Supermarket Juice Wine How To guide and Recipes.

[SmallSpacesBrewing]

I have a question though, my wines are taking about 6 weeks minimum to ferment out, others on this forum are saying theirs are done in 2 weeks. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Am I using too much sugar?

Probably a temperature issue and/or lack of yeast food. If you ferment too cold it's going to take more time. I always use some yeast food.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have a question though, my wines are taking about 6 weeks minimum to ferment out, others on this forum are saying theirs are done in 2 weeks. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Am I using too much sugar?

A gallon (4.5 litres) demijohn takes roughly 7 - 9 days to ferment even in a cool house.

How much and what yeast did you use and did you use yeast nutrient?

 

[Skunkylager86]

A gallon (4.5 litres) demijohn takes roughly 7 - 9 days to ferment even in a cool house.

How much and what yeast did you use and did you use yeast nutrient?

I just used bog standard Ritchie's wine yeast, about a teaspoons worth. I didn't use any nutrient so I'm starting to think that might be the issue.

 

[afly]

Hi all

Trying my first one of these and have probably the opposite of normal questioning.... I have a load of brewing sugar to use. Can I just 1-1 per/kg use it against granulated given the amount used for most recipe's here?

 

[MmmBeer]

Hi all

Trying my first one of these and have probably the opposite of normal questioning.... I have a load of brewing sugar to use. Can I just 1-1 per/kg use it against granulated given the amount used for most recipe's here?

Ideally you should use 10% more brewing sugar (glucose or dextrose) than granulated (sucrose), but swapping 1:1 would be acceptable, if a half a percent or so lower in alcohol.

 

[Pappa]

hi all, started two WOW brews this week on the 18th, both 1 Gal, one in a glas DJ, one in a 5l Water container (new)
both exactly the same process and other bits, only difference was one had 1.75L Apple juice (sat fizzing like a good un!) the other had apple/mango.

yeast was EC1118 and rehydrated prior to adding some must before transferring to the DJ

the RGJ/Apple mango version has developed an odd top crust like its curdled, no activity on the bubbler at all. temps 22 for all, the apple OG was 1.092
apple/mango was 1.15

any ideas?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

the RGJ/Apple mango version has developed an odd top crust like its curdled, no activity on the bubbler at all

Is that the one in the 5l plastic water bottle?

If yes how did you seal the airlock into the lid?

Some juices throw up lots of sediment (see below) its fine -

 

[Pappa]

yes the plastic one. cut out a hole with a drill and jammed a rubber cork in it as tight as i could!

it doesnt look like sediment, its like floating curd!, doesnt seem to be producing any gas at all?

 

[fluketamer]

this thread never gets old. i love it.

 

[jof]

yes the plastic one. cut out a hole with a drill and jammed a rubber cork in it as tight as i could!

it doesnt look like sediment, its like floating curd!, doesnt seem to be producing any gas at all?

Did the juice list potassium sorbate as an ingredient?
That's a preservative that will kill off any yeast you try to use for the fermentation.

 

[Pappa]

Did the juice list potassium sorbate as an ingredient?
That's a preservative that will kill off any yeast you try to use for the fermentation.

no, 100% fresh juice

 

[Pappa]

****Update****
ITS ALIVE!!!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Great news now watch the lava lamp in the DJ

 

[Laner]

Made my first attempt at a WOW but looks like a fail.

2 lt concentrate, 1 lt cranberry juice topped up to 4 lts with water, 900gm sugar. Yeast, tannin and nutrient with OG 1060

not much krausen but plenty of airlock activity for 5 days then a sudden stop, FG is now 1010 so clearly not finished and tastes of sherry.

Any ideas what went wrong?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Any ideas what went wrong?

Probably nothing give it time at 5 days it hasn't finished fermenting leave it another 3 days and take another reading.

Did you use nutrient?

 

[Laner]

Probably nothing give it time at 5 days it hasn't finished fermenting leave it another 3 days and take another reading.

Did you use nutrient?

Nutrient was added before pitching the yeast. No airlock activity for the last 2 days.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Nutrient was added before pitching the yeast. No airlock activity for the last 2 days.

No activity or not as vigorous as over the last 5, i used to leave mine 7 - 8 days then until i didn't see a single bubble for two minutes as i couldn't be bothered messing with a hydrometer.

I would guess you had 1200g (ish) of sugar total there is no way standard wine yeast is going to get through that in 5 days at room temperature this time of year!

 

[Laner]

No activity or not as vigorous as over the last 5, i used to leave mine 7 - 8 days then until i didn't see a single bubble for two minutes as i couldn't be bothered messing with a hydrometer.

I would guess you had 1200g (ish) of sugar total there is no way standard wine yeast is going to get through that in 5 days at room temperature this time of year!

Totally stopped overnight and nothing since, I was surprised to find it stopped so soon.

It is in the garage with a DJ heater & wrapped in a towel, the same as the Merlot wine kit which is still bubbling away.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

All I know having made hundreds of gallons of the stuff is 5 days is not long enough for it to finish and the proof is at .1010 it's nowhere near finished I still think it's fermenting and you need to give it time.

 

[Laner]

All I know having made hundreds of gallons of the stuff is 5 days is not long enough for it to finish and the proof is at .1010 it's nowhere near finished I still think it's fermenting and you need to give it time.

Thanks for the help, I will leave it be for a week amd see how it is