Can you make wine with minute maid frozen grape punch?
- Thread starter Granrey
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Can you make wine with Minute Maid Grape Punch? Assuming there is sugar - yes. Add wine yeast, keep the liquid within an acceptable temperature range and give it a go. 'Will it taste good?' is another question. And, knowing it will make wine might lead you to asking more questions. Shoot away...
aside from not having preservatives. isnt the 100% juice a requirement for wine?
All the videos I see have some sort of 100% juice version.
Are we having a lesson in semantics? Ok, I'll play. According to Webster, the definition of wine is this: "an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of grapes". So, in a literal sense, since it's not 100% grape juice as you site, then no, you can't make "wine". You can, however, make an alcoholic beverage that may or may not satisfy your palate.
Here's a YouTube link that might get you to your destination faster:
Here's a YouTube link that might get you to your destination faster:
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Yes you can make a wine. It will ferment much like any other sugar source.
If i was doing a frozen concentrate I would look for a concentrate which said 100% juice, ,,, no added sugar, ,,, your photo is a product which is in the family called punch which it will have extra ingredients added as sugar (high fructose corn syrup), citric acid, vitamin C, water to reconstitute. This stuff is there to make a cheaper “good enough that kids won’t complain” drink. The punch has enough water that you need to add acid and a balanced yeast nutrient (Fermaid). You would get more flavor out of this if it was used for back sweetening, ,,, not in the original must.
The store here has several versions of refrigerated concentrated juice/ no added sugar which can make a stronger flavor backbone without rebalancing acids.
If i was doing a frozen concentrate I would look for a concentrate which said 100% juice, ,,, no added sugar, ,,, your photo is a product which is in the family called punch which it will have extra ingredients added as sugar (high fructose corn syrup), citric acid, vitamin C, water to reconstitute. This stuff is there to make a cheaper “good enough that kids won’t complain” drink. The punch has enough water that you need to add acid and a balanced yeast nutrient (Fermaid). You would get more flavor out of this if it was used for back sweetening, ,,, not in the original must.
The store here has several versions of refrigerated concentrated juice/ no added sugar which can make a stronger flavor backbone without rebalancing acids.
Sorry its not about the semantics.
I have watched the video you posted and unless I missed he does not cover the 100% juice
Thanks for your post. That explains why every single video I see has 100% frozen concentrate.
This guy @ 4:50 claims not to use anything other than 100% because, it might contain chemicals that will not allow fermentation. In that sense I was curious if someone has done wine with this minute maid.
Thanks again
I checked two local stores including a Walmart and they do not carry 100% frozen concentrate grape juice. They do have orange though.
Trying to get beyond the question of "Is it wine?", are these your real questions: "If I take this stuff and add yeast to it, will it ferment? And will I like the result?"
After looking at the ingredients:
I believe the answer is that it WILL ferment into an alcoholic beverage. IMHO, the result will be ~okay, but nothing to write home about.
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I have made 5 gallons from 100% apple juice and I can attest, it is not bad even though it needs a year or two to be decent. I was so pleased with the results that I made 5 gallons of grape and 5 gallons of pineapple done the same way.
I am not a drinker ... just preparing for the Apocalypse.☄
I am not a drinker ... just preparing for the Apocalypse.☄
Please ,,,traditional wine is,,, yes made from grapes,,,, traditional being your key word,,,, Yet Country Wine is any wine that is not traditional grape wine, even though date wine, and honey wine go back to before records,,, also called meads and rice wine Saki,,, ,,, now a apple wine after a year of bulk aging is great, the word great is the key word in the palliate of the beholder,,,, so the assumption that only grapes are wine is not correct,,,, IMHO
Dawg
Dawg
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check out the country wine threads, specialty wines threads,
Dawg
The definition of "wine" is open to discussion. I use the definition "alcoholic beverage produced via fermentation of a fruit and/or vegetable (or reasonable facsimile thereof), resulting in a beverage of 10% to 18% ABV."
If it's got sugar and is fermented without boiling (like in beer), I'll call it wine. If you're fermenting Hawaiian Punch? Yeah, you're pushing the boundaries of what I call "wine", but if you're happy? Cool. I have no grounds to complain.
The real issue (IMO) regarding artificial juices is how well they'll ferment. That question is technical, not philosophical.
If it's got sugar and is fermented without boiling (like in beer), I'll call it wine. If you're fermenting Hawaiian Punch? Yeah, you're pushing the boundaries of what I call "wine", but if you're happy? Cool. I have no grounds to complain.
The real issue (IMO) regarding artificial juices is how well they'll ferment. That question is technical, not philosophical.
This perfectly captures my feelings, too.
true,,, but it has gotten them to take the first step,,,,,
Dawg
I have to apologize for the confusion with my post. I was not trying to determine if the minute maid punch would meet the definition of an ingredient for wine making.
I think I should had said: "would this ferment?" I was curious since all videos I see use 100% frozen concentrate. Weird, my local stores don't sell this for grapes.
But the question has been answered.
Thanks guys.
I think I should had said: "would this ferment?" I was curious since all videos I see use 100% frozen concentrate. Weird, my local stores don't sell this for grapes.
But the question has been answered.
Thanks guys.
I didn't see it mentioned in this thread -- look for potassium sorbate on the ingredient list. That's what we use to stabilize wines (along K-meta) when backsweetening. If sorbate is in the product, it's more difficult for the yeast to reproduce -- not impossible, but the bar is higher. IMO if sorbate is on the label, ferment something else. Unless, of course, you're into challenges! 
i saw nothing wrong with your question,, from my limited understanding,, we all only have to suit ourselves,,, you question was appropriate and a good question,,,,
Dawg
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
For Granrey - What Winemaker81 has mentioned is worth thinking about.
I'm not saying that the frozen concentrate you've when fermented will be nasty tasting but if you start out with a product that is already an artificially flavored OR a blend of other juices there is certainly a chance that you could end up with something less than good results. It will have alcohol, it will have a grape flavor to some degree but beyond that you are just taking a gamble. "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."
While this particular concentrate seems to be an "All Natural Ingredients" products be aware that often such mixes are designed to be watered down on purpose to 1) Save you money and 2) Add to the producers bottom line. The juice is my no means meant to be the same as real grape juice, so when fermented the flavor is certainly going to be very different than a 'wine' produced from pure grape juice.
If you said "Hey I'm in the military and where I'm stationed we don't have access to wine, beer or any alcohol." I'd say 1) Be sure the commander is not going to shred you for doing this. and 2) Be very careful if the local government has a ban on alcohol (Especially if it's for religious reasons.) You could end up with a very messy and career ending incident on your records. Other than those two cautions, I'm sure the results will produce a drinkable 'hooch' even if it isn't very close to a true "Wine."
Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here but in all honesty folks on these boards like to see new wine makers succeed with great results so comments will generally directed to point you in that direction.
I'm not saying that the frozen concentrate you've when fermented will be nasty tasting but if you start out with a product that is already an artificially flavored OR a blend of other juices there is certainly a chance that you could end up with something less than good results. It will have alcohol, it will have a grape flavor to some degree but beyond that you are just taking a gamble. "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."
While this particular concentrate seems to be an "All Natural Ingredients" products be aware that often such mixes are designed to be watered down on purpose to 1) Save you money and 2) Add to the producers bottom line. The juice is my no means meant to be the same as real grape juice, so when fermented the flavor is certainly going to be very different than a 'wine' produced from pure grape juice.
If you said "Hey I'm in the military and where I'm stationed we don't have access to wine, beer or any alcohol." I'd say 1) Be sure the commander is not going to shred you for doing this. and 2) Be very careful if the local government has a ban on alcohol (Especially if it's for religious reasons.) You could end up with a very messy and career ending incident on your records. Other than those two cautions, I'm sure the results will produce a drinkable 'hooch' even if it isn't very close to a true "Wine."
Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here but in all honesty folks on these boards like to see new wine makers succeed with great results so comments will generally directed to point you in that direction.
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