Wine using frozen concentrated grape juice

[dabogdan]

I saw a couple of articles on this. Has anyone ever tried it? I though it might me fun. I guess I'm getting adventurous lol Maybe a poor man's preseco (carbonated dry white wine)

Here's one article I found.

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-mak ... ncentrate/

I also liked the post on making wine using Aldi grape juice.

Have a great day!

Dave

[berryman]

I saw a couple of articles on this. Has anyone ever tried it? I though it might me fun.
I also liked the post on making wine using Aldi grape juice.
Dave

I have never personally tried frozen concentrate, but have read others here that make apple cider with it. I don't see any reason it wouldn't work as long as it is 100% juice. As far as the Aldis grape juice wine, I have made that quite a few times and all that is, is made from a concentrate. Instead of rehydrating the yeast as the article is saying, add some yeast energizer as per directions.

[dabogdan]

Thanks for your response. I'm gonna try them both!!

[swenocha]

I did this ages ago with frozen grape juice. Also have done with lemonade. Certainly do able...

[Hayzer]

So frozen concentrate, water, sugar & yeast, plus a month to ferment is all that is needed?

Could we use ANY type of frozen concentrate, like blueberry, cherry, apple, etc.?

This recipe sounds too easy. Am I missing something?

[berryman]

This recipe sounds too easy. Am I missing something?

Nope, it will make a alcohol beverage.

[swenocha]

One word of advice is to attempt to find preservative free juices.... I still have lemonade and limeade from the last time I did this several years ago. The big problem (IMHO) is sweetness. The yeasties eat all of the sugar leaving less sweetness in the remaining drink than you might want. You can always backsweeten at serving time easily enough or use non-fermentable sugars or sweeteners in the ferment or at bottling (I used Stevia the last time, I believe). Just need to taste at bottling and see if you think it needs it. Or just make an invert sugar syrup to use at serving time...

EDIT: Appears I used Maltodextrine and Xylithol, not Stevia. Wow... 2011. In a good ol' Mr. Beer fermenter it appears... I know that I ended up doing a secondary with berries by the time this one was done...

#36: Frozen Limonade
Fruit Beer

Date: 1/14/2011
Batch Size: 2.50 gal
Brewer: Swenocha

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
4.07 lb Frozen Lemonade/Limeade (3.0 SRM) Sugar 88.88 %
0.51 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 11.12 %
1 Pkgs Cote des Blancs (Red Star #WIY10) Yeast-Wine


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.068 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.068 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.34 %
Bitterness: 0.0 IBU
Calories: 310 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.6 SRM

Directions:

- Start rehydrating yeast
- Boil a couple cups of water with the maltodextrine and sugar to dissolve.
- Add water to sanitized fermenter.
- Add frozen concentrate (2 lemonade and 3 limeade this time)
- Add sugar water to fermenter
- Top off to top of 'Q' (yeast had little to no krausen last time, and is noted as a low krausen yeast on its website, so I got a bit more goodness in there this time)
- Stir, pitch, stir

Notes:

Yeast ferments best between 64-86F, but works down to 55F. Currently sitting at 70 on the countertop. Fermenting fridge is at 53F without being turned on, so the countertop will suffice.

Wife is lactose intolerant, ruling out lactose for sweetening. Added Maltodextrine in an attempt to get a bit of sweetness, but will back-sweeten with Xylitol at bottling if necessary.

[BlackDuck]

I'll also add that if you are bottling and back sweetening it, you'll need to consider killing off the yeast that is left. Potassium Sorbate can be used. Cold crash it first, then rack to a bottling bucket with the sorbate in the bottling bucket. Although it really doesn't "kill" the yeast, it will basically make whatever yeast is left inactive. So they won't start to multiply and start another fermentation when the sugar is added. You'll need to do this if you don't want a sparkling wine. And if your bottling with corks, you'll definitely need to do this, or you will blow corks!!! If you want it sparkling, don't do this, just add sugar to the bottles like you would in bottling beer, and don't use bottles with corks, unless it's a champagne type setup with the wire nest holding the cork in.

[Hayzer]

I found this wine yeast chart and thought I'd throw it in here for reference.

https://www.piwine.com/media/pdf/yeast- ... -chart.pdf

[berryman]

I like the Red Star Montrachet now called Premier Classique for most wine I have been making. but used Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast on a high gravity strawberry. Have not bottled that one yet, but racked and sampled a while back and it is still sweet and not real dry but a lot of ABV. I think I used 24 lbs of home grown frozen berries and 12 lbs sugar on this 5 gal. without looking back at my notes.

[mashani]

I like the yeast formerly known as Montrachet as well, it's what I used all the time when I did it, I also used it for maple wine (like mead but made with maple $yrup). It is one of those yeasts that likes to murder other competing organisms, a "killer yeast" as such, so it's hard to get bad results when using it.

[Hayzer]

I like the yeast formerly known as Montrachet as well, it's what I used all the time when I did it, I also used it for maple wine (like mead but made with maple $yrup). It is one of those yeasts that likes to murder other competing organisms, a "killer yeast" as such, so it's hard to get bad results when using it.

My wife is a Michigan girl. Grew up making Maple Syrup. She would love some maple wine I'm sure. I am going to have to find a recipe!

[mashani]

My wife is a Michigan girl. Grew up making Maple Syrup. She would love some maple wine I'm sure. I am going to have to find a recipe!

Fair warning: if you make it strong, it might taste like cheap Cognac mixed with lighter fluid at first. If so just stick it in a closet for 2 years and it will become very nice.

[Hayzer]

I saw a couple of articles on this. Has anyone ever tried it? I though it might me fun. I guess I'm getting adventurous lol Maybe a poor man's preseco (carbonated dry white wine)

Here's one article I found.

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-mak ... ncentrate/

I also liked the post on making wine using Aldi grape juice.

Have a great day!

Dave

Hey Dave, I just got my first batch of this recipe in the fermenting bucket. Have you started on this one yet?

[Hayzer]

My wine I made, from the recipe in the OG, was racked last night from the fermenter and set out in a 35 degree garage. I will rack it a couple more times before bottling. (I bottled one bottle and poured a glass from fermenter). I think it's going to be OK. It is going to come in under 6% though, but I don't mind it for a first attempt. I think I am going to step up to all fruit wine on the next batch.