JDWebb
Well-Known Member
So it’s well known in my family that I love a good port wine, a nice cigar and a bite of a good cheddar. I always keep a few bottles of port around, a few of my favorites include Taylor Fladgate’s 20 year tawny, Quinta Das Carvalhas 20 year tawny and Graham’s 10 year. Ports are generally sweet, high alcohol yet have an amazing finish if you sit and think about it while you’re sipping. This prompted me to attempt making a port style mead a few months ago. As I sit here writing this, I have one aging on some cognac-soaked French oak. Boasting almost 20% ABV, it is sweet, flavorful and alluring. Cherry is prominent in this port, with hints of dark fruits, blackberry, black currant, the cognac gives it a nice balance and the finish is where the oak comes into play as you swallow.
I have been pondering another port mead and finally collected all the ingredients. Keep in mind that these two projects are quite expensive if you have to buy the 15 pounds of honey. Because of this, I take extra care while working on them as it can be quite intense. Besides the expense, you’re working with a very high gravity recipe. The objective here is to coax the yeast to produce alcohol somewhere near the 20% range without it turning to rocket fuel. This means fermenting at a cooler temperature than you would wine, my Blackberry Cherry project was fermented at 68º F and it was a slow process so lots of patience is needed as well.
My next project is centered around plum and black currants with a hint of sweet cherry. I will be using a blend of Sirah, Red Zinfandel and Cabernet grape juice, dried cherries and bananas during fermentation, and will rest it on dark sweet cherries for a month before adding brandy and French oak for a tawny-like flavor. Here’s the recipe:
1 can ea Alexander’s Cab, Red Zin & Sirah
15 lbs total honey (*9 lbs Dutch Gold Avacado/Wildflower honey up front)
1/2 can ea Vintners Plum & Black Currant puree
1 1/2 lbs very ripe bananas thick sliced skin on and 8 oz dried cherries simmered gently for 5 min
Water to a SG of 1.160+ (*honey addition needs to be controlled at this point)
Wyeast 4946 high gravity yeast
Now, at this point you may have to adjust the starting temps a bit. Keep it warm until you get a good, healthy and vigorous fermentation going, then start lowering the temp.
At 1.080 – 60 – 3 more lbs of honey, remove bananas and cherries stir in slowly (bananas may sink to the bottom, this is OK) A little oxygen is OK here also, but not too much.
At 1.040-20 – another 3 lbs of honey – looking to push the ABV to about 20%
Secondary with 1/2 can ea of Plum & Black Currant puree
2 lbs mixed cherries for at least a month to 6 weeks.
Tertiary with 4 oz brandy soaked oak, 750 ml of good brandy after racking off the cherries. Give it 4 to 5 weeks, it you want more oak, add it 1 oz at a time, wait a few weeks and taste it. Once you add it, you can’t take it out.
Patience, lots of patience and attention is needed for this project. Daily monitoring, gravity readings is necessary to ensure a good ferment. Remember, you’re trying to push the yeast beyond it’s rated ABV, somewhere around 20%. A good head of steam is needed to accomplish this so think of the yeast as your children, give them the same attention, love and care.
I have been pondering another port mead and finally collected all the ingredients. Keep in mind that these two projects are quite expensive if you have to buy the 15 pounds of honey. Because of this, I take extra care while working on them as it can be quite intense. Besides the expense, you’re working with a very high gravity recipe. The objective here is to coax the yeast to produce alcohol somewhere near the 20% range without it turning to rocket fuel. This means fermenting at a cooler temperature than you would wine, my Blackberry Cherry project was fermented at 68º F and it was a slow process so lots of patience is needed as well.
My next project is centered around plum and black currants with a hint of sweet cherry. I will be using a blend of Sirah, Red Zinfandel and Cabernet grape juice, dried cherries and bananas during fermentation, and will rest it on dark sweet cherries for a month before adding brandy and French oak for a tawny-like flavor. Here’s the recipe:
1 can ea Alexander’s Cab, Red Zin & Sirah
15 lbs total honey (*9 lbs Dutch Gold Avacado/Wildflower honey up front)
1/2 can ea Vintners Plum & Black Currant puree
1 1/2 lbs very ripe bananas thick sliced skin on and 8 oz dried cherries simmered gently for 5 min
Water to a SG of 1.160+ (*honey addition needs to be controlled at this point)
Wyeast 4946 high gravity yeast
Now, at this point you may have to adjust the starting temps a bit. Keep it warm until you get a good, healthy and vigorous fermentation going, then start lowering the temp.
At 1.080 – 60 – 3 more lbs of honey, remove bananas and cherries stir in slowly (bananas may sink to the bottom, this is OK) A little oxygen is OK here also, but not too much.
At 1.040-20 – another 3 lbs of honey – looking to push the ABV to about 20%
Secondary with 1/2 can ea of Plum & Black Currant puree
2 lbs mixed cherries for at least a month to 6 weeks.
Tertiary with 4 oz brandy soaked oak, 750 ml of good brandy after racking off the cherries. Give it 4 to 5 weeks, it you want more oak, add it 1 oz at a time, wait a few weeks and taste it. Once you add it, you can’t take it out.
Patience, lots of patience and attention is needed for this project. Daily monitoring, gravity readings is necessary to ensure a good ferment. Remember, you’re trying to push the yeast beyond it’s rated ABV, somewhere around 20%. A good head of steam is needed to accomplish this so think of the yeast as your children, give them the same attention, love and care.
