Hi everyone

[jasesname]

Just joined after reading many posts for weeks now.
I have been dabbling in home-brew for about 12 months, had some good results and some dire results.

Just tried making up my own mix with the following

1kg sugar
10 litres of lidl red grape juice 100% grape
1 litre diluted ribena 4 parts water to ribena
1 lime juice
4 teaspoon of yeast nutriant
4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup strong 2 tea bag tea
2 tablespoon glycerin
added some wilko white grape juice concentrate as well


Boiled sugar and lime juice in diluted ribena made up to 1 litre

This gave me a starting gravity of 1090 (I think, the hydrometer bit has always confused me)

No idea how this is going to turn out, however its bubbling away like crazy currently (1 day brewing so far)

My only question is, I have always had success with kit whites, however the kit reds always seem to be a bit "thin" and pretty un exciting, how can there be such a difference between the success of whites and less success of the reds?

I just made a really nice 30 bottle white by mixing a kit white, with a very good crop of muscat grapes from the vine in my garden. Extremely pleased with the result.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Have you added water or is it just the juice at around 10 litres of juice?

 

[jasesname]

Have you added water or is it just the juice at around 10 litres of juice?

On this current brew I only added water to the Ribena mix, so about 1.5 litres water, other than that it was the pure grape juice right out the carton.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

When i make a 22.5 litre (5 gallon) wine i use 10 litres of juice usually 5 litres of red grape juice and 5 litres of apple juice.

I then fill to 23.5 litres with water so the ingredients are -

5 litres red grape juice

5 litres apple juice (or another 100% juice)

4Kg sugar

Tannin - 1.5 litres of strong black tea 5 bags in the litre 3 in the half.

3 teaspoons yeast

5 teaspoons nutrient

5 teaspoons pectolace

5 teaspoons glycerine.

2.5 teaspoons citric acid

Using just juice like you have will result in a very strong tasting wine, i have also read using just grape juice does not turn out too well but as i haven't made it this way i cannot comment, if you do make this the way you have said in your first post let us know how it turns out.

 

[jasesname]

Thanks Chippy tea.

I think my only concern was that all of my reds so far have come out "thin" (if thats the right term?)

So i was concerned that adding too much water would have that same thinning effect. Although I don't suppose theres any harm in adding some water at this stage?

 

[Frogbrew]

When i make a 22.5 litre (5 gallon) wine i use 10 litres of juice usually 5 litres of red grape juice and 5 litres of apple juice.

I then fill to 23.5 litres with water so the ingredients are -

5 litres red grape juice

5 litres apple juice (or another 100% juice)

4Kg sugar.

3 teaspoons yeast

5 teaspoons nutrient

5 teaspoons pectolace

5 teaspoons glycerine.

2.5 teaspoons citric acid

Using just juice like you have will result in a very strong tasting wine, i have also read using just grape juice does not turn out too well but as i haven't made it this way i cannot comment, if you do make this the way you have said in your first post let us know how it turns out.

No sugar chippy??? :-o

 

[jasesname]

Just FYI, I took the recipe from dewsfamily Lidl red wine recipe

4x 1 litre cartons lidl red grape juice
1lb sugar
2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp nutrient
1/2 tsp tannin
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp yeast (i use youngs high alcohol)

My only difference was the addition of a litre of Ribena to the mix 4 parts water to 1 part Ribena) So assumed no extra water required to top up.

Dilema!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Thanks Chippy tea.

I think my only concern was that all of my reds so far have come out "thin" (if thats the right term?)

The bad news is you cannot make red wine out of supermarket juices it always ends up like a rosé wine however dark it is in the DJ when you first mix the ingredients.

So i was concerned that adding too much water would have that same thinning effect. Although I don't suppose theres any harm in adding some water at this stage?

I guess it depends on what you are trying to achieve, if you like a strong alcoholic drink like an alcopop using just juice will do the trick, if you are trying to mimic wine you don't want it so strong tasting so adding the water helps, i also use about a litre and a half of strong black tea so i have a lot of tannin in the wine.

 

[jasesname]

I guess it depends on what you are trying to achieve, if you like a strong alcoholic drink like an alcopop using just juice will do the trick, if you are trying to mimic wine you don't want it so strong tasting

Definitely not after an Alcopop, just something with a bit of body to it. I dont ever expect to get anything like a quality wine, its only that my reds (Kit bought reds) have always turned out a little boring, the whites have been great.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

No sugar chippy??? :-o

Woops, i made a right pigs ear of that, i even missed the tannin. :lol:


5 litres red grape juice

5 litres apple juice (or another 100% juice)

4Kg sugar

Tannin - 1.5 litres of strong black tea 5 bags in the litre 3 in the half.

3 teaspoons yeast

5 teaspoons nutrient

5 teaspoons pectolace

5 teaspoons glycerine.

2.5 teaspoons citric acid

 

[jasesname]

Thanks Chippy.

Im going shopping tomorrow to give your recipe a go, trial and error I suppose. will have to wait and see if I have made a massive error with my current brew.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just FYI, I took the recipe from dewsfamily Lidl red wine recipe

4x 1 litre cartons lidl red grape juice
1lb sugar
2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp nutrient
1/2 tsp tannin
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp yeast (i use youngs high alcohol)

My only difference was the addition of a litre of Ribena to the mix 4 parts water to 1 part Ribena) So assumed no extra water required to top up.

Dilema!

Assuming he used a DJ that is going to be very strong with 4 litres of 100% juice in a 4.5 litre DJ, most of us use 2 litres of juice then top up to 4.5 litres.

You could see how it turns out then make your next one to the recipe below and compare the two.

5 litres red grape juice

5 litres apple juice (or another 100% juice)

4Kg sugar

Tannin - 1.5 litres of strong black tea 5 bags in the litre 3 in the half.

3 teaspoons yeast

5 teaspoons nutrient

5 teaspoons pectolace

5 teaspoons glycerine.

2.5 teaspoons citric acid
__________________

 

[jasesname]

So my error would be that because the recipe didn't mention water, I assumed no extra water required. Going by your recipe it seems the general rule would be an extra 2.5 litres of water per 2 litres of supermarket juice? Even if the recipe doesn't mention water.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

So my error would be that because the recipe didn't mention water, I assumed no extra water required. Going by your recipe it seems the general rule would be an extra 2.5 litres of water per 2 litres of supermarket juice? Even if the recipe doesn't mention water.

Have a read through this thread it will answer all your questions - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

 

[jasesname]

Great thanks