The peel also contains most of the amylase enzyme and will help convert the starches from the banana flesh if you do a mash. I mashed my chopped bananas with 2-row malt at 147 F for my banana-barley wine and had really good conversion efficiency, but the mash required constant stirring because the bananas formed some pretty thick gloop.
Banana Wine
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timcadieux
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So that didn't go very well. I attempted to siphon off the raisins, I even had a muslin bag over the end but I just could not get it to work. I ended up racking by pouring the contents into another carboy using a funnel and muslin bag to filter. Is this recipe prone to oxidation the way a beer would be? Any way I can counter the effects, if any?
When I know I'll have problems with small chunks of material, I'll use a well-sanitized cloth, pour the brew through into another container, let it settle, then siphon if I must. So basically, racking without getting rid of the sediment, then racking again in a few days.
My banana wine has settled well and all the flavours are starting to mellow into each other. My buddy still gives it his thumbs up, though I'm still waiting for a later date to give it my full approval. But, knowing my mistakes last time (like neglecting to add some peel!) I've started up another. This time only one lemon and the peel of one lime, no corn, no raisins.. But... I couldn't help but add a couple (tiny!) pieces of cinnamon stick and a few hunks of ginger root to spice it up a bit.
Ginger's fine so long as you like the flavour, but you gotta be careful with your other spices. Doesn't take much to overpower a brew! and can take years to mellow out.
OP
OP
While you can't "erase" oxidation (and it can ruin the wine), next time make sure you use campden tablets (sulfite) at racking time if you're going to have some oxygen pick up. I generally add them routinely, at every other racking, as it dissipates and I like to keep up a small preventative level in the wine at all times. Generally, the dosage is 1 crushed campden tablet (dissolved in a little boiling water or wine) per 1 gallon of wine.
How that works is that the sulfite will bind to the wine first, so oxygen can't, and then the sulfite will dissipate over time (weeks). It's routinely used like that by winemakers for just this purpose, but I don't think that pouring the wine like that would be protected although it would help.
Is it possible to use sulfite to prevent oxygenation if I am at the stage of adding the raisins? I don't want to add it and then have it prevent the restart of fermentation. However, I want to add it because I also have to strain a bunch of sediment out. I can't just rack off of the sediment because it refuses to settle at the very bottom and I would lose too much wine.
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OP
OP
Most raisins have sulfite in/on them already, just as most other dried fruits do, so I wouldn't add additional sulfites when adding the raisins.
Sulfites in the quantity someone would use in a wine won't harm wine yeast and all, and certainly not stop fermentation.
collinsjames1988
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30 days till I have to rack it and add the raisins really starting to clear up
Just started a 6 gallon batch monday. The first 2 days it smelled like banana peel but that smell changed fast into banana smell. I used bentonite at the beginning like with kits and used tea for tannin and lemon for acid blend. Its smelling better everyday.
Okay, so I racked off of the sediment and onto the raisins and there was so much sediment that I only retrieved slightly over half a gallon of wine. Granted, at this point in the recipe, I did not yet have the full gallon, since I am right now at the "fill with water to one gallon" step. I am wondering, however, since I had more sediment than I expected, if maybe I should only fill to 3/4 gallon instead of a full gallon. I just don't want to dilute it too much.
Atek
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I really recommend sourcing some bulk wine, or making some wine just for topping/blending. I have 3 gallons of Viognier that I plan on topping my banana wine with once I get to that point. I have found this to be a very nice topping wine, I'm sure others would suffice as well.
I usually make 5 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy and make an extra gallon for toping up for secondary. This way I end up with just about 6 gallons and don't need to top up to much. But using the raisins will help fill that extra space.
LoneTreeFarms
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so can anyone tell me what the difference between golden raisins and regular raisins would contribute to this? is everyone using golden raisins?
Well the golden raisins will leave a lighter more golden colour while the regular tends to make it darker. I don't use them because it screws with your initial reading and takes a lot of time for the yeast to chew out the sugar in those raisins. I use concentrated grape juice.
I used golden raisins in mine, I put them in during primary fermentation though. I made mine about 2 1/2 months ago, it was so clear you could read a book through it. I just added some sorbate to it yesterday, and gave it a light stir. Now it's a little cloudy again, hopefully in a week it will clear up again, and then I'm going to bottle it.
I have both pinot grigio and moscato that I can use to top up. I am wondering, however, since the recipe at this stage calls for adding water to 1 gallon, how much water I should add before filling the rest of the jug with wine. Should I add water to 3/4 of a gallon and then fill the rest with either the pinot grigio or moscato? I don't want to top up entirely with wine and skip the water because that might cause the wine to be too strong, if it is supposed to be diluted to a normal concentration at this point.
Atek
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Well, I think we'll have to wait for the OP to comment on this to be certain, however in most cases water is simply referenced as the topping medium as it is assumed most will not have available wine to top with. I'd say you could top with either, just depends on whether or not you want slight Pini Gris notes in the wine or the more honey esque flavors of moscato. You could take gravity readings of the wine and use a blending calculator online to determine what the ABV would be if blended with the wine and/or water. (assuming you know that ABV of the wine you're blending in). FermCalc has one such blending calculator. FermCalc Website
I might have read the original instructions incorrectly, but it seemed to me as though up until the "add raisins" step, we have only been told to add 6 pints of water so far. This is why I am under the impression that adding water right now would be to achieve the intended volume of 1 gallon. Maybe I read the instructions too literally though and we were supposed to assume that we should add water to make 1 gallon at the very beginning. If so, then me adding that much water (to 1 gallon) now might still be the solution? Maybe?
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collinsjames1988
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Is it ok to rack the wine 3 week early to add the raisins the wine has slowed down almost stopped fermenting and its almost clear
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I'm new to wine making I have just completed my batch of this wine and I don't have the grape tannin. Will this be a big deal? I went by the lhbs and it was closed . I will add everything else. Should I get the tannin on Monday and add? Please let me know what you think. Thanks
buzzerj
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You can add tannin later in the process, even prior to bottling if you figure you need it for taste.
collinsjames1988
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100days till I can bottle when should I rack out the raisins and let it mellow out and is it best to let it age in the carboy or in the corked bottle
M4car223
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First of all, thank you Yooper for supplying us with this recipe and for continuing support for everyone who has made it and had questions.
I have just completed clean up from making this. It is my first wine. Since I was about to make the jump into AG brewing I figured I would make a jump into wine as well.
I followed Yooper's recipe as originally posted. 3 gallons. Bananas were black....very soft, almost splitting open. Smelled amazing and they tasted wicked ripe! Only place I messed up was when I took the bag of banana slice out of the simmer I went right to cleaning up some of the mess, forgot about the sugar in the primarys (3 Rossi jugs). Had to reheat just to make sure I could dissolve all the sugar.
OG came in high...1.130. I diluted down to 1.110 and stopped there because I was running out of head space and had no more jugs to use as primary. So we will see how it looks/turns out.
Quick question for those with more knowledge, I used a Red Star Montrachet dry yeast and with an OG that high I Will end up with a sweeter wine correct? Is it going to help dry it out when I top up in the future? If it doesn't should I pitch some champagne yeast in the future to lower it or just leave it sweet so that it isn't wicked hot for years?
I have just completed clean up from making this. It is my first wine. Since I was about to make the jump into AG brewing I figured I would make a jump into wine as well.
I followed Yooper's recipe as originally posted. 3 gallons. Bananas were black....very soft, almost splitting open. Smelled amazing and they tasted wicked ripe! Only place I messed up was when I took the bag of banana slice out of the simmer I went right to cleaning up some of the mess, forgot about the sugar in the primarys (3 Rossi jugs). Had to reheat just to make sure I could dissolve all the sugar.
OG came in high...1.130. I diluted down to 1.110 and stopped there because I was running out of head space and had no more jugs to use as primary. So we will see how it looks/turns out.
Quick question for those with more knowledge, I used a Red Star Montrachet dry yeast and with an OG that high I Will end up with a sweeter wine correct? Is it going to help dry it out when I top up in the future? If it doesn't should I pitch some champagne yeast in the future to lower it or just leave it sweet so that it isn't wicked hot for years?
OP
OP
Montrachet should be able to handle an OG of 1.110 just fine.
M4car223
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Awesome. Two thank yours to you in a day, doing pretty good 
M4car223
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I have had a slight foam over on one of the three jugs, but more concerning is the sulfur smell I am noticing.
I swirled the jugs last night and decided to do it again to degas after doing a search. Should I let it ride out and just swirl more often? I will check SG when I get home. And possibly add a bit of nutrient to it as well?
I swirled the jugs last night and decided to do it again to degas after doing a search. Should I let it ride out and just swirl more often? I will check SG when I get home. And possibly add a bit of nutrient to it as well?
LoneTreeFarms
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If you just made this a couple of days ago I'd set it and forget it for a while, check on it for foam overs but otherwise I wouldn't be too worried about the smells you're getting a few days in.
M4car223
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Ok thanks. This is my first wine batch and first time with something an OG this high. I was worried about the yeast being in distress and the sulfur smell transferring into the wine.
RegarRenill
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I would add a bit of nutrient. Sulphur smells are usually caused by stressed yeast. Carefully(!!!) add a bit to you must. I'd recommend using a thief to take about 50mL and adding the nutrient to that them adding that back in.
OP
OP
Stir the heck out of it until the sulfur smell fades.
M4car223
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Ok, will do on stirring and nutrient. I wanted to make sure I was reading that correctly when I was researching the issue.
M4car223
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Just an update. Hit my 7 day mark, slowing of fermentation activity. Checked SG. Down to 1.002. Noticeable clearing, but still very cloudy and muddy looking.
I stole a taste. Thanks to the responses from everyone here I have no sulfur taste or smell now. Tastes CRAZY hot and quite sour. Actually, I forgot I moved to New England and everything is WICKED! So WICKED hot and quite sour, ha haa.
I know I am only 7 days into this so I am not too concerned. I assume I get the sour from the acid blend, will that settle out over time as well? Will the raisins help mellow that out?
I stole a taste. Thanks to the responses from everyone here I have no sulfur taste or smell now. Tastes CRAZY hot and quite sour. Actually, I forgot I moved to New England and everything is WICKED! So WICKED hot and quite sour, ha haa.
I know I am only 7 days into this so I am not too concerned. I assume I get the sour from the acid blend, will that settle out over time as well? Will the raisins help mellow that out?
collinsjames1988
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I added raisins to mine a few weeks ago stole a sip when I replaced the water in my air lock its still hot but has mellowed out a lot mine will be ready to bottle just in time for the Kentucky state fair
collinsjames1988
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Are there any tips on how to get the excess wine out of the raisins so there is less loss from the rehydration?
1Mainebrew
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Has anyone tried to make this recipe as a sparkling wine? I don't mean force carbed either, I mean the traditional way. If so, any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Can someone say again why to use the peels?
OP
OP
More flavor and aromatics.
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It makes the wine more appealing. (nyuck nyuck nyuck)
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Oh, c'mon.. I've been waiting 6 months for that...
Are those crickets?
Are those crickets?
