Welch's Grape Juice Wine

[SpaDe]

Have a question about this recipe. I did up a batch of this about 4 moths ago, and it is still in my secondary. Just curious if this ever actually gets "clear" as in you can see through it, or if it just finishes like other deep reds and is more opaque than clear?

 

[Yooper]

Have a question about this recipe. I did up a batch of this about 4 moths ago, and it is still in my secondary. Just curious if this ever actually gets "clear" as in you can see through it, or if it just finishes like other deep reds and is more opaque than clear?

It's clear, but since it's dark you have to hold it up to the light to look through a glass.

 

[Meco211]

I am new to the site and am attempting to make this wine. I have a question about the yeast, do i use the whole packet? using Lavin EC-118. Thanks agian and have enjoyed reading through the site!

Toby
Columbus, NE

 

[Yooper]

I am new to the site and am attempting to make this wine. I have a question about the yeast, do i use the whole packet? using Lavin EC-118. Thanks agian and have enjoyed reading through the site!

Toby
Columbus, NE

Yes, use the whole packet of yeast!

 

[Meco211]

Thanks, its bubbling away!!

 

[edmanster]

have made lots of different variations of this... im getting the most feedback for a raspberry apple grape.. its has a great tart too it..
props yoop!!

 

[Meco211]

A couple of reasons- first of all, it's very foamy and ferments hard. If you used an airlock, it'd be plugged up right away. Secondly, for most wines, the yeast and fermentation NEED oxygen. I stir all of my wines in primary, until they reach about 1.010-1.020 and then put them in secondary and airlock.

Make sure you don't fill to the top during primary- it'll make a mess and grape juice stains hardwood flooring. (ask me how I know!). After it slows down, you can top up and airlock it.

Yooper,

Ok so today was day five and bubbling has slowed down. took read and got a reading of 1.002. I racked into secondary and have placed an airlock on it. Starting SG was 1.096

My question is how long to i wait til i stablize and do i need to add any clearing agents to it?

thanks

 

[Yooper]

Yooper,

Ok so today was day five and bubbling has slowed down. took read and got a reading of 1.002. I racked into secondary and have placed an airlock on it. Starting SG was 1.096

My question is how long to i wait til i stablize and do i need to add any clearing agents to it?

thanks

It should clear just fine on its own. It should finish up shortly, and when it stops dropping lees completely after at least 60 days, it'd be fine to stabilize and bottle.

 

[Meco211]

thanks for quick responce!!

so do i need to keep checking SG to see if reading stays the same? And that is approximately 60 days, then stabilize. Now for storage during this stage, do i want it in cooler temps or same as I have had it in for primary. 64-66 has been my tempature range, but i can move to basement to get it closer to upper 50's

thanks again

 

[Yooper]

thanks for quick responce!!

so do i need to keep checking SG to see if reading stays the same? And that is approximately 60 days, then stabilize. Now for storage during this stage, do i want it in cooler temps or same as I have had it in for primary. 64-66 has been my tempature range, but i can move to basement to get it closer to upper 50's

thanks again

Once it stops, it won't get any lower. So you don't have to keep checking. Let it finish up, and then it will start to clear. Keep it in the mid 60s for at least a month or so, then you can rack it off of the sediment and move it to a cooler place if you really want to. I would keep it where it is, then after it's racked, if no new lees form after 60 days, it's ready to stabilize (if sweetening) and then bottle.

 

[Meco211]

Thanks for the help!!

 

[waynedonelson]

I have a couple of 1 gallon glass bottles to use for the fermentation. Can you add water to bring to one gallon after primary fermentation has settled down in order to keep it from bubbling out of the bottle or do you need the gallon volume to start?

 

[waynedonelson]

Scratch that, they are 3L bottles. Can i still use yooper's recipe but make 3L instead of the full gallon? Will it just be stronger?

 

[andrewlk]

Read all 56 pages of this and then decided it's time to sign up. I started Yooper's (thanks Yooper!) recipe on Tuesday (times 5) so...

Sanitized with potassium metabisulfate

6 1/4 lbs of sugar (used organic sugar)
10 cans of Welch's concord concentrate (said 120% vit C)
2 tsp ascorbic acid (went less than prescribed out of caution)
2 tsp pectin enzyme (ran out)
5 tsp yeast nutrient
Spring water topped up to 5 gal.
Red Star Montrachet yeast (started in water for 10 hours before pitching, didn't take) tried activating again with new pack for 15 min. and it took almost immediately. Stirring twice a day.

Otherwise followed instructions as posted and it seems to be doing well, lots of activity.

OG before yeast: 1.101 @ 62F (then used a space heater to bring it up to 70F)
SG after 24hours: 1.07 @ 76F (6F Above thermostat reading - all on its own!)

This is my first attempt at making any fermented beverage.

 

[BrewDaddyJoe]

Yooper! Awesome thread... thanks for all the tips and advice, I've learned a lot from this thread.

Here's the recipe and process I went with on my first batch of Welche's Wine

3 Gallons Welches 100% Grape Juice (Juice not concentrate cans... expensive rookie mistake -_-)
6 and 2/3 cups of table sugar
2 Yeast packets of Pasteur Red

Left in primary for 16 days then

degassed
added one crushed campden tablet
added one pack of isinglass for clarification, then racked to secondary

I plan to let it age for for a total of 90 days from brew day and then add one more crushed campden tablet and bottle.

When I taste tested on day 16 I loved it! It has quite a "bite" to it which I think is from the high abv%. I hope it mellows out with some aging.

I was wonder what tips everyone had to improve upon this recipe for future batches as I am looking to make this have an even more complex taste?? (oak chips, raisins, something else?) I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about it.

Should I let it age in bottles or in my better bottle?

ALSO!!! I tried my hand at making a little over a gallon of wine from apple juice on the same day. It tastes like wine with apple juice poured in not what I was going for. Who knows what some age might do to it though. Does anyone have any good apple based drink recipes as well?

 

[Yooper]

I have an "apple juice" recipe posted as well. Sometimes some acid blend and tannin make a huge difference in things like that.

 

[andrewlk]

1 month update - here are my notes:

After 48 hours from adding yeast SG was 1.04 @ 70F

After 72 hours SG was 1.02 @ 69F

@ 84 hours SG was 1.012 and I racked into secondary and airlocked (1/2 way through 4th day)

On day 18 I reracked and airlocked, SG was .998 @ 65F and I topped off with bottled spring water.

Today (Day 31) SG was .996 on the dot. I reracked and added 5 crushed campden tablets and 2/3tsp (maybe a little more) of potassium sorbate and again airlocked. It tasted pretty good, easily could drink as is, not much bite, not completely dry and somewhat but not overly tart. I plan to leave it a week or so and then back sweeten a sample to taste and try to match SG when I'm where I like.

Thanks for the wealth of information available here - sorry if I'm dredging up a tired thread.

andrew

 

[Yooper]

1 month update - here are my notes:

After 48 hours from adding yeast SG was 1.04 @ 70F

After 72 hours SG was 1.02 @ 69F

@ 84 hours SG was 1.012 and I racked into secondary and airlocked (1/2 way through 4th day)

On day 18 I reracked and airlocked, SG was .998 @ 65F and I topped off with bottled spring water.

Today (Day 31) SG was .996 on the dot. I reracked and added 5 crushed campden tablets and 2/3tsp (maybe a little more) of potassium sorbate and again airlocked. It tasted pretty good, easily could drink as is, not much bite, not completely dry and somewhat but not overly tart. I plan to leave it a week or so and then back sweeten a sample to taste and try to match SG when I'm where I like.

Thanks for the wealth of information available here - sorry if I'm dredging up a tired thread.

andrew

I don't think 2/3 teaspoon of sorbate is enough for 5 gallons. I rarely use it, but I think the dose is more like 1/2 teaspoon or 2/3 teaspoon per gallon. If it's going to be sweetened, I'd definitely use more sorbate!

 

[Sevenal]

Made a gallon of this yesterday, well pitched the LALVIN 71B-1122
I let it sit over night for about 14 hours then pitched the yeast after rehydrating at
105 degrees. Today, some 28 hours later I have zero activity at 69 - 70 degrees F
I presume it will take off eventually, just a little on the cool side.

 

[cardtarget]

I made 5 gallons of this stuff and bottled a few weeks ago. It's fine... not terrible - about what I'd expect for under $1 a bottle. Does it get a little less alcohol tasting with a bit of age? Or is it pretty much done now?

 

[stujol]

It gets better with some time. My 1 year old juice wines are much better than the new stuff. Some that I didn't really care for have become quite tasty with time. They will never compare with wine from grapes or most real fruit wines but still quite drinkable. They make great spritzers.

 

[frankmiester]

Can you add golden raisins to must made from white grape concentrate?

 

[Sevenal]

Can you add golden raisins to must made from white grape concentrate?

I would give em a soak in a cordial of vodka over night prior to adding after fermentation slows some. then drink the vodka!

 

[BrewDaddyJoe]

I just added sorbate and campden and bottled my first batch after back sweetening. I hope 60 days of aging will make it much smoother... what I tried was very strong so I hope it mellows out.

I just racked my second batch from primary to seconday onto american oak chips. How long should I let it sit in the secondary before raking it off the oak?

 

[Beernik]

This is a thread that I've looked at for a long time and finally have an excuse to make.

Last week my wife was talking to her doctor about migraines and he mentioned cutting back on sulfites. "Sulfites" rang a homebrewing bell

I have limited experience with wines. i tried one from a kit and it took about 7 years of aging before it tasted decent. By then, most of it had been used for cooking because I gave up on it after two years.

So I've mainly stuck with beer, cysers, and meads.

Here's what I'm thinking of making for her:
4 gallons 100% cranberry juice
4 cans Welches grape juice concentrate
2lbs of honey
Red Star Montrachet Yeast (my other option is Lavlin 71B)

I figure it should end up pleasantly fruity.

 

[artfrasik]

I started some welches....
19 cans grape concentrate
NO SUGAR
I wanted a heavy bodied wine
10 tsp acid
5 tsp pectic
Nutrient
water to make 5 gal
Beginning SG 1.120
should make about 16% yeast should hold out.

Comments from experts please! suggestions

 

[stujol]

way too much acid I think and I would add a teaspoon of tannin. I have been using 15 cans with sugar and the flavor and body has been good. I normally add just two teaspoons of acid blend.

 

[homeinthewoods]

I was having some crazy ideas and wondered if adding a pack of jello (no potassium or recognizable yeast killers) to my primary fermentation would be detrimental to the outcome of my wine? Any thoughts?

 

[BrewDaddyJoe]

From other things I've read gelatin (jello) works as a fining agent. I wouldn't add it untill secondary fermentation if at all.

It could mess up or cause a stuck primary fermentation

 

[Beernik]

So I just made this:

4 gallons of Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry Juice (actually cran, apple, grape, & pear)
6 cans of Welches Grape Juice Concentrate
Monrachet yeast

OG = 1.080