Hi all, I've been reading along with facination the recent threads on
this board and others about making port. I would really like to try to
make some, but only have a vague idea how to do it. There doesn't
seam to be a lot to it, but a few people make it sound like it is
quite difficult. I would like to make it the traditional style, using
160 proof brandy (I've found a source).
Is there any links or sources on the web available? There is SOOO
much available on making wine, but I haven't found anything on making
port.
Thanks for any help

Hi all, I've been reading along with facination the recent threads on
this board and others about making port. I would really like to try to
make some, but only have a vague idea how to do it. There doesn't
seam to be a lot to it, but a few people make it sound like it is
quite difficult. I would like to make it the traditional style, using
160 proof brandy (I've found a source).
Is there any links or sources on the web available? There is SOOO
much available on making wine, but I haven't found anything on making
port.
Thanks for any help


It is fairly simple: when fermentation is at desired sugar level
(acutally, start when slightly sweeter (1-2 brix) as there will be
some drift after the fortification), add enough alcohol to bring the
total alc concentration to 17-19%. Press, then age (in old oak if
possible). For a tawny, 5-10 years with an annual racking. For a
ruby, 1-2 years with no racking.

The main difficulty comes from estimating the volume of must, which I
do by weight.

The calculation for the fortification is fairly straight forward if
you are familiar with Peason's Square. I find the calculator on the
following website to be rather useful:

http://users.stargate.net/~mshapiro/convert.html

clyde

StarrFarms1 wrote:

I would like to make it the traditional style, using
160 proof brandy (I've found a source).

Just out of sheer curiousity, would you mind sharing your source?

When I try making a traditional port next year, I will probably use the
canadian version of everclear.

--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

Clyde Gill wrote in message . ..
Hi all, I've been reading along with facination the recent threads on
this board and others about making port. I would really like to try to
make some, but only have a vague idea how to do it. There doesn't
seam to be a lot to it, but a few people make it sound like it is
quite difficult. I would like to make it the traditional style, using
160 proof brandy (I've found a source).
Is there any links or sources on the web available? There is SOOO
much available on making wine, but I haven't found anything on making
port.
Thanks for any help


You can find some complete instructions in the Winemaker magazine dec
2002 or the very good book of Daniel Pambianchi "Techniques in Home
Winemaking" the revised and expanded edition.

Good luck
Séb

Pretty please could you let me in on your source the high proof brandy - The
frozen california Zin I ordered looks to have ended up with a Brix of around
30, so it's likely I'll make port with it. I'd much rather use brandy than
everclear.

Thanks!
Alastair

On 11/5/03 1:37 PM, in article
, "StarrFarms1"
wrote:

Hi all, I've been reading along with facination the recent threads on
this board and others about making port. I would really like to try to
make some, but only have a vague idea how to do it. There doesn't
seam to be a lot to it, but a few people make it sound like it is
quite difficult. I would like to make it the traditional style, using
160 proof brandy (I've found a source).
Is there any links or sources on the web available? There is SOOO
much available on making wine, but I haven't found anything on making
port.
Thanks for any help

The guy that is making the brandy is just starting out his business.
He said it won't be available for sale until around Christmas. I
emailed him for permission to give out his email early. When I hear
back from him tomarrow, I'll let the group know.
Thanks for the help making a port everyone!
Are there any links on the web for making this stuff? It seems like
an elusive topic...

I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

Thad


Alastair Thomson wrote in message ...
Pretty please could you let me in on your source the high proof brandy - The
frozen california Zin I ordered looks to have ended up with a Brix of around
30, so it's likely I'll make port with it. I'd much rather use brandy than
everclear.

Here are links for some info on port wine making.
http://www.ivp.pt/uk/Enologia/enologia1.shtm
http://www.roadkill.com/~davet/portWineFAQ.html
http://www.rozes.pt/UK/portwine/how_port_is_made.htm

And links to sites from major contributors to this page!

http://home.att.net/~lumeisenman/ Chapter 21: Fruit Wine has a step by
step recipe for making a Berry Port

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/ Jack has several recipes for port
or port style wines.

http://members.tripod.com/~BRotter/ Lots of good info here too!

Good Luck, have fun!

"StarrFarms1" wrote in message
om...
The guy that is making the brandy is just starting out his business.
He said it won't be available for sale until around Christmas. I
emailed him for permission to give out his email early. When I hear
back from him tomarrow, I'll let the group know.
Thanks for the help making a port everyone!
Are there any links on the web for making this stuff? It seems like
an elusive topic...

I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

Thad


Alastair Thomson wrote in message
...
Pretty please could you let me in on your source the high proof brandy -
The
frozen california Zin I ordered looks to have ended up with a Brix of
around
30, so it's likely I'll make port with it. I'd much rather use brandy
than
everclear.

On 11/5/03 9:53 PM, in article 3fa9c5d5$0$25370$afc38c87@, "Jack Schmidling"
wrote:


"Alastair Thomson"

Pretty please could you let me in on your source the high proof brandy -
The
frozen california Zin I ordered looks to have ended up with a Brix of
around
30, so it's likely I'll make port with it. I'd much rather use brandy than
everclear.

What is wrong with any old cheap brandy like Christian Brothers?


Ideally, for port fortification, you want High Proof brandy in order to
minimize the dilution of your port. That is, 160 proof (80% alcohol) or
higher is best. Standard brandy, like Christian brothers, is only 80 proof
(40% alcohol), so in order to fortify your wine up to 17-19% alcohol, you
are adding almost up to 50% brandy and it gets diluted.

If you can't find high proof brandy, look for everclear in your area (95%
alcohol).

--
Greg Cook
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/Wine

(remove spamblocker from my email)

StarrFarms1 wrote:

I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

That's standard for usenet... takes a while for the messages to
propegate to each server.

--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

That's standard for usenet... takes a while for the messages to
propegate to each server.


Not standard here. My post show up almost instantaneously.

The op is using google groups which is www based and the post won't
ever show up for a period of time. It tells you that when you use it.
Usenet works independently.


clyde

Clyde Gill wrote:



I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

That's standard for usenet... takes a while for the messages to
propegate to each server.


Not standard here. My post show up almost instantaneously.

The op is using google groups which is www based and the post won't
ever show up for a period of time. It tells you that when you use it.
Usenet works independently.

Yeah, my posts show up to my own server as soon as I post them, but it
will still take some time, although not 3-9 hrs to propegate to the
other servers. *shrug*

--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 11:45:33 -0500, Charles H
wrote:

Clyde Gill wrote:



I have another querry. Does it take everyone 3-9 hrs for their post
to appear on the board?

That's standard for usenet... takes a while for the messages to
propegate to each server.


Not standard here. My post show up almost instantaneously.

The op is using google groups which is www based and the post won't
ever show up for a period of time. It tells you that when you use it.
Usenet works independently.

Yeah, my posts show up to my own server as soon as I post them, but it
will still take some time, although not 3-9 hrs to propegate to the
other servers. *shrug*

I use two news servers. One's about 40 miles away, the other is on
the other side of the planet. Post will show up from both pretty much
instantaneously.

Your post I'm replying to shows that it was posted 45 minutes from
now. Now that's fast!! Must've went the opposite way around the
globe!

clyde

Alastair Thomson wrote in message ...
I'd much rather use brandy than everclear.

Thanks!
Alastair



I'm curious as to why.

Will something that is distilled to 160 or 190 proof really have any
flavor left that would change the finished wine?

Andy

I'd much rather use brandy than everclear.

Thanks!
Alastair



I'm curious as to why.

Will something that is distilled to 160 or 190 proof really have any
flavor left that would change the finished wine?

Andy


Sure it does. In fact, the flavors/aromas are greatly concentrated.
It's just that grain spirits have the least amount of flavor of all
distillates.

There is great variation in the qualities of unaged brandy depending
on the vintage, ventor, etc. There is also a significant difference
in the aroma/flavor of everclear compared to brandy, regardless of
what the vendor might claim.

BTW, by definition, it's all distilled to 190 proof. Dilution is
required to get back to 160, or 80 or whatever.

With that said, the negative organoleptic impact of everclear is much
less than what's created from the dilution when using lower
concentrations of alc.

clyde

Here's the contact information fro the brandy!
His name is John Stringer. As usual, I have no association with his
company, just wanted to pass on this information


"
Pretty please could you let me in on your source the high proof brandy -
The
frozen california Zin I ordered looks to have ended up with a Brix of
around
30, so it's likely I'll make port with it. I'd much rather use brandy than
everclear.

What is wrong with any old cheap brandy like Christian Brothers?