Banana Wine

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After ten days...

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Beautiful. I just got my batch of bananas (gonna start this tomorrow) -- got almost 12 pounds of bananas (a beautiful blackening overripe color) for $2.46.

I'm pretty excited.
 
I actually dumped mine out. There was no banana aroma or flavor. Really, the flavor was just horrible. **DEFINITELY NOT YOOPER'S RECIPE** I am 100% sure I went wrong somewhere along the way. I'm going to be starting a new batch of this after I finish my stout I'm developing.
 
Titan88 said:
I actually dumped mine out. There was no banana aroma or flavor. Really, the flavor was just horrible. **DEFINITELY NOT YOOPER'S RECIPE** I am 100% sure I went wrong somewhere along the way. I'm going to be starting a new batch of this after I finish my stout I'm developing.
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After a month? Your not making koolaide, it takes some time. Should have waited a month or 24.
 
Titan88 said:
I actually dumped mine out. There was no banana aroma or flavor. Really, the flavor was just horrible. **DEFINITELY NOT YOOPER'S RECIPE** I am 100% sure I went wrong somewhere along the way. I'm going to be starting a new batch of this after I finish my stout I'm developing.
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Man, you have to wait this stuff out. That's why it's been stated many times in this thread that this stuff is best at 2 years. When I racked mine to secondary it had zero banana anything and tasted like rocket fuel. But it takes time for all of that to mellow out and the banana character to return.
 
Yooper said:
How come you didn't rack to the bottle, just like with beer? Wine does oxidize pretty easily, so it may not last long enough for the flavor to mellow and the "banananess" to come back.

My last two batches were definitely full of banana aroma and flavor, so I'm not sure what is different, unless it just needs some age.
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I really wanted to siphon careful, just like beer, but I only had a 1-gallon jug of it and no easy way to bottle that little bitty bit. I poured pretty good through the funnel. I could make make a funnel with a bottling wand on it for next time though. I couldn't even get all of the wine out of the jug with the autosiphon. I didn't reach the bottom and the leftover wine had stirred up the yeast film on the bottom of the jug.

I think the next batch will have a better management. I'm not used to having to futz with my stuff every few weeks or month. With beer I must (mostly) brew it and keg it. Sometimes I add dry hops. I'm still learning the process for wines.
 
I just have to say that banana wine has to be one the prettiest sites to see, other than a vat full of freshly crushed and destemmed red wine grapes happily fermenting away.

This was started first week October, crystal clear, no sediment left and bone dry, 16.5%, bulk aging now. Tastes really good as is, but this will be awesome with age! Plan to fortify with banana infused pure grain-brandy blend, or maybe just half of it.

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Yooper said:
If it's still pretty active, you can pour it into secondary.
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I transferred this banana wine (I made 3 gallons) to secondary today, after 7 days. As Yooper noted, it was pretty active, so I went ahead and poured it, rather than racking it.

Well, I will say this -- it's one of the most active brews I've ever seen. Since it was seemingly okay to pour this, rather than rack it, I poured all the sediment into the secondary with it. I hope that was okay.

And the batch is so active that the sediment is dancing like a lava lamp. It's quite something to see.

I hope it is okay to have that much sediment in the secondary with it for two months. Like others have noted, it's already turning from mud to a muddy gold. Fascinating.
 
Mine's 11 months old...My son went from 0 - 9 years old in like ten minutes...this wine is taking FOREVER to turn 2. I like the wait. I should brew another batch in case its awesome.
 
I'm a little -- but only a little -- bit concerned about my batch of banana wine. I made 3 gallons. It's a little over two weeks old now (been in the secondary for, like, 9 days), and I've never seen an alcohol continue to be so active after this much time. Airlock is bubbling maybe 6 or 7 times minute.

The wine is not very clear yet, although there is a large (and I mean large) layer of (very loose) sediment in the bottom.

I think I'm simply going to follow the directions to a T, and leave it alone in its happy dark place for the allotted two months....but it seems a little off from others experience here. The lack of clarity, the amount of sediment, the high activity.....any thoughts about what, if anything, I should do?
 
TedLarsen said:
I'm a little -- but only a little -- bit concerned about my batch of banana wine. I made 3 gallons. It's a little over two weeks old now (been in the secondary for, like, 9 days), and I've never seen an alcohol continue to be so active after this much time. Airlock is bubbling maybe 6 or 7 times minute.

The wine is not very clear yet, although there is a large (and I mean large) layer of (very loose) sediment in the bottom.

I think I'm simply going to follow the directions to a T, and leave it alone in its happy dark place for the allotted two months....but it seems a little off from others experience here. The lack of clarity, the amount of sediment, the high activity.....any thoughts about what, if anything, I should do?
Click to expand...

The first batch that I made was similar. Airlock activity was a bit longer than most of the wines that I've made and it seemed like a quarter of the carboy was filled with sediment. On an unrelated note, are you from Strongsville, Ohio? If so, we are neighbors. I live in Brooklyn, OH.

When I racked the banana wine last week (after 4 months), the wine tasted incredible. It had a strong banana aroma and flavor. It was very hot, which I expected. It was so good, that I started another batch yesterday! I made a huge mess in the kitchen. It may be time to invest in a turkey fryer.

banana.jpg
 
I made a couple batches of this back in November and last week I racked them into the raisins. I havnt noticed any signs of fermentation after about 8 days of adding raisins. Would you suggest pitching some fresh yeast or waiting it out? I know a hydrometer reading is the only way to know for sure its fermenting but I havnt found a beaker tall enough for my hydrometer to float in without hitting the bottom in the dry end of the scale. Does anyone have suggestions for taking hydrometer measurements after your brew is in a sealed carboy with minimal risk of infection and wastage.
 
damlamb said:
I made a couple batches of this back in November and last week I racked them into the raisins. I havnt noticed any signs of fermentation after about 8 days of adding raisins. Would you suggest pitching some fresh yeast or waiting it out? I know a hydrometer reading is the only way to know for sure its fermenting but I havnt found a beaker tall enough for my hydrometer to float in without hitting the bottom in the dry end of the scale. Does anyone have suggestions for taking hydrometer measurements after your brew is in a sealed carboy with minimal risk of infection and wastage.
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Uh-oh...

This sounds familiar.
 
Revvy said:
LOL...No matter what the liquid inside the fermenter, the questions are the same. Have you seen all the "My cider's not carbed yet" threads? Or the "Should I rack my mead to secondary?"

:)
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NO I mean I had a batch of banana wine that stopped as soon as the raisins were added. I could NOT get that sucker started up again! I finally ended up dumping it.

Multiple yeast pitches and lots of patience for nought.
 
I wonder if the sulfites in the raisins are the reason? I got these at bulk barn and suspect they were high in sulfites. I hope I won't have to dump it, the sample I tasted when I racked it was pretty good.
 
Yooper said:
BANANA WINE (2) [Heavy Bodied]


Slice bananas into thin discs, leaving skins on fruit. Put into grain-bag, tie top, and place in 6 pints water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove grain-bag to bowl to catch drippings while pouring liquor over sugar in primary fermentation vessel and stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add acid blend, pectic enzyme and tannin, stirring again. When grain-bag cools, squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible and add liquid and drippings to liquor, discarding pulp. When liquor cools to 70 degrees fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient. Cover and set in warm place for seven days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and move to cooler place, leaving undisturbed for two months. Siphon off sediment, add chopped raisins, and add water to bring to one gallon. Ferment another four months. Rack and allow to clear. Rack again and bottle. May taste after six months, but matures at two years. [Adapted from passed-on recipe, source unknown, taken from Jack Keller's site]
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what is a good primary fermenting vessel to use? What do you cover the primary with? and what is a good secondary? Only the secondary needs an airlock?

thanks,
 
It really depends on how much you're making. I made 4 gallons so I used a 5 gallon bucket as a primary with just the normal lid. When you rack to secondary, carboys or 1 gallon glass jugs with an airlock work good. Just make sure you have very little headspace in secondary.
 
WesleyS said:
It really depends on how much you're making. I made 4 gallons so I used a 5 gallon bucket as a primary with just the normal lid. When you rack to secondary, carboys or 1 gallon glass jugs with an airlock work good. Just make sure you have very little headspace in secondary.
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ok thanks, would i need to plug the airlock grommet hole? or add an airlock to primary?
 
loudgonzo said:
ok thanks, would i need to plug the airlock grommet hole? or add an airlock to primary?
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Personally, I would just cover or plug the hole and just sit the lid on top of the bucket without snapping it down for those first seven days before transferring to secondary.
 
I'm just tasting some of this that I made back in september, and its very nice. It's sweet, refreshing, crystal clear, and a good recipe! I think I ended up using about 5 lbs of banana per gallon, and it came to ~ 14%. It doesn't have the burn of alcohol that some do either. The wife "likes" it, and she doesn't like any alcohol, period. It's a winner. Now to source 30 lbs of bananas..

The 1 gallon rage is hitting me now. These 5 bottles are going to set for a while longer, but I don't think they'll make it past summer.
 
I needed to top up another wine so why not that banana that won't ever seem to get right. Just because I have to, I tried it. At 10 months, it's very nice. I decided to use something else to top up!

Patience is the worst! I don't have it but, this craft is helping me to develop it. Give it time guys n gals; it'll come around. Thanks for the recipe Yooper.
 
Hey guys, so I'm three months in after racking onto my raisins. Looks great, but I'm a little worried that I never got much bubbling after racking over the raisins. I used a champagne yeast and the current gravity is 1.001.

Gave it a quick taste... wine like. No taste of banana. But it sure looks pretty.

Is that an approximately correct gravity? or should I be below 1 by now? Any suggestions or just wait and see in a month when I rack it?
 
cardtarget said:
Hey guys, so I'm three months in after racking onto my raisins. Looks great, but I'm a little worried that I never got much bubbling after racking over the raisins. I used a champagne yeast and the current gravity is 1.001.

Gave it a quick taste... wine like. No taste of banana. But it sure looks pretty.

Is that an approximately correct gravity? or should I be below 1 by now? Any suggestions or just wait and see in a month when I rack it?
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I am having a similar issue, I've been on the raisins for a month and no activity. I pitched some more champagne yeast that I made a starter with first and still no luck.
 
completed 1 week in primary today, will transfer to secondary 1gl glass wine jug this evening; instructions said to pour into secondary (using funnel)....or should i rack using hose and cane? fermentation is slow now.
 
loudgonzo said:
completed 1 week in primary today, will transfer to secondary 1gl glass wine jug this evening; instructions said to pour into secondary (using funnel)....or should i rack using hose and cane? fermentation is slow now.
Click to expand...

I would rack it. Not as much sediment.
 
Looking for some help please….i transferred this from a bucket to two 1gallon wine jugs, but only filled up 1, and only filled barely ½ of the second one. I doubled the recipe, so I was expecting to have 2 gallons total.
I used hose and racking cane, and filled 1st jug almost to the top, have about 1” of headspace left, mostly liquid, some pulp settled to the bottom of jug.
The 2nd jug was mostly ‘sludge’, there’s maybe 3-4 cups of liquid in this one.

Should i,
1- pour the 2nd jug out and just focus on the 1st one as is
2-distribute evenly between both jugs and leave about 1/3 of headspace in each jug
3-distribute evenly between jugs and add water to leave just a little headspace in each jug (the adding water is supposed to happen 2 months later when adding raisins)

*in a nutshell, when transferring from primary to secondary, are you suppose to fill the secondary to the top, or about 2/3 of the way, which is where I would have ended up if I had distributed evenly between both gallon jugs.
 
I'm just not a huge wine guy. I've only made a few. Most people would say, fill the first vessel all the way up. Find a smallers second vessel for the rest. Wine oxidizes easily, you want no headspace.
 
loudgonzo said:
Looking for some help please….i transferred this from a bucket to two 1gallon wine jugs, but only filled up 1, and only filled barely ½ of the second one. I doubled the recipe, so I was expecting to have 2 gallons total.
I used hose and racking cane, and filled 1st jug almost to the top, have about 1” of headspace left, mostly liquid, some pulp settled to the bottom of jug.
The 2nd jug was mostly ‘sludge’, there’s maybe 3-4 cups of liquid in this one.

Should i,
1- pour the 2nd jug out and just focus on the 1st one as is
2-distribute evenly between both jugs and leave about 1/3 of headspace in each jug
3-distribute evenly between jugs and add water to leave just a little headspace in each jug (the adding water is supposed to happen 2 months later when adding raisins)

*in a nutshell, when transferring from primary to secondary, are you suppose to fill the secondary to the top, or about 2/3 of the way, which is where I would have ended up if I had distributed evenly between both gallon jugs.
Click to expand...

4. Fill one all the way up to the top, and then use the rest to fill a wine bottle, a growler, etc, whatever it takes to hold the rest of the wine with no headspace. A stopper can be purchased in homebrew stores that fits growlers/wine bottles/grolsh bottles/beer bottles, with an airlock.
 
Yooper said:
4. Fill one all the way up to the top, and then use the rest to fill a wine bottle, a growler, etc, whatever it takes to hold the rest of the wine with no headspace. A stopper can be purchased in homebrew stores that fits growlers/wine bottles/grolsh bottles/beer bottles, with an airlock.
Click to expand...

thanks!
 
Been watching this thread for a while, just been waiting to move out of the current apartment so I have the time that this drink requires. Can't wait!
 
I'm not familiar with wine production so this may be an epically stupid question, but: were I to omit the acid blend and grape tannin from the recipe, how would that affect the final product? I'm thinking it would simply cause it to come off a bit sweeter/fruitier and not have as much of that wine "tang" to it, but I wanted to make sure. Both ingredients are cheap, but I have literally *everything* else I need already on hand, so if I can just throw this all together without spending any money or sacrificing any quality in the process, that would be awesome.

Thanks!
 
If you leave out the acid, it may taste "dull". The acid give it a little more of a bite on your tounge; think about how milk is smooth, and orange juice is "grabby". The tannins probably help the wine clear more than anything, so you may just need to use some bentonite in the future.
 

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