Wine Concentrate/Frozen Grape Juice

[NorthernWinos]

Okay, I have only made like 19 batches of wine so far.All have been fruit wines from recipes, most of which were out of the book WINEMAKING by Anderson & Anderson and from WINEMAKERS Recipe Handbook by Massaccesi.
Except for our apple wines I have always added 2 500 ml bottles of WineExpert [Red or White] Wine Grape Concentrate to each 5 or 6 gallon batch of fruit wines.
I see alot of people using Welch's or Old Orchard [etc.] type frozen grape juice in their wines....I imagine to add body to the wines.
So....my question is....What would be the difference??? other than the ca$h outlay??? Is it a matter of personal taste???? Would one work as well as the other????Just curious minds...inquiring??? What are your opinions??? Should I try one way and another the next time???Or just go with what I am doing???? Interested to see what you are all using????Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[AAASTINKIE]

Here's a link to the ultamate Welches wine!!




Fine Vine Wines Forum: X-71 Experimental Wine

 

[NorthernWinos]

Here's a link to the ultamate Welches wine!!


Fine Vine Wines Forum: X-71 Experimental Wine

Thanks AAASTINKIE...that was a great post!!!!I am a latecomer here and missed that Episode.
So, by now you must have tasted some of this wine...how was it????
I got a recipe from Ms.Spain for Welch's Concord Wine some time back through another Forum....and have in in a carboy ready to bottle, it is so good. We have been tasting it and can no longer reach it with the turkey baster/wine thief, so it is now time to bottle it.
But, in keeping with my ritual of putting 2 500 ml bottles of WineExpert Wine Grape Concentrate in my fruit wines I added 2 bottles of red concentrate to this Welch's wine...the S.G. got a bit high so I added water and ended up with 6 gallons....looks like by your standards I should have just started it with the high S.G.....but being older and wiser I added water.
I am planning on making a Welch's White Grape wine this winter and also planning the Pineapple Juice wine....still might throw in the WineExpert just in keeping with my new found tradition and to keep the Wine Supply Stores in business....Thanks again for a few grins!!!!

 

[MedPretzel]

My 2 cents:


Concentrate is often times concentrate. If you're after "vinosity," you add concentrate. I have never used the WineExpert stuff, so I cannot comment on that. Welch's is Niagara (white) or Concord (red).


If you want a bit of "grapiness" in your wines (a.k.a. vinosity), then add them. I think by adding the WinExpert's concentrate, you're doing the exact same thing -- possibly, though, with different grapes.

 

[NorthernWinos]

My 2 cents:


Concentrate is often times concentrate.  If you're after "vinosity," you add concentrate.  I have never used the WineExpert stuff, so I cannot comment on that.  Welch's is Niagara (white) or Concord (red). 


If you want a bit of "grapiness" in your wines (a.k.a. vinosity), then add them.  I think by adding the WinExpert's concentrate, you're doing the exact same thing -- possibly, though, with different grapes.


 

Okay, I like the 'Foxy' Grapey 'Vinosity' flavor that I got in the frozen Welch's Concord Grape Concentrate Wine....kind of expected that....I guess what I am gaining from the WineExpert Wine Grape Concentrate is the 'Viscosity' thickness....'Legs'...body.
Some of the recipes in the book WINEMAKER'S Recipe Handbook give you a choice of 1# pound of raisins or 500ml of concentrate...so I guess it's the viscosity that you gain there, plus the elevated S.G. [sweetness]
The bottled concentrate is thicker and very strong in flavor. I have never made a grape kit wine, so imagine it must be liquid like that...Think you can add the bottled WineExpert type product to boost kit wines for more body.
So, think I will continue adding the WineExpert type product, but...also going to add the frozen product as well, it is less co$tly and will give the 'foxy' flavor a boost too...so, going to use them both now.
I see people in other threads getting the Welch's for under a dollar per container, think I better be watching for some sales and stock up on that product.

 

[Maui Joe]

NW,


I use Bananas quite often in my fruit wines which tremendously increases the "body of the wine" which will often improve the mouthfeel of the wine when completed. The Bananas is a great "natural" aid in clarifying the wine as well. While heating the water prior to disolving the sugar, I add two-three pounds of "very ripe" Bananas simmering in the water until they are almost totally disolved.


The Bananas do not alter the taste to a noticeable extent in small additions like mentioned, however they do contribute some sugars, malic, and citric acids depending on the variety of the Bananas.


Hope this helps some.

 

[NorthernWinos]

WOW!!!! That sounds like a good deal.....I would have thought bananas would have made a wine cloudy.Might be nice in a Pineapple Wine....am sure that you have made alot of that in Hawaii.....what wonderful wines you must make....? I imagine your bananas are alot better than what we get up here too....?
Bet you have an interesting bunch of recipes...share some with us for your fruit wines, like fruits we can get here or buy in a can.....Thanks!!!

 

[Maui Joe]

I would gladly share my recipes..I guess at this time I should prepare to send them through Martina's posted link?

 

[NorthernWinos]

NW,


I use Bananas quite often in my fruit wines which tremendously increases the "body of the wine" which will often improve the mouthfeel of the wine when completed.  The Bananas is a great "natural"  aid in clarifying the wine as well.  While heating the water prior to disolving the sugar, I add two-three pounds of "very ripe" Bananas simmering in the water until they are almost totally disolved.


The Bananas do not alter the taste to a noticeable extent in small additions like mentioned, however they do contribute some sugars, malic, and citric acids depending on the variety of the Bananas.


Hope this helps some. 

Is the 2-3# of Bananas for a gallon batch of wine or for a 5-6 gallon batch????I would imagine per one gallon, but thought I should ask....???Planning on adding them to a Pineapple/White Grape or Pineapple/Apple Wine, and the batch will be 5 or 6 gallons.Thanks!!!!Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[ms.spain]

Oooohhh... I've got one bottle of banana wine left-and I've got some pineapple/white grape , too.I may have to open these and try mixing in a glass.Banana/pineapple/white grape sounds purdy darn good!

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Can I come over??? Sounds like summer in a glass doesn't it?????
Got to get to a store one of these days....Got to empty a carboy too...or fire up the 8 gallon one and hope we can pick the darn thing up.
Too many good recipes floating around....too few carboys at my house.
Tell us how the blend tastes!!!!!

 

[Maui Joe]

NW,


Sorry, I should of clarified the Banana addition. The 2-3 lb. is for the 1-gal. In my case, 3 lbs. of Bananas is actually 3-bananas. Our bananas are large. The "most important" issue is that the bananas have to be really ripe. The skins would be darkened where the banana would normally "over ripe"...this allows the banana to break down and disolve easily in the water. A grocerer would probably not want to sell them at top price being that they are not "cosmetically attractive" and you would probably get them for cheap or free.


Depending on the fruit used, I would lean more towards 2 lbs. per gallon especially if you're using "canned fruit" which would not give the maximum aromas and flavors compared to "fresh fruit."


The Bananas also can be frozen if you have more than you need. Make sure that you peel the skins off prior to freezing if you do not want to use the skins in your must. I have done both ways and found that the skins do provide extra tannin and sometimes maybe "too much" if tannin is also added in your recipe.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks Maui Joe....looked up many recipes for Banana Wine since you mentioned this and figured it must have been per gallon.Going shopping real soon....Thanks again for your time.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Picked up some supplies at the small local grocers today. They had ripe bananas in bags for 5#/.25 cent$....They were pretty ripe looking, like the skins were about 50% black. I expected them to be bruised and mushy but the insides were still firm and white.Would this be considered really ripe??? I diced some of them and froze them...will wait on the others till I find out if I should wait for them to get softer????
Have never made a banana wine, will be mixing these with Pineapple juice and Apple or White Grape....or...maybe all of the above, so might use 2 pounds of diced bananas per gallon....does that sound like enough????

 

[Maui Joe]

50% Black is very good. I would sacrifice 1 banana and leave it out so that you can get a handle on "when is considered too much." Ripeness of bananas vary depending on the variety. I know that the "apple banana" will indeed kept longer on the counter regardless of how black the skin gets...opposed to the Chinese variety that we have in the islands. As the ripeness increases, the natural sugar level will also, thus reducing the acid taste. The aim here is to obtain the maximum ripeness for wine and cooking purposes which will increase in aromas. Reaching maximum ripeness, when simmering in water on the stove prior to adding sugar, you will notice that the banana will disolve like sugar when added. You might also want to hold back approximately 15% of the sugar in the recipe then add later when you check the S.G. target.


The amount of bananas added depends on what you are trying to achieve. I would use at least three (3) lbs. of banana when adding other juice like Pineapple, Apple, etc. The banana does not have a dominating flavor over the other fruits mentioned. If you are mainly going for the Banana flavor, then more like 3-5 lbs. per gallon with White Grape concentrate as a base would be my suggestion. You can always add "Banana Extract" at bottling time if you feel that the banana flavor did not come through. I have heard of these additions being done however never ventured in that direction. Hope this helps some!

 

[peterCooper]

My father wouldn't eat a banana unless it was pretty black.
Freezing bananas will make them very mushy when they defrost so they will
work into the wine very easily. I do it all the time for banana bread.

 

[Maui Joe]

My Mom was the same way...they knew what max flavor was. So true about the freezer...no need to chop them up to freeze. I place them in a freezer bag whole, then weigh and mark the bag for later use. Dump them in the hot water and they are "good to go!"

 

[txclifton]

My experience with naners

I added 16 bananas to a wine kit last Aug. I purchased this kit from George when he was clearing his shelves of anything other than WE. It was a 7.5 ltr kit. My first experience with a 7.5 ltr kit was that it was weak and had no mouth feel. I did some reading and figured I'd give it a try since I got a deal on the kit. Now, mind you, I was not trying to make banana wine, just give my kit some kick.

The kit was a cab/merlot blend. I cut up the bananas, peel and all, and boiled them to kill the wild yeasts. Then once they cooled, I dumped them straight into the primary. I pitched the yeast and placed the fermentor into my shower. The next day the gas coming out of the airlock was violent, to say the least. It blew my hair back.

I didn't take any SG reading but I can tell you that after bottling this wine just 2 weeks ago, it has some kick. I shared with some friends and it was a real hit. If I don't mention the word banana no one picks it out, but once I do, they all smell it. I later read that if I only wanted more mouth feel, and body, I should leave the peels out. It was a fun experiment, and the wine turned out great....I can't wait to taste it in 6 more months.

-Doug

 

[Maui Joe]

Sounds like it will be a good wine.Yea, too much banana skins will cause a "bitter bite" that is almost impossible to get rid off. Bite a portion of a ripe banana skin and you will see how long that taste lingers in the mouth.

 

[txclifton]

I must have been lucky,

since I don't detect a bitter bite. The peels were only in for less than a week. Maybe that's what saved me. I never thought about what tasting a peel would be like, I guess I assumed it was leaving some other essences behind.

If I were to get another "discounted" 7.5ltr kit I would do this again for sure.....minus the peels of course....