Fermenting Langer's Cranberry Grape Plus Juice

[Nick Z]

I picked three 64 ounce bottles of this stuff today. It was massively discounted. I'm going to put in a gallon jug and ferment it. The ingredients are:

100% FRUIT JUICE FROM PEAR, GRAPE, CRANBERRY JUICES (FILTERED WATER, JUICECONCENTRATES), NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), MAGNESIUM CITRATE, GRAPE SEED EXTRACT, VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE AND COENZYME Q10.

I checked and it doesn't look like any of these chemicals will screw up fermentation. I think they just added some vitamins and grape seed extract. I'll also use this to practice taking hydrometer readings. Once I figure out what the original gravity is I can decide whether to add sugar or not. I'm not sure whether this would be better with a higher or lower alcohol content.

The resulting product might taste terrible but I'm curious as to how it will turn out. The worst case scenario is that I'm out about about four dollars and I put it on the compost heap.

I was thinking of trying to fiddle with it a little though. Perhaps take some orange peel and put that in there along with a couple of allspice berries. I assume vanilla extract will be murdered during the fermentation? I may also play with my new additives and toss in a small amount of tanning and acid blend. Though I would think the cranberries would provide enough acidity.

 

[RPh_Guy]

You could add all kinds of flavorings and spices to it ...or you can use the cheapo juice to work on learning and improving the basics of your winemaking technique:

• Proper yeast and nutrient management to allow a clean fermentation.
• Balancing the four main aspects of the wine: sweetness, alcohol, acidity, and tannins.
• Oxygen control.
• Sanitation.

Either way it'll be a learning experience.

 

[Nick Z]

Ok, let's start with oxygen control. Do you mean minimizing the exposure of the juice to oxygen? Or introducing oxygen at key points?

I haven't yet opened and tasted the juice. I'm not sure what kind of tannins it would have. I would think cranberry and grape would take care of acidity. I can only assume what it tastes like prior to fermentation will be very different to what it tastes like afterwards. I don't know whether it is best practice to start adding things like acid, tannins, etc. after primary fermentation or prior.

As far as I know sanitation hasn't been an issue. Yet. I use sanitizer, boiling water, or isopropyl alcohol on everything that may touch the mixture. I boil the jug and leave it in the canner and dump everything else into sanitizer. Hand washing and dipping hands in the sanitizer, etc. It is admittedly a pain but the sanitation thing was drilled home pretty hard in what I read.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Do you mean minimizing the exposure of the juice to oxygen? Or introducing oxygen at key points?

Minimizing oxygen exposure to the juice post fermentation. Head space and sulfite management. Using proper fermenter and airlock materials. Keeping the airlock full and bung in place. Being patient enough to leave it closed. Gentle racking and bottling.

Aerating/oxygenating the must immediately before pitching is needed. It's also a good idea to allow the yeast access to oxygen through the first 30-50% of fermentation.

I would think cranberry and grape would take care of acidity.

There could be too much acidity. Cranberries are rather tart, which is why it's not usually sold as 100% cranberry juice.

I can only assume what it tastes like prior to fermentation will be very different to what it tastes like afterwards. I don't know whether it is best practice to start adding things like acid, tannins, etc. after primary fermentation or prior.

There's lots to learn, that's why I'd suggest focusing on the basics before introducing a bunch of other flavorings. Not that you can't do that too, but carefully and in a manner that doesn't interfere.
A few batches to experiment and things will start to fall into place. It seems to me you'll do well at this.

As far as I know sanitation hasn't been an issue. Yet. I use sanitizer, boiling water, or isopropyl alcohol on everything that may touch the mixture. I boil the jug and leave it in the canner and dump everything else into sanitizer. Hand washing and dipping hands in the sanitizer, etc. It is admittedly a pain but the sanitation thing was drilled home pretty hard in what I read.

Off to a good start, however:
Sanitation is 90% proper cleaning.

 

[Nick Z]

Oh, I clean them first. You can't sanitize something that has dirt and gunk on it. If it's not too gross I just use soap and water and the dishwasher. I started using oxyclean for the jugs that have stains. Though I am unsure if the oxyclean will damage the tubing.

Once the gear is clean I then give it a quick soap and water when I am ready to use it. Rinse with water. And then use sanitizer. I don't doubt that my sanitary practices are imperfect and I could probably use a primer on it.

If the acidity in this juice is too high, how do I correct for it? In garden soil I know I would add lime (calcium carbonate) to raise the pH. This also adds calcium to the soil. You use gypsum when you want to add calcium without altering the pH. Often needed for tomatoes to stave off blossom end rot.

For the heck of it I still plant to toss in a couple of allspice berries and some orange peel. I'm not sure how to sterilize those though. I could boil them but if I boil the orange peel it will probably nuke most of the essential oils in there. I could soak the orange in sanitizer for a while and then rinse it. Obviously I would scrub the orange with soap and water prior. But I don't know whether a swim in sanitizer will make the peel taste soapy and gross.

I was planning on not adding things like tannins and acid blend until primary fermentation is complete.

Also, what is your opinion on the non yeast edible sweeteners like xylitol and stevia? I have always shyed away from artificial sweeteners in cooking because they have a nasty flavor. But I've never worked with stevia and it may not be that bad.

I did notice when I did my last racking that I had a lot of air in the auto siphon tube. And I don't know why. The first time I used the auto siphon I got very little air in the tube. The auto siphon wasn't difficult to use so I assume I screwed up the siphoning in some way. (In many years fiddling with computers I have discovered that when something goes wrong with a machine it is almost always user error).

Thank you!

 

[RPh_Guy]

Though I am unsure if the oxyclean will damage the tubing.

It won't.

If the acidity in this juice is too high, how do I correct for it?

There are options for lowering acidic taste. MLF, potassium carbonate, blending/dilution, and sweetening.

For the heck of it I still plant to toss in a couple of allspice berries and some orange peel. I'm not sure how to sterilize those though. I could boil them but if I boil the orange peel it will probably nuke most of the essential oils in there. I could soak the orange in sanitizer for a while and then rinse it. Obviously I would scrub the orange with soap and water prior. But I don't know whether a swim in sanitizer will make the peel taste soapy and gross.

It's OK for wines to have wild microbes. You can generally prevent them from doing any harm by using sulfite and other best practices.
The goal of sanitation is to prevent unwanted microbes from cross-contaminating batches.
The orange can be rinsed but washing may be excessive and soaking in sanitizer would be a waste of time.

I was planning on not adding things like tannins and acid blend until primary fermentation is complete.

Wine can benefit form early additions of tannins, but more can be added later if needed (especially oak). If added later they need at least several weeks of contact before racking.

Acidity should always be adjusted after fermentation unless you need to lower pH to use sulfite, or if you know you want to allow MLF it can occur alongside fermentation.

Also, what is your opinion on the non yeast edible sweeteners like xylitol and stevia? I have always shyed away from artificial sweeteners in cooking because they have a nasty flavor. But I've never worked with stevia and it may not be that bad.

I don't have any reason to use them.

I did notice when I did my last racking that I had a lot of air in the auto siphon tube.

Do you know it was air and not CO2?

It is possible for air to suck in; the seal isn't always perfect. You can put a little sanitizer in the tube above the seal.

Cheers

 

[Nick Z]

That's a good point. It might have been carbon dioxide. I don't know. I just know that instead of a steady stream of liquid I got lots of gurgling and empty spaces in the tube. Should I have stirred it first to burp out the gas?

I have three 64 oz bottles of this stuff. I got three specifically so I would have some extra juice to top off the secondary with and for blending down if need be.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Should I have stirred it first to burp out the gas?

It's best to degas in primary so there's lots of room for foam.