update on problem wine

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ron,ar

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I questioned last week what could cause my grape juice wine appear to be finished fermenting at .999 SG.
I tasted it, no strange taste or odor but tasted weak and dry despite using the recommended amounts of juice and sugar. Started at 1.095 sg.
Today I put a heating pad under the glass carboy on low heat. The temp of the bottom is around 76 F. It now appears the fermentation has resumed as bubbles are again rising from the bottom. It has only been 15 days since start so I know it is not finished yet. I did pour another can of thawed grape juice in also.
I don't know if it is proper to keep posting about this but I always try to let those who offer suggestions know how things came out.:)
 
ron said:
I questioned last week what could cause my grape juice wine appear to be finished fermenting at .999 SG.
I tasted it, no strange taste or odor but tasted weak and dry despite using the recommended amounts of juice and sugar. Started at 1.095 sg.
What was the recommended amount of juice and sugar? Adding sugar will make it drier and thinner because it ferments completely and leaves no body.
 
I followed this exactly, it is a recipe that originally was for 1 gallon but I multiplied everything for a 3 gallon batch and did check sp before starting. My biggest question was about it trying to finish in just 15 days.
>
>
Yeast: Wine yeast
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
Original Gravity: 1.095
Final Gravity: .996
Boiling Time (Minutes): 0.0
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30
Additional Fermentation: Rack until clear


Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Wine
6 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
3-3/4 lbs granulated sugar (or test SG to 1.095)
6 tsp acid blend
3 tsp pectic enzyme
3 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 3 gallon
wine yeast

Bring 1 gallon water to boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and add frozen concentrate. Add additional water to make three gallon3 and pour into secondary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover with napkin fastened with rubber band and set aside 12 hours. Add activated wine yeast and recover with napkin. When active fermentation slows down (about 5 days), fit airlock. When clear, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles.
>
 
Wine made from Welch's grape juice will always taste like cr*p. Wine made from Welch's grape juice and sugar will always taste like weak cr*p.

Cr*p juice = cr*p wine. There are no substitutes and short cuts to making good wine. Sorry nobody that told you this up front, could have saved you time and money. :(
 
I'm new here, but have been making wine for some time. I have tried just about everything out there to make wine from. I'm not wanting to be harsh here, but Welch's Grape concentrates are worse than using Welch's Grape Juice for making a wine. Concord and Niagra grapes are the poorest grapes to make wine from right next to Thompson seedless. There are quite a few good Native North American varietels to choose from with my favorite being Muscadine grapes. I am sorry that you wasted your time with the Welch's grape concentrate since it will probably just end up tasting like a $2 bottle of MD 2020.

If you decide to 'thicken' or give the wine more body you can try a few things. Although, keep in mind that you will not be able to change the poor flavor quality. You can try powdered banana finings, glycerin, or blending. Also, freezing and thawing has been done with some success in the past, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you know what you are doing.
 
:confused:
Sorry I asked. I thought the purpose of this site was to help folks with their questions :( :( .I have in the past made some decent tasting wine using a recipe similar to this from Jack Keller. This is my first attempt at using the frozen concentrate but that was again from Jack's site. I usually use the juice in bottles.
I was questioning why it finished so quickly when in the past it fermented for months.
I have used the freezing method with some success in the past but used it as a fining method.
BTW- I am not a newcomer to winemaking, just been out of it for a while. Guess I will keep my questions to myself from now on.
 
ron said:
:confused:
Sorry I asked. I thought the purpose of this site was to help folks with their questions
You are absolutely correct and the responses from Mikey and luckyinkentucky were uncalled for. If you don't have something constructive to add please don't post. ron,ar wasn't asking if Welch's would make good wine. He has a question about fermentation.
Now, I wish I could assist but I'm pretty new to wine making.
The only thing I can suggest is let it go until the bubbles stop and the lees forms in the bottom of the fermenter. You could rack it at this time ans see how it tastes.
I wish Yooper Chick were here. She has made wine using Welch's frozen concentrate and she claims it turned out pretty good.
Here's a thread from WineMakingTalk.com

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198
Yooper Chick will be back by mid March and I'm sure she could help you out.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

On that note, I'm going to try my hand at some Welch's wine! Thanks for the post ron,ar :mug:
 
I've been meaning to give it a shot, as well. I respect Yooper Chick a lot - she's still fairly new to brewing, but I can tell she's got a good sense of what's good and what's crap. The way she does Welch's wine certainly isn't going to get you a fine wine to be aged for years, but from all accounts (from people who have actually made it) a good, fruity, young table wine.

Rich, she mentioned at one point using another type of juice concentrate in addition to the Welch's concord - indicated that it helped make the flavor a bit more complex. You happen to remember what it was that she used?
 
the_bird said:
I've been meaning to give it a shot, as well. I respect Yooper Chick a lot - she's still fairly new to brewing, but I can tell she's got a good sense of what's good and what's crap. The way she does Welch's wine certainly isn't going to get you a fine wine to be aged for years, but from all accounts (from people who have actually made it) a good, fruity, young table wine.

Rich, she mentioned at one point using another type of juice concentrate in addition to the Welch's concord - indicated that it helped make the flavor a bit more complex. You happen to remember what it was that she used?
The only thing I could find was her post in this thread:
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=932#post932
She is talking about increasing the body and flavor in wine.
 
There was something else.... maybe I'll wait and ask her when she gets back (or hell, guarantee she'll find an Internet connection while she's down there... :D)
 
the_bird said:
There was something else.... maybe I'll wait and ask her when she gets back (or hell, guarantee she'll find an Internet connection while she's down there... :D)
You know she will. She said she won't be thinking about us but she won't be able to help it. :mug:
 
ron said:
Guess I will keep my questions to myself from now on.

Nobody criticized you or your methods, no need to be offended. The message was simply that you have followed a recipe that by nature of it's ingredients will not yield a quality product. Sorry the news can't always be positive.

If you want to be upset, go back to the person that convinced you that it would taste better than what you've had so far.:mug:
 
Mikey said:
Nobody criticized you or your methods, no need to be offended. The message was simply that you have followed a recipe that by nature of it's ingredients will not yield a quality product. Sorry the news can't always be positive.

If you want to be upset, go back to the person that convinced you that it would taste better than what you've had so far.:mug:
You are stating this like it is a fact. It is not fact it is your opinion.

ron,ar never asked you for your message about the quality of the ingredients in his wine.
 
At least in the beer brewing world, EAC's are still somewhat novel. IMO though, they're kind of overdone in the wine world.



:fro:
 
RichBrewer said:
You are stating this like it is a fact. It is not fact it is your opinion.

ron,ar never asked you for your message about the quality of the ingredients in his wine.

Nice post, RB. :mug:

Copper
 
And I'm sorry I responded- seems that some have taken offense where none was intended.

Let's move on.

The original poster was concerned that the FG is .999. This is only .003 away from the theoretical/recipe FG. I wouldn't worry about such a small difference as this is well within the normal range of two different batchs/two different instruments/two different people.

The act of heating the product and seeing a reaction is probably just additional CO2 coming out of solution and not renewed fermentation.

In any case, if the product is already weak and dry (which is to be expected given the ingredients used) then further fermentation will not move things in a positive sense. Others have already suggested some remedies to that end.

Best of luck :mug:
 
the_bird said:
There was something else.... maybe I'll wait and ask her when she gets back (or hell, guarantee she'll find an Internet connection while she's down there... :D)

You're right- I"m in the Bahamas right now!

Ron, the best thing to do right now is to leave it alone for 30 days or so. It might be done at, oh, .996 or so. But if you used more sugar and the yeast pooped out, .999 might be done. If you add more sugar, it won't necessary make much different except to produce more alcohol.

As to the thin taste, maybe a bit of tannin would help. A very, very little bit- like 1/8 of a tsp.

This wine is most certainly NOT Rothschild. But it's drinkable and enjoyable and tastes a bit like a dry Mogen David. We use it dry for table wine often and it's great for sipping on the deck in the summer.

When I get home from the Bahamas, I'll do a bit more research into these threads. Take care,
 
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