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port wine problems

As an after thought in april this year, I took 8.5 ltrs of 50% cabernet and 50% shiraz must, most of the way thru fermentation, and added 1.5ltrs of not so good brandy. A few days ago I was talking to an old Italian chap, and he said I should take 5 ltrs out and boil it down to 2.5 ltrs, and put back, topping demijon back up with 2.5ltrs of good brandy. Has anybody got ideas on this reducing the wine to give character. Should I do this or not. Is there anthing elese i should do. We have made 400ltrs of good fruity red wine, and port should be ok. regards Bryan Melbourne

Reply to
Bryan Glover
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That will give your wine a cooked flavor. I wouldn't do it.

Has anybody got ideas on this reducing the wine to

You could try freeze concentrating it. Get the wine cold enough to turn into a slush, which will freeze the water out of it. Pour it through a strainer. The liquid that comes through will be much higher in alcohol. The rest will be mostly water. That'll definitely give your wine some kick!

Tom S

Reply to
Tom S

That would not only give it a cooked flavor but it would drive off all the alcohol.

Ray

Reply to
Ray

Huh? What are you talking about? How could freezing wine give it a cooked flavor?

You should try the freeze concentration process for yourself. You'll understand it then.

Tom S

Reply to
Tom S

He was talking about the original post

" said I should take 5 ltrs out and boil it down to 2.5 ltrs, and put back,"

which would definitely remove all traces of alcohol

Reply to
Pinky

Thanks for ideas, I accept that boiling/reducing the 5ltrs to 2.5 wld get us sniffing the air, but are you sure it would give the port a cooked flavour, maybe its a trick to speed up ageing, maybe i could be sipping now, rather than in 3 years or more. no body out there boiled their wine lately. If it fails i could add mince steak and origano. regards bryan

Reply to
Bryan Glover

Sorry Tom, My post was placed in an ambiguous manner. I was talking about the original post where he would boil the wine and of course the alcohol would boil off first. I know freeze concentrating should work though it is illegal here in the US so I have never tried it.

Ray

Reply to
Ray

Reply to
J Dixon

freeze concentrating is illegal in the US?

you've gotta be kidding. i thought it was only the actual still and the process used in the still that was illegal.

can you point me in a direction of how to freeze concentrate, a web page or something?

Saul Sabia saul_sabia@yaho[o].com

Reply to
Saul_Sabia

Try this URL for an explanation:

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Reply to
PJ

O.K you have convinced me that freeze concentrating is worth a try, I have my vines growing outside Melbourne at 1400ft, and very low rainfall. We are racking the wine this weekend. Will let you know how opperation zero goes with port. regards Bryan

Reply to
Bryan Glover

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