Wine from Welch's concentrate

[mew]

I did a batch of the welch's white grape juice with cote des blancs yeast and it's not nearly as tart as the concord. A little less grape flavor, but more balanced. Next time I'll go with white grape peach for the added fullness of peach flavor.

 

[bicycle bill]

Cheapo wine kits at Costco = 25 bucks, ready in one month and it tastes like wine is supposed to and not grape kool-aid with everclear................

Can you post a link to this Costco site and the cheap but good wine kits?

I would like to check this out since i am on a limited budget.

 

[dopplebock]

I don't care at all for hefeweizens or wheat beers, but I don't 'dis them either. Our tastes are our tastes.

hey YooperBrew, have you ever tried a wheat dopplebock such as Schneider Aventinus Bock, or their eisbock? simple delicious....give one a go. trust me - it's not your average bear!

 

[431brew]

But you can sorbate and campden and sweeten to taste if you'd like.

Yooper.....I need to increase the apple flavor and also lightly sweeten some apple juice wine that I used too many raisins in. The raisins and alcohol over power the apples. I have used sorbate and campden and let age for about 5 months in a bucket. Could I simply pour some apple juice from a bottle into the bucket? If frozen concentrate is the way to go, what is the technique for that?

Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper.....I need to increase the apple flavor and also lightly sweeten some apple juice wine that I used too many raisins in. The raisins and alcohol over power the apples. I have used sorbate and campden and let age for about 5 months in a bucket. Could I simply pour some apple juice from a bottle into the bucket? If frozen concentrate is the way to go, what is the technique for that?

Thanks.

I wouldn't just pour the juice in, especially in a bucket with all that headspace. You'd risk oxidizing it for sure. You can add some apple juice to a sample, and see how much it takes to be "right" to your taste. Then, do the math and add the correct amount to a new carboy or bottling bucket, and then rack the wine into it so that it mixes but doesn't aerate.

For example, if 1 ounce of concentrate is good for 1 pint of wine, then you can just multiply it out to get the right amount. Juice or concentrate would work, it wouldn't matter. Just use what you'd like to get the taste you want.

 

[431brew]

Yooper... Yes, I would rack onto it...I kind of over simplified it there to get on to my question of juice vs frozen concentrate for sweetening and flavor. I have not added flavor in the past so wasn't sure which means of juice to use. I did not want to use artificial sweetener, such as splenda, and/or fruit flavoring from the LHBS.

 

[firebird77]

I'm trying this as my first wine, a super budget brew. What results have been found with nothing but the grape juice concentrate, sugar, water and yeast? No acid blend, stabilizer, back sweetening etc. I'd like to keep some cheap dry yeast on hand, and then do nothing but pick up the concentrate and sugar during the weekly shopping. I'd like to make this and a Premier malt extract beer continuously so that we always have homebrew on hand while working on more interesting recipes.


Also, I have some corn sugar laying around, and although the table vs corn is an ongoing debate, what have people seen in terms of results with this specific recipe? Worth it, not worth it?

 

[firebird77]

Pitched my first batch Friday, foamed over once with the napkin on and is now bubbling away happily. Great limited resource experiment, seeing as I was without Starsan and my hydrometer. I simply washed everything well, boiled all the water, mixed with 3 cups of sugar and 2 cans of Concord concentrate in the primary and pitched rehydrated Red Star Pasteur Red. I'll post again when it turns out great, without an infection.

Anyone try ice distilling/concentrating this wine? Sounds like it could be a fun experiment!

 

[DoctorCAD]

I decided to try this Welches wine.

Used 3 cans of grape, 1 1/4 pound sugar, nutrient, acid blend, peptic enzyme and some tannin for kicks.

It is sitting for 24 hours under SO2 and then I will pitch some K1-V116. SG is right at 1.100.

I guess I will see in about 60 days if its worth it or not. Worst case is to use it for topping up.

No experiment is a failure, just a learning tool.

 

[firebird77]

I guess I will see in about 60 days if its worth it or not. Worst case is to use it for topping up.

I figure if it doesn't meet my expectations, I can always make sangria for the old lady. Sure, good wine makes good sangria, but I'd rather drink sangria made with jug wine than drink the jug wine on its own.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I decided to try this Welches wine.

Used 3 cans of grape, 1 1/4 pound sugar, nutrient, acid blend, peptic enzyme and some tannin for kicks.

It is sitting for 24 hours under SO2 and then I will pitch some K1-V116. SG is right at 1.100.

I guess I will see in about 60 days if its worth it or not. Worst case is to use it for topping up.

No experiment is a failure, just a learning tool.

Well, I was wrong...it was a failure.

The yeast was one month past its expiration date and did not take off. I still have 3 other yeasts to try yet.

Not sure why the yeast didn't take?????

 

[meading_of_minds]

I've got one of these bubbling along, we'll see how it goes. I just made the purple, I wasn't brave enough yet to try others, but if this goes well, well, there are just so many juices!

 

[jronneba]

I have a batch of this going as well. OG on 2/13 was 1.111 and on 2/18 it was already down to 1.010. I haven't taken a reading since then, but is there any benefit to letting it sit in the secondary longer or should I just go ahead and start stabilizing - assuming it's down to around 1.000.

 

[firebird77]

So after about a week in the primary, this wine has turned a bright, opaque red/maroon. Anyone else have this experience, and about what color should I expect in the final product?

 

[DoctorCAD]

Did a starter and now mine is at a rolling boil.

Fermenting area smells of a warm grape jelly sandwich!

 

[meading_of_minds]

The ferment on this went Whooosh! When it did not bubble for two or three days in a row I checked it. So about a week ago, I racked it into a clean bottle with some more sugar, just to be sure. I bottled it for drinking just this past weekend.
I do strongly recommend putting something to catch the overflow for those first couple days. Mine ran all over the place. Once the most active part of the ferment ended, I cleaned up the bottle and added an airlock.
I am pleased with the way it turned out and have purchased more concentrate to start another batch. Only a cold has slowed me down.

 

[toadbugger]

I'm still trying to refine these so they don't taste so weak and hot. I tried the 4can approach which was a disaster on both batches, super bitter, and back sweetening with sugar is a waste of time also. EL-YUCKO!

Next batch, I'll just add sorbate and welches as a backsweetener to bring back some body once cleared. I still have hopes of comming up with with something I really like here. I ain't giving up man...