Easy 'red' wine from Supermarket juice WoW.

[Vinotinto]

I appreciate that it has been said that we will not be able to make a red wine from supermarket juices but it would be jnteresting to see how close you have all actually come to replicating a half decent 'house red'.

Here is my first effort using a recipe linked to by Chippy some time ago and known as Richard's Red.

Don't know how the colour will show in the picture but there it is on the right and significantly different to the Purple Rose on the left. I wonder how it will turn out! :wink:

I did this one with 3litres of Waitrose Merlot Grape 100 % juice, a can of Youngs Red wine enricher and water to the shoulder. 500g sugar and the usual pectinase, glycerin citric, tannin, nutrient and used Youngs Burgundy yeast. Not the cheapest of WoWs and with a starting SG of 1.116 could be a bit hefty! Fingers crossed.

 

[dublin12]

Looks good !

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I find all Red Grape Juice based wines look like the one on the right when you first mix the juices but end up looking like the one on the left when fermentation is all but finished.

 

[goodolpete]

I'm surprised about your SG. The 3 merlot and the can of Youngs Red wine enricher each have 160g sugar, plus 500g real sugar, that makes 1140g in all. For 4.5 litres the sg should be 1095.

 

[Vinotinto]

I'm surprised about your SG. The 3 merlot and the can of Youngs Red wine enricher each have 160g sugar, plus 500g real sugar, that makes 1140g in all. For 4.5 litres the sg should be 1095.

It is currently well short of 4.5 litres. Will top up later so presumably that will reduce.

 

[Roddy]

I would expect your colour to stay pretty dark mate, if you have enough red grape in there 😀

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Vinotinto]

On the basis of topping up the original and Rose versions with AJ and water to taste, does/should this attempt at a red be topped with rgj? Or would that be over the top? Thoughts?

 

[Vinotinto]

I'm surprised about your SG. The 3 merlot and the can of Youngs Red wine enricher each have 160g sugar, plus 500g real sugar, that makes 1140g in all. For 4.5 litres the sg should be 1095.

Got me thinking on this one. How do you know the sugar content of the wine enricher? Nothing on the can or on any website (including Youngs )about the sugar content.

 

[Tau]

Take a reading from tin, pour some into hydrometer jar and take sg, then compare against tables http://www.brsquared.org/wine/CalcInfo/HydSugAl.htm

 

[tonyhibbett]

I found the merlot juice rather light in colour so I substituted 1 of the 3 litres with a litre of Sainsbury's red grape juice, which is darker.

 

[goodolpete]

Got me thinking on this one. How do you know the sugar content of the wine enricher? Nothing on the can or on any website (including Youngs )about the sugar content.

I cant point to a specific post, but over the years
I have believed this, and I dont remember a post
that contradicted it. If anyone can quote anything
to the contrary, I would be happy to say Im wrong.

 

[Vinotinto]

I cant point to a specific post, but over the years
I have believed this, and I dont remember a post
that contradicted it. If anyone can quote anything
to the contrary, I would be happy to say Im wrong.

No problem. I have emailed Youngs. Watching this space may be futile though.

 

[Tau]

I reckon they vary the grape concentrate and its not fixed therefore no sugar content, only true way is hydrometer and tables with some nifty maths.

 

[Vinotinto]

Needless to say, never got a response from Youngs.
This has almost finished now. Depending on how it tastes I am wondering whether to top up with red grape juice or apple. Probably the red to try and preserve / imitate a house red which was the original intention.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I top up with apple and must say its a vast improvement over the ones topped up with water but if you like a dry wine the extra sugar may not be to your taste.

 

[Vinotinto]

I top up with apple and must say its a vast improvement over the ones topped up with water but if you like a dry wine the extra sugar may not be to your taste.

But I am trying also to keep it as red as possible Chippy. Used apple on the rose and liked it. Just wondering if there is any reason why rgj will not do as good a job. Pretty sweet stuff in itself.

 

[hoptoit]

I think after lots of searching when I have used the youngs wine enriched. I got the general consensus it was equivalent to one litre of grape juice. So I calculated it at 160g of sugar per 245g tin.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

But I am trying also to keep it as red as possible Chippy. Used apple on the rose and liked it. Just wondering if there is any reason why rgj will not do as good a job. Pretty sweet stuff in itself.

I think RGJ will be fine, i wasn't suggesting you use apple as you said you want to keep it as red as possible i was just letting you know its better than water but does add sweetness, the sugar content of the juices in my fridge are RGJ 160g per litre, apple 113g per litre.

 

[Vinotinto]

Ok, this attempt at a 'red' has been going 18 days. Still got a bubble every 30seconds. Have taken SG though and it is 0.994. Looks more of a deep purple still than red and cloudy of course. I would like to say it has a fruity taste but on reflection it is more of a nasty after taste of acidic / metal that kicks in after a while.

Any advice guys?
Let it carry on or
stop it now, stabilise etc, sweeten with rgj then hope with time it gets better?
I am wondering if it was grape juice overload on this one?

 

[dublin12]

It looks like a red wine so you achieved that anyway. My last Rose also had a bit of a metal tang - perhaps too much tannin ?