Lidl Red Grape Juice for winemaking

[Richie_asg1]

Red Grape Juice 1L in Asda. Chilled juice section. Seems pressed not from concentrate and no preservatives.
I'm drinking it some nights as an alternative to wine.
Says from Spanish grapes on the website. £1 for 1L.
https://groceries.asda.com/product/grapes-berries/asda-red-grape-juice/910000267188

 

[johncrobinson]

When you think about the amount of fruit required to make a litre of juice these cartons seem exeptional value.
Ive been making wine from them for over 20 yrs.To be honest I thought it was my own idea.(Pre internet).

 

[hedgerowpete]

When you think about the amount of fruit required to make a litre of juice these cartons seem exeptional value.
Ive been making wine from them for over 20 yrs.To be honest I thought it was my own idea.(Pre internet).

the last timei drove down to london to buy whole grapes we had this discussion about grape juice.works out cheaper and less hassel than home crushed grapes, i have never brought whole grapes after that day

 

[johncrobinson]

You seem like a man after my own heart hedgerow.

There is little in life that is better than working with (rather than against) nature.!!

Natures bounty is wonderfull we should preserve it.
Where i live now its just too cold/dark/wet for many traditional foodstuffs to grow.But we do get a good crop of winemaking/beermaking ingrediants.

Many on this forum have been singing the praises of kievik yeast i will be giving this a try when i get myself installed in my new home.
Onwards and Upwards as they say.!!!

 

[hedgerowpete]

this time of year its tea wines, fruit juices and grape juice or kits or meads for me to make, waiting for the sap and the bramble tips to awaken, there my first crop i aim at, walking around the city centre canals of birmingham with a demi john and brace and bit is always alot of fun as no one has any idea what we are up to. everyone things of the countryside and not the inner city canal bank side

if your a mascohist theres always gorse wine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[johncrobinson]

I remember picking cherrys of the local trees.My post lady (a nice lass) said eeeh!!! can you do that.When i told her it was for winemaking.

 

[johncrobinson]

I have a funny relationship with mead.

The Norseman in me wants to drink blood wine.

But all the bottles ive bought are sickly,sickly sweet.

 

[kelper]

shouldn't mead ferment out and be dry?

 

[johncrobinson]

Yes i think it would be better for that kelper.
But most shop bought mead seems more to resemble golden syrup.

 

[simon12]

Most mead is sweet as it needs to age alot when dry before its any good so commercially its cost to much to make decent dry mead. At least thats what I read or someone told me somewhere I can't remember.

 

[johncrobinson]

Well it certainly sounds like a reasonalble explaination simon.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Do they stop it early with sorbates or just keep throwing sugar at it till it surrenders?

I've made mead a few times, mostly when I was in a medieval group. I've had two that ended up like a dry sherry that climbs up the glass. Probably infected but was an amazing result. Drink it like a sherry too.

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

Yes i think it would be better for that kelper.
But most shop bought mead seems more to resemble golden syrup.

The Lyme Bay Christmas Mead is certainly very sweet. I tried some last night, it was a Christmas present lol.

 

[Rodj]

waiting for the sap and the bramble tips to awaken

What do you do with the bramble tips, Hedgerow? I've never made anything with bramble leaves other than tea. If you have a decent recipe for wine would you tell, please, - and what is it like? Thanks.

 

[hedgerowpete]

What do you do with the bramble tips, Hedgerow? I've never made anything with bramble leaves other than tea. If you have a decent recipe for wine would you tell, please, - and what is it like? Thanks.

its a good dry white wine, most of my wines are towards dry,i dont drink anything higher that 1010. i will sort the tip wine recipe out this weekend

 

[Rodj]

Many thanks -I look forward to reading and trying it.

 

[Scottyburto]

Are bramble tips just fresh bramble leaves?
Pictures would be great!

 

[hedgerowpete]

Are bramble tips just fresh bramble leaves?
Pictures would be great!

yes mate,its the top two inchs basically, the best way to describe what to get is

"pick the tips from the very tip down the sten untill you feel the spines are hard"
new fresh tips are soft with spines not formed, its that soft tip and leaf buds an leaves you want, its full of sugars from the sap roots when they first start to bud in spring, also can be blanched and eaten as well

 

[Scottyburto]

Thanks, I'll have a look on Monday, I walk past a good few meters of bramble on the school walk.

 

[Hanglow]

Waitrose have Merlot red grape juice in their chilled section at £1.60 per L. It's from spain, I'm wondering if it's the same as the ASDA stuff or different?