wine from juice concentrate

[DeniseHogemann]

I see that you can make wine from store bought juice concentrates if they have no preservatives added. I am looking at the ingredients on my box of Minute Maid Five Alive and it doesn't say 'no preservatives' but it isn't listed in the ingredients either. Is there another word I should be looking for? If not then by rights I could make a batch of wine out of this, right? Here is a list of ingredients mentioned:
Filtered water, fruit juices from concentrate (orange,lemon, grapefruit, tangerine and lime), sugar/glucose-fructose, concentrated water extract of orange, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, Natural flavour, source of potassium.

 

[Rocky]

Denise, the only thing I see on the list that causes concern is the "source of potassium." If that is potassium sorbate, you could have a problem getting fermentation started. Why not try a small batch (like a gallon) and see what happens?

 

[SBWs]

Denise, While you could make wine out of Five Alive it is not 100% fruit juice concentrate, it would be very thin and low in flavor. You can make some good wine from the 100% fruit juice concentrates. The cocktail mixes are mostly water. Ingredients are listed in order from the most to the least. On Five Alive, Filtered Water is the first ingredient, meaning there is more water than anything else. Most 100% fruit juice concentrate will list ingredients as fruit juice and sometimes ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

 

[DeniseHogemann]

Actually, I was thinking about that after I posted it. What I am mainly looking for is if it had perservatives in it will it say so or will be listed under a different name.

 

[cpfan]

The main things to avoid are sorbate and benzoate. Metabisulphite may slow fermentation but shouldn't stop it, especially if you take steps to dissipate the meta.

Steve

 

[beggarsu]

As I research this q now in 2013 as I am doing the same thing.

Simple quick answer - Google search show many people using minute maid brand for making wine and successfully. ... especially when it;s on sale
So the road has already been ridden.

Also - splashing - transfer to another bucket and back again and exposure to air dissipates sulphides (worked for me when I overdid campden).

Also the preservative is there for the volume of concentrate - to preserve that volume - throwing in three cans of water dilutes it significantly.

Also 3-4 cans probably 4, should make a gallon . So for 2 bucks if on sale you can test it.

I just added some MM berry juice to my hand picked raspberry primary.
Should work.

 

[jamesngalveston]

hogwash ...everyone says its difficult fermenting store bought concentrate that has preservative...not true at all.
first off, the mfg of juices that you buy in a store, use the smallest amount of potassium sorbate, etc that they can get away with..
second, sorbate can only handle so much yeast, then it just dies.
yeast is cheap.
if the amount of yeast is more then what the sorbate can handle, the yeast will ferment..my soloution.
I add everything to a bucket, and pitch my yeast.....after an hour i stir it.
after another hour i pitch a second packet of yeast...bam..
ferments, every time.

 

[beggarsu]

hogwash ...everyone says its difficult fermenting store bought concentrate that has preservative...not true at all.
first off, the mfg of juices that you buy in a store, use the smallest amount of potassium sorbate, etc that they can get away with..
second, sorbate can only handle so much yeast, then it just dies.
yeast is cheap.
if the amount of yeast is more then what the sorbate can handle, the yeast will ferment..my soloution.
I add everything to a bucket, and pitch my yeast.....after an hour i stir it.
after another hour i pitch a second packet of yeast...bam..
ferments, every time.

Yeah that's what I figured.

Probably if you make a yeast starter and let the primary aerate while the starter is getting ready - it will would take off first time.