Winexpert Grape Concentrate 16oz

[sangwitch]

How are people using those 16oz bottles of Grape Concentrate? (Besides the obvious answer of fermentation of course.)


Are people adding themprimarily tofruit wine recipes? Or are they also added to wine kits? How about meads?


What are the SG readings on the concentrates? Are they ever used to affect the starting SG of a batch? Or are they used more for additional body/flavor?


For anyone who has used the concentrates, please share your experiences withus.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I use two 16oz [500mil] bottles in almost all my 5 and 6 gallon batches of fruit wines [once in awhile I will use 2 1/2 bottles in a 6 gallon batch...It adds body, flavor, sweetness and color.

The Brix is 68....I have checked my fruit juice, [about 3 gallons of juice] One was about 1030, once I add 2 1/2 bottles of Grape Concentrate it brought it up to about S.G. 1060...then added water and sugar to 1090 ....so you will use less sugar than your recipe usually calls for.

I use Red in all the darker fruits and get a very nice red wine....In the Rhubarb, Crabapple, Wild Plum, etc. I have put the White Grape Concentrates.

I have made Raspberry wine with Red Grape Concentrate it is wonderful red wine, made another batch with frozen apple juice concentrate and had totally different wines.

The booklet WINEMAKERS RECIPES HANDBOOK and WINEMAKING by Andrson & Anderson use it in their fruit wine recipes instead of raisins.

I saw Waldo put a couple bottles in his Port wine...will be interesting to get his comments.I can't say enough good about the WinExpert Grape Concentrates.

Give it a try and leave your comments here......Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[smurfe]

I just started a batch of Vintner's Harvest Raspberry. I loosely followed Northern Wino's recipe. I was not impressed with the color or flavor of the juice and berries in the Vintner's can. I added a 500 ml bottle of WE Red grape concentrate to the must. I improved the color of the must to perfect.


It also improved the flavor of the must and actually enhanced the raspberry flavor. I don't notice any grape flavor from it. The addition of the 500 ml bottle raised the SG from 1.080 to 1.092 which was right where I wanted it.


I plan on keeping a bottle of this around in the red and the white to enhance these fruit wines. It does not have the "grapey" taste to me like the canned concentrates like Welches has.


Smurfe

 

[NorthernWinos]

Glad you like it Smurfe...

No there is no grape flavor...I imagine that if you added a Welch's Concord that the Concord flavor would come through.

When I make the Welch's Concord Wine I add two bottles of WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate...We like the wine a lot. Someday I plan on making a Welch's and just follow the recipe and see if it is as good.

I am planning on mixing up a batch wine tomorrow with of my home grown Valiant Grapes....they have a Concord flavor.I am undecided as to add two bottles of WinExpert or not....I bought a few cartons of Welch's Concord frozen concentrate that I might add instead....Or just go with the Valiant as they are pretty strong in flavor....

Decisssions...decisssions...what to do??? So many wines to try..it boggles the mind...or is it the wine that boggles the mind?????Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[smurfe]

Glad you like it Smurfe...

No there is no grape flavor...I imagine that if you added a Welch's Concord that the Concord flavor would come through.

When I make the Welch's Concord Wine I add two bottles of WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate...We like the wine a lot. Someday I plan on making a Welch's and just follow the recipe and see if it is as good.

I am planning on mixing up a batch wine tomorrow with of my home grown Valiant Grapes....they have a Concord flavor.I am undecided as to add two bottles of WinExpert or not....I bought a few cartons of Welch's Concord frozen concentrate that I might add instead....Or just go with the Valiant as they are pretty strong in flavor....

Decisssions...decisssions...what to do??? So many wines to try..it boggles the mind...or is it the wine that boggles the mind?????

If the choice was mine and the grape came from your own vines and you had a plentiful supply, I would go with the straight grapes to see how they hold their own. At least a gallon batch of it. If it wasn't to the liking, you could always use it to top up a future batch using the added concentrate.


Smurfe

 

[sangwitch]

Great responses - thank you. I first saw the bottles in a picture that Waldo posted about his port and that's what prompted my post.

 

[Waldo]

The jury is still out on how it will perfoirm in the Port sang but thus far at each tasting, compared against the straight Black Currant I am also making it definately made a difference

 

[NorthernWinos]

WALDO...in your picture...you seem to be fading away...or is it my eyes...or is it the wine glass....I'm feeling wooozzzzyyy!!!!

 

[grapeman]

NW, It's just like the saying- "you are what you eat"- or in this case drink. Waldo is turning into a glass of wine!

I thought it was cool!

 

[sangwitch]

Waldo, did you put it in your black currant as well?

 

[Wade E]

I guess I'm going to have to get some of these Winexpert concentrates. Next year I'll buy a case of it.

 

[Waldo]

Waldo, did you put it in your black currant as well?

No I didn't sang.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Waldo....you are still drifting away into a wine glass....

 

[jsmahoney]

I was getting worried too, Northern Winos,I thoughtI was loosing my eye sight, but didn't want to let on and tell anyone. Whew!