Cordially yours

[Moley]

Loosely based upon DaveSiv's Ribena Wine and a few other recipes I've read, here's my own take on a squash or cordial wine.

I've never made one of these before so I wouldn't recommend that anyone follows me just yet until I've had chance to report back.

Whatever your cordial, read the labels, you don't want the ‘no added sugar’ waistline-friendly option, if it says saccharin, aspartame etc., put it back on the shelf.

Here are my ingredients, a Morrison's Summer Fruits High Juice (50% juice, 50% sugar), a litre each of white and red grape juices, pectolase, tannin, yeast and nutrients, glycerine and an unknown quantity of sugar.

So, I want an OG of 1.100 to end up with around 14% alcohol.
1.100 needs 270g sugar per litre, these tables are all over the interweb.
I'm making 5 litres so 5 x 270 means I need 1350g of sugar.
The cordial contains 504g of sugar (it says so on the label).
The grape juices contain 156g of sugar each (it says so on the cartons).
1350 - 504 - 156 - 156 = 534

534g of granulated sugar, plus half a teaspoonful of tannin powder.

I find it easier to mix the tannin with the dry sugar, otherwise you get lumps of the stuff which take ages to dissolve.

I added my sugar + tannin to the high juice,

brought it to the boil and simmered for 10 minutes to try to drive off preservatives.

Yes, at this point I'm using a wooden spoon. So what? I'm boiling the **** out of it, literally.

Grape juices poured into a PET water bottle:

Notes taken.

If it's good I can repeat it, if it's just ok I may be able to improve it.
I've forgotten how much the cordial cost but don't think it was more than £1.00
Going with a quid, plus the juices, sugar and adjuncts, and allowing a further 25p for a campden, sorbate and finings at the end this is coming in at £3.36 and will yield 6.5 bottles at 52p a bottle.

A litre of cold water added to the boiled cordial + sugar, and that added too.
That gave me a temperature of 36°C so I stood it in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to get it below 30° before adding yeast, nutrients and pectolase.

I will be topping this up with cooled, boiled water after the first week, and I've kept the label off the cordial as a reminder.

8 hours on and it's starting to bubble, but slowly at the moment.

 

[corby_brewer]

Looking good Moley. Ive just put a Strawberry Ribenan Wine in the DJ.
Oh by the way, it was CHEEKYMONKEYS recipe originaly, i just tweeked it a bit. :thumb:

 

[Moley]

Oh by the way, it was CHEEKYMONKEYS recipe originaly, i just tweeked it a bit. :thumb:

Credit where it's due, have you got a link?
Some recipes I tweak, others I completely bend

 

[corby_brewer]

Here is Cheekymonkeys original post - viewtopic.php?f=41&t=3978&start=0

 

[queues likely]

Some recipes I tweak, others I completely bend

Got my summer fruits cordial wine on the go last night :)
I used Sainsburys full leaded version.I added a bit more sugar, but i stuck to your method.
There was a bit of action after an hour, this morning its a very pretty purple with a nice progressive bubble. :thumb:

Nice one Moley :

 

[Grasshopper]

Hi, does anyone have a form (in the above posts from Moley or can i be cheeky and ask Mr Moley) that they could let me have to use for my wine making ?


Thanks Ade :

 

[Moley]

Grasshopper: Send me your email address by PM.

Site crew: Is it possible to upload a couple of small pdf files (only about 25kb each) to the forum?

 

[artyb]

ive been considering a wine, like this with the lidl hi juice blackcurrent, ... :hmm:

 

[evanvine]

Yes, at this point I'm using a wooden spoon. So what? I'm boiling the **** out of it, literally.

Never noticed untill your comment.
I always use one for "doughing in", they don't flex.
Interesting wine, should be good.

 

[niles]

Hi Moley,
Just wondered how your summer fruit was progressing thought I'd have a go myself, it's £1 at my local Asda (50% fruit) but was going to use just 1ltr red grape do you think it might turn out a bit thin?

cheers

 

[Moley]

Just wondered how your summer fruit was progressing?

To be perfectly honest, I haven't got a clue.
It's finished and cleared but I haven't actually tasted it yet.
I'll let you know tonight.

If it's any good, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be, I must start some more. Ribena £1.25 a litre in Morrison's for the next week-and-a-bit.

With one litre of grape I think it might turn out a bit thin.

 

[Moley]

Tastes pretty good :thumb: I would certainly make it again.

A nice fruity rosé, medium alcohol, I would guess around 0.998 unless it does have some artificial sweeteners, it can stay where it is for another month or two, I'm in absolutely no hurry to bottle as I've got more than enough laid down to last until the middle of next year.

 

[niles]

Cheers Moley,
A gallon will be on the go this weekend I'll add 1 ltr white grape as well. Do you think cordial based wine drinks compare well with juice, there the only ones I've done so far wurzel orange, apple + white grape, cranberry + red grape.

 

[rickthebrew]

Cheers :lol:

Another one to add to the list :party:

 

[bev]

nice. Was just gonnae come on and post to see about sugar content for cordial wines and here was yer thread. Ta moley. Doing a gallon each of Rock's Organic Blue Two (apple, elderberry, blueberry and aronia) and Rock's Organic Red Five (red grape, red cherry, pomegranate, raspberry cranberry). Also, brewin up some Tillmans of Sweden organic strawberry and one of their cherry too. I'll let ye ken how it goes.

 

[awalton007]

How did this turn out. Sounds quite nice. Also where did you get the notes pages thu look really good

 

[tommy2teas]

Thanks for recipe, had ago at this last night

 

[wino2012]

Try the ASDA shiraze grape and blackcurrant with RGJ and apple, or ASDA raspberry and vanilla cordial with WGJ and apple. Turns out really well, worth a try : only 1.70 at the moment