Welch's Grape Juice Wine

[z-bob]

I know 1.095 is a magic number for winemaking, but what happens if I don't add sugar and just ferment it with wine yeast?

I haven't taken a gravity reading yet because I haven't opened the jugs, but from the nutrition label (160 calories per 8 ounces) it should have an OG of about 1.07. That would make a weak-ish wine, about 9.5% ABV. It may not keep very well, but won't it be ready to drink a lot sooner? It doesn't necessarily have to keep well unless it needs to be aged.

I'm extrapolating awfully far using just one data point...

 

[Yooper]

I know 1.095 is a magic number for winemaking, but what happens if I don't add sugar and just ferment it with wine yeast?

I haven't taken a gravity reading yet because I haven't opened the jugs, but from the nutrition label (160 calories per 8 ounces) it should have an OG of about 1.07. That would make a weak-ish wine, about 9.5% ABV. It may not keep very well, but won't it be ready to drink a lot sooner? It doesn't necessarily have to keep well unless it needs to be aged.

I'm extrapolating awfully far using just one data point...

Right- it'll be fine, just with lower ABV and won't age as long. That's about it. I'm not sure how high an ABV would have to be in this juice to keep it from tasting like, well, Welch's grape juice. I haven't tried it because I wanted a "wine" and not an alcohol juice, if that makes sense.

 

[MaxStout]

That's what's so great about this wine. At full strength (mine's around 14%), it most certainly does not taste like Welch's juice. When I offer it to guests, they ask something like, "Oh, is this like Manischewitz?" When they find that it isn't, and it is a nice, dry wine, they like it. It's been a crowd-pleaser around here.

 

[z-bob]

Right- it'll be fine, just with lower ABV and won't age as long. That's about it. I'm not sure how high an ABV would have to be in this juice to keep it from tasting like, well, Welch's grape juice. I haven't tried it because I wanted a "wine" and not an alcohol juice, if that makes sense.

I looked up Andre' Cold Duck online, and it's 10% ABV, which is about where Concord grape juice will end up after you add the priming sugar. I think I'll look for a bottle (For Science!) and see how I like it. I think I've had it before but don't remember if it's sweet or semi-dry.

I *just* thought of this, so it might be stupid: I've got 3 gallons of juice, I can ferment it w/o sugar, then when I'm ready to bottle it, hold back a gallon and rack that into a gallon jug with a cup of sugar and stick an airlock on top.

 

[z-bob]

I bought a bottle of Andre' Cold Duck. It's just a *little* too sweet, but I like it. If I can make something close I'll be really happy.

 

[actonup]

Very new at this. All recipes are using can frozen Welch's Grape concentrate, can you get the same results using (2) 64 oz. 100% juice. If so, is there a change in the ingredients?

 

[MaxStout]

Very new at this. All recipes are using can frozen Welch's Grape concentrate, can you get the same results using (2) 64 oz. 100% juice. If so, is there a change in the ingredients?

I think you can do that, and should be equivalent, since reconstituted concentrate makes the same end product. It's just a little cheaper to buy the concentrate.

 

[z-bob]

You might have to add a little water with bottled juice. The recipe at the top of the thread used 2 cans of FCGJ, which only makes 3 quarts of juice not 4.

 

[SquidPope]

I just added the yeast to my first attempt to making this, after the enzyme had it's 12 hours overnight to work. Excited to see how it turns out!

One question, which I couldn't find anyone else asking with the "Search in this thread" button: Has anyone tried adding oak chips to this wine in secondary?

 

[Yooper]

I just added the yeast to my first attempt to making this, after the enzyme had it's 12 hours overnight to work. Excited to see how it turns out!

One question, which I couldn't find anyone else asking with the "Search in this thread" button: Has anyone tried adding oak chips to this wine in secondary?

It's not a very bold wine- it's very concord-y. I wouldn't think it would hold up well to oaking.

 

[SquidPope]

I wouldn't think it would hold up well to oaking.

Thanks!

One more question. (This is my first attempt at brewing wine, although I've been making beer for just over a year.)

Since I'm not adding anything in secondary fermentation, and assuming I won't do any backsweetening, is there a reason I shouldn't bottle it immediately after the 30 days in primary is complete?

EDIT: Wait, I think I answered my own question; the month of secondary time is to allow more lees to fall out of the wine before bottling, isn't it?

 

[Scratchy]

89 pages seriously took some effort, 5 hrs, 10 cigs, and three cups of coffee later am now ready to ask a few questions. sorry but after reading through 89 pages and not having a clue what I am doing I may have missed my answers although I don't think so. Figure I will try a batch of cheap wine before I blow 75 bucks on a mistake.

First off what is OG and how can u tell if u need to add sugar to affect it and when do u add it? I think SG is specific gravity and FG humm maybe I did or didn't see that one. IF I did what is it also?

Secondly, can I just sprinkle the yeast on top or should I mix some in water or something or other first before adding it after the 12 hr. mark?

Lastly, if I want to save some of the bottle to age at different intervals I will need to add sulfate, or sulfite, what is the full name of it and how do I go about adding it?

Yooper (hopefully that's spelled right) kudos to u and the other diehard members here who continue to keep us newbies in the know, way to stick with a thread!

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

89 pages seriously took some effort, 5 hrs, 10 cigs, and three cups of coffee later am now ready to ask a few questions. sorry but after reading through 89 pages and not having a clue what I am doing I may have missed my answers although I don't think so. Figure I will try a batch of cheap wine before I blow 75 bucks on a mistake.

First off what is OG and how can u tell if u need to add sugar to affect it and when do u add it? I think SG is specific gravity and FG humm maybe I did or didn't see that one. IF I did what is it also?

Secondly, can I just sprinkle the yeast on top or should I mix some in water or something or other first before adding it after the 12 hr. mark?

Lastly, if I want to save some of the bottle to age at different intervals I will need to add sulfate, or sulfite, what is the full name of it and how do I go about adding it?

Yooper (hopefully that's spelled right) kudos to u and the other diehard members here who continue to keep us newbies in the know, way to stick with a thread!

Thanks in advance for any answers.

I'll do my best here..
1. you need a hydrometer to test to find out what your original gravity is and add boiled sugar water to the mixture, and mix it all up evenly to get to the right amount. FG is the gravity that you want and the end or the final gravity.

2. yes you can do either sprinkle the dry yeast on top or re-hydrate it and pitch it.

3. when It comes time to bottle it or backsweeten it you'll want to add some crushed campden tablets and potassium sorbate to the mix.

lastly you are correct Yooper is a guiding lighting light help all of us who are lost find our way.

 

[Hankhill11]

I started my first try at this the day before yesterday, pitched yeast yesterday. I have some bubbles, but not as active as Yooper was describing. Is keeping a napkin over it needed if its not bubbling over? Or should i go the safer route and just use an air lock or blow off...?

 

[z-bob]

I started 3.5 gallons on Saturday, and there is no foam on top at all but if you look at the surface it is "fizzing". I put it in a carboy; it was well aerated but I put an airlock on it right away instead of using a primary for a bucket, and it's bubbling away. Don't know if that will hurt anything. It will pick up a little oxygen (and lose some of the dissolved CO2) when I rack it in about a week.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I started my first try at this the day before yesterday, pitched yeast yesterday. I have some bubbles, but not as active as Yooper was describing. Is keeping a napkin over it needed if its not bubbling over? Or should i go the safer route and just use an air lock or blow off...?

some people have used the napkin route for a week and then switch. I usually stir it like crazy to introduce oxygen then put an airlock on it. I've never had a wine blow up on me like beer, it's usually a steady ferment

 

[Hankhill11]

I usually stir it like crazy to introduce oxygen then put an airlock on it.

I did this. did my best to stir it as its fermenting way happily. It foamed up and over the napkin, but once subsided i swapped for an air lock. How often are you shaking it up during the 'primary' fermentation? I'm on day three right now.

Its going well so far and i'm really excited for this batch!

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I did this. did my best to stir it as its fermenting way happily. It foamed up and over the napkin, but once subsided i swapped for an air lock. How often are you shaking it up during the 'primary' fermentation? I'm on day three right now.

Its going well so far and i'm really excited for this batch!

usually just at the beginning, if you're on day 3 you're probably good. just air lock it and forget it for a while.

 

[z-bob]

I started 3.3 gallons on Saturday, and there is no foam on top at all but if you look at the surface it is "fizzing". I put it in a [plastic] carboy; it was well aerated but I put an airlock on it right away instead of using a bucket for a primary, and it's bubbling away. Don't know if that will hurt anything. It will pick up a little oxygen (and lose some of the dissolved CO2) when I rack it in about a week.

I racked to a 3 gallon glass carboy a few days ago. It doesn't taste very good yet, but it's not bad. Not too tart, no nasty flavors from leaving it on the 71B lees too long. It's drinkable now. I'll probably prime and bottle it in champagne bottles around December 1 to be carbed by New Years.
I think I need to get a new hydrometer because the reading was off the scale, something like .95, and there's no way that's right. (I didn't take an OG reading with this hydrometer, I used a refractometer.)

 

[SquidPope]

Any recommendations on how long this stuff should stay in the bottle before drinking for best results? I'm planning to give out some of it as Christmas gifts, wanted to know if I should put a "Best after" date on the label

EDIT: I moved the wine to secondary today, and snuck a taste in the process. Seemed to have a very strong booze taste, which I hope will mellow out a bit by the time it's been in the bottle for a while, and kind of a rose colour.

 

[deanktenor]

Hi. I'd like to try out wine (I do a fair amount of beer), and this looks like a nice place to start out low-cost. Any suggestion on which one which wine yeast? Thanks!

 

[z-bob]

71B will reduce the acidity (that's the one I'm using now.)
D47 is safer for leaving it on the lees (trub).
Epernay II (Red Star Côte des Blanc) might be interesting, but it's a slow fermenter and can stick. I have a couple of packets but haven't tried it yet.

These are all really cheap dried yeasts; I have no idea why there's such a price difference from beer years. So you can experiment w/o breaking the bank.

EC-1118 and Red Star Premier Cuvée are beasts. I've used them in cider and they ferment totally dry and then need to age a while to be drinkable. Your mileage may vary

 

[deanktenor]

Thanks. That's helpful as far as yeast selection. Now topping off after racking. This will be my first effort at wine, so I don't have some from a previous batch to top off with (Not that I couldn't go buy some...haha). I have read that topping off with water is not optimal. What should I use?

 

[z-bob]

My boss is a winemaker, and he says they add glass marbles to raise the level instead of topping it off.

Maybe you could add more grape juice? (Yooper, will that work, or will it cause problems?) I assume you'll only be racking once. I racked mine from a 4 gallon plastic carboy to a 3 gallon glass, and had a little left over, which I drank. I will bottle in a couple of weeks.

 

[Gonzo_Don]

I topped mine off with Carlo Rossi Paisano. It improved the taste tremendously, but I have to admit--I made 5 gallons and racked it off into a 6 gallon carboy that I thought was 5 gallons, so I had to add the entire 4 liter jug of Carlo Rossi to top it off. But that's the only way I'll make it in the future. Without that 4 liters of Paisano, the Welch's stuff isn't fit to drink.

 

[MaxStout]

71B will reduce the acidity (that's the one I'm using now.)
D47 is safer for leaving it on the lees (trub).
Epernay II (Red Star Côte des Blanc) might be interesting, but it's a slow fermenter and can stick. I have a couple of packets but haven't tried it yet.

These are all really cheap dried yeasts; I have no idea why there's such a price difference from beer years. So you can experiment w/o breaking the bank.

EC-1118 and Red Star Premier Cuvée are beasts. I've used them in cider and they ferment totally dry and then need to age a while to be drinkable. Your mileage may vary

I had good results from 1118, but it does need a few months to age out. I used more sugar in the recipe, so it ended up somewhere around 15%. Surprisingly, not a lot of alcohol burn in the flavor. The wine is dry, but that's to my liking. I don't want it to taste like Mogen David. It's a decent table wine, and a real crowd-pleaser with family and friends.

I might have to try 71B next time around.

 

[SquidPope]

My first attempt at this is ready to bottle; I think I must have made a mistake somewhere, because it tastes kind of awful I'll bottle it anyway, see if it gets better with age.

 

[z-bob]

I *just* finished bottling mine. Maybe I have no taste, but I kinda like it. (drinking a glass right now) I put about a gallon in swing-top bottles and primed with sugar. I really hope they are carbed by New Years Eve.

 

[red_dragon]

The recipe provided was awesome. Thank you. I made a batch with grape juice concentrate and a batch with mango peach juice. Both batches taste delicious. They were stabilized and slightly back sweetened. They were ready to drink within 2 months. I sugared them up to an OG of 1.090. Both came out to be great table wines. I gifted them for the holidays. After buying the juice with coupons, yeast, nutrients, clarifying agent, corks, used bottles, a full corked bottled cost me about 40 cents. Sweet!

 

[red_dragon]

I *just* finished bottling mine. Maybe I have no taste, but I kinda like it. (drinking a glass right now) I put about a gallon in swing-top bottles and primed with sugar. I really hope they are carbed by New Years Eve.

As long as you didn't stabilize it, it should be primed in time for New Years.