Buying high proof brandy to make fortified wine

Hi all, I've been looking online for sources of high proof alcohol so I can make a late harvest port style wine this year. All I can come up with is everclear and various 151 proof rums. I'd like to do this with a "real" brandy so the flavor comes as close to port as possible. Can anyone suggest commercial sources for uncut (130-170 proof) brandy? If everclear and other kinds work well I'll use them too-this is my 1st time doing a port-style. Thanks, Sam

Sam, I don't believe high proof brandy is not available on the retail market. I think your best bet is Everclear. lum

I use everclear. I have never seen high proof brandy on the market. I believe, with high proof brandy that commercial port makers use, there is very little of the wine taste left in it. From experience with two ports now, I am pleased with the results using everclear.

A question regarding Port style wines. (A first attempt)!

I just bottled 15 bottles of Blueberry Melomel in a port style. Starting with the original melomel that had an alcohol count of 12.5%, I added to each bottle, 125 ml of 40% brandy to make a port of about 17%. Both the melomel and the port were clear, but I now see that a substantial precipitate has formed in the bottles. The precipitate started to form within a few hours of mixing and now after a week it is rather noticeable when the bottle is disturbed. The precipitate is dark brown, and rapidly falls to the bottom of the bottle, fortunately the rest of the fluid seems to have retained its color.

Is this kind of reaction normal?

It appears that it would have been best to mix and let settle before bottling. Has anybody had this kind of thing happen to them?

Just a suggestion but my suggestion is to use as little everclear or whatever as possible by using a yeast with a high alcohol tolerance and feeding it slowly so you can get it up to 17-19% alcohol without adding anything. Everclear will definitely dilute the taste of the fruit. No this is not the way they do it in general commercially but then they do not want to spend the time of babying the wine along. You, as an armature can. If you want to use a yeast that might generate a specific taste but will not yield the alcohol level desired, then start with your yeast. When it is going good, inoculate with the high alcohol yeast. Then when the taste generating yeast fails, the high alcohol yeast will kick in.

Ray

For the most part, this is not true. Dilution will occur regardless of how the alcohol is introduced. (13.5 pounds of sugar increases wine volume by one gallon). Also, when high proof is added at the proper time, early in the fermentation, the extraction created by the increase in ethyl alcohol will counteract any dilution, especially if the must was condensed in the first place... a good quality when making port, btw.

The character difference is dramatic between an arrested fermentation and one that is simply allowed to reach higher alcohol concentrations through chaptalization. Much more fruit components are left in an alcohol arrested fermentation, just like in a thermally arrested fermentation.

Again, this is false. If it were a better method, it would be practiced commercially by someone, somewhere. Beyond everything else, adding that much sugar happens to be illegal here in the states for commercial wine.

clyde

If you do choose to use a commercial brandy, PAARL (South Africa) is the best in its price range for that purpose IMO. I.E. basis a few liqueur making trials and errrors.

22 Brix wrote: Is this kind of reaction normal?

Basically, yes, if there's something in the wine that is only borderline soluble at 12.5% ETOH, but less soluble at 17%. All you did was render something insoluble by making the wine a little more non-polar. In the back of my head I seem to recall a test for something (protein?) that involves adding a dose of methanol to cause a precipitate. Perhaps you triggered a flocculation of protein & tannins or anthocyanins? Probably no real harm done, other than esthetic.

The same thing can happen when blending two wines of different pH, etc. As you point out, it's always best to see what unexpected things happen when we tinker.

HTH, Mike MTM

Adding 100 ml of methanol to 30 ml of wine will cause jelly-like clots or strings if there is a pectin haze.

Guys, Thanks alot for the advice-I will stop the fermentation with everclear at 8-10 Brix and macerate for another 1-2 weeks before pressing. Has anyone "cheated" by doing a saignee before ptiching and tossing in the extra skins for more color and flavor? Was it worthwhile? I'll post on the wine's major antics as it undergoes controlled decomposition.... Thanks again, Sam

Try contacting some local commercial winemakers if you have some nearby that make port. Someone may be willing to help you out in obtaining some high-proof brandy. I've had port fortified with brandy and with grain alcohol (from different wineries), and although I can't say for sure if there is a noticable difference due to the fortification method since every wine has its own distinct taste, just knowing that your port uses all grape additions is rewarding in itself. After all, I wouldn't think that the ports from Portugal use grain alcohol for fortification.

Clyde wrote,with respect to stopping fermentation of a port by adding high test alcohol, "The character difference is dramatic between an arrested fermentation and one that is simply allowed to reach higher alcohol concentrations through chaptalization. Much more fruit components are left in an alcohol arrested fermentation, just like in a thermally arrested fermentation."

Hi Clyde - Holyfield Winery, in Basehor Kansas, make a great tasting port from Leon Millot and Foch grapes. Les uses the high alcohol brandy that is discussed in this thread and he stops fermentation as you suggest. I'll have to check with him on the particulars. If you were making a port at what brix would you add the alcohol to stop fermentation? Is this mainly a taste thing or do you have a general sugar content that you would shoot for? Thanks.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas

I suspect a winery would be very reluctant to give or sell you any distilled spirits. Most probably do not have a license to do so.

I have read a recent thread here on a freeze concentration method. You can google to look for the thread. There was a link to a web page that illustrated this method well. It used "tornado tubes" and two liter bottles. Shown in the pictures, it seemed that the vast majority of the stuff left behind in the freeze concentration method was ice, i.e. water. So, I know someone will chime in and say "this is distillation--illegal--blah, blah--this will concentrate the heads and tails as well." Yes, this is technically true to some extent.

But I was curious about doing a hybrid method: part freeze concentration, just to boost up the flavor profile a bit, and part standard sweetening and fortifying (also illegal, I may add, but what the hell, most of the fun things in life are...). I was wondering about the merits of brandy, grain alcohol, or even a high quality grappa. I'm not sure, as the brandy or grappa has that snob appeal, but then again, the grain is the highest proof, and would yield the alcohol content desired but with the least dilution.

So what do you all think about the hybrid method idea? I have not tried any method yet. But I am damn curious, I'll tell you what.

Regards,

Deadend

Is it actually illegal (in the US I assume) to add alcohol to your homemade wine?

Any type of distillation is highly illegal in the U.S. If you get caught, BBB (Benevolent Big Brother) can legally confiscate not only your still, and your whiskey, but ALL the real property and chattels on the property where the still is found! This ludicrous prohibition era law which is still on the books, and actively enforced, can and has been applied to freeze distillation. Rule of thumb: find some public property at least 10 miles from yours, to run that still. And set a bangalor mine field around the perimeter (also illegal, but what pretty fireworks).

No. In the US, it is illegal to produce alcohol via (any form of) distillation, but one can add anything one wishes (except class 3 controlled substances) to wine or beer for personal consumption.

The law in Canada is similar.

In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to add alcohol to anything (or to posses it) --- unless you are an Emir, in which case the law is your personal servant. The penalty for distillation is beheading. The penalty for imbibing is watching a beheading before your own. The penalty for possession is a public whipping (39 lashes).

In Mezcal, the penalty for distillation is 1/5 your production to the local constabulary for "qa assurance".

No, it's definitely not illegal to add alcohol that was purchased (and all due taxes paid). The only thing that would be illegal is concentration of alcohol - I believe through distillation AND freeze concentration.

No, they can't use grain alcohol in Portugal, but the "brandy" they use is more like grain alcohol than the brandy you buy in a store.

In Portugal, they use highly distilled, clear liquor that is made from grapes. It is not really what we would consider brandy. Brandy you buy in a store is distilled to around 80 proof and aged in heavily charred barrels that imparts both color and flavor to the product. They wouldn't use this in Portugal either.

The point is to raise the alcohol without changing the flavor or color of the wine. IMHO, grain alcohol (like everclear) is your best option.

Andy