My wine is watered down.

[kk1224kelley]

Through topping up and back sweetening I have made my wine thin and the ABV seems to have lowered quite a bit.
Well I have just discovered a juice product called "Naked" and they make real 100% juice and they have a product called"Acai Machine" wich is made from 178 acai berries 14 concord grapes 2 apples 1 banana 3/4 plum I thought this could be perfect to give my Welches concord some body back. What ya think?
As for the lowered ABV, I could get some brandy to add.
I don't know this is my second wine and I'm still learning Did I ruin it?

I learned my lesson on how to keep from watering down wine

 

[Runningwolf]

Not ruined just watered down. I would take the juice you got and simmer it down by half. Next I would try a sample of the blend (at the right ratio) in a glass and see if that helps. If it does, then try the brandy and see if you really think it's worth adding it.

 

[dralarms]

Make another batch, just shoot for a higher ABV, use EC-1118 yeast. Then blend them together.

 

[kk1224kelley]

I'm going to try simmering the juice down and adding it
This is exactly why I'm using the welches until I get it so that I'm not out a bunch of money if I screw up. My first one was good I just made a mistake and watered it down too much.
Thanks for y'all's input This forum is so helpful to a beginner like me.

 

[JohnT]

I take it that you were topping off with water. If so, this is the problem you have.

I always recomend against using water to top off. This is bad for a number of reasons..

First, by adding water you are lowering the wine's PH. This could be just as dangerous as leaving a large head space in your carboy. I have to recomend that you re-test your ph and make the appropriate adjustments!

Also, by adding water, you lower the alcohol level and also all other good elements of wine (flavor, body, tannins, etc). Because of water, you are now scrambling to get more flavor into the mix / after the fact.

I made the same mistake in my first year of winemaking, so do not feel bad. In future, I would recomend either making enough so that you have some top off or topping off with some store bought wine.

 

[g8keeper]

I take it that you were topping off with water. If so, this is the problem you have.

I always recomend against using water to top off. This is bad for a number of reasons..

First, by adding water you are lowering the wine's PH. This could be just as dangerous as leaving a large head space in your carboy. I have to recomend that you re-test your ph and make the appropriate adjustments!

Also, by adding water, you lower the alcohol level and also all other good elements of wine (flavor, body, tannins, etc). Because of water, you are now scrambling to get more flavor into the mix / after the fact.

I made the same mistake in my first year of winemaking, so do not feel bad. In future, I would recomend either making enough so that you have some top off or topping off with some store bought wine.

johnt, are you actually making comments on a WELCH'S wine???....sorry, but i just resist after seeing the irony.....roflmao......just kidding....lol...

 

[JohnT]

johnt, are you actually making comments on a WELCH'S wine???....sorry, but i just resist after seeing the irony.....roflmao......just kidding....lol...

Just addressing the issue of topping off with water. If I make another comment about welch's, Julie will send me to the corner for life!!!!

 

[kk1224kelley]

Hey what's wrong with welches(at the beginning)?

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey what's wrong with welches(at the beginning)?

It's a long story going back several years ago with JohnT and a few of us. He made a derogatory remark about it and a bunch of us jump on the opportunity to not let him live it down. I think John has finally come to the realization that instead of loosing his family for their choice to go "Welches" he has decided to except them despite his own beliefs. Some of us are sent to the corner for things we say and others suffer in purgatory.

 

[dralarms]

It's a long story going back several years ago with JohnT and a few of us. He made a derogatory remark about it and a bunch of us jump on the opportunity to not let him live it down. I think John has finally come to the realization that instead of loosing his family for their choice to go "Welches" he has decided to except them despite his own beliefs. Some of us are sent to the corner for things we say and others suffer in purgatory.

Well as I sit here drinking a glass of wine that I made from welches, I'm trying to figure out what everyone has against it. Mine taste just like the concord grape that my local winery used to make before his place burned down. I'm right proud of it.

 

[novalou]

Hey what's wrong with welches(at the beginning)?

For your next Welches batch, add some raisins during fermentation. It'll give your wine more body.

 

[dralarms]

For your next Welches batch, add some raisins during fermentation. It'll give your wine more body.

Or once its finished, add 2 cans of welches concentrate ( don't add the water part). Then sweeten to taste. I'd put mine up against most any red concord grape wine.

 

[kk1224kelley]

Thanks for those suggestions. I'm going to go back to the drawing board with my Lessons learned. I guess at least one has to fail....

 

[JohnT]

Hey what's wrong with welches(at the beginning)?

It's a long story going back several years ago with JohnT and a few of us. He made a derogatory remark about it and a bunch of us jump on the opportunity to not let him live it down. I think John has finally come to the realization that instead of loosing his family for their choice to go "Welches" he has decided to except them despite his own beliefs. Some of us are sent to the corner for things we say and others suffer in purgatory.

So here's the deal....

I simply hate the taste of concord grapes. This is just me. Some like liver, some do not. Some like limburger cheese, some do not. I find (and I hope that most would agree) that concord is a "love them or hate them" type of grape. To me, that uniquely "Concord" flavor is horrible and so far removed from the European wines my family have made and lived on for generations.

I remember going the "Four Sisters" winery out by me. They had fancy names for all of there wines, but no blending info. When I tasted them, I actually gagged! After rinsing my mouth with water, I asked the person behind the counter if she was trying to kill me. Turns out, they blended concord in everything they made. In my opinion, this was a real shame.

Please do not be insulted by this long running joke. Like all others in this forum, I am here to help and not to judge. One person's taste is no more important or better than another person's taste. If you like concord wine, then it is my goal to help you make the best one possible!


BTW, The only thing I hate more than concord grapes is wine that has been topped off with water.

johnT.

 

[g8keeper]

kelley, as johnt. has stated, for him it is just a personal taste thing....imo, there really is absolutely NOTHING wrong with WELCH'S wine, at ANY point of your wine making career...i have made several wines using welch's in some form, whether it be white grape for a niagara, the concord for a high abv wine, or many of the flavored juices as a base for adding cannned fruit concentrates....all have turned out well....so please don't let the little running joke detour you by any means...but also as john has stated, use this batch as a lesson and do not develop the habit of topping off with water....at worst, down size your batch to a smaller container....you will definitely be happier with your product in the future, believe us....lol....good luck, and many happy fermentations....

 

[JohnT]

kelley, as johnt. has stated, for him it is just a personal taste thing....imo, there really is absolutely NOTHING wrong with WELCH'S wine, at ANY point of your wine making career...i have made several wines using welch's in some form, whether it be white grape for a niagara, the concord for a high abv wine, or many of the flavored juices as a base for adding cannned fruit concentrates....all have turned out well....so please don't let the little running joke detour you by any means...but also as john has stated, use this batch as a lesson and do not develop the habit of topping off with water....at worst, down size your batch to a smaller container....you will definitely be happier with your product in the future, believe us....lol....good luck, and many happy fermentations....

As he says above, the only thing that is important here is that YOU end up with a wine that YOU love!

 

[gizmo206]

I have a Vino Italiano Merlot kit that will be ready to bottle next week took a sample it is a little watery anything i can do at this stage ? didnt get a lot of fermentation after racking and very little CO2 my sg reading is at 990 right now