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?

2) What about tannin extraction? Is it better to press early or late?

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?

4) What levels of free SO2 should we have when we bottle it?

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.