Using Jam in juice wine

[Heavy]

Hi guys,this is my first post so please forgive my noobishness <--not sure if that's a word.
I have just completed my very first attempt at making wine from concentrated apple juice witch turned out surprisingly good to my amateur taste buds so i have decided to take a small step up and make a batch with supermarket bought concentrated red grape juice.
I have had a thought that maybe i could add a few tablespoons of a jam at the start such as black cherry or black current but have no idea whether this is possible so if anyone could shed light on this subject and maybe give me a tip or two i would be eternally grateful.

Happy wine making to all.

 

[Arne]

First off, welcome to the forum. Sure you can add jam to the mix. Some of the folks on here have made wine with jam as the main ingredient. I have not tried it, but if I thought I needed it to improve flavor, I would not hesitate to use it. As far as tips, read thru a bunch of old posts on here. If you do not have a hydrometer, try and get one. It will help you figure what is going on with your wines. As one of our old moderaters used to post on here all the time, patience, patience, patience. A good wine takes time. Good luck with your wines, Arne.

 

[Heavy]

Thanks for that Arne,yes a hydrometer is next on my list

 

[saramc]

Heavy...welcome...just to clarify, a tbsp or two of jam will not contribute any flavor to a gallon of grape juice. I make several jam wines throughout the year using 36-48oz of jam (homemade or good quality fruit & sugar jams that I catch on sale...pectin added is fine because I just break it down with enzyme), water to one gallon & all the other basics nutrient, enzyme, etc. and very rarely do I need to intentionally bump up the O.G. Jack Keller has recipes for jam/jelly wine on his website. I would recommend if you want to supplement your base must with jam/jelly then think about 16-32 oz per gallon.

Maybe take a look at the wine concentrates from www.homewinery.com as they offer a wide variety of grape and fruits. If you want concentrate for gallon batches you just call and order them, instead of online. Blend wine quality grape concentrate with jam or even one of their fruit concentrates.

 

[closetwine]

Another thought...in the pie section of the grocer they have fruit canned in WATER that works well without dealing with the pectin... The brand name escapes me... I know they have a tart cherry because I've used it with good results!

And no worries on being Noobish... we were all there at some point.

 

[jamesngalveston]

are you talking comstock fruit filling.

 

[CBell]

I've used jam to bump flavor in a few wines. Things to keep in mind:

1. Like Sara points out, you need more jam than a few spoonfuls. Think at least an 8oz container per gallon, probably closer to 12-16.

2. Watch the ingredients. Fruit, sugar, water, pectin, ascorbic acid - all fine. Any preservatives or corn syrup and I wouldn't use it.

3. You seem like you've been keeping your wine-making simple so far. Nothing wrong with that. But if you use jam, which almost always contains pectin, you will either have a cloudy wine or will need to purchase some pectic enzyme to break down the pectin haze.

Other than that, good luck and keep us posted on your recipes/results

 

[closetwine]

are you talking comstock fruit filling.

That doesn't sound right but it may be the same thing but different brand. I'm wanting to say Wilderness brand but I think that is the one that is syrup-y that I cook with... The one I mean usually has a black label and runs $2-4 a can here, 1 lb cans.

 

[saramc]

That doesn't sound right but it may be the same thing but different brand. I'm wanting to say Wilderness brand but I think that is the one that is syrup-y that I cook with... The one I mean usually has a black label and runs $2-4 a can here, 1 lb cans.

Oregan brand? One of my best wines had 32oz pie filling (all fruit and sugar) and jam as the ingredient base. Was my second wine actually and I have two 375ml bottles left.

 

[closetwine]

YEAH! Oregan.... I believe thats the stuff lol..... Showing my age now.... o>O *Forgetful*

 

[Heavy]

Thanks for all the great tip's guys,i shall be starting my grape juice wine this coming Tuesday and will incorporate all this advise.As someone has mentioned above it seems i will have to add more than a few spoonful's and more like an entire jar to a gallon,also i will try to get hold of a quality brand with the minimum of additives.
I will let you all know how it pans out and maybe post a pic or two.

 

[closetwine]

Thanks for all the great tip's guys,i shall be starting my grape juice wine this coming Tuesday and will incorporate all this advise.As someone has mentioned above it seems i will have to add more than a few spoonful's and more like an entire jar to a gallon,also i will try to get hold of a quality brand with the minimum of additives.
I will let you all know how it pans out and maybe post a pic or two.

Keep us updated!!!