Port anyone?

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Joe Fox

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Thinking of trying to make port using a 5l red wine kit but what is the ratio of spirit (brandy) to wine? Guessing not 50/50. Also will it need clearing?
 
Home made port, sounds delicious but one must ask...What could possibly go wrong?😜

My wife may have forgotten many things, but me throwing up in the kitchen sink and down the curtains after too much port and whisky after a Sergeants' Mess Burns Night in Cyprus is not one of them. The red stain never did come out of the curtains...
 
I will have to go easy. I have 20 litres of Beetroot wine on the go so might take 5 litres of that to give it a try 😀
 
Cant help you with the procedure but this calculator should work for the amount of alcohol.

https://www.vinolab.hr/calculator/fortification-spirit-addition-en41
So if you have 5 litres of 12% wine and want to fortify it to 20% you would add 2L of forty percent brandy giving you 7L at 20%.

*5L of 12% wine contains .6L of alcohol
*2L of 40% Brandy contains .8L of alcohol
Total of alcohol on 7L alcohol is 1.4L or 20%).
 
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If you use regular brandy, you won't end up with port. You need aguardente although a brandy is clear, unaged and around 70-80% ABV.

That said, I'd love to know how you get on using brandy.
 
Beetroot wine...what's that like?
Hi Clint

one of the family favourites at our house. 5 litres Welches Purple Grape, 5 litres Beet It Beetroot juice from Tesco, 4
bags sugar and all the usual additions. Just used4 ltrs of the wine which is almost finished with a bottle of Napoleon Brandy. It’s pretty good but needs a bit of back sweetening
 
If you use regular brandy, you won't end up with port. You need aguardente although a brandy is clear, unaged and around 70-80% ABV.

That said, I'd love to know how you get on using brandy.
Did a bit of reading and using brandy is a quick fix as you get the oak flavour without using chips. Also can be bottled sooner. Tasted good but leaving it to clear for a few weeks
 
Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 last night included a visit to Graham's if you want to get an idea of how the real thing is made, it'll be on All4. IIRC they use 77% spirit.
 
Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 last night included a visit to Graham's if you want to get an idea of how the real thing is made, it'll be on All4. IIRC they use 77% spirit.

Following on from that program - I was very surprised at how short a shelf life an open bottle of port has - it would appear to be at its best up to 2 months after opening dependant on the type of port. Just wondered if the same is true of home-brew port? G
 
And leave for 30 years in a suitable barrell! Most of old ports are blended ie 30 years plus some 20 year plus some 10 is called 30 year. If it is not a crusty bottle then assume blended
 

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