Banana Wine, Peel no Peel, Cook or No Cook?

[Tennessee Brew]

Made my first banana wine and I used the peels as well. We brought everything to a boil, dropped in the mashed Banana and simmered about 30 minutes. This was a poor mans style, no reading taken but we used about 2 1/4 lbs of white granulated sugar and fermented with Fleischmann's bread yeast. It came out really tart and lacked the Banana flavor I was looking for.

So I am thinking, did it go too high and basically kill the flavor? Did I cook it too long and kill the flavor? Did the yeast mess with the flavor?

So now considering doing another but I've heard that just crushing the Banana and adding it to the water (not cooking it) might give a better flavor? Of course I will boil the water to make sure its sterile then cool.

We used the last batch and just made a Frankenwine, added some flavors and its actually good so I'm not unhappy with the result and it does have some kick. I just want that Banana flavor. Next one will be done with proper OG and FG

So peel or no peel, cook or no cook?

 

[scbison]

Here is what I did for a batch that came out fantastic. I used banana no-peel. I froze the banana's because I built up my supply by freezing the ripe eaters as I eat a banana or two just about daily. Once I had enough Banana's for a batch I took them all and put them into a crockpot and covered with water. I put it on low and let slow cook. I then dumped the slurry in my primary and brought it up to the quantity I was after adding caramelized sugar and water. Chasing a Banana Foster kind of flavor. I held back a cup or so of the must and stuck it in the freezer for backsweetening.

--

12/16/2020

5 lbs bananas
4 cups water
cooked in crock pot for 5 hours.

2 tsp acid blend
3/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp pectic enzyme
11 cups caramelized sugar
GoFerm Hydrated Premier Cuvee
Water to 1 gallon


12/18/2020
1 tsp DAP
1/2 tsp yeast Energizer
SG1.076


01/07/2021
.099x
Stabilized
Backsweet to 1.002

 

[Pendragon524]

Here is what I did for a batch that came out fantastic. I used banana no-peel. I froze the banana's because I built up my supply by freezing the ripe eaters as I eat a banana or two just about daily. Once I had enough Banana's for a batch I took them all and put them into a crockpot and covered with water. I put it on low and let slow cook. I then dumped the slurry in my primary and brought it up to the quantity I was after adding caramelized sugar and water. Chasing a Banana Foster kind of flavor. I held back a cup or so of the must and stuck it in the freezer for backsweetening.

--

12/16/2020

5 lbs bananas
4 cups water
cooked in crock pot for 5 hours.

2 tsp acid blend
3/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp pectic enzyme
11 cups caramelized sugar
GoFerm Hydrated Premier Cuvee
Water to 1 gallon


12/18/2020
1 tsp DAP
1/2 tsp yeast Energizer
SG1.076


01/07/2021
.099x
Stabilized
Backsweet to 1.002

This is an awesome idea! I posted recently about wanting a Bananas Foster wine; my idea is to add maple syrup either in primary, secondary, or both. I'll have to consider caramelizing the sugar in primary though, after reading your recipe! Would you say you accomplished a Bananas Foster flavor?

 

[Neeb]

Peels are used to protect the precious fruit so in my opinion it absorbs things that you probably don't want in a wine. Especially sitting in a store for days it absorbs the atmosphere like an onion would. Just my take, I might be wrong but otherwise I'm sure the peel would be fine if you got it from the amazon.

 

[lukebuz]

I made a 5 gallon batch, like 6 lbs per gallon. I let them ripe up naturally, but not over ripe. Just "perfect". I put in peels from about 1/3 of the bananas. Long story short, it turned out delicious. Also great to mix. Cherry, Raspberry, Pumpkin....yum. Just be aware, after a few years it will form a "gelatin" in the bottle. Looks yucky, but no big deal.