super yeasts and fortified wine

[winefly]

Dear Brew Gurus:
I am brand new to your forum and I've signed up to draw on your vast intellectual database. I've been making my own wine for five or six years now and I must admit that, though not a perfectionist, or certainly not an aficionado I do enjoy it. At heart I'm a whisky drinker but gentil pressure (a.k.a. nagging) from my spouse has led me down the healthier path to red wine. That being said I have spent many an evening in the basement with my mad scientist labcoat on trying to coax the highest abv out of my wine I can get. I've had some success with the basics, adding dextrose by the cupful after the initial fermentation until the yeast was overwhelmed. I read up on fortified wine and experimented with some batches that I cut with brandy or vodka before bottling...I liked it but it's not cost effective. I,ve been reading up on the super yeasts and what I want to know is can I brew a batch of high abv clear liquid with no taste that i can use to cut my wine with to fortify it, keeping in mind I do not want to distill. Its important to remember that I know it wont taste like a 12% table wine...it,s nice to have something on the rack with a little more kick for certain occasions.
Cheers

 

[TheBigLebrewsk1]

No, you cannot.

No taste means 100% ethanol, which you won't get even with a still. Distillers yeast produces congeners, if I spelled that right, and it is flavor compound.

Super yeast- easy, it's called turbo yeast and it's f'n explosive, especially the 24 hr version. Barley or wheat fermentations are gushers, cane sugar stays in the carboy.

 

[winefly]

The big lebrewski...hahaha that in itself is worth the time it took me to write out this post. thanks for taking the time to reply but I think "the dude" would have found a way to make a homegrown Caucasian

 

[TheBigLebrewsk1]

The dude abides, good luck

 

[theDREWery]

I've had good luck with Red Star Premere Cuvee / EC-1118 getting to 18-21% ABV.

Front load some nutrients, start at about SG 1.090-1.100, and when it hits 1.010 or less, add about 1/2 lb sugar per gallon, and stir the yeast back into suspension.

Using just Welch's Concord grape juice, I've gotten some pretty durn good, port-tasting wines using this meathod.