juice from concentrate

I'm getting ready to make some Apfelwein. All I can find in my area is 100% juice from concentrate. Is this really 100% juice? Furthermore would such juices work for making other wines or would they be too watered down?

It'll work fine so long as there isn't any type of preservative in it (I don't think frozen juices need preservatives on account of them being frozen and all, but I'm no 100% positive). I often backsweeten with a single can of frozen AJ. You may even want to use more concentrate than called for to start with a sweeter juice. Sweeter juice = more alcohol content. Good luck.

I've got a batch of Apfelwein in the keg that I made with Treetop concentrate. I've used apple concentrate as a base for other ciders/wines. Works fine.

you just wanna make sure there's no sorbates or other preservatives, although Ascorbic Acid is a common one you'll see and it is fine.

I made an ok wine with tree top grape juice, some acid blend, nutrient and yeast. It was from a recipe so I didn't have to measure acid levels.

Its drinkalbe, a bit like 'commune wine' my SWMBO says, but its mostly used for cooking, and I think it ran me 75 cents per bottle for the ingredients.

I was not sure. All I have is Mott's apple juice. No Tree Top in any stores my way. Ill let you all know how it works out.

I once used a frozen lemonade as acid on a peach wine. After a week, I had the exact same SG. I think it was the lemonade. Now, I look for the "No preservatives" label.

Islandboy85 said:

I was not sure. All I have is Mott's apple juice. No Tree Top in any stores my way. Ill let you all know how it works out.

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If you want a bit more flavor- just pick up your gallons of Motts (which is mostly apples from the US and I used it instead of my usual once and it was good.) and then buy a 12oz can of the frozen concentrate per gallon of bottled apple juice. Thaw that can(s) and add to the carboy and the sugar if your using any sugars and then add the bottled apple juice(make sure to shake it up and get good oxygen in there) on top. I have made apfelwein with and without the extra added frozen concentrate and really like the flavor with it added- makes it richer. One bonus is that you can get apple juice with other flavors if you want to try new combos.
I have also goofed up and used the thawed concentrate to top off a gallon batch of cyser it did start perking again for about 3 weeks but it is fine and the added flavor is worth it... it all has to age any ways, the taste is very hot, but that honey apple after taste is yummy and I can't wait for the bottles to age.

Ill have to get a can of concentrate on my way home from work. It will be a trick to add that to the carboy - I started the batch last night. Oh well, it may be worth dumping some out to add the concentrate.

Islandboy85 said:

Ill have to get a can of concentrate on my way home from work. It will be a trick to add that to the carboy - I started the batch last night. Oh well, it may be worth dumping some out to add the concentrate.

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Or you could wait until you rack the first time off the lees and then use the concentrate to top off your secondary- it will ferment a bit more but it is worth the waiting.
Or you could find a smaller jug and put that extra that you're thinking of taking out to add the concentrate and just put it to fermenting in the corner. That could be used to top off later too. I know how ya feel about not wanting to dump anything out and waste it.

Topping it up later will probably be my best bet. Besides, it has been happily bubbling away for the last sixteen hours. Why spoil a good thing. (I love to watch my brew ferment)

Islandboy85 said:

Topping it up later will probably be my best bet. Besides, it has been happily bubbling away for the last sixteen hours. Why spoil a good thing. (I love to watch my brew ferment)

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Oh, it is fun to watch a ferment.

Emerald said:

I know what ya mean about watching it ferment- that first stage with the little yeast colonies floating up and down like a weird lava lamp! If you put raisins in they tend to float up and down for the first few days too! like little wrinkled submarines! Then the little blup, blup, blup coming from the airlocks. I guess I am easily entertained!

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Hmmm, sounds like a night light I should design and sell. Look for it at finer local homebrew and Target stores everywhere!

Dave

Ok, so I racked to my secondary and ended up adding one can of welches concentrate. I figure it will add a tad under 160 grams of sugar. How do I figure that into my specific gravity readings now? Obviously my reading will go up, but now I don't know how to figure out my alcohol content. Do I add the difference it went up to my original gravity reading?