If I use juice That's not 100%

[Kwayne]

Recently, I purchased juice thinking it was 100% to make wine with... later I realized it was a low 25%. It is already fermenting, is this dangerous?

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

It isn’t dangerous, but it might end up a little thin. Thing is, depending on your taste you may like exactly the way it turns out. Let it finish and if you enjoy it, you can add sugar to your 100% juice next time. If you don’t like it then next time get 100% juice.

 

[Kwayne]

It isn’t dangerous, but it might end up a little thin. Thing is, depending on your taste you may like exactly the way it turns out. Let it finish and if you enjoy it, you can add sugar to your 100% juice next time. If you don’t like it then next time get 100% juice.

I've done 100% before, I was just worried I would end up with methanol with 25%. Thank you

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Kwayne, - and welcome. Sorry, but I guess I don't understand what the 25% means. Are you saying this juice was diluted with water (1 part juice and 3 parts water)? Or are you saying that it had already started to ferment .. (and if so what does 25% mean in that context? There is no yeast that will create a wine 25 % ABV)... Clearly others understand your post but this fellow (me) doesn't.. Please explain, if you would. Thanks.
PS. if you are talking about fruit juice and you are talking about fermentation then the only thing you are likely to produce is ethanol, not methanol (or to be more accurate the amount of methanol produced when sugars are fermented by yeasts (wild or cultured) is microscopic and is never a health risk - if you are talking about fruit juices and fermentation).

 

[MaxStout]

Must be one of those "25% juice" and the rest HFCS "juice drinks." Look at it this way: many fruit wine recipes call for juice plus some added sugar. Yours just had the sugar already added. That wine might turn out pretty good. Don't give up on it.

 

[Kwayne]

There are preservatives in it

 

[MaxStout]

What kind of preservatives? If it's ascorbic acid, no problem. If it has sorbate, that could slow down the yeast.

 

[Kwayne]

Fumaric Acid

 

[MaxStout]

Not familiar with fumaric acid, so no idea how it will impact fermentation. You did mention that that fermentation has started, so maybe it'll be OK. @Yooper probably knows about that one and can provide some help.

 

[brewfrog]

heck ,five alive might ferment,im thinking of trying it,its artificial juice with some real juice.

 

[Snyperwolf]

I had the same basic thought. There is some juice(Jumex Peach Nectar) I have been eyeballing as a pour and go wine base. There isn’t anything to hinder the fermentation but the juice is only at 25% concentration. With the concentration being what it is I should be able to just pour into primary straight and add a bit more sugar. Just debating on ending flavor strength. Perhaps throw some fresh peaches in the secondary to bump up the end peachyness lol.

 

[bernardsmith]

I guess I am a little confused. Whatever the concentration might be, I would presume the amount of water to be added would bring this juice back to normal levels of concentration. If you drink it when diluted to the level those who package this juice suggest , you will be drinking the reconstituted juice as it was originally pressed from the fruit. For MOST fruit that level of sugar is if you simply pitch your yeast will result in a cider-like wine - about 6 -7 % ABV. For MOST country wines - wines, not "ciders", we might add about one pound of sugar per gallon of juice to raise the gravity to about 1.090 or about 12% ABV (potential). Measure the SG after you have diluted this concentrate to the level the manufacturers suggest. Either I am wrong... or I am not.

 

[mac_1103]

I guess I am a little confused.

Yes you are. He didn't dilute anything. He thought he had bought a 100% juice product to ferment, but realized after adding the yeast that it was actually only 25% juice. So it's mostly water and sugar.

 

[bernardsmith]

Who would use juice that is diluted 1 part juice to 3 parts water? What would it be used for? Is being sold as flavored water for people who are unable to swallow real juice?

 

[mac_1103]

Grocery stores are full of juice drinks that are not 100% juice. Water, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, artificial flavor and color, a couple of preservatives, et voila. They are huge sellers. Most of them are only about 10% juice. Here's one that I bet you've seen and maybe even tasted at some point. I assume the OP just made a simple mistake.

 

[mac_1103]

And as for @Snyperwolf who resurrected the thread, he's looking at this product which has 23 grams of sugar per serving, 18 of which are added sugars and only 5 from the peach puree. I don't really know why you would want to ferment something like that when you can just buy some frozen peach puree a lot cheaper and add it to a sugar wash.

 

[faithie999]

and if you find a bottle of "100% juice", look carefully at the label. most of those products are diluted with pear juice, or some other cheaper juice, than the primary juice. eg, "100% cranberry juice", except maybe some high-end brands, are partially cranberry juice and the balance pear juice.

 

[mac_1103]

100% cranberry juice is pretty much undrinkable, so yeah, there's almost always a sweeter juice added.