Wine from Welch's concentrate

DoctorCAD said:

I decided to try this Welches wine.

Used 3 cans of grape, 1 1/4 pound sugar, nutrient, acid blend, peptic enzyme and some tannin for kicks.

It is sitting for 24 hours under SO2 and then I will pitch some K1-V116. SG is right at 1.100.

I guess I will see in about 60 days if its worth it or not. Worst case is to use it for topping up.

No experiment is a failure, just a learning tool.

Click to expand...

Well, I was wrong...it was a failure.

The yeast was one month past its expiration date and did not take off. I still have 3 other yeasts to try yet.

Not sure why the yeast didn't take?????

I've got one of these bubbling along, we'll see how it goes. I just made the purple, I wasn't brave enough yet to try others, but if this goes well, well, there are just so many juices!

I have a batch of this going as well. OG on 2/13 was 1.111 and on 2/18 it was already down to 1.010. I haven't taken a reading since then, but is there any benefit to letting it sit in the secondary longer or should I just go ahead and start stabilizing - assuming it's down to around 1.000.

So after about a week in the primary, this wine has turned a bright, opaque red/maroon. Anyone else have this experience, and about what color should I expect in the final product?

Did a starter and now mine is at a rolling boil.

Fermenting area smells of a warm grape jelly sandwich!

The ferment on this went Whooosh! When it did not bubble for two or three days in a row I checked it. So about a week ago, I racked it into a clean bottle with some more sugar, just to be sure. I bottled it for drinking just this past weekend.
I do strongly recommend putting something to catch the overflow for those first couple days. Mine ran all over the place. Once the most active part of the ferment ended, I cleaned up the bottle and added an airlock.
I am pleased with the way it turned out and have purchased more concentrate to start another batch. Only a cold has slowed me down.

I'm still trying to refine these so they don't taste so weak and hot. I tried the 4can approach which was a disaster on both batches, super bitter, and back sweetening with sugar is a waste of time also. EL-YUCKO!

Next batch, I'll just add sorbate and welches as a backsweetener to bring back some body once cleared. I still have hopes of comming up with with something I really like here. I ain't giving up man...