Answers.Body: <p>There is banana beer and there is banana wine made from <a href="http://Cavendishhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_banana" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cavendish bananas</a>, but they are not the same thing!</p>
  
  <p>What is banana beer?</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_beer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Banana beer</a> is an alcoholic beverage made from fermentation of mashed bananas. Sorghum, millet or maize flour are added as a source of wild yeast.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>And there is a difference with banana wine.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_wine" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Banana wine</a> is a fruit wine made exclusively from bananas. It is different from banana beer, which has a long tradition and great cultural significance in East Africa. Blocker et al. (2001)<a href="http://Cavendishhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_banana" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a> wrote a chapter on "Banana Wine" in the book "Alcohol and temperance in modern history: an international encyclopedia", though this is slightly confusing, as they define what is traditionally referred to as banana beer as being banana wine. The data they present on Production Techniques and Social Practices and Rituals relates to the latter and not to what is commonly known as banana wine.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Here is how to make banana beer the African way.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Bananas</p>
    
    <p>Peel ripe bananas by hand. Only use bananas ripe enough to be peeled by hand </p>
    
    <p>Extract Juice </p>
    
    <p>Use grass to knead the bananas until clear juice is extracted. The residue will remain in the grass. </p>
    
    <p>Mix water </p>
    
    <p>Mix 1:3 water: banana juice ratio. </p>
    
    <p>Mix sorghum </p>
    
    <p>Sorghum flour:banana juice ratio, 1:12. Stir the mixture well. Sorghum is added to improve the color and the flavor of the beer </p>
    
    <p>Ferment </p>
    
    <p>Ferment in plastic containers covered by polyethylene bags. Allow to ferment 18 -24 hours.</p>
    
    <p>Filter </p>
    
    <p>Force the liquid through a cotton cloth bag either by hand or use a press. </p>
    
    <p>Bottle </p>
    
    <p>Place in 1 liter size plastic bottles </p>
    
    <p>Shelf Life </p>
    
    <p>Several days, refrigerated - <a href="http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipes/detail/african-banana-beer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">African Banana Beer</a></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Here is how to make homemade banana wine.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><a href="http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/10/13/how-to-make-homemade-banana-wine/comment-page-1/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">How to Make Homemade Banana Wine</a></p>
    
    <p><strong>Ingredients</strong>:</p>
    
    <p>21 lbs of RIPE bananas, sliced into thin rings</p>
    
    <p>5 gallons water (You won’t use it all)</p>
    
    <p>15-20 lbs white and/or brown sugar (We used white)</p>
    
    <p>6 tsp acid blend</p>
    
    <p>5 tsp pectinase</p>
    
    <p>1.25 tsp wine tannin</p>
    
    <p>6 tsp yeast nutrient</p>
    
    <p>4 lbs golden raisins</p>
    
    <p>1 packets of wine yeast (We like Red Star “Champagne” for this recipe)</p>
    
    <p>Potassium sorbate or other wine stabilizer</p>
    
    <p><strong>Equipment</strong>:</p>
    
    <p>7.5 gallon pot (or bigger)</p>
    
    <p>1 6.5 gallon fermenter bucket and lid</p>
    
    <p>1 or 2 6.5 gallon glass carboys &amp; stoppers</p>
    
    <p>1 air lock</p>
    
    <p>Siphon, siphon tubing.</p>
    
    <p>Place raisins in a freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket. Carefully strain hot banana liquid into the fermenting bucket, over top of the raisins. Top with water to 6 gallons, and add a few scoops of the banana mush. Cover with sanitized lid and air lock, allow to cool to room temperature (overnight).</p>
    
    <p>The next morning, give the mixture a quick stir with a sanitized paddle, and – using sanitized equipment – take a gravity reading. Keep track of the number! (This is an optional step, but will allow you to calculate your final ABV %)</p>
    
    <p>Sprinkle yeast into fermenter, cover with sanitized cover and air lock. Within 48 hours, you should notice fermentation activity – bubbles in the airlock, carbonation and /or swirling in the wine must. This means you’re good to go! </p>
    
    <p>Let sit for about a week, stirring (sanitized paddle!) Every couple of days or so. It will get black on top. It’ll look awful… and your whole brewing area / basement / garage will smell like banana bread!</p>
    
    <p>After a week or so, use your sanitized siphon setup to rack the must into a freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. (At this point, we ran the raisins and remaining pulp through a juicer and added it to the carboy, but that’s entirely optional. Will give the wine extra body if you do it!)</p>
    
    <p>Put the carboy somewhere cool (not cold!), and leave it alone for a month or so.</p>
    
    <p>Using sanitized equipment, rack the banana wine off the sediment, into a clean, freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. (At this point, we added 4 lbs sugar for added sweetness. It probably also upped the final ABV!). Cap with sanitized airlock, leave it alone for another 2-3 months.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/FUmJi.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FUmJi.jpg" alt="Homemade Banana Wine"></a></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/10/13/how-to-make-homemade-banana-wine/comment-page-1/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Homemade Banana Wine</a></p>
  
  <p>As a side note one can peruse the banana tag on the <a href="https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/banana">Homebrewing SE</a> site for more information. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-24T16:36:48.670Z
Answers.Text: You have way more time than me to put together a comprehensive answer. Time is money and stack overflow doesn't pay me for my answers! ;-)
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-24T12:43:39.870Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-03-24T12:43:39.870Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:46:00.997Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
Answers.Body: <p>Step by Step guide to make banana beer at home <a href="http://epic-curiousity.com/2014/06/mbege-baby-brewing-banana-beer.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Banana Beer Recipe</a> Yummy! </p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/car0C.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/car0C.jpg" alt="Mashed bananas ready to make beer"></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-22T19:15:35.407Z
Answers.Text: Could you post a "best effort" synopsis of your link in case the link breaks in the future? Also - your image description is broken.
Answers.UserDisplayName: BryceH
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-22T13:53:39.310Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-03-22T20:18:06.533Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-03-22T20:18:06.533Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Body: <p>Is there a method of fermenting bananas?  I have a lot of bananas here, apparently they are Cavendish(?) bananas.  Is there a simple method to produce a sort of palatable drink from them?  Bare in mind I live on a boat so stills are out of the question (I would like to keep the boat in one piece - please!).</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T16:14:08.103Z
Comments.Text: Did you not google this? I see a ton of results...
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T16:16:44.670Z
Comments.Text: Ah, I have very, and yes I mean very little bandwidth, SE is light, but I will get down to a locotoria (cyber cafe) and have a look.  However you are a master as most things, what are your thoughts?
Comments.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T17:24:14.587Z
Comments.Text: Well Wikipedia is also bandwidth efficient. How about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_wine.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Eric S
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T19:26:11.657Z
Comments.Text: Banana wine or beer? I guess there are commercial examples of both.
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T20:23:49.877Z
Comments.Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_beer
Comments.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-21T23:37:15.373Z
Comments.Text: @SteveS.  I would have added the banana beer link, but it didn't really have a recipe like the banana wine one had.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Eric S
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-22T19:22:13.053Z
Comments.Text: Are you trying to make Banana beer? Or just make a strong banana drink? If sugars are extracted you can pick up yeast to ferment the sugars from the banana. However, beer fermentation needs to be in a light-less, 64-72ºF, undisturbed location. A boat sounds like it might meet 1 or 2 of those conditions - but sloshing is bad. You can consider emulsifying them and using vodka/rum/whatever and an airlock to make sure they stay sterile. This isn't really as much fermentation as it is infusion.
Comments.UserDisplayName: BryceH
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-22T21:27:19.807Z
Comments.Text: Dude, I see you on here a lot and you just live a wacky life. Cheers!
Comments.UserDisplayName: wogsland
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-23T04:53:00.530Z
Comments.Text: Life is to be lived, as long as you cause no harm then that's ok.  Cheers too!
Comments.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-25T09:59:35.987Z
Comments.Text: you should re-ask this over on https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/
Comments.UserDisplayName: Mr_road
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-25T11:17:57.470Z
Comments.Text: @Mr_Road.  Thanks for that, I will take a look at homebrewSE.
Comments.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
Tags: <fermentation>
Title: Fermenting Bananas
UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
ThreadText: # Fermenting Bananas
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-21)
  
  Is there a method of fermenting bananas? I have a lot of bananas here, apparently they are Cavendish(?) bananas. Is there a simple method to produce a sort of palatable drink from them? Bare in mind I live on a boat so stills are out of the question (I would like to keep the boat in one piece - please!).
  
  **Tags:** fermentation
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Did you not google this? I see a ton of results...  
  > **username_0**: Ah, I have very, and yes I mean very little bandwidth, SE is light, but I will get down to a locotoria (cyber cafe) and have a look.  However you are a master as most things, what are your thoughts?  
  > **username_2**: Well Wikipedia is also bandwidth efficient. How about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_wine.  
  > **username_1**: Banana wine or beer? I guess there are commercial examples of both.  
  > **username_1**: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_beer  
  > **username_2**: @SteveS.  I would have added the banana beer link, but it didn't really have a recipe like the banana wine one had.  
  > **username_3**: Are you trying to make Banana beer? Or just make a strong banana drink? If sugars are extracted you can pick up yeast to ferment the sugars from the banana. However, beer fermentation needs to be in a light-less, 64-72ºF, undisturbed location. A boat sounds like it might meet 1 or 2 of those conditions - but sloshing is bad. You can consider emulsifying them and using vodka/rum/whatever and an airlock to make sure they stay sterile. This isn't really as much fermentation as it is infusion.  
  > **username_4**: Dude, I see you on here a lot and you just live a wacky life. Cheers!  
  > **username_0**: Life is to be lived, as long as you cause no harm then that's ok.  Cheers too!  
  > **username_5**: you should re-ask this over on https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/  
  > **username_0**: @Mr_Road.  Thanks for that, I will take a look at homebrewSE.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2017-03-24. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  There is banana beer and there is banana wine made from [Cavendish bananas](http://Cavendishhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_banana), but they are not the same thing!
  
  What is banana beer?
  
  > [Banana beer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_beer) is an alcoholic beverage made from fermentation of mashed bananas. Sorghum, millet or maize flour are added as a source of wild yeast.
  
  And there is a difference with banana wine.
  
  > [Banana wine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_wine) is a fruit wine made exclusively from bananas. It is different from banana beer, which has a long tradition and great cultural significance in East Africa. Blocker et al. (2001)[1](http://Cavendishhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_banana) wrote a chapter on "Banana Wine" in the book "Alcohol and temperance in modern history: an international encyclopedia", though this is slightly confusing, as they define what is traditionally referred to as banana beer as being banana wine. The data they present on Production Techniques and Social Practices and Rituals relates to the latter and not to what is commonly known as banana wine.
  
  Here is how to make banana beer the African way.
  
  > Bananas
  >
  > Peel ripe bananas by hand. Only use bananas ripe enough to be peeled by hand
  >
  > Extract Juice
  >
  > Use grass to knead the bananas until clear juice is extracted. The residue will remain in the grass.
  >
  > Mix water
  >
  > Mix 1:3 water: banana juice ratio.
  >
  > Mix sorghum
  >
  > Sorghum flour:banana juice ratio, 1:12. Stir the mixture well. Sorghum is added to improve the color and the flavor of the beer
  >
  > Ferment
  >
  > Ferment in plastic containers covered by polyethylene bags. Allow to ferment 18 -24 hours.
  >
  > Filter
  >
  > Force the liquid through a cotton cloth bag either by hand or use a press.
  >
  > Bottle
  >
  > Place in 1 liter size plastic bottles
  >
  > Shelf Life
  >
  > Several days, refrigerated - [African Banana Beer](http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipes/detail/african-banana-beer)
  
  Here is how to make homemade banana wine.
  
  > [How to Make Homemade Banana Wine](http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/10/13/how-to-make-homemade-banana-wine/comment-page-1/)
  >
  > **Ingredients**:
  >
  > 21 lbs of RIPE bananas, sliced into thin rings
  >
  > 5 gallons water (You won’t use it all)
  >
  > 15-20 lbs white and/or brown sugar (We used white)
  >
  > 6 tsp acid blend
  >
  > 5 tsp pectinase
  >
  > 1.25 tsp wine tannin
  >
  > 6 tsp yeast nutrient
  >
  > 4 lbs golden raisins
  >
  > 1 packets of wine yeast (We like Red Star “Champagne” for this recipe)
  >
  > Potassium sorbate or other wine stabilizer
  >
  > **Equipment**:
  >
  > 7.5 gallon pot (or bigger)
  >
  > 1 6.5 gallon fermenter bucket and lid
  >
  > 1 or 2 6.5 gallon glass carboys & stoppers
  >
  > 1 air lock
  >
  > Siphon, siphon tubing.
  >
  > Place raisins in a freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket. Carefully strain hot banana liquid into the fermenting bucket, over top of the raisins. Top with water to 6 gallons, and add a few scoops of the banana mush. Cover with sanitized lid and air lock, allow to cool to room temperature (overnight).
  >
  > The next morning, give the mixture a quick stir with a sanitized paddle, and – using sanitized equipment – take a gravity reading. Keep track of the number! (This is an optional step, but will allow you to calculate your final ABV %)
  >
  > Sprinkle yeast into fermenter, cover with sanitized cover and air lock. Within 48 hours, you should notice fermentation activity – bubbles in the airlock, carbonation and /or swirling in the wine must. This means you’re good to go!
  >
  > Let sit for about a week, stirring (sanitized paddle!) Every couple of days or so. It will get black on top. It’ll look awful… and your whole brewing area / basement / garage will smell like banana bread!
  >
  > After a week or so, use your sanitized siphon setup to rack the must into a freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. (At this point, we ran the raisins and remaining pulp through a juicer and added it to the carboy, but that’s entirely optional. Will give the wine extra body if you do it!)
  >
  > Put the carboy somewhere cool (not cold!), and leave it alone for a month or so.
  >
  > Using sanitized equipment, rack the banana wine off the sediment, into a clean, freshly sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. (At this point, we added 4 lbs sugar for added sweetness. It probably also upped the final ABV!). Cap with sanitized airlock, leave it alone for another 2-3 months.
  
  [![Homemade Banana Wine](https://i.sstatic.net/FUmJi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/FUmJi.jpg)
  
  [Homemade Banana Wine](http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/2011/10/13/how-to-make-homemade-banana-wine/comment-page-1/)
  
  As a side note one can peruse the banana tag on the [Homebrewing SE](https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/banana) site for more information.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: You have way more time than me to put together a comprehensive answer. Time is money and stack overflow doesn't pay me for my answers! ;-)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-22. Score: 1
  
  Step by Step guide to make banana beer at home [Banana Beer Recipe](http://epic-curiousity.com/2014/06/mbege-baby-brewing-banana-beer.html) Yummy!
  
  [![Mashed bananas ready to make beer](https://i.sstatic.net/car0C.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/car0C.jpg)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Could you post a "best effort" synopsis of your link in case the link breaks in the future? Also - your image description is broken.  
  
  ---
  
  