Blueberry Pomegranate

[mdtrey12]

Question, I do not have access to Old Orchard frozen cans. I do have access to Ocean Spray BBPOM in the bottle and an off brand frozen concentrate. I have heard that if in the ingredients it says any type of acid or vitamin C, or other ingredient besides "juice" that it will not ferment correctly? Even on the Old Orchard 100% frozen concentrates it says it contains "citric acid, natural flavors, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)." Does anyone have any experience with this?

I am thinking about using the Ocean Spray Blueberry Pomegranate 64 oz bottles.

Thanks,
Trey

 

[Deezil]

Ascorbic acid, citric acid, those are fine

The things you're looking for are Benzoate or Sorbate - those are what keep them from fermenting

 

[mdtrey12]

Deezil,

Thanks for the quick response, that is what I thought but I wanted to make sure.

Trey

 

[Julie]

Hi mdtrey12,

Go for it, I made Blue/Pom from the Ocean Spray juice and it turned out great. Don't add any water thou.

 

[mdtrey12]

Julie,

I have scored 14 64oz Jugs of Old Orchard 100% juice Blueberry POM. I am going to make 6 gallons. Do you have a good recipe, I am really looking for how much sugar to get it to 1.085-1.090? I was going to start with 4lbs and see where it put it. Any thoughts?
Trey

 

[g8keeper]

Julie,

I have scored 14 64oz Jugs of Old Orchard 100% juice Blueberry POM. I am going to make 6 gallons. Do you have a good recipe, I am really looking for how much sugar to get it to 1.085-1.090? I was going to start with 4lbs and see where it put it. Any thoughts?
Trey

don't know if you have downloaded "winecalc" or not, but it is a handy little program....anyways, if so, first take a gravity reading of the juice itself...if i am not mistaken, it should be somewhere around 1.054, or somewhere close....if you have wine calc, then plug in your starting gravity, your desired gravity, and volume you are making, and it will calculate how much sugar you will need....start out with with about 2/3 of the sugar, stir it in well (i would actually advise you to take 1 hgl. of your juice, warm it on the stove, and dissolve the sugar in it, then add that to the rest of the juice in your bucket), and take another reading...if needed, then add the rest of your sugar....

 

[mdtrey12]

Keeper,

I was def going to heat up a jug or two to dissolve the sugar. I have not downloaded the calc. I am doing it right now!! Keep you updated!

Thanks,
Trey

 

[g8keeper]

Keeper,

I was def going to heat up a jug or two to dissolve the sugar. I have not downloaded the calc. I am doing it right now!! Keep you updated!

Thanks,
Trey

you are welcome, trey....i have found that to be a very invaluable tool....the only thing, some people have noticed that depending on what operating system you are running, you might have to enter your values in without the decimal point....just a little heads up....

 

[Julie]

Hi Trey,

Sorry but I don't use winecalc nor do I measure in pounds. I small calculator and a measuring cup is much more handier and quicker than having to go to a computer and to dig out the scale. I cup of sugar will raise sg .018 per gallon.

I made a 5g batch with Ocean Spray:

10 - 64oz Ocean Spray Blue/Pom
8 cups of sugar, take a reading before adding sugar to see how high the juice is then calculate
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient

My starting sg was 1.074, my ABV was 10.48%
No water, take some juice to disolve the sugar into
TA was .75%
fermented dry at .994
I backsweeten to 1.020, I used one bottle of light corn syrup, took a reading and then added enough sugar to bring my sg to the 1.020.

 

[Deezil]

Sorry but I don't use winecalc nor do I measure in pounds. I small calculator and a measuring cup is much more handier and quicker than having to go to a computer and to dig out the scale. I cup of sugar will raise sg .018 per gallon.

2.25 ( 2 1/4) cups white sugar = 1lb
Just food for thought

 

[BernardSmith]

corn syrup vs white sugar

Hi Trey,

Sorry but I don't use winecalc nor do I measure in pounds. I small calculator and a measuring cup is much more handier and quicker than having to go to a computer and to dig out the scale. I cup of sugar will raise sg .018 per gallon.

I made a 5g batch with Ocean Spray:

10 - 64oz Ocean Spray Blue/Pom
8 cups of sugar, take a reading before adding sugar to see how high the juice is then calculate
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient

My starting sg was 1.074, my ABV was 10.48%
No water, take some juice to disolve the sugar into
TA was .75%
fermented dry at .994
I backsweeten to 1.020, I used one bottle of light corn syrup, took a reading and then added enough sugar to bring my sg to the 1.020.

Does corn syrup taste much like white sugar when used to back sweeten or does it impart other flavors?

 

[Julie]

It probably does but I only use enough corn syrup to enhance mouthfeel, I do not use it to completely backsweeten a wine.

 

[mdtrey12]

Thanks guys,

I am living in Germany right now (Army) and I have access to this HUGE home wine maker warehouse near where I live in Stuttgart. They have these beautiful Italian Demijohn's for sale for so cheap. 10L, 20L, 25L, etc... up to 54L! I picked up a few of the 20L and 25L (around $20). I just adjust recipes from gallons to liters for fruit and juice wine. I used 14 64oz bottles of Old Orchard BBpom which gave me a SG of 1.050 ish. I used 8lbs of sugar to bring it up to 1.095. Added Pec-Enz, nutrient, and some tannin. Waited 12 hours and added yeast. She is bubbling away!! Thanks for the help!

 

[dralarms]

Thank you for your service.

 

[mdtrey12]

The Blueberry POM is a little over a month old and I just tested SG/tasted. The SG is 1.00..dry and... WOW.. how in the world does a dry wine have so much fruit flavor? I am adding Sparklloid and sorbate today to slam it stop where it is. I was planning on bulk aging all 6.5 gallons but it is so good!! I am at least going to let it sit for another 2 months and keep racking. I am do not like sweet wines that much so I was a little worried I was going to have to back sweeten. I still might sweeten a gallon just to see what it does.

The wine was made from Old Orchard 100% juice, not concentrate. It turned out like a Rose' color. Almost like a Peach... but full of flavor. Still has a little ferment/bubbly on the tongue feel that I think will go away with age.

Any suggestions? I am super happy with it at 1 month in carboy, thanks for the help!

Trey

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

All this talk of BBPOM got me interested, so yesterday I picked up a little over 3 gallons of BBPOM from my local Wally World. Looking forward to tasting it!

 

[Thig]

Did you buy "Pom Wonderful", it is 100% pomegranate juice but runs about $10 per half gallon. I have been trying to catch it on sale but no such luck so far.

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

Nah, mine was "Northlands" or something similar to that. It was $3.68 per 64 oz. bottle. The label said that it was 100% juice, probably reconstituted from concentrate.

Hey Thig, I see you're in Dublin. I was in Milledgeville last week!

 

[Thig]

Yes,I live in Dublin. I went to Coursons Winery near Milledgeville a few weeks ago to pick up a few items.

 

[MurphyTexas]

Did you buy "Pom Wonderful", it is 100% pomegranate juice but runs about $10 per half gallon. I have been trying to catch it on sale but no such luck so far.

The current COSTCO flyer they give you when entering the store has a pom wonderful coupon for $3 off.

I used the Langers brand bottle of blueberry pomegranate 100% juice which contains apple and grape juice as well. I used it for skeeter pee starter and it was good.

Yesterday I was at ALDI food store buying fruit and stumbled on a deal. They had marked down their 100% Pomegranate Cranberry juice to $1.00 per 64 oz bottle so I bought 12 bottles. The SG of the juice itself is 1.060. Nice. They also have 4lb sugar for $2.60. So for under $20 I have 6 gallons sitting in primary with some pectic enzyme waiting on yeast.