Port question - colour

[hypnoticmonkey]

Hi all,

I've just tested the SG of my batch of GA's port, because airlock activity appeared to have slowed.

The SG was 1010, which is fine, it means it's time to add the next batch of sugar.

Of greater concern, though was the colour:

It contained 6lb of elderberries, 6lb of blackberries, 6lb of damsons as well as 3lb of raisins, to make 3 gallons.

Red wines mid-ferment have fooled me in this way before with the yeast in suspension giving a lighter colour. In fact the blackberry I have on the moment is split across two DJs, one of which has finished and is black, the other is still fermenting and looks more red. Same batch.

However, I can't help but feel this still looks a bit pale for port, with so much fruit. Do you agree? It had 7 days fermenting on the pulp, and the blackberries and elderberries had 24 hours of soaking in water before that, too.

Any thoughts?

 

[godfrey]

I have read that without red grape skins a red wine colour is not possible

the best you can hope for is a rose

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

I have made red wines before from elderberry and blackberries, so given that this is basically that recipe + damsons, I'm surprised it's looking so pale at this stage.

Yes, the Black and Elder wasn't completely deep red like grape wine, but it was definitely on the 'red wine' scale rather than 'rose'.

 

[godfrey]

perhaps you could add some red grape concentrate
instead of sugar feeding and also give a bit of colour and body :thumb:

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

Neat idea, Godfrey! I might very well try that...

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

I have read that without red grape skins a red wine colour is not possible

the best you can hope for is a rose

It's possible with elderberries, blackcurrants and blackberries, as long as you have enough of them. 2Lbs of elderberries and 2Lbs of blackberries per gallon is much more than would be needed to get a dark red.

 

[Moley]

I don't understand that at all, I strained a bucketful this morning made with 1.5 lbs each blackberries, elderberries and damsons to the gallon and that is almost black.

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

To be honest, it was almost black when I strained it.

I feel inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the yeast in suspension which is giving it a lighter colour and see how it looks when it's eventually finished fermenting and has cleared.

I had this with the blackberry wine I put on a month or so ago, looked black when strained, red when fermenting and black when the yeast had dropped out.

My concern is that this looks more red and less black than the blackberry did. That said, I'm looking at a very small quantity in a wine glass, and the blackberry I'm mentally comparing it to was a full gallon in the DJ.

For example:
While still fermenting:

Finished fermenting:

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

I will likely add a can of RGC when I can get my hands on one. Anyone know how much sugar is in one of those? I've never used one before...

 

[godfrey]

my cherry wine looks black in the DJ
but most defiantly light red or rose (a bit like cherryaid) when in a glass

I have 3 cans RGC here to add instead of sugar feeding
I will be topping up by SG not sugar in grams

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

I've siphoned out a wine glass full and left it in the fridge to encourage the sediment to drop out. Fearing the worst in terms of colour.

Had a sip and it tastes full of flavour, though! So, I'm expecting a nice wine, whatever it is!

 

[graysalchemy]

did you ferment on the pulp for a week?

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

did you ferment on the pulp for a week?

Yup! And pushed the pulp cap back into the must at least twice a day. :/

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

The more I ponder this, the more disappointed I'm feeling. I will give the glass in the fridge a few days to clear to check, but I can't see how it's going to give a deep reddy colour.

I still have some elderberries in the freezer. Tempted to bring them out, defrost them, put them in a bucket with some boiling water for 24 hours, add a litre or so of the fermenting port and leave it in there for a week, then add that to the port FV.

Is that likely to have a significant effect, do you think?

 

[godfrey]

my pulp is fermenting for a week, in about 8 hours time

the pulp is just mush now, i guess i will strain it off tomorrow

at which point it will be in the stage 2 narrow neck FV at least a month or more, for malolactic fermentation
during this period I will be slowly sugar feeding to increase the ABV, but not so fast that i stop the malolactic cultures.

then it will be transferred to DJ's for bulk ageing.
I hope i can drink 3 DJ's of other wine before this point lol

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

So, the glass I extracted sat in the fridge for a week or so to let the yeast drop out:

Such a change in colour to how it was before: