Banana Wine

[cardtarget]

No, haven't added them yet. Was going to wait the full two months in primary... but it seems clear enough now to do it. Just not sure if I should rack once more without raisins and then wait a month or if I should add them now and start the next step.

 

[dale1038]

No, haven't added them yet. Was going to wait the full two months in primary... but it seems clear enough now to do it. Just not sure if I should rack once more without raisins and then wait a month or if I should add them now and start the next step.

I'm in the same situation. I think I'm going to rack it onto the raisins. What did you decide?

 

[johnnync]

No, haven't added them yet. Was going to wait the full two months in primary... but it seems clear enough now to do it. Just not sure if I should rack once more without raisins and then wait a month or if I should add them now and start the next step.

I'm in the same situation. I think I'm going to rack it onto the raisins. What did you decide?

I would go ahead and rack and add the raisins. Don't forget to top up.

 

[cardtarget]

Ok then, I'll rack it onto the raisins tonight. That stuff looks SUPER hot right now... could probably run a car engine off of it.

 

[dale1038]

I racked it onto the raisins today. I didn't chop them up, as I was a bit limited on time. I'm guessing the yeast will chew threw them just fine.

 

[cardtarget]

I racked onto chopped raisins tonight. I only needed about 4-5 cups of water to top off after all the raisins for my 3 gallon batch.

 

[Rowdy]

have made this a few times now. with minor tweaks each time and has been awesome every time. just wondering if anyone has tried just bananas and sugar, without the raisins, acid blend etc? have two 5 gallon batches going right now thinking about skipping the raisins for a lighter bodied wine..

 

[TattooedViking9]

Anybody have an idea how I would scale the fruit if I were going to use strawberries as well? Or have a strawberry-banana recipe? Thanks


CHEERS!

 

[Rowdy]

Could probably leave it as is and add strawberries to secondary. Or cut back by 1/2 lb per gallon and add strawberries to primary recipe. I would opt to add puree to secondary forgoing the raisins. I think with strawberry added you would want a lighter body wine..

 

[dale1038]

I would probably get the large container of frozen sliced strawberries and put in primary. In a bag, 5 days, drain don't squeeze. One container per gallon.

 

[damlamb]

The only golden raisins I could find say they have been preserved with sulfur dioxide if I put these in will I kill the yeast or just slow it down a little?

 

[Rowdy]

Wow not sure what the heck happened but im racking one of the two batches I made and it has geletinized all the yeast pitched is settled right on top in rafts of jelly? Lol haven't checked the second batch. This ever happen to anyone before?

 

[wkaidy]

whats the advantage to keeping the peel on the fruit? it seems to me that there is probably a lot of harshness that could be extracted from them and not alot of sugar.

 

[Yooper]

whats the advantage to keeping the peel on the fruit? it seems to me that there is probably a lot of harshness that could be extracted from them and not alot of sugar.

You can definitely make it your own way. My recipe is great, and works for me. It has great banana flavor, and that is the point.

 

[WesleyS]

whats the advantage to keeping the peel on the fruit? it seems to me that there is probably a lot of harshness that could be extracted from them and not alot of sugar.

I guess you wouldn't have to use the peel , but I don't think there's reason not to. As far as harshness is concerned, I didn't notice any in the batch I made earlier this year. Of course, it's not ready to drink yet, but in all the samples taken when racking there was never any harshness or bitterness that I detected. In fact, the peels probably contribute to the banana character of the wine.

 

[johnnync]

You can definitely make it your own way. My recipe is great, and works for me. It has great banana flavor, and that is the point.

I was watching a TV show the other night (the one that can't be talked about) and they were peeling the bananas for something other than wine, and I thought there doing it wrong, Yopper doesn't peel her bananas!

 

[Homercidal]

Just bottled my first 1 gallon batch last night. Had to use beer bottles as I could not manage to borrow a corker and really wanted to get that jug off my credenza.

It's not bad. Not really any banana flavor or aroma that I can detect. Not like when I sampled the last racking. Not sweet, not too dry either. Still has a bit of alcohol bite, but much less than before.

I doubt a wine drinking person would call it a great tasting wine. But, at least it's lacking a noticeable tartness and that's good for me.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

Homer, how did bottling that turn out? I'm in the same boat as you.....35 empty wine bottles and no corker yet. My banana wine currently is at 14 months (center in pic) and I need the jug for other alcoholic inventions.

 

[dougen]

First time making this wine

 

[Homercidal]

Homer, how did bottling that turn out? I'm in the same boat as you.....35 empty wine bottles and no corker yet. My banana wine currently is at 14 months (center in pic) and I need the jug for other alcoholic inventions.

View attachment 87186

It was very easy. I used a funnel to pour (carefully as I could) into each bottle and capped with beer caps. I had two clear bottles a few regulars, and one kind of rounded (Orval??) bottle that looks pretty cool.

I'll pass some around on New Years Eve party when we all get together and get happy. The ladies can tell me what they think. My wife already mentioned that it has lost a lot of the heat it had this spring.

I was just bummed at the lack of banana flavor. I really expected some subtle flavor after I tasted at the last racking. Not sure what is wrong.

 

[Homercidal]

First time making this wine

View attachment 87960

Yup. That looks about right! =8D

 

[Yooper]

It was very easy. I used a funnel to pour (carefully as I could) into each bottle and capped with beer caps. I had two clear bottles a few regulars, and one kind of rounded (Orval??) bottle that looks pretty cool.

I'll pass some around on New Years Eve party when we all get together and get happy. The ladies can tell me what they think. My wife already mentioned that it has lost a lot of the heat it had this spring.

I was just bummed at the lack of banana flavor. I really expected some subtle flavor after I tasted at the last racking. Not sure what is wrong.

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.

 

[dougen]

Just the waiting game now..and I split the sugar went with a 1lb of light brown and a 1lb of white sugar and I put a cinn. stick in primary and gonna put one in the sec.

 

[Revvy]

I just bottled 2.5 gallons of this incredible stuff. I had forgotten about this for nearly a year, sitting on the raisins. And it is still awesome. I did this for my Banana Breads, but it is a nice drinking wine as it is. Had anyone found anything to do with the wine soaked raisins? I'm thinking about making a cake or bread with them....I just bagged them and stuck them in the freezer.

 

[WesleyS]

I just bottled 2.5 gallons of this incredible stuff. I had forgotten about this for nearly a year, sitting on the raisins. And it is still awesome. I did this for my Banana Breads, but it is a nice drinking wine as it is. Had anyone found anything to do with the wine soaked raisins? I'm thinking about making a cake or bread with them....I just bagged them and stuck them in the freezer.

Sounds like an interesting idea for the raisins. I'll probably try to find some use for mine since I'll have 4 lbs of them in the next month or so when I transfer off of them.

 

[Revvy]

Sounds like an interesting idea for the raisins. I'll probably try to find some use for mine since I'll have 4 lbs of them in the next month or so when transfer off of them.

I actually found these recipes that talk about soaking raisins or other fruits. I figure I'll through something together based on the info in here. Or 'll go completely the opposite route and use them to stuff some form of protein with them, like a fish, or some meat that I can roll up, tie and roast....or both.

 

[WesleyS]

Or 'll go completely the opposite route and use them to stuff some form of protein with them, like a fish, or some meat that I can roll up, tie and roast....or both.

That sounds like a good idea. That or use them in a golden raisin and couscous stuffing for poultry or lamb. Mmmmmmm.....Now I can't wait to rack my wine!

 

[CaptainLongneck]

I'm on day six and I have these flakes floating around, and settling above my foam line. They don't look to me like a bac or mold.... But?

To me they look like.... Crunched pieces of flat pasta crunched into tiny flakes, cooked al dente...

It's only a half gallon batch so it's no biggie ( of course it's a big deal) if its bad. But I needs the knowledge.

 

[Revvy]

That sounds like a good idea. That or use them in a golden raisin and couscous stuffing for poultry or lamb. Mmmmmmm.....Now I can't wait to rack my wine!

That's a great idea. Only trouble is they're pretty mushy at this point One might want to mix in some fresh ones with them or some slivered almonds for a texture.

Hmmm...I do a "peaches and cream pork loin" that is stuffed with peaches and feta cheese, rolled and roasted. I wonder if I could do something like a Moroccan crusted and stuffed pork loin with it....Maybe not, maybe something carribean because of the banana?

 

[WesleyS]

That's a great idea. Only trouble is they're pretty mushy at this point One might want to mix in some fresh ones with them or some slivered almonds for a texture.

Hmmm...I do a "peaches and cream pork loin" that is stuffed with peaches and feta cheese, rolled and roasted. I wonder if I could do something like a Moroccan crusted and stuffed pork loin with it....Maybe not, maybe something carribean because of the banana?

That's true. I'll have to assess the consistency of the raisins and how much wine flavor is in them to see what they'll be best suited for.
That peaches and cream pork loin sounds awesome!