Banana Wine
- Thread starter Yooper
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I just bottled some banana wine a week ago that I made from Yooper's recipe: I've been quietly perusing these boards for a while now, even before I joined up.
The only real significant deviations from the original are that I did it without the peels and upped the SG. The result: an incredibly boozy, delightful concoction. The pic doesn't really do it justice...it's actually a deep tiger-eye yellow in the glass. Looks a shade or two lighter here. It needs to be bottle-aged for a bit - the alcohol is a little forward - but the taste is great!
The only real significant deviations from the original are that I did it without the peels and upped the SG. The result: an incredibly boozy, delightful concoction. The pic doesn't really do it justice...it's actually a deep tiger-eye yellow in the glass. Looks a shade or two lighter here. It needs to be bottle-aged for a bit - the alcohol is a little forward - but the taste is great!
Has anyone tried making this banana wine using staggered nutrient additions and daily degassing? If so, is it drinkable sooner?
I know that bananas and honey are totally different nutrient-wise.
Years ago my meads would take six or seven weeks to ferment out. Using SNA and other techniques, my meads take about two weeks to ferment dry. They still need time to age but they are drinkable at two months now.
I know that bananas and honey are totally different nutrient-wise.
Years ago my meads would take six or seven weeks to ferment out. Using SNA and other techniques, my meads take about two weeks to ferment dry. They still need time to age but they are drinkable at two months now.
OP
OP
Sure, or leave it out and see if you need to add some flavor via acid later.
Thanks for that Yooper . . . . . . .
GeorgiaMead
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MindenMan
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That is some good lookin' stuff you got there. Now comes the hard part: the waiting. I may sound like a broken record, again, but when it comes to banana wine Yooper is the go-to girl. Woman. Authority. Yes, that's it, the Authority...
GeorgiaMead
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Yeah, i took a sample, it was hot, just a slight banana flavor. So gotta wait quite a while
MindenMan
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In my experience my hot alcohol fruit wines need at least 6 months of bottle conditioning, but the last batch I made and I waited 12 months (as it was a birth-day commemorative bottle) and the wait was well worth it.
I want to make some of this banana wine, but I cannot find any golden raisins that contain no preservatives or sulfites. I know it will be a while before I need them, but don't want to get a batch going and cannot find the raisins. Can anyone direct me to where I can find/order them at? Everything I've looked at on Amazon has preservatives or sulfites. Also, I'm relatively new at winemaking, so could someone tell me what a grain bag is (Yooper's original post says "Put into grain-bag, tie top,.....)? Is this the same thing as a nylon jelly straining bag? Thanks in advance!
Kalaloch
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Looking for clarification on this step: “Remove grain-bag to bowl to catch drippings while pouring liquor over sugar in primary fermentation vessel and stirring well to dissolve sugar.”
So I understand to catch the banana drippings, but what is the “liquor”? Can I use Rum or Vodka and how much?
So I understand to catch the banana drippings, but what is the “liquor”? Can I use Rum or Vodka and how much?
eigua
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"Liquor" here refers to the banana water created by boiling the bananas in a bag in water. This is the definition of liquor being used here:
2. any liquid substance, as broth from cooked meats or vegetables.
LoneTreeFarms
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You'll want to siphon this as there will be a lot of dead yeast and banana settlement
Kalaloch
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I just brewed 5 gallons of this. I figured if I have to wait 2 years, I might as well make a lot of it. But 18 pounds is a LOT of bananas! Here are a few thoughts:
• Took FOREVER for bananas to get super ripe/dark brown. Probably took 3 weeks. Plan accordingly.
• For 18 pounds of bananas it took 3 grain bags.
• Used my 5 gallon beer brew pot. I could barely fit all the bananas and water in it.
• Took F-O-R-E-V-E-R AND A DAY to cool down the liquid once I put it in the fermentation bucket with sugar. 4 hours later it was STILL at 100 degrees. If you don’t have all day to wait you will need to use a wort chiller. I finally added 2 more gallons of distilled water and got it to 80 degrees. I finally gave up and covered it and went to bed, will pitch yeast and nutrients tomorrow.
• I didn’t see instructions that for the first 7 days it is covered with cheese cloth not lid. Make sure you have enough cloth to cover fermentation bucket. I didn’t have any, so I used 2 grain bags and taped it so it wouldn’t slip off and then covered that with a clean cotton T-shirt.
I’ll write back in 2 years and let you know how it tastes!
• Took FOREVER for bananas to get super ripe/dark brown. Probably took 3 weeks. Plan accordingly.
• For 18 pounds of bananas it took 3 grain bags.
• Used my 5 gallon beer brew pot. I could barely fit all the bananas and water in it.
• Took F-O-R-E-V-E-R AND A DAY to cool down the liquid once I put it in the fermentation bucket with sugar. 4 hours later it was STILL at 100 degrees. If you don’t have all day to wait you will need to use a wort chiller. I finally added 2 more gallons of distilled water and got it to 80 degrees. I finally gave up and covered it and went to bed, will pitch yeast and nutrients tomorrow.
• I didn’t see instructions that for the first 7 days it is covered with cheese cloth not lid. Make sure you have enough cloth to cover fermentation bucket. I didn’t have any, so I used 2 grain bags and taped it so it wouldn’t slip off and then covered that with a clean cotton T-shirt.
I’ll write back in 2 years and let you know how it tastes!
LoneTreeFarms
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You can aerate now if you like. All you'd be doing is introducing some oxygen for the yeast
LoneTreeFarms
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if it's happily bubbling away, you'll be fine, aerating just helps give the yeast a hand getting going
Hi all,
I bottled my wine. I thought all was good butwent into my basement and found a cork on the other side if the room n 1 empty bottle. 2 other bottles the corks were halfway out. Thought fermenting was done by this point didnt recall having any lees when i racked it last. Thinking of adding crushed campden tablet to the bottles. Yeast should have benn done with after 6 months. Any thoughts? Ideas?
I bottled my wine. I thought all was good butwent into my basement and found a cork on the other side if the room n 1 empty bottle. 2 other bottles the corks were halfway out. Thought fermenting was done by this point didnt recall having any lees when i racked it last. Thinking of adding crushed campden tablet to the bottles. Yeast should have benn done with after 6 months. Any thoughts? Ideas?
LoneTreeFarms
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3 options I can think of. Pasteurize the bottle, campden tabs/ pot sorbate in the bottles, store the bottles in the fridge. Campden is probably the easiest.
Thanks, i put half a crushed campden tablet per bottle.
LoneTreeFarms
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That should be more than enough. It's usually 1 per gallon I think
Kalaloch
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Did you wait the requisite 2 years to taste it?
mirthfuldragon
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I have a batch that has been going for 2 months using Lavlin k1-v1116 white wine yeast. It still needs to age to mellow, but it does not come across as solventy or "rocket fuel" as some have described. It is a bit harsh, but drinkable now (still clearing a bit too), and I have not racked on to raisins yet.
I'm making a 5 gallon batch of this (my first fruit wine) and have a few questions:
-- Typical ABV? See a lot of different outcomes gravity-wise. Is this mainly due to varying levels of banana ripeness?
-- Should I use staggered nutrient additions as with my meads? See very little mention of it.
-- Yeast. Planning on using 71b. 2 packets for a 5 gallon batch?
-- See various approaches to degassing. Better, or no effect?
-- Hoping to bottle-carbonate a few bottles. Any sparkling banana reviews?
Thanks all! Will also be doing tomato, rhubarb....
-- Typical ABV? See a lot of different outcomes gravity-wise. Is this mainly due to varying levels of banana ripeness?
-- Should I use staggered nutrient additions as with my meads? See very little mention of it.
-- Yeast. Planning on using 71b. 2 packets for a 5 gallon batch?
-- See various approaches to degassing. Better, or no effect?
-- Hoping to bottle-carbonate a few bottles. Any sparkling banana reviews?
Thanks all! Will also be doing tomato, rhubarb....
Ok it’s been a year and I’ll probably bottle soon. I fell asleep during the boil and it went for a little over an hour. There’s a slightly darker coloring to it but it tastes great!
Question- I’m considering doing a clove tincture and adding to half the bottles individually and leaving the other half plain(3 gall batch)
Has anyone done this? What about other tinctures, such as vanilla or cinnamon?
Question- I’m considering doing a clove tincture and adding to half the bottles individually and leaving the other half plain(3 gall batch)
Has anyone done this? What about other tinctures, such as vanilla or cinnamon?
twisties
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How did you get it to clear in the carboy? Mine only cleared onced bottledYes, that's exactly what mine looked like! But, I promise it will be a pale golden yellow color and beautifully clear when done. Here is a picture of bottling day at my house (both in the front are banana wine):
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OP
OP
I didn't do anything special at all- just time and gravity.
twisties
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How long roughly? I waited 8 month in the carboy I had to bottle it before it turned to vinigar can you restart it while its murky
OP
OP
It won't turn to vinegar at all if you keep it topped up and airlocked. Vinegar comes from infection. You can use sulfites in the carboy as needed to prevent oxidation.
If it sat 8 months without clearing, that's a very long time. Often you can place it some place colder and it will clear quickly.
twisties
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Sulfite don't they burn the yeast? Or change the flavour? I heard if I had added more pectin enzymes it would have cleared quicker anyways thanks for the help
OP
OP
No, using sulfites in small amounts (50 ppm) is what winemakers use as an antioxidant and preservative. It's less than in commercial wines, but enough to protect the wine as it ages.
