My try at Blueberry Port

[RegionRat]

For 3 gal
30lb. blueberries
1 1/2 pt. blueberry concentrate
1 1/2 c. light dry malt
granulated sugar sg to 1.120 (step feed sugar)
1 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1-1/2 tsp. acid blend
1 1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
1 tsp. wine stabilizer
water to dissolve sugar
3 crushed Campden tablet
wine yeast
Wash and crush blueberries in nylon straining bag and strain juice into primary fermentation vessel. Tie top of nylon bag and place in primary fermentation vessel. Stir in all other ingredients except stabilizer, yeast and red grape concentrate. Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover well, and set aside for 24 hours. Add yeast, cover, and daily stir ingredients and press pulp in nylon bag to extract flavor. When specific gravity is 1.030 (about 5 days), strain juice from bag and siphon liquor off sediments into glass secondary fermentation vessel. Fit fermentation trap. Rack in three weeks and again in two months. When wine is clear and stable, add blueberry concentrate, wine stabilizer and crushed Campden tablet, rack again and bottle. Allow a year to mature

I am getting ready to start mine now. Berries are thawed and awaiting ingredients. I am shooting for a 3 gal batch. My question is should I add the 1 1/2tsp acid blend per gal of must, or should I check ph and T/A and shoot for a given number? If so what ph and T/A should I shoot for.

Oh yeah, 1118 yeast okay?

RR

 

[vernsgal]

It's hard to set both PH and TA. You'll see on this site that most members either set their TA or PH. I try and set my reds to a PH of 3.3-3.5. I've read on other posts that TA for reds are good at 6-8 g/L
1118 yeast is good for high alc. wines so for a starting SG of 1.120 I would definitely use it
Hope this helps

 

[SouthernChemist]

Generally, you shouldn't blindly add acid blend if you can check the pH and TA. With 10 lbs of fruit per gallon, I would definitely check things to be sure. It's always easier to add acid than to reduce it. You should be okay with a pH and TA values close to what versgal stated. You probably have some extra leeway due to the higher alcohol levels and (I assume) eventual backsweetening. Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes acid levels can change a little during fermentation, which is why some people will make any adjustment post-fermentation.

EC-1118 should be a good yeast for a port-style wine, though you may want to make a healthy yeast starter. Not essential, but as you'll be waiting 24 hours after adding all the ingredients together anyway, no reason not to let the yeast get a head start.

 

[RegionRat]

Thank you both. I have the hardest time understanding the T/A and ph thing. I can the test for both. So, like vernsgal said it is either one or the the other. Should I check ph and adjust, or T/A and adjust. I have; acid blend (malic and tartaric), citric acid, and tartaric acid on hand. According to Jack Keller blueberries have citric acid in them.

So confused.

With other fruit wines I have just check ph and added acid blend to get to the desired range.

I added the; light dry malt, pectic enzyme, and campton. Checked and have; sg 1.040, and brix of 9.9. There is, with fruit in bags, a little under 4 gal of must. Thinking I should be a little over 3 gal of wine. I will recheck sugar in the morning after the pectic enzyme has worked and figure the sugar I need to get to 1.120.

RR

 

[RegionRat]

Update

Yesterday morning. After sitting over night tested; ph, T/A, and sg. Sg went up to 1.050, 3.35 and 7.5 g/l. I made a starter and pitched the yeast. I plan on adding 5.75 pounds of sugar. That would make the total sg 1.120. I think I will make a simple syrup and add 1/2 when sg gets down under 1.010 and the rest when it drops to that level again.

I just checked it this morning and there is a nice ferment going on.

RR

 

[Boatboy24]

Good stuff!

 

[RegionRat]

Looking good! WOW what a great color! The first bucket I am stirring is the port. The other 2 are 45# all juice Blueberry. I split the must into 2 buckets cuz I didnt want to have to mop up my wine room floor. All 3 ferments are coming along. Og of all juice BB Wine was 1.100. It is now at 1.040.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bnh-NcNSpQ"]Mixing Port and All Juice Blueberry Wine[/ame]


Sg of the Port was down to 1.005 this morning so I added a little more then half of the 5.75 pounds of additional sugar. That brought the sg back up to 1.050. When it gets down to 1.005ish I will put in the rest of the sugar.

The other 2 fermenters are 45# of blueberries all juice.

RR

 

[RegionRat]

Update

Here is what I have so far. Three gallons I racked off lee and added K-meta and Sorbate yesterday. I am going to let clear for a few weeks rack then add the reserved blueberry concentrate.

RR

 

[Sammyk]

Please update this thread as your port progresses. I have blueberries in the freezer and am seriously considering a port. Will you be fortifying the port? If so what will you use? Or is the step feeding the sugar enough?

 

[RegionRat]

From what I have read this is not a true port. It is a port in the name only. A true port is fortified at some time during fermentation to kill the yeast and have some residual sugar.

That being said. This is the first time for me doing this so there is a learning curve. The recipe calls to let it ferment it dry to high ABV. That is why I step fed the must sugar. I have not done the math yet but I think this one is in the 18-20% range. By definition Port Wine has 16-20% ABV. The recipe does not call for it to be fortified.

I will tell you the addition of the malt extract does give it a good flavor.

RR

 

[jamesngalveston]

if it is a real port, it is fermented with a port wine yeast, (high abv tolerant), and it has to be fortified, usually with brandy.......if not it is just a high abv wine.

 

[jamesngalveston]

another thing...you never back sweeten a port..
when you start out, you let the yeast eat about 50 percent of the sugar, then you fortify killing the yeast and retaining sugar that was originally started with. i start with a lot of sugar, and I finish at about 22 percent alcohol, a port will not need sorbate.
just saying

 

[RegionRat]

another thing...you never back sweeten a port..
when you start out, you let the yeast eat about 50 percent of the sugar, then you fortify killing the yeast and retaining sugar that was originally started with. i start with a lot of sugar, and I finish at about 22 percent alcohol, a port will not need sorbate.
just saying

Like I said this in not a true port. I will be back sweetening.

RR

 

[jamesngalveston]

yes...if you get a chance, try your hand at a real port, i think you will be happy with it...i like mine a little sweet, for after dinner, etc.

 

[SBWs]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_wine#cite_note-4Port is a Portuguese fortified wine made in the Douro Valley in the Northern Provinces of Portugal with grapes grown there.

Fortified wines in the style of Port are wines fortified with Brandy or some other alcohol to raise the ABV made elsewhere.

You can call what you are making port and rest assured no Port Police are going to kick down your door and dump your wine down the drain. With aging you will be surprised how good this turns out.

What I do is ferment to a level of sweetness (Specific Gravity) I like and then keep step feeding to that Specific Gravity until fermentation stops. In other words if I want to finish at 1.028 I will wait until the SG falls to 1.010 and then add sugar back to 1.028. At some point when you add sugar to 1.028 it will stay 1.028.

You will find that yeast may go above what is listed for alcohol because it can build a tolerance when you increase it slowly like this. You could very easily end up with a ABV around 21% with 1118.

Agree with not adding acid without testing. I like to go by pH and look for 3.4 to 3.5. Also I'd add nutrient or a banana or two the first time step feeding sugar to keep them yeast happy happy happy.

 

[RegionRat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_wine#cite_note-4
.......You can call what you are making port and rest assured no Port Police are going to kick down your door and dump your wine down the drain. With aging you will be surprised how good this turns out.......What I do is ferment to a level of sweetness (Specific Gravity) I like and then keep step feeding to that Specific Gravity until fermentation stops. In other words if I want to finish at 1.028 I will wait until the SG falls to 1.010 and then add sugar back to 1.028. At some point when you add sugar to 1.028 it will stay 1.028.........Agree with not adding acid without testing. I like to go by pH and look for 3.4 to 3.5. Also I'd add nutrient or a banana or two the first time step feeding sugar to keep them yeast happy happy happy.

What a great response. I do so worry about the port police
,lol

I like the way you step feed, I will try that in the future. Great logic. I added nutrient when I added additional sugar. I plan on doing the math, I keep very good notes, and do drop method to see what final ABV is. I also built an ebulliometer last year but it only goes to 18% ABV I think.

As for the acid part I think it is now starting to sink in....

RR

 

[wood1954]

I'm making my wild grape and wild plum wines just as SBWs mentioned, even with a couple bananas in the wild plum. The plum finished fermenting today and the grape should be done tomorrow. Even with step feeding both sugar and DAP the wild grape developed some hydrogen sulfide smell, so i used a copper scrub pad for about 2 minutes and a little stirring and cleaned it right up. Good luck with yours you shouldn't need sorbate with the alcohol so high.