Port anyone?

[Joe Fox]

Thinking of trying to make port using a 5l red wine kit but what is the ratio of spirit (brandy) to wine? Guessing not 50/50. Also will it need clearing?

 

[devexwarrior]

Home made port, sounds delicious but one must ask...What could possibly go wrong?

My wife may have forgotten many things, but me throwing up in the kitchen sink and down the curtains after too much port and whisky after a Sergeants' Mess Burns Night in Cyprus is not one of them. The red stain never did come out of the curtains...

 

[Joe Fox]

I will have to go easy. I have 20 litres of Beetroot wine on the go so might take 5 litres of that to give it a try

 

[Clint]

Beetroot wine...what's that like?

 

[Donegal john]

Beetroot wine...what's that like?

Err red ??

 

[obscure]

Cant help you with the procedure but this calculator should work for the amount of alcohol.

https://www.vinolab.hr/calculator/fortification-spirit-addition-en41
So if you have 5 litres of 12% wine and want to fortify it to 20% you would add 2L of forty percent brandy giving you 7L at 20%.

*5L of 12% wine contains .6L of alcohol
*2L of 40% Brandy contains .8L of alcohol
Total of alcohol on 7L alcohol is 1.4L or 20%).

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

If you use regular brandy, you won't end up with port. You need aguardente although a brandy is clear, unaged and around 70-80% ABV.

That said, I'd love to know how you get on using brandy.

 

[Joe Fox]

Beetroot wine...what's that like?

Hi Clint

one of the family favourites at our house. 5 litres Welches Purple Grape, 5 litres Beet It Beetroot juice from Tesco, 4
bags sugar and all the usual additions. Just used4 ltrs of the wine which is almost finished with a bottle of Napoleon Brandy. It’s pretty good but needs a bit of back sweetening

 

[Joe Fox]

If you use regular brandy, you won't end up with port. You need aguardente although a brandy is clear, unaged and around 70-80% ABV.

That said, I'd love to know how you get on using brandy.

Did a bit of reading and using brandy is a quick fix as you get the oak flavour without using chips. Also can be bottled sooner. Tasted good but leaving it to clear for a few weeks

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 last night included a visit to Graham's if you want to get an idea of how the real thing is made, it'll be on All4. IIRC they use 77% spirit.

 

[Guzzie]

Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 last night included a visit to Graham's if you want to get an idea of how the real thing is made, it'll be on All4. IIRC they use 77% spirit.

Following on from that program - I was very surprised at how short a shelf life an open bottle of port has - it would appear to be at its best up to 2 months after opening dependant on the type of port. Just wondered if the same is true of home-brew port? G

 

[Justin Dean]

And leave for 30 years in a suitable barrell! Most of old ports are blended ie 30 years plus some 20 year plus some 10 is called 30 year. If it is not a crusty bottle then assume blended