Mosti Mondiale Ready to start La Bodega port

[geek]

What I might do at this point, assuming you were going to add the entire remaining f-pack is to:

Let it ferment down to 1.000, and then add the remaining f-pack.
Stir the heck out of it
And let that ferment until it stops

I'm guessing you are pretty close to the limit of the yeast, and it won't ferment much of the f-pack.

hmmm, interesting....so you're saying add the f-pack now before the kmeta, sorbate, clearing agent, let it sit until SG doesn't change in a few days and then proceed with stabilizing, clearing etc?

I am checking the SG pretty soon to see where is at now....

 

[richmke]

hmmm, interesting....so you're saying add the f-pack now before the kmeta, sorbate, clearing agent, let it sit until SG doesn't change in a few days and then proceed with stabilizing, clearing etc?

Yes. The yeast will be really slow when it reaches the alcohol limits. Stir it daily. The strongest yeast will survive and slowly ferment the sugar. I would want to see 2 weeks of No Change in SG before stabilizing/clearing.

Note: This is similar to the commercial way port is made: Wine fermented down to 1.03 SG, and 150 proof Brandy is added to stop fermentation. Then the Port is cleared.

Note2: You will not need K-Sorbate. The Alcohol has taken care of that. You still need K-meta to protect from oxidation.

If you have time, you can let time do the clearing, so you can skip that too.

 

[geek]

Right now SG is exactly at 1.000 and yeast still going.

 

[geek]

ok folks..... SG=0.996

Once it hit 1.000 yesterday I just left it alone and now it went to 0.996

From here I will follow instructions and stabilize, then wait for it to clear and finally add the remaining f-pack.

Now, need some help to figure out final alcohol level. Note above that I step-fed a bit a couple times to bump up SG.

 

[Thig]

I think you should be at about 17.3%. Calculated like this if I didn't miss something

1120-1022+1026-1014+1018-996=132. 132x.131=17.3.

 

[geek]

I think you should be at about 17.3%. Calculated like this if I didn't miss something

1120-1022+1026-1014+1018-996=132. 132x.131=17.3.

Makes sense....thanks Thig.

I'm now racking and stabilizing as we speak, leaving alone for some time before adding f-pack.

I assume that is an average 'good' alcohol for this port.....

 

[Thig]

I have fortified with brandy and Everclear 190 proof to get the abv up to about 20%. You will get opinions on both but I like the Everclear better. It takes less and affects the taste less.

 

[geek]

After racking into 3gal carboy, the head space is like close to a .750ml

Instructions say to top up with wine but I guess I can use port, the WE Raspberry Chocolate...

 

[LeChat]

Just saw this today.

I started mine on December 14th. SG was 1.105 after adding and mixing. I added an extra pound of raisins.

On the 20th, SG was down to 1.020 so I added 1.5 # of white sugar in syrup to bump the SG to 1.040.

On the 22nd, SG was back at 1.020 so I added the entire content of the F-pac and this raised SG to 1.055

On January 4th, I squeezed the crap out of the raisins (as per instructions) and racked and SG was at 1.022. Fermentation has continued (very slowly) and SG should be right around 1.020 by now.

My final ABV should be right around 20.3% when I use the (appropriate at high ABV formula):

=((76.08*(OG-FG)/(1.775-OG))*(FG/0.794))

Using the simple x 0.131 gives me an ABV around 17%.

Safe to say that I am between 17% and 20%. This does not consider the sugar in the pound of raisins I added extra.

If I had to change anything, I would add the Fpac earlier in the fermentation. I find that the port finished a bit sweet for my taste. I may bump the ABV with a bit of 190 proof wine liquor to reach around 21-22%.

 

[geek]

Ok.

I end up adding a full .750ml bottle of cab/merlot wine to top off after racking.
I forgot this wine (made from buckets and grape packs back in May 2014) went through MLF

So hopefully it will be ok.....

 

[Thig]

LeChat, mind telling me what wine liquor you are using that is 190 proof and where do you get it? Grain alcohol is the only thing I have ever seen at that proof.

 

[LeChat]

Whoops, I meant to say that I would use 190 proof everclear or wine liquor to boost my ABV. I can't source anything higher than 40% ABV here.

 

[geek]

racked off sediment, wine is clear; added sorbate and f-pack per instructions.
SG came up from 0.996 to 1.030.

Will rest in 3gal carboy for a few months.....will update post by summer, or fall?

 

[Boatboy24]

1.030? Wow, sweet!

 

[geek]

1.030? Wow, sweet!

And I used a bit of the fpack in primary, maybe less than 1/4.
But I will re-check the SG again because I think with this smaller bucket the hydrometer hits the bottom really around 1.030, and I was in a rush so I will double check now that it sits in the carboy.

 

[jsiddall]

Yes, very sweet, perhaps too sweet. Mine also ended up at 1.030 but I used the full F-pack. I added brandy to mine also to get it to 18% but I think with the sweetness I should have added more -- perhaps 20 or 22% ABV would help cut the sweetness. Oh well. Next half bottle (which is technically not a split I just learned) I may try adding 15 ml of everclear that should land it around 21% ABV.

 

[geek]

I confirmed the SG to be around 1.031 (a hair higher than 1.030).
I topped up the 3gal carboy with a little bit of vsop brandy and put the airlock.

 

[Tyroneshoolace]

Like most of the posts you picked a good kit. I did a double batch of this almost two years ago.
I added some sugar after the fermentation started to Jack up the alcohol. Also like you I added a quarter of the f pack.
Now after a bit of French oak and a small amount of Hungarian, and a good dose of napoleon Brandy it has had two years to rest. I am going to bottle soon as I think it is great. It should evolve in the bottle as well.

 

[richmke]

1.030? Wow, sweet!

What's a good range for Port?

 

[geek]

I didn't add oak to mine...maybe I should add a spiral in bulk age?