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Newbrew12 · 02-29-2012, 06:14 PM

Ok, so here's my plan. I am going to try this strategy on a small scale before an attempt at making the wine to see just how much "fermentable juice" (consommes) I get out of one coconut and then go from there. I will take 1 coconut to start. Add the fruit flesh to a boiling pot and pour the coconut water over it. From what I've read I'll have to add water to cover all of the flesh, I'll keep it posted with how much water I use. Boil that mix for about 10 minutes. Will strain out the flesh and keep for potential use during primary fermentation. I'm going to do this in two batches to see if gelatin is needed or not. From the article you posted GF the fats in the coconut may make it so gelatin isn't needed. In one batch I'll add gelatin, in the other I won't and we'll see which works best. Will freeze the two batches and the next day put them both over individual strainers with a sanitized collection vessel (probably tupperware) in the fridge and wait for the results after a day or two.

I'm curious to see how each turns out as far as gelatin added vs. no gelatin added as well as quantity of fermenatable liquid made from one coconut. Hopefully this process will give me a good base to use as far as how many coconuts I'll need to make the size of batch I want to make. Everything I've brewed is 5g batches and I'd really like to stick with that size for this.

The only question I have is why Jack Keller's recipe calls for boiling with rice. I'm assuming it's to absorb some of the fats. If that's the case, should I boil the two mixtures with some rice? I don't want it to suck up all of the coconut and regular water though so if that's going to happen I may just see how this turns out and then adjust in the future if needed.

**oldmate** · 02-29-2012, 09:29 PM

I've seen a thread around here where the coconut itself was used as the fermentation vessel. I'd suggest a search for it

Newbrew12 · 02-29-2012, 09:55 PM

I saw that. It's a cool idea but I'm gonna go a different way for this I think. That was for a mead too.

Newbrew12 · 03-01-2012, 10:15 PM

Well I got the mix in the freezer right now. I decided to just add gelatin and not do one without. I haven't found anywhere that says coconut has gelatin in it naturally. I'm hoping this works out!

flyinpig · 03-02-2012, 01:58 AM

What luck to come across this. I am enjoying a glass of CoCo Polada from Florida Orange Grove Winery and thought, I need to make something like this. Please update with how the coconut goes, I am going to try something as well.

**dinnerstick** · 03-02-2012, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbrew12

I haven't found anywhere that says coconut has gelatin in it naturally.

that's cuz gelatin is almost entirely collagen from cow's bones! yum
(and i do mean yum, i love homemade stocks with lots of silky collagen!)

plants don't make collagen
i'm curious is an agar or pectin matrix could also do the trick but as yet i have no clue

Newbrew12 · 03-02-2012, 01:36 PM

Well I'll let us know how it goes. As of 4:30 this morning it was frozen solid. I didn't have time to put it in the fridge yet to thaw so I'll do that tonight and see how it looks tomorrow morning. I'll tell ya... During the boil my house sure smelled amazing!

Newbrew12 · 03-05-2012, 05:40 PM

Well the results are in. It's exactly what I expected in clarity and flavor. A blast of coconut flavor with no residuals from the fruit or oils/fats. It's clear and looks like something that can be fermented. My issue is that I tested the SG of the results and they come in around 1.026. I'm thinking that to get into the "wine" range I'd be adding a ton of sugar and that may result in an alcohol taste that could over take the coconut taste. Any thought's on that?

From one coconut I got right at 16 ounces of juice after the filtration. Roughly 8 coconuts will be needed per gallon at that rate. Here's a couple pictures of the results:

Honda88 · 03-05-2012, 05:50 PM

I think as long as you use your juice to make syrup you will fine. If you use a lot of just plain water and not very much juice the alcohol will probably take over. It looks like you need more juice. how much are you wanting to make?

Newbrew12 · 03-05-2012, 06:07 PM

I have always brewed 5g batches with beer and have started one wine at the same. It's really what I like to make. I hadn't planned on using any water since I use water in the filtration. Adding that much sugar to get to the 1.095 won't be an issue ya don't think? I may use this 16 oz and ferment it out to a first racking as kind of a mini experiment first.