Making banana wine, ingredients,

[Bradford Berger]

I'd like to make wine from bananas and wanted to know if anyone has done it personally? I also want to know about if there is a banana extract of its sugars(fructose, sucrose, etc) that's usable for wine and where to find it? Thanks for reading and your response.

 

[dralarms]

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/new-banana-started.68832/

Also brewers best makes banana flavoring, all natural. But if you follow the recipe above you won’t need it

 

[LoraMoser27]

Banana wine recipe:

Slice bananas into thin discs, leaving skins on fruit. Put into grain-bag, tie top, and place in 6 pints water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove grain-bag to bowl to catch drippings while pouring liquor over sugar in primary fermentation vessel and stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add acid blend, pectic enzyme and tannin, stirring again. When grain-bag cools, squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible and add liquid and drippings to liquor, discarding pulp. When liquor cools to 70 degrees fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient. Cover and set in warm place for seven days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and move to cooler place, leaving undisturbed for two months. Siphon off sediment, add chopped raisins, and add water to bring to one gallon. Ferment another four months. Rack and allow to clear. Rack again and bottle. May taste after six months, but matures at two years.

3-1/2 lb. bananas
1 lb. chopped golden raisins
2 lb. granulated sugar
1-1/4 tsp. acid blend
1 tsp. pectic enzyme
1/4 tsp. grape tannin
1 gallon water
wine yeast and nutrient

 

[dralarms]

Banana wine recipe:

Slice bananas into thin discs, leaving skins on fruit. Put into grain-bag, tie top, and place in 6 pints water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove grain-bag to bowl to catch drippings while pouring liquor over sugar in primary fermentation vessel and stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add acid blend, pectic enzyme and tannin, stirring again. When grain-bag cools, squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible and add liquid and drippings to liquor, discarding pulp. When liquor cools to 70 degrees fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient. Cover and set in warm place for seven days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and move to cooler place, leaving undisturbed for two months. Siphon off sediment, add chopped raisins, and add water to bring to one gallon. Ferment another four months. Rack and allow to clear. Rack again and bottle. May taste after six months, but matures at two years.

3-1/2 lb. bananas
1 lb. chopped golden raisins
2 lb. granulated sugar
1-1/4 tsp. acid blend
1 tsp. pectic enzyme
1/4 tsp. grape tannin
1 gallon water
wine yeast and nutrient

I know that’s the online version, but never boil your fruit. It can cause the pectin to set in making it harder to clear.

that said, I never use the peels, I peel and vacuum seal my bananas, then thaw in a bucket and add pectic enzyme to aid in breaking down the fruit. I Used 95 lbs on my last batch, added 2 gallons of apple juice (to dissolve the sugar in) and got 12 gallons of wine. So for 95 lbs I get 10 gallons of wine not counting the added apple juice.

 

[Scooter68]

"Boiling" is a term rarely applicable to wine making unless you are talking about sterilizing (not needed) utensils. Heat tends to destroy the delicate flavors that make different wines so wonderful not just to drink but to smell. There are a few, very few, fruits and things that need heat to extract the flavors or colors but those are few and far between.
Making Simple Syrup is one of the few time heat is needed wine making unless you have an unusual fruit. Steaming uses heat but again the 'fruit' itself is not cooked or boiled.

 

[hounddawg]

I know that’s the online version, but never boil your fruit. It can cause the pectin to set in making it harder to clear.

that said, I never use the peels, I peel and vacuum seal my bananas, then thaw in a bucket and add pectic enzyme to aid in breaking down the fruit. I Used 95 lbs on my last batch, added 2 gallons of apple juice (to dissolve the sugar in) and got 12 gallons of wine. So for 95 lbs I get 10 gallons of wine not counting the added apple juice.

i make some banana wine from scratch, i set my bananas out till all but black, throw them in freezer, also i never heat my fruits or berries, golden,, raisins i leave my skins on, but my next batch will be using pineapple as well and bare minimum 0f 1 tbs per gallon of pectic enzymes , as well banana is very light flavor so instead of water i use apple juice..

 

[dralarms]

i make some banana wine from scratch, i set my bananas out till all but black, throw them in freezer, also i never heat my fruits or berries, golden,, raisins i leave my skins on, but my next batch will be using pineapple as well and bare minimum 0f 1 tbs per gallon of pectic enzymes , as well banana is very light flavor so instead of water i use apple juice..

Plan on 8 to 10 lbs per gallon and leave it in the primary until the fruit is about used up ( I leave mine 10 to 14 days). When you open a bottle of that you’ll have to beat off the monkeys.

 

[hounddawg]

Plan on 8 to 10 lbs per gallon and leave it in the primary until the fruit is about used up ( I leave mine 10 to 14 days). When you open a bottle of that you’ll have to beat off the monkeys.

yes sir 100% agreed, when it comes to banana it is 10 pound of bananas per gallon=100lbs, along with 35 pound golden raisins, I use apple juice instead of water, and this time i plan To ADD SOME pineapple juice, i want a fair hint of pineapple but not overbearing,,, ,,i know i cant use much pineapple juice, open to any an all opinions...

 

[dralarms]

Never used raisins in my banana

 

[hounddawg]

Never used raisins in my banana

Really, the last one and it was the first was just ok, that's why i'll be trying for better, my brother pesters me till i make him some, would be easier to sell my brother,

 

[dralarms]

Really, the last one and it was the first was just ok, that's why i'll be trying for better, my brother pesters me till i make him some, would be easier to sell my brother,

I understand. Lol

 

[scruff_farrier]

I've made a very small 3 gallon batch of banana. I saw a few different recipes and combined and cherry pick from them. Id have to check my notes. But, I'm pretty sure I heated 2 gallons of water on the stove to 150-175. Right before a simmer. Add a whole case of sliced peeled Bananas, I get them from work for free long story. Let them keep right at or below a simmer for a hour, again I'd have to check my notes, but I think I add 8 cups of sugar. It was around 1.110 I believe. The result will not look great, if it looks like dirty grey dish water it's going well. I left it all cool down to around 90-100 degrees and transferred into a bucket and topped up to three gallons and pitched ec-1118 My girlfriend turned her nose up and declared she would not be drinking that because of the color. About a week in the pulp came to the surface and I stained it off. I think I racked it around 4 times over 6 months also transferred it to a glass carboy along the way. It was a weird change it looks like the perfect banana color now and will kick you in the mouth with the banana flavor, it is now my girlfriends favorite. I screwed up by over back sweeting. I didn't use invert sugar and it came out to sweet for me. Also came out at around 18%, it will sneak up on you. But moral of the story try anything once, most of this is only a time investment if you are doing small scale batches.

 

[Steve Wargo]

I made 1st and only batch of Banana wine Sept 2019. I used washed 24 lbs(skins 0n) of ripe black splotched bananas. Reduced local Grocery store. (.10ct a lb) I peeled the bananas and put the pulp in one pot, and the Skins in another pot. Added 1.5 gallons of water to each pot and brought to 160 degrees and added 1 tsp Amlayse to each pot and let sit for 30 min at 155-160 F. I then turned off the heat source and let the mixtures cool to 130 degrees then added 1 tsp Beta Amylase to each pot and let cool. At about 110 degrees I added 2 tsp pectic enzyme to each pot. I allowed 1 hour with the lid placed on each large stockpot. Why the amylase? To break down any starch in the banana into fermentable sugar. I placed the contents of the pot with the banana pulp into a 7-gallon bucket, I then strained and squeezed the contents of the pot containing the banana skins into a second large stockpot. Then dumped it into the 7-gallon bucket. I measured the Starting gravity. Then heated water and sugar to 120 degrees till dissolved and poured into the 7-gallon bucket. I added some apple juice to bring Total 5+ gallons of Banana Water/banana pulp. The SG was 1.090 give or take because of the must temp. It looked like a bucket of dirty muddy water. I was going to dump it but didn't. At about 85 deg F pitched 71B yeast slurry, and laid lid on the bucket. The fermentation foam was heavy for the 1st couple of days. 10 days later, the wine fermented enough and turned into a sun yellow banana wine. I racked from the bucket into a Big Mouth glass carboy secondary. Careful to stay above the heavy sludge and lees on the bottom. I left about 3/4 gallon in the bucket. In the secondary, more material and yeast fell to the bottom. 2 weeks later I racked a (2nd time) into another big mouth glass fermenter. The 3rd rack was to 1-gallon glass jugs. I ended up with less than 4 gallons of banana FG 0.090 wine. It looked great, nice yellow color, clarity cloudy hazy. Smelled like a bunch of bananas as if holding them to your nose. The wine has a light banana taste. Was it drinkable? Have you ever bit into a banana skin? That's the bite the wine has to it. 4 months later It's losing some of the banana "tannic bite" but I've yet to drink a glass on its own. Lesson learned, don't use too many banana skins. I think much of the yellow of the wine is because of the Banana skin color extraction. Lesson learned, use more banana pulp, maybe double what I used. I'm going to rack the Banana wine again, and eventually try to clear it. I like dry wine, but I will have to back sweeten this if it's going to be drinkable. Sorry for the long explanation, but hopefully there is something someone can use.

 

[hounddawg]

I've made a very small 3 gallon batch of banana. I saw a few different recipes and combined and cherry pick from them. Id have to check my notes. But, I'm pretty sure I heated 2 gallons of water on the stove to 150-175. Right before a simmer. Add a whole case of sliced peeled Bananas, I get them from work for free long story. Let them keep right at or below a simmer for a hour, again I'd have to check my notes, but I think I add 8 cups of sugar. It was around 1.110 I believe. The result will not look great, if it looks like dirty grey dish water it's going well. I left it all cool down to around 90-100 degrees and transferred into a bucket and topped up to three gallons and pitched ec-1118 My girlfriend turned her nose up and declared she would not be drinking that because of the color. About a week in the pulp came to the surface and I stained it off. I think I racked it around 4 times over 6 months also transferred it to a glass carboy along the way. It was a weird change it looks like the perfect banana color now and will kick you in the mouth with the banana flavor, it is now my girlfriends favorite. I screwed up by over back sweeting. I didn't use invert sugar and it came out to sweet for me. Also came out at around 18%, it will sneak up on you. But moral of the story try anything once, most of this is only a time investment if you are doing small scale batches.

no jet fuel taste at that high of ABV%

 

[BernardSmith]

I have to say that whether I make banana wine from the flesh or the peel I have not experienced that tannic bite. The skins need to be black, though, not yellow. And my banana wine did not taste at all of banana. I would say that my banana wine tastes more like a sauterne wine.

 

[dralarms]

I have to say that whether I make banana wine from the flesh or the peel I have not experienced that tannic bite. The skins need to be black, though, not yellow. And my banana wine did not taste at all of banana. I would say that my banana wine tastes more like a sauterne wine.

If it doesn’t taste like banana then your not using enough fruit. I’m drinking a glass tonight and the banana is very prevalent.

 

[hounddawg]

If it doesn’t taste like banana then your not using enough fruit. I’m drinking a glass tonight and the banana is very prevalent.

agreed with dralarms, banana is a very light flavored fruit, i use 10 lbs per gallon, as well as BenardSmith i use the skins with no problems, i set my bananas all over the house to blacken till heavenly spotted then to the freezer, my next as soon as my skeeter pee port goes to carboys is going to be a banana, pineapple golden raisin shot in the dark,

 

[BernardSmith]

I hear ya..And I do agree that when it comes to fruit you want to use as little water as possible but with banana there is no juice to extract. That said, I am not sure I want my banana wine to taste like liquid bananas.. I would argue that the flavor was not thin or blah... but very fruity. But Perhaps next time I make banana wine from the flesh of the fruit I will up the quantity to see what the difference in flavor might be. And it may be that we are both tasting the same thing: When I eat bananas they are just this side of yellow. When I ferment them they are the other side of soft and squishy and their skins are black.

 

[scruff_farrier]

no jet fuel taste at that high of ABV%

Actually, no. I was shocked everything I read was that it would be like jet fuel, and would need to age atleast a full year to be drinkable.....she wouldn't let me cork a bottle cause she was drinking it the night we bottle it. I actually bottled a couple in swing top 750ml bottles I had because she was planning on it not lasting very long. I think she has drank one a month and still loves it. I just keep reminding her of the dirty dishwater look it had at the beginning, she shugs and say IDC it tastes good, Hahaha. I actually hid three bottles so they would last the year and see what it tastes like after the wait.

 

[hounddawg]

I hear ya..And I do agree that when it comes to fruit you want to use as little water as possible but with banana there is no juice to extract. That said, I am not sure I want my banana wine to taste like liquid bananas.. I would argue that the flavor was not thin or blah... but very fruity. But Perhaps next time I make banana wine from the flesh of the fruit I will up the quantity to see what the difference in flavor might be. And it may be that we are both tasting the same thing: When I eat bananas they are just this side of yellow. When I ferment them they are the other side of soft and squishy and their skins are black.

i use apple juice as my liquid, maybe cheating but i aint telling