Wine from Welch's concentrate

[Tophe]

Im curious how the process of this goes. I have some wine going right now that is from a kit. and has a few other things that go into the wine at different stages for clearing and such.

If I make some from Welch's concentrate, is all this stuff still needed? Im assuming so. Anyone have some insight on this for me?

Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

Well, you could just make it as is, but I think acid blend makes it better. You don't really need clarifiers, though. It clears pretty well without them.

 

[Tophe]

What do you mean by acid blends? Will i need to test the ph of the wine?

Have you made this stuff before?

 

[MikeRLynch]

I've made welches before, though admittedly not a grape one. Mine is White Grape Peach, nothing added. I use lavlin 71b-1122 yeast, nutrient, and perhaps a little dextrose to bump up the abv a bit. Its quick, its yummy, and its alcoholic. But don't try to compare it to your kit wine, cause it aint. Ive heard it described as a slightly less alcoholic fuzzy navel. Something to sip on while you make something a bit nicer

mike

 

[Tophe]

Sounds like something the SWMBO would love! Just talked to her mom and shes going to get us a discount on the juice. Did you use 3 cans per gallon? I was wondering about adding some dextrose for the abv and you answered that one for me...Il probably add 2 lbs or so for 6.5 gals. This way I can keep her away from my beer!!

 

[Yooper]

I have my welch's recipe for 100% grape in the recipe index. I do make it, and we enjoy it. It's good as is, sweetened, or mixed with soda.

Acid blend is an ingredient you can find at any winemaking shop, and it's not necessary but improves the wine. You don't need to measure TA or ph, although I'm sure some people do.

I just follow the recipe as written, and it's pretty good! Just make sure you use the 100% juice, not the "cocktail" or others. I would not add any dextrose or sugar, beyond what the recipe calls for. I think an an s.g. of 1.095 is about perfect. If you make rocket fuel, it'll take forever to age out.

 

[Tophe]

Could you send me your recipe please Yooper? Would it be fair to say you could substitute the grape flavor with another flavor and be okay?

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

Sure, but it is in the recipe database under wine. I just copied and pasted.

Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Wine
2 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
1-1/4 lbs granulated sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 1 gallon
wine yeast

Bring 1 quart water to boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and add frozen concentrate. Add additional water to make one gallon and pour into secondary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover with napkin fastened with rubber band and set aside 12 hours. Add activated wine yeast and recover with napkin. When active fermentation slows down (about 5 days), fit airlock. When clear, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles.

Any flavor will do- some have done the raspberry blend and liked it. Again, just use 100% juice, with no high fructose corn syrup or other stuff. And you don't have to use all the sugar, just enough to get you to 1.095 or so. It finishes dry, which I like. But you can sorbate and campden and sweeten to taste if you'd like.

This is not fine wine- so if you know that going in, I think you'll be happy. It tastes like a dry mogen david, if you use the concord grape juice. Again, you could sweeten and/or mix if you'd like.

 

[Tophe]

Thanks! I was thinking you had it in your personal index, and wasnt thinking it was on here...

Yeah, not goin for fine wine, goin for cheap wine that tasted descent. Im pretty much into making anything with alcohol in it right now

 

[drunken clown]

i made a wine almost the same exept i added a small bag of frozen mixed fruit (find at any grocer) to it! it turned out pretty good, a lil' to dry for my taste (sweet), but it was cheap and easy! cant realy mess it up, and the posibilities are endless!

 

[sirsloop]

in case you wanted to know.... welch's uses either concord (red) or niagara (white) grape juice. I dont think I"ve ever had concord wine, but niagara wine is usually a fruity sweet white with hints of apple. Definitly a drink most swimbos would enjoy.. (unless they dig dry).

 

[Tophe]

Got a case of the white grape on the way from SWMBO's mom.

 

[MikeRLynch]

Beware the welches White Grape Raspberry. It came out way to tart for my tastes, and now I'm just hoping that after a little ageing I'll mellow out a bit. Hopefully I'll be able to blend it eventually with something else, but on its own its way too bitter. It also had no body at all, had to add glycerine to it.

honestly the only luck i've had with welches has been the white grape peach.

mike

 

[Blæinger]

I tried making some from a can of "Cranberry, Rasberry, Grape" and my tongue nearly fell off it was so sour. It was definitely drain cleaner in the making.

I'd like to try some ordinary grape (concord?) wine at some point, but I haven't been able to find the right brand just yet. I usually buy a few, and make juice out of them to see if I like them, and if I do I buy more of that brand for making wine out of later.

 

[MikeRLynch]

I've heard that welches grape wine tastes like alcoholic grape jelly. I haven't done it myself, just what i've heard in passing.

mike

 

[Yooper]

As you all know, I like the Welch's 100% concord and drink the wine made from it. Tastes like "communion" wine, I think. Like a dry Mogen David. Not fine wine, but definitely tasty and easy drinking.

 

[Mikey]

I've heard that welches grape wine tastes like alcoholic grape jelly. I haven't done it myself, just what i've heard in passing.

mike

I can attest to that first hand. Glad I only made a small batch.:cross:

 

[britishbloke]

Made a batch from Welches Grape juice. Yeah tastes like communion wine or that cheap wine you buy in the 5 liter boxes; And for 22 bucks to make it works out for my girl. She likes the cheap wine.

Cheap box wine (5 liters) = 9 bucks

Welches Homemade (26 liters) = 22 bucks and two months though to wait.

I got plenty o' carboys - Plus when you buy wine or beer, you never know what preservatives and crap they put in it.

 

[Tophe]

Mine is going to be really cheap wine. Got 24 cans of white grape peach for free. Probably wont make it for a week or two.

 

[Mikey]

Cheap box wine (5 liters) = 9 bucks

Welches Homemade (26 liters) = 22 bucks and two months though to wait.

I

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................

 

[Yooper]

I've had some perfectly awful $50 kits, and although there probably are some decent ones. A "decent" wine kit general costs about $80 or up, though.

I happen to like the Welch's just fine. If you don't fine. I spent $4 on my last Welch's batch, and I enjoy it very much. I also like the dandelion, blackberry, rhubarb, chokecherry, etc, etc wine.

Again, if you don't like it, that's cool. I respect your opinion. I don't care at all for hefeweizens or wheat beers, but I don't 'dis them either. Our tastes are our tastes.

 

[idkid]

could you make a five gallon batch just by multiplying your recipe by 5....sorry for the ignorant question, but i've never made any wine

 

[Yooper]

Yes, you can. Multiply all the ingredients by 5, except for the yeast. You still only use one package of yeast. You might want to make just one gallon to start, though- to make sure you like it!

 

[bicycle bill]

Sure, but it is in the recipe database under wine. I just copied and pasted.



Any flavor will do- some have done the raspberry blend and liked it. Again, just use 100% juice, with no high fructose corn syrup or other stuff. And you don't have to use all the sugar, just enough to get you to 1.095 or so. It finishes dry, which I like. But you can sorbate and campden and sweeten to taste if you'd like.

This is not fine wine- so if you know that going in, I think you'll be happy. It tastes like a dry mogen david, if you use the concord grape juice. Again, you could sweeten and/or mix if you'd like.

Originally Posted by Yooper Chick
Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Wine
2 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100% frozen grape concentrate
1-1/4 lbs granulated sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
water to make 1 gallon
wine yeast

Bring 1 quart water to boil and dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and add frozen concentrate. Add additional water to make one gallon and pour into secondary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover with napkin fastened with rubber band and set aside 12 hours. Add activated wine yeast and recover with napkin. When active fermentation slows down (about 5 days), fit airlock. When clear, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles.

Question???
How can this work? cover with napkin and fasten with rubber band
I thought it was imperative that no air get into the wine during fermenting. WHen you say napkin will a paper towl or kleenex work?

 

[Yooper]

During primary fermentation, you WANT oxygen to get to it, but definitely not fruit flies! All of my fruit wines are loosely covered in the primary, usually in a big fermenting bucket covered with a dish towel, during the most active phase. Then, it's racked off the gross lees and put under airlock.

I wouldn't use kleenex (might fall apart, as it WILL get wet) but papertowel or a clean dish cloth is fine. Also, you might want to stick the whole thing in a larger tub or bucket or sink, as this will stain hardwood floors when it bubbles out of the top a little. (Don't even ask me how I know).

 

[Ryanh1801]

HAHA just saw this, we made some of this, looks like the same recipe in my biology class last year. Then we got to drink it after our final for making it through the class. It was pretty good. Defiantly not a fine wine but it taste good.

 

[Cheesefood]

Yoops...

Just one question, do you like dry or sweet wine? I personally can't stand sweet wines, but I know that people in rural areas tend to favor them over dry. I'm not saying one is right or wrong or that one side represents the entire population, this is just what research shows.

 

[chillHayze]

HAHA just saw this, we made some of this, looks like the same recipe in my biology class last year. Then we got to drink it after our final for making it through the class. It was pretty good. Defiantly not a fine wine but it taste good.

Sheesch, I shoulda went to school in Texas...

 

[bicycle bill]

During primary fermentation, you WANT oxygen to get to it, but definitely not fruit flies! All of my fruit wines are loosely covered in the primary, usually in a big fermenting bucket covered with a dish towel, during the most active phase. Then, it's racked off the gross lees and put under airlock.

I wouldn't use kleenex (might fall apart, as it WILL get wet) but papertowel or a clean dish cloth is fine. Also, you might want to stick the whole thing in a larger tub or bucket or sink, as this will stain hardwood floors when it bubbles out of the top a little. (Don't even ask me how I know).

THank you very much for clearing that up. I am ready to try making a batch. Will post when finished and let you know if i made something like dishwater or drinkable wine.

 

[Yooper]

Yoops...

Just one question, do you like dry or sweet wine? I personally can't stand sweet wines, but I know that people in rural areas tend to favor them over dry. I'm not saying one is right or wrong or that one side represents the entire population, this is just what research shows.

I like only dry wines, as a rule. I ferment everything to dry, and usually leave it that way. The only exception, at least so far, has been the dandelion wine. It's good dry, but even better slightly off-dry at 1.000. Off-day is about as sweet as I'd ever go, though- that's why I've warned people about the tartness of my recipe. This Welch's recipe finishes tart and dry- and I leave it that way.

As far as commercial wines, I like big bold reds the best and rarely drink whites. Of course, these are always dry.