Fortified Wine

[Lothar]

So my friends all enjoy my apfelwein and grape juice wines but they don't think its strong enough. Some of them drink MD 20/20 and Wild Irish rose religiously(Bum wines lol). Now I am ready to get flamed but this is a serious post. Just looking to throw some ideas around

I have two ideas

1) Under-fermented over fortified grape wine

2) Extremely dry weak wine around 3-4%, stabilize, fortify and add more juice(or even concentrate) to it

Will be using glycerin to give it more body/smoother drink

Obviously not looking for the best tasting wine but I am trying to show my friends I can do it. Just curious if anyone has any ideas

cheers!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Look into making some port-type wine. Fermentation is stopped by adding brandy, so you get residual sweetness along with high ABV.

 

[k1v1116]

you can ferment to 25% theoretically with yeast. thats not strong enough? fortified means adding distilled spirits either moonshine or non-homebrewed stuff.

 

[Lothar]

Look into making some port-type wine. Fermentation is stopped by adding brandy, so you get residual sweetness along with high ABV.

durrr...that makes alot of sense. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Just one quick question on that, do I need to stabilize it at all or does the brandy pretty much take care of that?

 

[GooBrew]

How about just adding the cheapest Vodka you can find when fermenting in the carboy? I just did with a batch of welchs in the carboy, 350ml was $3.80. That'll up you Alc. %

PS, I dont really think MD 20/20 can be called wine lol.

 

[Lothar]

you can ferment to 25% theoretically with yeast. thats not strong enough? fortified means adding distilled spirits either moonshine or non-homebrewed stuff.

Theoretically communism works too lol

Getting that high of an abv would take forever to ferment out all the way I would think

 

[Yuri_Rage]

How about just adding the cheapest Vodka you can find when fermenting in the carboy? I just did with a batch of welchs in the carboy, 350ml was $3.80. That'll up you Alc. %

PS, I dont really think MD 20/20 can be called wine lol.

Pot...kettle...black...?

Back on topic:

If I had a recipe/technique for port, I'd post it. However, I've never attempted one, so I'll defer to the experts on this one.

 

[GooBrew]

Nope, Lairds 80 proof 40% ABV.

Distilled in the traditional style of Scobyville New Jersey for that old world taste.

 

[Lothar]

Pot...kettle...black...?

Back on topic:

If I had a recipe/technique for port, I'd post it. However, I've never attempted one, so I'll defer to the experts on this one.

Darn it. I was really hoping to be spoon fed some answers. Guess I'll just have to go do some research and look into it myself

 

[GooBrew]

College dorms can be a great place of discovery and "Wing it" Brewing lol.

 

[k1v1116]

from what ive found port is 1 part brandy 77%abv to 4 parts must 7%abv. the must would be a half fermented wine so you want a must that starts out around 1.105 SG and you would add brandy at around 1.050 SG. this would then be aged in oak for a number of years. I dont know where you are going to find a 77%abv un-oaked brandy, maybe you would look for a strong grappa/marc.

 

[Lothar]

I dont know where you are going to find a 77%abv un-oaked brandy, maybe you would look for a strong grappa/marc.

Neither do I lol

About to go look up some port wine recipes to see what I can find, will post results here later.

 

[gitano]

https://www.winesecrets.com/pages/grape-spirits

And, if you are sitting down...

https://organicalcohol.com/checkout/cart/

I fully understand that this is a VERY old thread. Still, you can't tell someone to "look through the archives" for an answered question, and at the same time ***** them out for opening an old thread. Well... yes you can, but you'd be wrong to do so.

Paul

 

[hamiltonkiler]

Here is how I go about my strawberry bourbon fortified wine. Start with 5 gals of must. By the time I rack it clean a few times over 3 months or so there is enough head space for a 1/2 gal of bourbon. I top up with the bourbon and let it sit a few weeks before I bottle it. The strawberry wine receipt I use is a “dessert” wine. Already high abv
Cheers.