frozen concentrates
 

Hello,
Just wanted to update those who were interested in making wine out of
frozen concentrates other than Welch's. I have tried making wine out of Old
Orchard 100% frozen fruit juices. Yesterday, I opened a bottle of Apple,
Kiwi, Strawberry made in December 2002 at about 10% Alcohol. I was very
happy with it - light, fruity smooth taste.
The only problem I've had with making wine from these Old Orchard frozen
concentrates, is that they are sometimes difficult to get to finish
fermenting to dry - they sometimes stick. I've had better luck adding yeast
nutrient to the regular recipe, or treating the must like a regular fruit
wine by fermenting in my plastic primary bucket, rather than in a glass jug
with airlock & bung. My feeling is that Old Orchard puts something in their
frozen concentrates which Welch's doesn't, but I'm not sure what it might
be. Anyway, the wines are worth trying, and I'm definitely going to make
this one again. I have an Apple, Strawberry, Banana wine, and an Apple
Raspberry to try in the next month or so.
Darlene
Wisconsin USA

frozen concentrates
 

In making sugarmash for distillation, turbo yeasts with nutrient will
ferment straight sugar water. Even with a 1118 yeast and some good
nutrient, it still can be quite difficult and a long process to ferment
plain sugar water.

A turbo yeast will ferment it guaranteed and it will work fast on anything.
:-) My biggest worry might be that the fast ferment might strip some of the
finer character that a fruit juice might provide.. just like a 1118 could
strip some charater as opposed to using other yeasts.. however, loads of
people still use 1118 in regular winemaking and it's not entirely
undrinkable either.. so I think turbo yeasts could potentially be used in
this sort of winemaking as well.

I also wonder about the acid level perhaps not being quite right with the
concentrates as opposed to fresh juice.

LG

>Hello,
> Just wanted to update those who were interested in making wine out of
>frozen concentrates other than Welch's. I have tried making wine out of Old
>Orchard 100% frozen fruit juices. Yesterday, I opened a bottle of Apple,
>Kiwi, Strawberry made in December 2002 at about 10% Alcohol. I was very
>happy with it - light, fruity smooth taste.
> The only problem I've had with making wine from these Old Orchard frozen
>concentrates, is that they are sometimes difficult to get to finish
>fermenting to dry - they sometimes stick. I've had better luck adding yeast
>nutrient to the regular recipe, or treating the must like a regular fruit
>wine by fermenting in my plastic primary bucket, rather than in a glass jug
>with airlock & bung. My feeling is that Old Orchard puts something in their
>frozen concentrates which Welch's doesn't, but I'm not sure what it might
>be. Anyway, the wines are worth trying, and I'm definitely going to make
>this one again. I have an Apple, Strawberry, Banana wine, and an Apple
>Raspberry to try in the next month or so.
>Darlene
>Wisconsin USA

frozen concentrates
 

LG,
I've been very pleased with the wine I've made from frozen concentrates, and
so have my friends and family who have tried them. I think they are pretty
balanced, and especially good if you can wait until they are a year to a
year and a half old. I've used Montrachet yeast, which is a very fast
yeast. Having said that though, I have not made wine from regular juice, so
maybe juice is better.
Darlene

"LG" > wrote in message
...
> In making sugarmash for distillation, turbo yeasts with nutrient will
> ferment straight sugar water. Even with a 1118 yeast and some good
> nutrient, it still can be quite difficult and a long process to ferment
> plain sugar water.
>
> A turbo yeast will ferment it guaranteed and it will work fast on
anything.
> :-) My biggest worry might be that the fast ferment might strip some of
the
> finer character that a fruit juice might provide.. just like a 1118 could
> strip some charater as opposed to using other yeasts.. however, loads of
> people still use 1118 in regular winemaking and it's not entirely
> undrinkable either.. so I think turbo yeasts could potentially be used in
> this sort of winemaking as well.
>
> I also wonder about the acid level perhaps not being quite right with the
> concentrates as opposed to fresh juice.
>
> LG
>
> >Hello,
> > Just wanted to update those who were interested in making wine out of
> >frozen concentrates other than Welch's. I have tried making wine out of
Old
> >Orchard 100% frozen fruit juices. Yesterday, I opened a bottle of Apple,
> >Kiwi, Strawberry made in December 2002 at about 10% Alcohol. I was very
> >happy with it - light, fruity smooth taste.
> > The only problem I've had with making wine from these Old Orchard
frozen
> >concentrates, is that they are sometimes difficult to get to finish
> >fermenting to dry - they sometimes stick. I've had better luck adding
yeast
> >nutrient to the regular recipe, or treating the must like a regular fruit
> >wine by fermenting in my plastic primary bucket, rather than in a glass
jug
> >with airlock & bung. My feeling is that Old Orchard puts something in
their
> >frozen concentrates which Welch's doesn't, but I'm not sure what it might
> >be. Anyway, the wines are worth trying, and I'm definitely going to make
> >this one again. I have an Apple, Strawberry, Banana wine, and an Apple
> >Raspberry to try in the next month or so.
> >Darlene
> >Wisconsin USA
>

frozen concentrates
 

Hello all,

I did a little R&D on the issue of stuck fermentations, as several of
my former associates were having one of those sugar-and-water kits
come out stinking badly. They were sweet and tasted like bad
cider...when they should have been dry and neutral.

Anytime any must looks like it might be sticking (stays muddy but no
other signs of fermentation), give it a good stir every day. Of
course it needs to be in the primary with a wide mouth. I left the
spoon in and used a big trash bag as a cover--never had any trouble
with wild yeasts.

This works with icewine as well as any must with either high alcohol
or high acidity. Many commercial juices are adjusted at the factory
for constant TA as the natural TA will vary with crop and type of
fruit: read the labels if you really want to know.

Also, since even the (wlo alcohol) wine coolers are fermented very
effectively in buckets, why would you even try to do a primary
fermentation in a jug? You can get one gallon food grade plastic
pails for those smaller batches. Yeast is definitely a living entity
with a need for fresh air...like all of us...

Good luck this year--Irene

"Dar V" > wrote in message >...
> Hello,
> Just wanted to update those who were interested in making wine out of
> frozen concentrates other than Welch's. I have tried making wine out of Old
> Orchard 100% frozen fruit juices. Yesterday, I opened a bottle of Apple,
> Kiwi, Strawberry made in December 2002 at about 10% Alcohol. I was very
> happy with it - light, fruity smooth taste.
> The only problem I've had with making wine from these Old Orchard frozen
> concentrates, is that they are sometimes difficult to get to finish
> fermenting to dry - they sometimes stick. I've had better luck adding yeast
> nutrient to the regular recipe, or treating the must like a regular fruit
> wine by fermenting in my plastic primary bucket, rather than in a glass jug
> with airlock & bung. My feeling is that Old Orchard puts something in their
> frozen concentrates which Welch's doesn't, but I'm not sure what it might
> be. Anyway, the wines are worth trying, and I'm definitely going to make
> this one again. I have an Apple, Strawberry, Banana wine, and an Apple
> Raspberry to try in the next month or so.
> Darlene
> Wisconsin USA

frozen concentrates
 

I too ran into the same problem with concentrate wines fermentation
ending too quickly. The result, as Dar V has mentioned, is that they
never seem to ferment out and end up being too sweet. When I look
back, I realize that these were one gallon batches fermented solely in
a one gallon jug. This is one method as suggested by Jack Keller's
site. I am wondering if maybe I am covering the top too tight and
therefore not allowing sufficient air in during the initial 10 days or
so before I attach the bung and airlock.

(Irene) wrote in message . com>...
> Hello all,
>
> I did a little R&D on the issue of stuck fermentations, as several of
> my former associates were having one of those sugar-and-water kits
> come out stinking badly. They were sweet and tasted like bad
> cider...when they should have been dry and neutral.
>
> Anytime any must looks like it might be sticking (stays muddy but no
> other signs of fermentation), give it a good stir every day. Of
> course it needs to be in the primary with a wide mouth. I left the
> spoon in and used a big trash bag as a cover--never had any trouble
> with wild yeasts.
>
> This works with icewine as well as any must with either high alcohol
> or high acidity. Many commercial juices are adjusted at the factory
> for constant TA as the natural TA will vary with crop and type of
> fruit: read the labels if you really want to know.
>
> Also, since even the (wlo alcohol) wine coolers are fermented very
> effectively in buckets, why would you even try to do a primary
> fermentation in a jug? You can get one gallon food grade plastic
> pails for those smaller batches. Yeast is definitely a living entity
> with a need for fresh air...like all of us...
>
> Good luck this year--Irene
>
> "Dar V" > wrote in message >...
> > Hello,
> > Just wanted to update those who were interested in making wine out of
> > frozen concentrates other than Welch's. I have tried making wine out of Old
> > Orchard 100% frozen fruit juices. Yesterday, I opened a bottle of Apple,
> > Kiwi, Strawberry made in December 2002 at about 10% Alcohol. I was very
> > happy with it - light, fruity smooth taste.
> > The only problem I've had with making wine from these Old Orchard frozen
> > concentrates, is that they are sometimes difficult to get to finish
> > fermenting to dry - they sometimes stick. I've had better luck adding yeast
> > nutrient to the regular recipe, or treating the must like a regular fruit
> > wine by fermenting in my plastic primary bucket, rather than in a glass jug
> > with airlock & bung. My feeling is that Old Orchard puts something in their
> > frozen concentrates which Welch's doesn't, but I'm not sure what it might
> > be. Anyway, the wines are worth trying, and I'm definitely going to make
> > this one again. I have an Apple, Strawberry, Banana wine, and an Apple
> > Raspberry to try in the next month or so.
> > Darlene
> > Wisconsin USA