Can you make Hawaiian Punch wine?

[BeerWars]

My wife and I were scoping out the juice isle for ideas for our next batch of wine. Were going through all the exotic fruits and my wife spots Hawaiian Punch and asks if I can make wine out of it because it will be perfect for when her sister comes over (her sister literally drinks 1/2 a gallon a day). I look at the ingredients and look at her and say "I don't have an f'n clue."

http://www.hawaiianpunch.com/text_only/nutfruit_ing.html
CONTAINS: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: CONCENTRATED JUICES (PINEAPPLE, ORANGE, PASSIONFRUIT AND APPLE), PUREES (APRICOT, PAPAYA, GUAVA), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, PECTIN, GUM ACACIA, GUM GHATTI, GLYCEROL ESTER OF WOOD ROSIN, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, RED #40, BLUE #1, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES) AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C).

So can this be fermented?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[weirdboy]

The answer is yes, you can ferment it. But my guess is it's going to taste like jungle juice when it's done because of the high sugar content.

 

[Yooper]

I think it'll ferment, but fermented high fructose corn syrup probably doesn't taste very good.

Pure juices would ferment, and taste better. Then, after it's finished, you could add some campden tablets and potassium sorbate (it's in winemaking/beer shops) and then sweeten with Hawaiian Punch or another fruity and sweet juice.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Why not get these juices (PINEAPPLE, ORANGE, PASSIONFRUIT AND APPLE, PUREES APRICOT, PAPAYA, GUAVA) and make your own.

 

[billc68]

Why not get these juices (PINEAPPLE, ORANGE, PASSIONFRUIT AND APPLE, PUREES APRICOT, PAPAYA, GUAVA) and make your own.

I have an Apple/Pineapple wine rbewing right now, after 2 weeks there is almost 2 inches of sediment in a 1 Gallon jug.

 

[passedpawn]

CONTAINS: ... SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES).

So can this be fermented?

Hmmm. I would think these preservatives would inhibit fermentation. No?

 

[broadbill]

Hmmm. I would think these preservatives would inhibit fermentation. No?

That was my thought as well.

 

[JOHN51277]

Prison hooch!!!!

 

[IrregularPulse]

You'd probably be better off to mix a jug of hawaiian punch and a bit of vodka to preference in a keg and carbonate. Bet that would be good if she likes Hawaiian Punch. I too love the stuff but rarely drink it.

 

[Frank_The_Magic_Hobo]

POTASSIUM SORBATE

Potassium Sorbate is what you add to wine after fermentation to stop the yeast from reproducing further. In fact, they probably use it as a preservative to prevent wild yeast from growing in it.

Depends on how much sorbate is in there, but it would be tricky to make happen, if it's even possible.

 

[broadbill]

Potassium Sorbate is what you add to wine after fermentation to stop the yeast from reproducing further. In fact, they probably use it as a preservative to prevent wild yeast from growing in it.

Depends on how much sorbate is in there, but it would be tricky to make happen, if it's even possible.

I've come across many threads here where a poster added something wacky to their beer and it stalled fermentation. Usually the culprit was some sort of preservative agent in whatever they added. Many times, even with the dilution of a small amount of additive into a batch of beer, the level of preservative was still high enough to inhibit further fermentation. My point is that they are potent chemicals.

I think adding vodka is your bet to make your hooch....er, I mean your light, refreshing, tasty beverage!

 

[Yooper]

Oh, I missed the sorbate and benzoate. It won't ferment with those preservatives in there. I didn't read it very carefully, I guess.

 

[BeerWars]

Why not get these juices (PINEAPPLE, ORANGE, PASSIONFRUIT AND APPLE, PUREES APRICOT, PAPAYA, GUAVA) and make your own.

That is what I suggested. My wife keenly pointed out that we will never get the ratios right for a true HP connoisseur and a gallon of HP was $.99. Guava was $3 for a 16 oz can.

Came home today to a few gallons on the countertop. Ill give it a try and report back. Worst case scenario we pour $.99 down the drain.

 

[krud]

I do believe some of the sugar free blends are lacking nasty preservatives

 

[billc68]

I do believe some of the sugar free blends are lacking nasty preservatives

Yes, because there is no sugar in them to ferment, can't make wine with those either.

 

[jgln]

You'd probably be better off to mix a jug of hawaiian punch and a bit of vodka to preference in a keg and carbonate. Bet that would be good if she likes Hawaiian Punch. I too love the stuff but rarely drink it.

I love that stuff too and have not had it in many years. I wonder why? I am going to have to pick some up next time I see it.

 

[billc68]

I make a tropical rum punch from time to time.
It contains Pineapple juice, Mango nectar (or mango juice blend) lemon and/or lime and whatever other tropical juice that would add punch (never orange though) then I usually cut that a bit with 7-up or ginger ale and then hit it with some good rum, most recipes call for white rum, but I usually go with some aged in oak. Occasionally I will add a flavoured rum as well, banana or mango.

I figure out out how much punch I have and try to add an ounce and a half of rum for every cup. (24 oz per gallon)

 

[buenaventura]

Prison hooch!!!!

Those words together trigger my gag reflex . . .

I used to work with a non-profit school teaching a GED program in a maximum security division in Chicago's Cook County Jail. One morning I arrived at work only to walk out onto the tier and had to fight the urge to vomit . . .

The night before, the guys had either spilled one of their garbage bags full of hooch or they had spent the night drinking it and then throwing it all up.

I talked to a detainee about it later and he said they throw literally EVERYTHING in these bags (bread, ketchup, juice, fruit and fruit cocktail) that they then "burp" in shifts.

Generally, the COs were kind enough to turn a blind eye, as they also did when the guys would cook on their metal bunks by getting a spark from the TV electrical outlet and burning hoarded empty paper milk cartons . . .

 

[BrewMath]

I too love Hawaiian Punch. That said, this sounds particularly nasty... I can't even imagine what fermented HFCS tastes like - prison hooch is probably right.

Pontificating aside, it should actually be possible to ferment liquids containing preservatives (sorbates, benzoates &c.). What actually occurs here, I believe, is formation of sorbic or benzoic acids that inhibit yeast reproduction. In this case, it looks like both would be present. It sounds like the acids can be diluted and the reproduction inhibition stopped while occurring in the yeast.

Jack Keller has a short note about this process at http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/wineblog9.asp

For the TLDR crowd: Sounds like the process is: lower the acidity, start a HUGE fermentation with bread yeast, ferment briefly, centrifuge out, rack & filter, start another HUGE fermentation with wine yeast, inoculate and go have a beer.

Sounds like a lot of effort, and might not even happen, but could work? If you try this I'd love to know how it pans out.

Note: the article referenced actually refers to fermenting lingonberries. The experiment itself was about restarting a stabilized must. Lingonberries apparently contain a fair amount of benzoic (not sorbic) acid, but can still be fermented with some effort. Interestingly, cranberries, currants, raspberries and strawberries also contain some level of benzoic acid but not enough to fully inhibit yeast reproduction.

 

[WillPall]

Those words together trigger my gag reflex . . .

I used to work with a non-profit school teaching a GED program in a maximum security division in Chicago's Cook County Jail. One morning I arrived at work only to walk out onto the tier and had to fight the urge to vomit . . .

The night before, the guys had either spilled one of their garbage bags full of hooch or they had spent the night drinking it and then throwing it all up.

I talked to a detainee about it later and he said they throw literally EVERYTHING in these bags (bread, ketchup, juice, fruit and fruit cocktail) that they then "burp" in shifts.

Generally, the COs were kind enough to turn a blind eye, as they also did when the guys would cook on their metal bunks by getting a spark from the TV electrical outlet and burning hoarded empty paper milk cartons . . .

Wow. For some reason I am very interested in your prison stories.

On topic: You might as well just serve the HP as is. Those preservatives are most likely going to kill your yeast on contact. At the least you could serve pristine $0.99 HP rather than $0.99 HP with dead yeast floating in it.

 

[onthekeg]

Hawaiian punch will indeed ferment. My sons have the habit of drinking out of the container... Well, guess what, a couple days later the container is bloated up on the counter and I release the pressure. CO2! I let it ferment out and then transferred some to a glass, not too bad for a sweeter drink.
It can be done.

Also, HFCS is tasteless when fermented. It is actually sweeter than dextrose, and will ferment easily by the yeast. I made a tripel with HFCS instead of sugar, and I didn't taste much of a difference from one fermented with sugar.

 

[WillPall]

Hawaiian punch will indeed ferment. My sons have the habit of drinking out of the container... Well, guess what, a couple days later the container is bloated up on the counter and I release the pressure. CO2! I let it ferment out and then transferred some to a glass, not too bad for a sweeter drink.
It can be done.

Also, HFCS is tasteless when fermented. It is actually sweeter than dextrose, and will ferment easily by the yeast. I made a tripel with HFCS instead of sugar, and I didn't taste much of a difference from one fermented with sugar.

Sounds like your sons have found a way to make Hawaiian Punch chicha. :cross: