Making port wine

[Rdbakerdvm]

Hi all! I have been making wine from my backyard Pinot grapes for some time, and recently began converting some of it to brandy which came out surprisingly good. This year I’d like to attempt making port, by adding my brandy to the new ’23 wine. Unfortunately I don’t have any info on how best to do this. is there a book out there that might detail this process? thanks!

 

[Ohio Bob]

Use Everclear 190 and the Pearson Square to calculate how much you need to add.

 

[jburtner]

I have an everlasting port carboy solera where I'll bottle half, then top up to taste with a blend I have bulk aging or about to bottle, back-sweeten (with unfermented must squeezins' if available), and fortify with either high proof grappa or brandy also made from the same grapes.. High proof might be about 130-140pf. Everclear is not high quality IMO. Add some oak and let it sit

Cheers!
-johann

 

[ratflinger]

The brandy you have is the wrong brandy, unless you have some 150*+ brandy. Port makers use a special brandy made for them. As Ohio Bob pointed out - Everclear is what you want, otherwise you will tend to water down the port trying to get the ABV correct.

 

[ratflinger]

Everclear is pure alcohol, or as close as one can get without a vacuum distiller. So 95% pure grain neutral spirit & 5% water. No flavor added to the port and the ABV comes up without too much thinning.

 

[winemaker81]

Last December I tried my hand at making "port", which is not authentic as I don't have access to grapes grown in Portugal and I didn't stop the fermentation by adding a high proof spirit. I fermented reds dry, barrel aged for a year, bumped to 20% ABV with 150 proof Everclear, and backsweetened. Mine didn't come out like the vintage port I was targeting -- it's more like Ruby port, but I'm ok with that. Mission accomplished. My notes are here:

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2021-port/
My research prior to creating the "port" indicates @Ohio Bob and @ratflinger are correct. While many sources say "brandy", most Port houses use a version of eau de vie, which is un-barrel aged high proof brandy. The closest thing I know of in the USA is Everclear.

I can't get 190 Everclear in NC, so when I'm out of state I'll buy a couple of bottles. I'll be making port again.

@jburtner, I agree with @ratflinger -- at 190 proof, Everclear is essentially raw alcohol and quality is not an issue. That said, I have 1/3 of a bottle of 150 proof Everclear that will be used for making port in the future, as I have absolutely no use for anything that harsh other than bumping a wine up to 20% ABV.

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

The brandy you have is the wrong brandy, unless you have some 150*+ brandy. Port makers use a special brandy made for them. As Ohio Bob pointed out - Everclear is what you want, otherwise you will tend to water down the port trying to get the ABV correct.

Yeah it’s right up there 155-160 before it’s watered down and Oaked. That’s good to know that you use the moonshine, not the brandy…thanks!

 

[ratflinger]

Being snarky won't win you many friends here. Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

Being snarky won't win you many friends here. Good luck with your endeavors.

Being snarky? what is snarky about my reply?

 

[Ohio Bob]

Being snarky? what is snarky about my reply?

Everclear is not moonshine. It’s as high quality as I expect. I would never put moonshine in my ports or anything else. Moonshine, to me, means amateur distillers. They may make good stuff. May. But I will never take the chance.

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

Everclear is not moonshine. It’s as high quality as I expect. I would never put moonshine in my ports or anything else. Moonshine, to me, means amateur distillers. They may make good stuff. May. But I will never take the chance.

Moonshine In my mind, since I am an amateur distiller, is simply the high proof product you obtain from distilling. Since I have been making some very nice brandy from my Pinot wine lately, I was interested in using it in an attempt to make port, but was inquiring in my post on how best to do this. Your reply was very helpful, as I was thinking of using the 40 proof finished brandy to stop the fermentation. I would much rather use my moonshine than everclear because the port would then come entirely from my grapes. if that was snarky, I apologize.
ps there are some very good ”moonshines” out there…try Willie’s Honey Moonshine if you’re ever in Montana!

 

[ibglowin]

I made a Petite Syrah Port style wine years go that turned out quite well. I started with grapes that were of seriously high brix to begin with and IIRC that finished wine all by itself was close to 17% ABV so did not have to add much 80 Proof Brandy to push it to 19% ABV. I am of the belief that grain spirits will never fully marry with grape spirits so I will never be adding Everclear to to any Port style wine I make. I used some Anderson's Zinfindel concentrate to back sweeten. Not sure if that stuff is still around but it was perfect for the job.

If I had to do it all over again I would start with the same material. Either crazy high PS or Syrah and then step feed it until the yeast pooped out. You may end up close to 18% or so and not need much of any fortification in the end to push it to 19%.

If you have a source for high ABV Grappa or similar you have the best of both worlds!

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

I made a Petite Syrah Port style wine years go that turned out quite well. I started with grapes that were of seriously high brix to begin with and IIRC that finished wine all by itself was close to 17% ABV so did not have to add much 80 Proof Brandy to push it to 19% ABV. I am of the belief that grain spirits will never fully marry with grape spirits so I will never be adding Everclear to to any Port style wine I make. I used some Anderson's Zinfindel concentrate to back sweeten. Not sure if that stuff is still around but it was perfect for the job.

If I had to do it all over again I would start with the same material. Either crazy high PS or Syrah and then step feed it until the yeast pooped out. You may end up close to 18% or so and not need much of any fortification in the end to push it to 19%.

If you have a source for high ABV Grappa or similar you have the best of both worlds!

Thanks for that! I was thinking of fermenting my Pinot until half dry, which will probably be about 6% ab, then stopping fermentation with my 75% abv brandy distillate (moonshine or whatever you want to call it) bringing it up to 20% i think I read somewhere that that’s the way it’s done in Portugal. I’m still looking for a book on port that would detail the recipes, conversions etc.

 

[ibglowin]

The only drawback to using that varietal is it is not inky black juice to begin with. Pinot on its own is really a light red in comparison to PS or Syrah. So any fortification will make it even more pale in color. If your OK with that then its not a problem. Its just going to be a very light looking port style wine.

Thanks for that! I was thinking of fermenting my Pinot until half dry, which will probably be about 6% ab, then stopping fermentation with my 75% abv brandy distillate (moonshine or whatever you want to call it) bringing it up to 20% i think I read somewhere that that’s the way it’s done in Portugal. I’m still looking for a book on port that would detail the recipes, conversions etc.

 

[sour_grapes]

A few years ago, I derived the formula that one would follow to wind up with a certain amount of sugar and a certain amount of alcohol (given a must of a particular starting sugar level and a fortifying liquor with a given ABV). You can read the backstory on it here: Whole grape port .
You may have to go back a few posts to understand the problem we were solving. The basic question is: During the fermentation process, at what point do I add the fortifying liquor to wind up with a certain residual sugar level and a certain ABV?

Here is the calculation in all of its, ummm, glory:

Parameters:
volume_wine (in liters)
rho_i_wine (initial g/l sugar)
rho_port (desired g/l in port)
ABV_port (desired ABV of port)
ABV_brandy (I am using "brandy" as my spirit!)
(derived quantity: ABV_wine=(rho_i_wine - rho_f_wine)/20, as per Seth)

Unknowns
volume_brandy
rho_f_wine (final g/l sugar in wine)

2 independent equations

(1, the sugar equation)
rho_port = rho_f_wine*volume_wine/(volume_wine + volume_brandy)

(2, the alcohol equation)
ABV_port= (volume_wine*ABV_wine + volume_brandy*ABV_brandy) / (volume_wine + volume_brandy)

I solved Eqn 1 for rho_f_wine to find:
rho_f_wine = rho_port*(volume_wine + volume_brandy)/volume_wine ,

then I shoved that into Eqn. 2 (after substituting your derived quantity for ABV_wine). You can easily, i.e., algebraically solve for volume_brandy.

The result is:


volume_brandy = {ABV_port - (rho_i_wine - rho_port)/20} / (ABV_brandy - ABV_port - rho_port/20)

This is the desired volume of brandy in liters.

You then substitute that value into Eqn. 1 to find rho_f_wine.

The result is:


rho_f_wine = (ABV_brandy - rho_i_wine/20) / (ABV_brandy - ABV_port - rho_port/20)

Remember, this is the residual sugar that you want (in g/l) at the time you should fortify to stop fermentation.

I put this into an Excel sheet that I have attached here. There are two sheets: one you input the sugar in g/l, the other you input the SG of the must instead. In both sheets, you input parameters in the yellow boxes, and the answers come out in the blue boxes.

 

[hdgypsyman]

I have used Butchertown 124 proof Brandy before for making port style wine with excellent results: Butchertown Brandy

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

The brandy you have is the wrong brandy, unless you have some 150*+ brandy. Port makers use a special brandy made for them. As Ohio Bob pointed out - Everclear is what you want, otherwise you will tend to water down the port trying to get the ABV correct.

But I do have high proof brandy…that’s what I’m distilling using some of last years wine.

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

A few years ago, I derived the formula that one would follow to wind up with a certain amount of sugar and a certain amount of alcohol (given a must of a particular starting sugar leveland a forifying liquor with a given ABV). You can read the backstory on it here: Whole grape port .
You may have to go back a few posts to understand the problem we were solving. The basic question is: During the fermentation process, at what point do I add the fortifying liquor to wind up with a certain residual sugar level and a certain ABV?

Here is the calculation in all of its, ummm, glory:



I put this into an Excel sheet that I have attached here. There are two sheets: one you input the sugar in g/l, the other you input the SG of the must instead. In both sheets, you input parameters in the yellow boxes, and the answers come out in the blue boxes.

Thank you…thats just what I was looking for!

 

[Rdbakerdvm]

The only drawback to using that varietal is it is not inky black juice to begin with. Pinot on its own is really a light red in comparison to PS or Syrah. So any fortification will make it even more pale in color. If your OK with that then its not a problem. It’s just going to be a very light looking port style wine.

It may not be ideal, but it’s what I have and worth a shot. It’s also pretty full bodied for a Pinot so might make a decent “ruby” port? we’ll see.