On 10 June, 00:14, Marshall Jose > wrote:
> For about a year now, I've been enjoying (what I find to be) some curiously
> tasty wine made from Langer's frozen apple juice concentrate. I find it at my
> local Safeway grocery store. Being frozen, it has no sorbates or benzoates,
> but it's got ascorbic acid, which turns out be a bit of a help.
>
> What makes the taste "curious" is that I don't fully reconstitute the
> concentrate with water, allowing the higher sugar percentage to contribute
> to the total desired start SG. By doing this, I also raise the amount of
> natural apple flavor above that which would normally be present in a starting
> apple must.
>
> The result is a strong-tasting wine (my family calls it "hooch"), with much
> body and plenty of natural tannin. More importantly, because the juice has
> already been filtered before concentration, clarification is rapid. About 2
> months after fermentation slows, the wine has only a vague haze, and the
> lees are firm (when EC-1118 is used).
>
> Typically, I make a gallon at a time, thus:
>
> - 4 Langer's frozen apple concentrate bottles
> - 2.1 liters bottled spring water
> - 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
> - 1 tsp yeast nutrient
> - 2 cups sugar
> - 3/4 tsp EC-1118 dry yeast
>
> This liquor will have a SG of 1.115, which the yeast can handle, but will
> produce a high-alcohol wine, If this is objectionable, only add 0.5 to 1
> cups of sugar. Fermentation to SG=1.000 will take roughly 10-12 days,
> largely due to the presence of the ascorbic acid. Daily stirring will assist
> in degassing the must during primary fermentation.
>
> Naturally, one can wait a reasonable 6 months for more complete
> clarification, but I've been surprised by the flavor of the result when
> enjoyed prior to that time.
>
> Marshall

Can I ask which country that you're in please? I used to really enjoy
making wines from fruit juices - a quick and easy way to make wine but
here in the UK sodium metabisulphide has in included in every bottle
of juice for a good few years now....like most things in the UK, if
you enjoy then, given time, the authorities will clamp down on it.

McKevvy