...... Guess I shouldn't have shaken that, but at least it didn't break off in the wine..... Not to worry I have a backup hydrometer which has now been promoted to first string. Measuring the sg was easy and surprised the hell out of me when it came in at 1.002 (remember that it started at 1.140). The calculated % ABV is 18.75

I added 1/8 tsp k-meta and 1.5 tsp k-sorb to stabilize. I took the sample I did the sg on and placed it in wine glass. Taking a good whiff you could smell the chocolaty notes and hints of orange. I tasted it and wow was it astringent/dry..... Couldn't take a second taste of that so I added 1 tbs table sugar and stirred it until dissolved. Let it rest while I cleaned some of the equipment I had been using. Gave it another stir and tasted. Very nice, you can get all of the chocolate and all of the orange flavors back. I am not going to fortiify this one any further. I am not sure if I will need to add any chocolate extract other than to darken the color of the wine and I think the chocolate flavor is going to be pretty good on its own. I think the orange flavor too, will come back nicely when back sweetened. More to come in a few weeks. Oh yeah very hot on the alcohol....

I will post some pictures soon....

 

[uavwmn]

Looks and sounds good, Gaudet. Keep the posts and pics comin!!

 

[gaudet]

Racking today

Check out the lees thick

750 ml with lees

Racking complete

Tagged

Tasting glass

 

[Wade E]

Looking good there buddy!

 

[Waldo]

Great job buddy !!!

 

[gaudet]

Although it looks darker than JW's its still a nice orange in the glass. I racked it today and back sweetened with a 2.5 cup sugar/simple syrup mixture.

I might also be ordering that chocolate extract that JW used as I am not totally happy with the chocolate flavor that is emanating at present. I will see how it is after bringing the SG up further in two weeks. I will note also that its pretty cleared on its own.



<b style="">September 9, 2009[/b]



<a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMike%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">Racked off lees and backsweetened with 2.5 cups sugar
dissolved in boiling water</a>



SG was 1.016 after adding simple syrup



file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_colorschememapping.xml



<a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMike%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">Tasting good notes of chocolate and hints of orange,
needs more sugar / back sweetening. </span>Will
check taste and SG in 2 weeks.</a>

<a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMike%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">
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<a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMike%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">
</a>

<a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMike%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">

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[gaudet]

Update:

Wine work todayon this one. I think I got the same issue that JW had not enough chocolate flavor. I racked this one and backsweetened with 1.4#'s of sugar (simple syrup).

Tasting a shot glass from the freshly racked bottle (I sanitized a straw and used it as a mini thief) I think its going to need a little more chocolate. Other than that I think I hit it perfect on the body and sweetness. I think the Perkins chocolate extract will make it a bit richer, darker, and more flavorful.........

 

[Waldo]

I wouldn't get too hasty on adding more chocolate just yet gaudet. At least my experience with it has been that it kinda hides in the wings for a while and then slowly develops its character and taste as it blends with the other elements.

 

[gaudet]

Bottled this one today finally. I think its gonna be a good one in a few more months, maybe longer. Its got a decent chocolate taste, and the orange is a hint, but perhaps its being masked by the alcohol. Its probably between 16%-17% ABV. I did not fortify as I think its hot enough on its own. Not too sure about the color, but its dark. I'll post a picture later when I get a chance. The termites are swarming and I was fighting the dark to get things cleaned. But the bottling is done. I got 15 375ml bottles with 7 750ml bottles done. Time to forget about them for a while................

 

[Runningwolf]

Gaudet~ just finished reading your journey on this. Very interesting and cant wait to see the finished color and how it tastes.

I am currently making an Late Harvest Vidal wine that I added a half pound of chocolate to. I started it about a month ago and tasted it this weekend and so far it's tasting pretty good. I will rack it off the chocolate and lee's in about another week. It will probably finish with about 15% abv

 

[intoxicating]

All the cooking recipes I have for making chocolate beverages simmer (not boil) the cocoa powder in liquid for 10 to 20 minutes before proceeding.
I tried this with my chocolate mead, and it worked beautifully. I put some of the water from the recipe in a blender and added the cocoa on top, then whirl. Transfer to the pot on the stove, and up to a simmer for 20 minutes. then proceed as usual with the recipe.

Has anyone else found the chocolate profile to change radically with aging? My mead went from dark chocolate to milk chocolate to white chocolate and back to milk chocolate as it has aged.

 

[cbritton]

I just read through this post and will absolutely be making a batch of this sometime soon! How did it finally come out? Recommendations on how long to age?

 

[cbritton]

Just made a batch of this tonight and am going to pitch the yeast tomorrow. It looks and smells amazing!

 

[s0615353]

That is so weird, I am getting the Dried Malt Extract in the mail tomorrow for my batch that I am going to start up after work!!!

 

[cbritton]

Update the thread once you get it going.

 

[s0615353]

Inspired by Gaudet’s batch (those pictures look tasty!!!) I have decided to make my own batch of OCP with my own personal twist. I wanted to give myself a little more wine for topping off, so I have increased the size of the recipe to a 4 gallon batch (The other recipe ended up at 3.5 due to high sugar). Most of the other changes were due to recommendations by other members (I like intoxicating’s idea on simmering the cocoa vs. boiling it) and just using what I had around the house (e.g. Starbucks Hot Cocoa Powder, and unusual measurements for yeast nutrient). Currently the mixture is cooling, tomorrow morning before work I will pitch the yeast. Right now it smells and tastes just like Terry's Chocolate Oranges (I had to sneak a taste ). Here is the recipe and step by step procedures to follow:

Orange Chocolate Port (4 gal.)​

1. 1 pound of Golden Dried Malt Extract
2. 6 pounds of sugar
3. 10 oz Starbucks hot cocoa powder
4. 4 ripe bananas skinned and cut
5. 8 cans orange juice concentrate
6. 2.5 cans of Welches 100% White Grape Concentrate (yellow lid)
7. 2 tsp wine tannin (powder)
8. 1 teaspoon bentonite
9. 10 grams GoFerm
10. 4 grams Fermaid-K
11. Sulfite
12. 1.5-2 teaspoons sorbate
13. 12 grams Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast
14. 2 1/2 gallons of water


Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil and add the DME, Sugar, Bananas, then bring to a rolling boil. Add the mixture to 8 cans of orange juice concentrate and 2.5 cans of Welches white grape in the primary. Once the primary mixture begins to cool, add ¼ gallon of water in a blender and slowly add 10 oz. cocoa until completely mixed. Take the cocoa mixture and simmer (180-190 F) in a small pot for 20 minutes. Add the cocoa and tannin to the primary, stirring briefly. Top up to the 4 gallon mark with water, then recover and set aside overnight. Shoot for 1.140 SG the next day.


I will update as I go along!!!

 

[s0615353]

First thing this morning I measured the SG and it was a little low (1.136) so I added some more superfine sugar until it was raised to 1.142. Afterwards I began prepping the yeast by heating 120 ml of chlorine free water to 110 F. Afterwards, I mixed the water with 10 grams of GoFerm, then dropped heat to 104 F and pitched 12 grams of yeast into the mixture. I stirred gently to avoid any clumps and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then I stirred once more gently and mixed equal parts of the must to the suspension slowly over 15-30 minutes until the mix was within 20 F of the juice. I then boiled 1 cup of water and mixed with bentonite, then I added 1 tsp. bentonite and 4 grams Fermaid-K to the must just before pitching the yeast.

 

[s0615353]

I just got done racking the OCP and oooohhhh boy did it smell funky, Cbritton, did you have the same experience where it smelled delicious when it was first mixed, but after the fermentation it got really nasty smelling? I am hoping after the fermentation is complete and the wine is racked off of the gross lees it will regain its wonderful aroma.

 

[s0615353]

Here is a pic of it at 1.010, I tried to filter out all of the banana and foam, but there is still a layer on top:

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