homemade grape juice to flavor

[dialynn]

All the information I've found about flavoring with grape uses either grapes or commercial grape juice. I have a lot of grape juice I've canned, no sugar added just grapes cooked a little to help release the juice and then run through a mill and canned. It has a small amount of pulp left in the bottom of the jars. I have tried to add it as flavoring and it's a little too tart. I'm wondering if I should add some sugar? Has anyone here used juice like this to flavor? I put mine up like I do with the idea that there is no added sugar so I can use it in different ways. I feel like it must be a lot more concentrated than commercial juice. Any thoughts?

 

[Morden2004]

All the information I've found about flavoring with grape uses either grapes or commercial grape juice. I have a lot of grape juice I've canned, no sugar added just grapes cooked a little to help release the juice and then run through a mill and canned. It has a small amount of pulp left in the bottom of the jars. I have tried to add it as flavoring and it's a little too tart. I'm wondering if I should add some sugar? Has anyone here used juice like this to flavor? I put mine up like I do with the idea that there is no added sugar so I can use it in different ways. I feel like it must be a lot more concentrated than commercial juice. Any thoughts?

I believe that you can flavor your booch with your home canned grape but you need to make sure that the ready-to-bottle booch has enough sugar to create the Co2 to add the fizz. It will take some experimentation on your part but I think just tasting the mix should be accurate enough.

I just finished bottling 20 liters of booch that I flavored with lemon and ginger. The booch was slightly sweet when I pulled it from the fermenter to which I added 3 lemons juiced and 3" of ginger root juiced (I use a garlic press) to which I added only 2 Tbls of sugar! It was ready to explode in the bottle in 3 days!

Give it a try. I use commercial grape juice in wine making but I haven't tried it in my booch - but you've got me thinking that I may try it next cycle. Sounds good.

 

[snarf]

It was ready to explode in the bottle in 3 days!

It sounds to me like you're making bottle bombs. That's probably not the best advice to give...

 

[dialynn]

I'm going to try a batch with the juice and adding a little sugar. I'll post the results when I get it done.

 

[Morden2004]

It sounds to me like you're making bottle bombs. That's probably not the best advice to give...

No bottle bombs, but this is the method of creating carbonated booch. It takes some experience to get the sugar levels just right to create the carbonation without stressing the containers you use for bottling. I use 1 liter plastic beer bottles with screw tops. Over the past 5 years or so I've had perhaps 5 bottles fail and usually they split at the seam allowing the liquid to leak out.

Paul

 

[snarf]

No bottle bombs, but this is the method of creating carbonated booch. It takes some experience to get the sugar levels just right to create the carbonation without stressing the containers you use for bottling. I use 1 liter plastic beer bottles with screw tops. Over the past 5 years or so I've had perhaps 5 bottles fail and usually they split at the seam allowing the liquid to leak out.

It's A method, not THE method!! Note that doing this in glass bottles is a sure recipe to get some nice bottle bombs...

Personally I prefer to ferment my 'booch like a fine champagne: I bottle when there's very little sugar left and then keep the bottles (at room temperature!) for several months up to several years.It takes some experience to get the sugar levels just right to create a great carbonation without stressing the bottles you use for bottling. I use champagne bottles with crown caps. Over the past 13 years or so I've never had any bottles (or caps) failing on me...

 

[Morden2004]

I agree, it's a method and not the only method. I hope my message didn't read that way.

I too brew some batches to just shy of no sugars and then age them at 21C for several weeks to achieve a nice level of carbonation - something like a champagne. My heavier carbonation (described in my previous message) are more like bottled ginger ale and have a good head when decanted.

Are there other methods that I need to try? I very new at Kombucha although I'm a long time beer and wine maker.

Paul

 

[ScobeyDoo]

I regularly use grape juice to flavor my Kombucha. I have tried a few methods but the best I have found is to draw off your primary fermented, ready for drinking Buch and add it to the juice concentrate in another container similar to your primary fermenting container, cover with a cloth and let it "Secondary" ferment to eat the sugars in the juice you added (about 4 to 7 days). Sediments will drop out and don't be surprised if you see a new purple colored scoby grow on top.

Draw off the purple buch and bottle it with a bit of sugar for CO2 .

You will have to play around a bit to find out what juice to buch ratio you use for the strength of grape taste.
I do it this way because often when adding sugary things to finished Buch, closed bottles become very carbonated and fizz over when you try to open them. ESPECIALLY when you use Ginger. If you add this type of stuff to a finishing bottle, try Burping them after 2 days to let out some of the pressure as the ginger sugars get eaten.

ScobyDoo

 

[Morden2004]

I regularly use grape juice to flavor my Kombucha. I have tried a few methods but the best I have found is to draw off your primary fermented, ready for drinking Buch and add it to the juice concentrate in another container similar to your primary fermenting container, cover with a cloth and let it "Secondary" ferment to eat the sugars in the juice you added (about 4 to 7 days). Sediments will drop out and don't be surprised if you see a new purple colored scoby grow on top.

Draw off the purple buch and bottle it with a bit of sugar for CO2 .

You will have to play around a bit to find out what juice to buch ratio you use for the strength of grape taste.
I do it this way because often when adding sugary things to finished Buch, closed bottles become very carbonated and fizz over when you try to open them. ESPECIALLY when you use Ginger. If you add this type of stuff to a finishing bottle, try Burping them after 2 days to let out some of the pressure as the ginger sugars get eaten.

ScobyDoo

You can look here in the forum for my Ginger flavoured Booch recipe which uses Ginger and lemon. My bottled Ginger booch does not foam over when opened and has a very nice level of effervescence. Of course YMMV as with any recipe.

Paul

 

[Yooper]

You can look here in the forum for my Ginger flavoured Booch recipe which uses Ginger and lemon. My bottled Ginger booch does not foam over when opened and has a very nice level of effervescence. Of course YMMV as with any recipe.

Paul

I like the idea of ginger and lemon. I'm pretty anti-sugar (I won't even eat things like ketchup, due to the sugar in it), so I want something flavorful but not sweet. I also don't want it to turn out bitter or sour, so I think I'm going to experience with the ginger. Thanks!

 

[dialynn]

I haven't had a chance to try the grape juice yet, best laid plans, etc. I still plan to try it and will post the outcome. Thanks all of you for your replies.

 

[thebuchaman]

I produce everything that I used to make my bucha. You absolutely can use home made fruit juice. But as stated, you may need to suppliment more sugar for carbonation