"Franco" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I am interested in making a batch of port the non-fortified way (I want
> to make it by adding sugar until the alcohol level is high enough). I'm
> not interested in a particular recipe as much as in figuring out some
> general guidelines for making port out of different types of fruit. By
> reading older posts on the subject of port, I gathered the following
> information:
>
> "Simplest way to do it is to start with your must around 1.120 using EC
> 1116, KV 1116 or Premier Cuvee yeast.
>
> When the SG drops to about 1.010, add enough sugar syrup to increase
> the SG to 1.020. Do this a couple of times (or until the yeast fails)
> and you will be in the alcohol range of about 18 to 20%.
>
> Sweeten it to about 1.020 SG, and either fortify with a brandy or
> neutral spirit if desired or bottle it and let it age for a year or
> two."
>
>
> OK, a few questions:
>
> 1) What should be a good range of TA before fermentation starts?
Somewhere around 6 grams per liter for a grape wine.
> 2) What about tannin extraction? Is it better to press early or late?
I normally press at the end of the extended fermentation when using
Zinfandel. But, that might produce too much astringency with grapes
containing lots of tannin.
> 3) Out of curiosity, has anybody ever tried chaptalizing (I think
> that's the right term for the gradual addition of sugar) with grape
> concentrate instead of just sugar? Good or bad idea? How about using
> inverted sugar instead of regular sugar? Does it matter one way or
> another?
I have used concentrate before. It worked OK but didn't seem to provide any
particular benefit. Using inverted sugar or regular sugar (sucrose) makes
little difference. The yeast produce an enzyme that hydrolyses sucrose into
fructose and glucose.
> 4) What levels of free SO2 should we have when we bottle it?
It depends on the style of Port you are trying to produce. If you are
making a tawny Port, then you want some oxidation and would use little or no
SO2. On the other hand, normal amounts of SO2 would be used if you are
producing a ruby Port. At 18 to 20 percent alcohol, the wine will be
biologically stable in any event.
> Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.
Good luck with your Port,
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA
www.geocities.com/lumeisenman