Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

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Bazz
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Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Bazz » Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:16 pm

Hi all, I have an idea for something i'd like to try, essentially a strong spiced banana and raisin wine with a nod to rum, looking to get it to about 20% abv.

My thoughts have been: approx 6 really ripe bananas, a large handful of raisins (all blended up roughly) lots of dark soft brown sugar, a jar of molasses and spiced with vanilla, cinnamon and cloves. So I was thinking boil up some water add the sugar, molasses and spices into the fermenter with the fruit and raisins smoothy top up to level (1 gallon batch), campden it overnight then add yeast the next day leave it for a few days to get going then strain the must into a demi-john and leave until it basically drops clear and then bottle.

So, my questions:

1, Does the method seem sound?
2, Should i add anything else?
3, What yeast to get to 20%
4, How much sugar, and is brown sugar going to be okay?

Thanks.

bobsbeer

Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by bobsbeer » Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:59 pm

I have made banana wine before and it is a real volcano, so give yourself plenty of head space to allow for foaming. mine climbed out of a 5lt DJ and looked like it was having a shit. lol The finished wine was nice though.

oldbloke
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by oldbloke » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:04 am

Molasses may be a little too strongly flavoured. Only maybe though. I used golden syrup...
I used some grape juice and tannin powder rather than raisins
6 bananas isn't really enough


Legendary Banana Wine

2014-03-27
2kg bananas [topped and tailed] thinly sliced (5 with skin still on) into bucket
1lb sugar and 1lb tin golden syrup dissolved in about 1l boiled water, added to bucket
1.5l purple grape juice to bucket
Filled to a couple of inches off top
Campdened
2014-02-28
2tsp acid mix
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp amylase
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Half sachet Gervin GV4
2014-03-31
Sieved to demi
Added 500g sugar dissolved in about 3/4l boiled water
Total sugar now approx 1650g (->16.5%)
2014-04-03
Added 350g sugar in 3/4l water
2014-05-28
Clear, still going very slowly. Hydrometer says 1018, very sweet, reasonable flavour, slightly oily, sensation of being strong. Figures suggest 17.8 or 17.9
2014-06-12
Now sweet rather than sickly. Still going slowly....
2014-06-20
Racked onto stabiliser. 1014, possibly - would be 20% but more than 4.5l and sampling losses. A bit of fiddling in Excel suggests 20%+
2014-06-23
Bottled. Lush!

Bazz
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Bazz » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:53 am

Cheers Oldbloke, was that recipe of yours for 1 gallon? If so i'll up the bananas to a similar quantity and then 2kg sugar total plus the molasses and some yeast nutrient.

Any thoughts on using alcotec high alcohol yeast at all rather than a traditional wine yeast?

And finally, what is the thinking in leaving a couple of banana skins on?

Thanks.

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6470zzy
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by 6470zzy » Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:06 pm

Bazz wrote:
And finally, what is the thinking in leaving a couple of banana skins on?

Thanks.
The skins add tannins and body to your brew.

Cheers
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"
Oscar Wilde

Manngold
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Manngold » Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:30 pm

I've always wanted to have a go at this guys recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b63xIyRQlc

oldbloke
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by oldbloke » Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:44 pm

Bazz wrote:Cheers Oldbloke, was that recipe of yours for 1 gallon? If so i'll up the bananas to a similar quantity and then 2kg sugar total plus the molasses and some yeast nutrient.

Any thoughts on using alcotec high alcohol yeast at all rather than a traditional wine yeast?

And finally, what is the thinking in leaving a couple of banana skins on?

Thanks.
Yes. that was one gallon. I bottled it in 375ml bottles as it's very much a "2 people 1 glass each at the end of the night" thing. Although it did get it's "legendary" name after I took some to a meeting of home brewers in a local pub! Well received at the last DiscWorld Convention too.

I don't know what the Alcotec yeast is like for affecting flavour. Gervin GV4 is a wine yeast with a very high alcohol tolerance, and I've used lots of Gervin over the years, often buying them in Gervin-assortment packs on ebay, so I went with that. The banana and other flavours are going to mask pretty much anything the yeast can do so it probably doesn't matter. If you happen to have the Alcotec already, go with it.

The vanilla etc I'd put in near the end. Maybe when it's nearly done, you might rack it and add those bits, then leave it a while before bottling.

I wasn't sure I was going to like a banana wine which Is why I made it so strong - so that I'd drink it anyway. But it's lush.
I think the very strong dessert style is right for it, I'm not sure it'd be half as well received at standard wine strength

Bazz
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Location: East Sussex

Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Bazz » Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:04 am

Thanks for your help, will bare it all in ind when i get to brew this.

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Wonkydonkey
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Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Wonkydonkey » Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:59 pm

bobsbeer wrote:I have made banana wine before and it is a real volcano, so give yourself plenty of head space to allow for foaming. mine climbed out of a 5lt DJ and looked like it was having a shit. lol The finished wine was nice though.

I have good visions of baby doos, you have to just wait till it stops. Then wrap um back up till next time :shock: :o
To Busy To Add,

Chateau Wines L.S.

Re: Looking for pointers on a banana wine-ish brew.

Post by Chateau Wines L.S. » Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:22 pm

Don't forget you do better with very ripe bananas (way beyond what most people would eat), sometimes the supermarket will give them to you for free. :shock:

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