Welches Grape

[mrchaos101]

How often do you make a batch of this? I make it just to have something fast to drink now and then... a dinner wine...or just to hang out with the friends.

I have found.. I really like this stuff and it is fast and cheap.

 

[rtrent2002]

Mine always tasted cheap. Off sweet flavor with a wild smell and after taste. You?

 

[Stigmond13]

I agree with rtrent, I've made a red with welches before and it had a taste of bubble gum about it. Luckily I only made one gallon and used all of it for cooking. Never again!!

 

[eigua]

I made a batch of concord grape wine which still has to age, but I found it rather nice and fruity even though it was pretty strong and young in flavor. I generally don't care much for red wines except port and generally prefer somewhat sweeter whites, so I'm fairly pleased it doesn't taste anything like a red wine. The fruity character is nice and I imagine after the young alcohol taste subsides it could be a decent casual wine. I suspect I might like it a little more with some added sugar and perhaps a charred oak infusion making it something of a crappy concord grape port.

I think the key to accepting a wine like this is not to expect a typical red wine experience. I think of it more like a fruit wine like raspberry wine or even Manischewitz without so much sugar.

I've got a 2nd batch going, but this time I didn't add any sugar and will be bottle carbing for something more like a concord grape cider at ~8% ABV.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Once...it tasted like an alcoholic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I only used it to top up other wines.

 

[theDREWery]

I've been using a lot of tannin, some additional acid blend, and Red Star Montrachet yeast. It's been coming out pretty much like red wine. I prefer it as a pyment though.

 

[eigua]

Once...it tasted like an alcoholic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Maybe I'm weird, but that actually sounds pretty good! I wonder how peanut butter extract would taste mixed into the concord grape wine. I remember seeing an article a few weeks ago about how to make alcohol extracts from foods containing a lot of fat. Could be a fun experiment.

Even better: Peanut butter cream liquor and Chambord. Sort of a twist on a "nuts and berries." Frangelico, Chambord and cream. Though I think when I had it they used Bailey's instead of cream. Heaven!

 

[Evilgrin]

Just got some Welches White Niagara Grape to try. My Costco just got some in. I think im going to try Cote Des Blancs yeast.

 

[buMbLeB]

Maybe I'm weird, but that actually sounds pretty good! I wonder how peanut butter extract would taste mixed into the concord grape wine. I remember seeing an article a few weeks ago about how to make alcohol extracts from foods containing a lot of fat. Could be a fun experiment.

I'm weird because I like Welch's grape wine - I've made it a few times, have some right now, find it best to not add extra sugar and consider it a grape "cider" at around 8%, just like you said above.

However, if you've ever left an old peanut butter container soaking in the sink and then smelled it, you'll understand my irrepressible revulsion at the idea of fermenting it.

 

[eigua]

I'm weird because I like Welch's grape wine - I've made it a few times, have some right now, find it best to not add extra sugar and consider it a grape "cider" at around 8%, just like you said above.

However, if you've ever left an old peanut butter container soaking in the sink and then smelled it, you'll understand my irrepressible revulsion at the idea of fermenting it.

I'm glad to know the no-added-sugar version works well. Do you carb it?

LOL on the peanut butter. I'm sure I've done that, but I don't remember what it smelled like. Fermenting things that contain fat rarely goes well from what I've read. However, making an extract and adding it before bottling would hopefully eliminate any of those issues.

I don't remember if this was the article I read before, but it discusses a technique of "fat washing" to get extracts of fatty foods.

 

[buMbLeB]

I'm glad to know the no-added-sugar version works well. Do you carb it?

No, I don't have that capacity, but I do have something interesting to report! I was reading your comments while doing some racking etc, and was spurred to experiment: I had some leftover strong, sweet hard ginger beer (just over 9% but too sweet, been having trouble getting it to ferment dry). So I mixed 2/3 welch's to 1/3 ginger beer, and wow! It's a subtle but profound transformation, the concord notes are highly attenuated, and I don't think I'd identify ginger at all by taste (but I can still "feel" it, if you know what I mean). As a bonus, the ginger undertone gives the impression of effervescence, sort of like a more traditional table wine, with a hint of concord grape.

Beyond that I don't know how to describe it, but if anyone thinks they'd like to try and expand on this experiment I highly recommend it.

 

[eigua]

No, I don't have that capacity

I was just planning to bottle carb like a cider/beer.

I had some leftover strong, sweet hard ginger beer (just over 9% but too sweet, been having trouble getting it to ferment dry). So I mixed 2/3 welch's to 1/3 ginger beer, and wow! It's a subtle but profound transformation, the concord notes are highly attenuated, and I don't think I'd identify ginger at all by taste (but I can still "feel" it, if you know what I mean). As a bonus, the ginger undertone gives the impression of effervescence, sort of like a more traditional table wine, with a hint of concord grape.

Beyond that I don't know how to describe it, but if anyone thinks they'd like to try and expand on this experiment I highly recommend it.

That does sound interesting! I've also got a ginger beer fermenting right now (just threw it together with lots of ginger, sugar, yeast nutrient, and S04). I'll be sure to try a mixture of the two once they're both done.