Fresh juice

[billusmaxis]

Hello, im looking to starting wine making as a hobbie and i have a local store which is offering fresh juice shipped from all over the place. i was wondering if it would be a good place to start with my first wine or if i should go with a more simple kit? Fresco, (Fresh Juice) from Mosti Mondiale is what they have.

 

[phermenter]

I'm a real neophyte, but I'm guessing you'd find a standard ingredient kit an easier starting place. I've done two of them, and in a sense I'm eager to move on to real grapes or at least real juice, but it's nice for the first couple to know everything you need is in that box (except for fermenter, sanitizers etc.)

If you get the juice, does it have yeast? Is there sufficient potassium metabisulfite to ward off oxidation, are there finings and stabilizers? You don't have to answer, but you see what I mean.

It's likely with the kit that one trip to a beer/wine store or one shipment from an online supplier will set you up. If you get the juice without knowing the ropes, you'll probably end up needing stuff you didn't know you about.

Again, I'm speaking from almost no experience, but it sounds like the kits in the $100 range are a lot more satisfying than the $60-75 ones (especially if you like reds).

 

[oxeye]

Juice is all that you need to make wonderful wines!

Starting with juice simplifies everything because one carboy serves as both your Primary fermentor AND as your Secondary fermentor, too!

It doesn't matter if it is fresh squeezed, bottled, or frozen concentrate, or a mix of any or all.

Just make sure that it does NOT have any chemical preservatives added, other than Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)!

Use a hydrometer to determine the potential alcohol of the juice. Most processed juices are around 1.050, which will yield a wine of 4-5%.

By heating, NOT boiling, some of the juice, and adding about two pounds of sugar to a five gallon batch you can raise the ABV to around 8-10%.

Just fill a carboy to within an couple of inches of the neck, to allow for any krausen that your particular choice of yeast may generate (some are worse than others), with your favorite juice, or juice/sugar mix, pitch the yeast, install an airlocked stopper, and wait one month to allow complete fermentation.

Let it age for at least another month, and it is ready to bottle.

Cheers!

oxeye

 

[cpfan]

billusmaxis:

I think you can ignore oxeye's response. I don't think he/she understood that you are talking about wine grape juice in a pail packaged for winemakers.

I have heard a lot of strong positives about the Fresco pails, but have never made one as it is not available in Western Canada. That may change this year or next as I move to Ontario.

If this is your first wine, I would suggest a simpler kit mostly because it will be ready to drink sooner than wine from the Fresco pail. Then you could do a Fresco (or two) next year.

Phermenter is quite right about a standard kit haveing everything included. However, I think that the Fresco MIGHT have everything included.

Steve

 

[oxeye]

Ooops...

I thought he was looking for something MORE simple than a kit.

Yeah...just ignore my post above!

Go with a kit!

Pogo

 

[billusmaxis]

Great thanks for all of your help