Welch's grape concentrate wine

[NorthernWinos]

We kept a gallon jug of wine from a bottling day and served it at Thanksgiving....It was gone...

Don't know if it's the serving pitcher that was just fun.....or, the guests feel obligated to finish the 'bottle'.



Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[HD93]

Hey Northern, maybe it was because you felt obligated to help the guests finish the bottle.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We did our best to help with the consumption....

 

[HD93]

Recipe as follows
12 cans grape concentrate & 4 gal. water.
sugar to raise s.g. to 1.095
12 tsp. acid blend
6 tsp. pectic enzyme
6 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 pk. Lalvvin #71B-1122

Finished Wine:
OK I need your help. With this recipe for 6 gal. I just received my PH meter and it reads 3.3 It has a acidy-vinegar taste. I add grape juice to it a little at a time ina glass and it mellows it out. What could have gone wrong. I'mnew to wine making and appreciate your help.

 

[HD93]

Hey NW, Need some words of wisdom.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Maybe put some oak in it and let it sit for 2-3 weeks...taste it...

Then give us a report....

It should mellow out with a little time.

That seemed like a lot of Acid Blend....also.....1.095 is a little high in alcohol.....

After the oak treatment, you may want to sweeten... if that is the taste you like in your wines.

Play with it....

 

[HD93]

That's why I'm wondering about the PH reading of 3.3 . Isn't that in the ballpark of what it should be?

 

[HD93]

I've been reading some posts. maybe I should test amount of acid.What is the best method to do this?

 

[scotty]

Did you sanitize the juice then wait 24 hours to add pectic enzyme and then wait 24 more hours to pitch the yeast.
Some folks wait 8 hours but this works for me and frozen welches concentrate is my specialty.

Almost all of my wine is not made from kits or fresh fruit.

I don't like recipes though.Except for main ingredient proportions

Treat all juice as though it was the juice of the finest grapes.

Test sg--adjust sugar--sanitize--pectic enzyme--acid adjustment and pitch yeast

use the acid test kit instead of following a recipe please

#5400 acid test kit in the catalog.. i have other acid test kits that are more expensive but don't know enough to tell the difference

I'm not trying to tell you what to do.
This is just my method. I hope you find the reason for the off taste

 

[HD93]

Hey Scotty, I did not sanitize the juice. Maybe that's the problem. I thought too much TA. AS a guideline what is the recipe for 6 gal. including amounts. If you scroll above you can see what I used. Thanks for your help, it's greatly appreciated. I'm going to start another 6 gal. batch, but use 3 cans /gal. Was wondering on the amount of acid blend I used on the recipe above, does it look like I used too much. Have to get one of those acid testers from George. Can I use the ph tester for the acid adjustment ??

 

[HD93]

Hello Wade, was needing some advice. Scotty replied, and I think my mistake was that I did not sanitize the juice prior to pitching the yeast. The recipe that I used was for Welch's all juice which would have had sulfites in it. Also I didn't check the acid, just used the recipe ?

 

[grapeman]

I don't think there is anything majorly wrong with it. The pH is a little low which indicates you may have added too much acid blend. If you don't have a test kit, always error on the conservative side. I think less acid in this would have been a bit better.


While it is very drinkable, welchs concentrate wine isn't going to be great especially whn first made. The taste you describe is quite common for a newly made Concord grape wine (that is the grape Welchs uses for their concentrate). It is typically finished as a semi-sweet wine because it does taste a bit acidic and slightly vinegary when dry. After it is completely dry and clear, add the k-meta (campdens) and sorbate to keep it from refermenting any sugars and then sweeten either with more concentrate or a sugar syrup to about 1.010 for the Welch's. You could try it at a lower value in case you don't like it that sweet. Good luck with it and certainly don't dump it out. It will be totally different in 6 months.

 

[Wade E]

I dont know why you would have a vinegar taste to it unless your sanitation was not up to par or you left this wine with too much head space for too long without proper sulfite levels. I was also looking at your recipe and curious as I dont use dry pectic enzyme but does it really specify 1 tsp per gallon, I thought dry was 1/2 tsp per gallon.

 

[scotty]

I really think the mistake is not h
aving an acid test kit and adjusting to the recommended level for red win</font>e.

Good thing its welches and not 150 dollar juice lol.

No matter what chemicals i use, I go by the recommended amounts on the packing. Someones recipe could have errors in it.

Good luck

 

[scotty]

Hello Wade, was needing some advice. Scotty replied, and I think my mistake was that I did not sanitize the juice prior to pitching the yeast. The recipe that I used was for Welch's all juice which would have had sulfites in it. Also I didn't check the acid, just used the recipe ?

Welches all juice??????

I use frozen concentrate 100% grape juice which is not supposed to have sulfates in it.

Sanitizing is done first then pectic enzyme then sugar then adjust acid and pitch yeast..

I hope i don't have the order of things mixed up..
That's why i keep records of everything and now its off the top

 

[NorthernWinos]

I think the Welches White Grape Juice [Niagara] has sulfides in it....Don't know about the Concord [Purple]....The juice is probably pretty sterile.

Wonder if you cold stabilized it if that would reduce some of the acid????

Some oak would give you some layered flavors....

We don't like sweet wines, but others say that sweetness will help with masking any off flavors.

And, TIME would help the wine the most.

 

[HD93]

Thanks all for your help. From what I've read and from your responses I think it was from not sanitizing the concentrate and too much acid blend. Can I adjust the acid with a ph meter? Wade the recipe did call for 1 tsp. pectic enzyme/ gal. I got the recipe from Jack Kellers web site. Scotty, the recipe I got was for Welch's grape juice, which does not say anything about sanitizing the juice because it already has sulfites in it. I did use the concentrate, but followed the recipe for welch's grape juice, thus not sanitizing the concentrate.

Now I'll know to k-meta the concentrate.NOW the question is canI use the ph meter to adjust the acid or should I purchasea acid test kit. Thanks again,hope you get to feeling better appleman.

 

[Wade E]

I believe both frozen add unfrozen Niagara have sulfites in them, at least the Welches' froze concentrates(100%) in my stores have the sulfites. If you have a PH meter then it would help to determine what is off and to adjust it.Otherwise its probably too early to be labeling this wine not good as it is very young.

 

[HD93]

I measured the ph and it was 3.3 . Is that to low?

 

[Wade E]

Thats about right I believe, maybe a little low but nothing to worry about and Im pretty sure if you add acid the Ph will be lower and PH is a little more important then acid is.