What to backsweeten with

[whino-wino]

My Vintner's Harvest Black Currant wine is bubbling away happily in the carboy at this moment. It occured to me yesterday that I had neglected to set aside any of the concentrate to use for backsweetening. I figured I could just use sugar syrup, but I've had very good luck using reduced fruit juice with my other fruit wines and wanted to see if I couldn't maybe find something at the grocery store that would work.


I found 2 things while shopping today:


A 1 liter bottle of Robinsons Apple & Black Currant Fruit Drink concentrate. The grocery store I was in has an aisle with foods from different nationalities. This was in the "British" section.


Right next to the juice concentrate I also scored a jar of Duerr's English Traditional Black Currant Preserves.


Here's what I'm wondering: I would rather use something that was strictly black currant flavored so I want to lean towards the preserves. However, preserves have pectin in them and Idon't want to have to deal with pectin haze in my wine. A concentrate would be perfect here, but it has apple in it as well and I was hoping to have strictly black currant wine when I was finished.


Can I use preserves to backsweeten? Has anyone ever tried this? I know you can make wine with it, but I'm not sure about adding it to a finished wine for flavoring.


Any input on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[smurfe]

You could use either. You could add some Peptic Enzyme to combat the peptic haze from the preserves. You could also get some of the grape concentrates that George sells. They work great and surprisingly do not throw off the flavor. You could also use Wine Conditioner. I personally don't like it but many do use it. From my understanding it is basically the same sweetener used in the F Packs in wine kits. I have used it a couple times and felt it left an unpleasant after taste. I personally would just make up a simple sugar solution and use that. It is time tested, doesn't add off flavors and is easy to add a bit at a time.

 

[grapeman]

My vote is for the sugar solution. The black currant has a good strong flavor- a bit goes a long ways- so I doubt you would miss the extra juice.

 

[Wade E]

I always use Black Currant juice concentrate.

I get it from a health food store and the Brand is Maple Lane Farms. Dont know if this product is available near you but check out some health stores as thats where i get all my juices for sweetening back. I always reduce them down on stove top. know if it </font>

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[whino-wino]

Thanks for the replies. I think I try to see if I can locate some of that Juice that Wade is using. Otherwise, I'll just have to bite the bullet and use the other concentrate I have. I don't want to deal with pectin at this stage.


I had considered sugar syrup, but it isn't really "sweet" that I'm after. That strong black currant flavor is exactly what I want. I don't even really like sweet wines at all. Anything over 1.005 is too sweet for me. This is my first black currant batch but when I've done wild blueberry I take juice that I've set aside and reduce it to a syrup on the stovetop, then sweeten until the SG is just a tad over 1.000. Of all the wines I make, including the kits (some of which are excellent), this is by far my favorite wine. I'm hoping for a something similar with the black currant.Edited by: whino-wino

 

[Wade E]

You could also get another can of Vintners and use some and make a smaller batch with whats left and change that by adding oak or by using a blend of something else with it.

 

[whino-wino]

I already ordered some more of the Vintner's, in fact it arrived today

, however I did not get the Black Currant this time. I wanted to try Elderberry and also peach so that's what I've got. Now if that Zinfandel would just hurry up so I can have my primary back I can get one of those started too....