Thanks, Lum. One more question: what is a typical amount of residual
sugar (%) in port wine?



Lum Eisenman wrote:
> "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