Looking for a Peach Brandy Recipe using a Peach Wine

[Ace]

I've got a great Peachy wine base, but I'm looking to punching it up a bit and would like to know if anyone has had success with making a nice Peach Brandy fortification. When I lived in Wyoming we made a brew called "Factory Whistle." It consisted of 1-750 ml of Everclear, 2-750 ml bottles of Wild Turkey, 5 gallons of non-pasteurized Hard Apple cider, a pound of smashed up Peppermint wheels (probably stolen from a greasy spoon), aged for 5 minutes, then ready to drink. It really tasted great but I'd prefer something more sophisticated. At least something to remember where you were when you drank it, and how you got home. Ahh...stupid youth!

 

[Ohio Bob]

Google the Pearson Square to calculate how much Everclear to add to your wine. It’s a very useful tool.

 

[winemaker81]

I haven't done peach before, but I've fortified wines -- Bob is spot on with the Pearson's Square.

The spirit used to fortify the wine matters -- EverClear is a good choice, as you need a lot less of it, and it contributes no taste. Brandy will contribute the oak flavor.

Bench test it -- take small samples and fortify each with different spirits, to see which you like best. Also, this is a good time to stay home, and video everything, so the next morning you'll remember which was best.

 

[Ace]

I appreciate your responses. I've always had difficulty with the Pearson Square. I guess it's the mathematical conversions from ounces to millimeters, or just the complexity of predetermining what the "desired ABV" of the outcome could be. And how to determine sweetness level. Add into the formula that I'm sugar intolerant and have been back-sweeting with Stevia adding those resulting complications. Bench testing it into reductions before committing the entire cost and time invested into the project has frankly kept me from the gamble. Don't misunderstand. I'm good at making wine. I've won medals, but not for fortifications. Maybe it's a mental block, but my efforts have rendered results that only I have to drink, but not to my satisfaction. I'm obviously doing something wrong or making it into a bigger deal than it really is.

 

[winemaker81]

I've always had difficulty with the Pearson Square.

I created an Excel worksheet that does the work, although it's not in a format clean enough for publication. Here is how to figure it:

ABV is in percent, so if you have 151 proof EverClear, that's 75.5%

Amount of Wine and Amount of Spirits are the same units, e.g., if you use gallons of wine, you get gallons of spirits. I find it best to work in small units, and prefer metric for this, e.g., ml.

A = ABV of Spirit
B = ABV of Wine
C = Desired ABV

D = Desired ABV - ABV of Wine
E = ABV of Spirit - Desired ABV

Amount of Spirit = Amount of Wine / E * D

Example:

A = 75.5% (EverClear)
B = 14.4% (wine)
C = 20.0% (target ABV)

D = 20.0 - 14.4 = 5.6
E = 75.5 - 20.0 = 55.5

Amount of Wine = 4 liters (4,000 ml)

Amount of Spirit = 4,000 / 55.5 * 5.6 = 403.6 ml

 

[winemanden]

There are several calculators to work out what you want. Here's one you can use.

https://www.vinolab.hr/calculator/fortification-spirit-addition-en41
I hope this helps

 

[Raptor99]

This is one of the best online calculators for winemaking: FermCalc JS

 

[Ace]

Wow! Thanks Guys. I'll take a look and try them. In the meantime, I have worked out a miniature mix that not only do I like, but it gets my wife's approval and, after 51 years of marriage to an avowed tee-totter, is a massive win. Here it is:

200ml of Peach Wine (National Select Peach @ 12 % APV)
50 ml of E+J Peach Brandy
1 TSP Stevia.

Now all I have to do is to extrapolate the known quantity of 5 gallons of Peach Wine @ 12% APV and I should have a formula I can use converting ounces to milliliters solving for an amount of E+J Peach Brandy and the amount of Stevia. I've sort of worked it up from the bottom, testing to see what we like and I think it'll be great if I can get the arithmetic right. Can't really get the APV for E+J Peach Brandy because it's not indicated on the label which is why it's hard to use the Pearson's Square because it's an unknown percentage. My grandchildren can probably do it in their head. But I can't. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[winemaker81]

Can't really get the APV for E+J Peach Brandy because it's not indicated on the label which is why it's hard to use the Pearson's Square because it's an unknown percentage. My grandchildren can probably do it in their head. But I can't. Any help would be appreciated.

In the USA I thought the proof had to be on the label. I have a bottle of Old Mr Boston Apricot brandy, which is 70 proof (35% ABV).

 

[Ace]

I thought the same thing, but look as I may, it is not listed which makes it fairly confusing. Check a bottle and see.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Google says 60 proof. Whether it’s 60 or 70, probably won’t affect the taste or your ability to tell the difference. Start low and increase as necessary.

 

[Billdean]

 

[Ace]

Thanks. I'll start with the 30 APV you found for me and go from there.

 

[RevA]

Wow! Thanks Guys. I'll take a look and try them. In the meantime, I have worked out a miniature mix that not only do I like, but it gets my wife's approval and, after 51 years of marriage to an avowed tee-totter, is a massive win. Here it is:

200ml of Peach Wine (National Select Peach @ 12 % APV)
50 ml of E+J Peach Brandy
1 TSP Stevia.

Now all I have to do is to extrapolate the known quantity of 5 gallons of Peach Wine @ 12% APV and I should have a formula I can use converting ounces to milliliters solving for an amount of E+J Peach Brandy and the amount of Stevia. I've sort of worked it up from the bottom, testing to see what we like and I think it'll be great if I can get the arithmetic right. Can't really get the APV for E+J Peach Brandy because it's not indicated on the label which is why it's hard to use the Pearson's Square because it's an unknown percentage. My grandchildren can probably do it in their head. But I can't. Any help would be appreciated.

That is for sharing. I plan on making some too