Port: does anyone here make it?

[BigAndo]

Does anyone here make port? I don't like wine at all, but I love port, so I'd love to try making it!


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[Dan]

Port + a cold winter night + a fireplace + a good cigar = heaven. (in my book anyway)

I've never made port. Have you found any recipes yet?

 

[milldoggy]

Love port. You will need some grape brandy to fortify it. Not sure you can get it in the states. Think it is called ginjinja, or at least that is what it is called when soaked in cherrys. Here is an article that may help http://www.eldoradohomewinemaking.com/index.php/port-wine-instructions

 

[BigAndo]

I'm in the uk, but that probably doesn't things any easier! However, my dad stays in Portugal a lot of the time, and we know people who make the local home brewed spirit, I'm just not sure about the legality of getting it into the uk. In Portugal, they can make it at home, but not sell it! (It's serious stuff, btw) There are bound to be alternatives though.


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[cla]

I made coffee port once from a kit. I also took some pear wine that I had made but it was too thin for my taste. So I added a little brandy to it and called it port.



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[Brewkowski]

I've made a few port style fruit wines, I used a typical brandy from a liquor store to fortify it, then aged it on some Hungarian oak. Technically you're supposed to start your fermentation and then pour in the brandy to fortify it to stop fermentation (kills yeasts due to high alcohol level) and then age it from there. Every time I've made it I let it go to dry and back sweetened it with more fruit juice and then added brandy and oak. I've never been to a port winery, so not sure about the exact techniques but this is the general idea. I still have one bottle of blueberry port left from 2012, and with the cold weather I'm wishing I'd made more.

 

[newbiewinemaker]

There is a 3 Gallon Chocolate Strawberry Port Recipe on here. It is not my recipe but I have pasted the link below. I ordered in some Fresh Strawberries and am getting ready to give this a shot myself. I have heard when it comes to making ports that patience is key. These can take a very long time to make and age before becoming great. Here is the link and good luck!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/chocolate-strawberry-port-151004/

 

[Unferth]

I've made port a couple ways, both of them are more hands on than regular wine.

1) easiest: start a high gravity wine, somewhere in the 1.2-1.3 range, with a powerful yeast. EC1118 is a common one, as is K1V-1116; they are pretty neutral as well which can be good. Some of the Burgundy yeast strains are great as well and can tolerate a lot but impart some nice signature flavors. When the wine is at about 10-12% ABV, or is as sweet as you want it (typically 1.03 range), add crushed campden, a bottle of O.K. brandy (no need to go top shelf), and (if possible) cold crash it.

2) slightly more hands on: again start with a high gravity wine, and continue to add fermentables (I like grape concentrate mixed with sugar) as the points drop, along with a little yeast nutrient. Eventually the yeast will poop out; but try to time it where they kill out on the low side (1.01-2ish). you can always backsweeten.

It is good stuff, but takes longer to age out. My cherry port is just now ready to bottle and I started it in August 2012. It was just too boozy and sugary before, now it has a nice, deep, warm silky sweetness to it that is fantastic with chocolate, a nice young lady, and a long winter night.

 

[barnaclebob]

I've got a gallon of blackberry port in the closet, fortified with everclear. Come bottling time i'm going to age half of it in a 2L whiskey barrel to see what happens.

 

[BigAndo]

Cherry port and blackberry port both sound pretty delicious!


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