# what type of wine would be easiest from scratch ?



## NSwiner (Jan 11, 2010)

I was thinking of trying a wine from scratch but have not a clue other then some of posts here .Is there a thread somewhere that would get me off to a good start with the basics ? I know I can buy all the fruit wine supplies here in town and I'm sure they would help along the way but you guys/ladies have made lots of kinds so figure you would be good to answer my questions .
So if I picked a juice wine what do you think would be a good choice ? What else for supplies would I need ,I have all the basics ? I only have 23 liter buckets & carboys so will have to be a bigger batch .But I am only in the info gathering stage at this point so by the time I get ready I might have smaller containers .Or am I getting in way over my head so early in my wine making adventure  ????


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## Tom (Jan 11, 2010)

You can start with Apple wine.
Find some 100% pure juice for 6 gallons 23ltr
Make sure no preservatives like sorbate
Ck gravity
Warm up 1 gallon of juice and add sugar to 1.085
You can download WineCalc from the internet to ck @ amt of sugar you need to add to frach 1.085
Ck TA
add pectic enzyme
24hrs later add yeast (I use Cote des Blancs)
Continue as normal
You will need to add a f-pac and backsweeten omce wine is dry.
Thats the short version..
Good Luck..


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## gregmg (Jan 11, 2010)

Try making Niagara from Welches Niagara concentrate. My results have always been great, it's an easy wine to make, and it turns out well whether finished dry, sweet, or anywhere between.


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## Wade E (Jan 11, 2010)

I agree the Niagara makes a nice wine and is very easy.


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## Julie (Jan 11, 2010)

Gregmg has a good point. Actually any of the Welch's frozen concentrate would be great. I have made the White Grape/Peach and the White Grape/Raspberry and they were fantastic.

Julie


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## cpfan (Jan 11, 2010)

Personally I think buying a one gallon jug (presumably at a LHBS) and then trying one of the juice suggestions is a good idea. I did three one gallon batches last winter and may try a couple more soon.

Edit: You could read thru this long thread at a UK forum for ideas. It certainly helped me last winter.
http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1562

Steve


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## deboard (Jan 11, 2010)

I'll second the frozen concentrate idea, and the small batch idea. My very first batch was frozen concentrate, and it didn't turn out (completely my fault and not the concentrate's fault). But it was only a gallon, so I didn't lose much except some pride! But I learned something, so it was worth it.


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## Wade E (Jan 11, 2010)

The Dole company makes some good concentrates also. Walmart usually sells some very cheap concentrates. Just make sure none contain sorbate or benzoate. I dont even use sulfite on these concentrate batches, just get them down to temp and pitch.


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## NSwiner (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks for all your help so far but I'm off to bed so will have to go through it again ,I have a couple questions but after i get sleep .


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## arcticsid (Jan 11, 2010)

I stand by the Dole frozen concentrates Darlene. I have used it several times and they have some great flavors. Hawaiians Own also has a good variety of flavors in the frozen concentrate. These are both great quality juices and are 100% juice. If you go with the Dole and it has pineapple or orange use a fermenting bacg to help control the pulp.

And these are relatively cheap. I pay about $2/can and you use 3 cans and add enough water to make a gallon. They have always worked well and made a nice wine, definitely worth considering.

Cranberry/Pomegranate juice makes a nice wine, but be warned, you will play hell getting it to ferment, but it will. 

No matter what you choose read the labels carefully. Use 100% juice, and look out for sorbate or sulfite listed in the ingredients. Abscobic acid is okay.

Troy


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## Wade E (Jan 11, 2010)

I use 3 cans per gallon myself, sometimes even 4!


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## Newbie (Jan 12, 2010)

Unfortunately, many of the brands of frozen concentrate that you guys like to use are not available in Canada. I can’t even find Welsh’s 100% juice in my area, only some sort of cocktail that is mostly artificial flavorings and sugar.  

My first batch was a gallon of pineapple juice wine, it was cheap, easy and a lot of fun. I haven't really tried it yet, just a small sample but it seems very nice. 

Or maybe some of the Presidents Choice 100% juices would make good wine?


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## Mike (Jan 12, 2010)

How long do you have to age these wines made from frozen juice concentrate?


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## Midwest Vintner (Jan 12, 2010)

Mike said:


> How long do you have to age these wines made from frozen juice concentrate?



the same amount of time that a normal wine of that fruit should age. IMO, a fruit wine is good after 9 months and is usually best around the 2 year mark. there are some that can age for longer, such as blueberry or blackberry.


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## Mike (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok. I've only ever made wine kits. What is the quality of fruit concentrate wine comparable to?


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## ThousandJulys (Jan 17, 2010)

I have actually read that the frozen fruits (like a medley) produce more sugar and a tastier wine than raw fruit. Correct me if I'm wrong please.


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## arcticsid (Jan 17, 2010)

I've made a bunch from frozen concentrates. It will be nothing compared to the high quality you get from kits. But I have used the Dole brand and the Hawaiis Own Brand and they make a decent wine. They come in a wide variety of flavors too.

I use them because it is cheap and readily available.

Cost per cost though at 2 dollars a can, 3 per gallon times 5 gallons, you're looking at 30 dollars to make 5 gallons. For that you can buy the juice concentrates you get in the kits or close to that price.

So its a give and take.


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## Tom (Jan 17, 2010)

ThousandJulys said:


> I have actually read that the frozen fruits (like a medley) produce more sugar and a tastier wine than raw fruit. Correct me if I'm wrong please.


Yes. When growers pick fruit BEFORE it ripe. Reason is they need to figure shipping times to the store. 
When growing fruit that is to be frozen most growere will pick when they are ripe.
Thats mu .02 worth..


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## arcticsid (Jan 17, 2010)

especially way up here, very seldom do you fine "ripe" fruit in the stores. I don't think I have ever bought a pear here you could actually bite into, for exaample.


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## NSwiner (Jan 17, 2010)

Ok I remembered to check at walmart today and they don't carry any Dole frozen juices ,so i check Superstore when I went there they didn't either juice small cans (like pop cans ) of Dole but they did have the Welsh's grape juice but it seemed to have alot of sugar in it .The cranberry cocktail and just cranberry juice had less sugar .What about fructous is that ok ? Can you use real juice that's not frozen like orange & pineapple that are refridgarated at the store ? Also can juices like bottled oceanspray be used ? 
In the fall I could easily get large amounts of apple juice and our closed vineyard sells the grape juice but think it's only at harvest time .Maybe by then I'll feel experienced enough to get some to try .


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## arcticsid (Jan 17, 2010)

Absolutely Darlene. But read the labels. You want 100% juice, not juice "cocktail". Make sure it doesn't list sorbate, sulfite, or any other preservatives, or you may have a fight going on trying to get it to start fermenting, if it will go at all. Pasturized is okay, and the addition of abscorbic acid is okay too.

I've been looking at these canned concentrates:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/winemaking-ingredients.html?cat=166

This is obviously from Midwest but most likely anywhere you can buy kits offers these.

I've been meaning to start a thread and ask if anyone else has used these. Seems like you can geta good variety. One 96oz can makes either a full bodied 3 gals of wine, or a light bodied 5 gals. The price isn't all that much more than the frozen juices.


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## gregmg (Jan 18, 2010)

Actually, sulfites aren't necessarily a problem. Sorbate of course can be a show-stopper though. If the ingredients list shows sulfites, just refrain from adding any at the start, and make sure to start with a good yeast culture.


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## arcticsid (Jan 18, 2010)

Youre right Greg I should have clarified that to "not necessarily", because in fact, some of the bases and concentrates I mentioned above, do indeed, contain sulfites.


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## NSwiner (Jan 18, 2010)

ok thanks again , the oceanspray frozen cranberry said it might contain sulfrites . So all those juices that have water listed in the ingredients wouldn't work .I'm a little confused on that because the Welshes grape juice contained water & sugar but maybe it's different then what you were talking about .


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## gregmg (Jan 18, 2010)

I don't think water is a problem. I think the desire for 100% juice stems from concerns folks have with the artificial stuff that makes it into "cocktail" products. You could make wine from anything, even your socks, provided they don't have sorbate or related preservatives. Sulfites and acsorbic acid are of almost no concern.


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## non-grapenut (Jan 18, 2010)

Wade E said:


> The Dole company makes some good concentrates also. Walmart usually sells some very cheap concentrates. Just make sure none contain sorbate or benzoate. I dont even use sulfite on these concentrate batches, just get them down to temp and pitch.



Juicy Juice has no sulfite or sorbate so they make great wine bases...I used their cherry juice with some chopped up dried Walmart cherries...so easy!


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## non-grapenut (Jan 18, 2010)

ThousandJulys said:


> I have actually read that the frozen fruits (like a medley) produce more sugar and a tastier wine than raw fruit. Correct me if I'm wrong please.



I have found canned fruit, including the canning juice, do better than whole sometimes! I used canned mangos and pineapples to make a wine that everyone keeps asking for...so cheap, man!


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## arcticsid (Jan 18, 2010)

Hey, I'm liking the idea of socks!!!!! LOL

If you go with cranberry use a starter to pitch the yeast, cranberry is notorious for difficult fermentation due to natural benzoate. It WILL go but will take some coaxing.

As far as "anything" a while back someone was in here talking about making wine from Kool-Aid and Gatorade. WTF?

Let us know Darlene what you decide to go with.


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## Boyd (Jan 18, 2010)

*Alaska wild berries.*

A little off but, have you tried any of the wild berries that grow in Alaska?

Spent 3 weeks in the boonies 15 minutes out from Ft. Greely by helicopter and then drove back to Anchorage. (Army)

On the way back we stopped at a small park and helped an Indian lady pick berries.
Don't remember what they were but the tasted pretty good.


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## arcticsid (Jan 18, 2010)

Only trouble is Boyd is that it takes ALOT, ALOT to make wine with, and if you aren't "on them" it is a real pain to collect enough. If the mosquitoes don't get you then you have the bears to deal with.

I have enough raspberries in the freezer that are just waiting to be made into a flavored liquor.

(ps they are going to build a railway from Fairbanks to Ft Greely, won't get rid of the choppers, but sounds like you know the Army, at least you drove, I thought they made you guys walk home! LOL)


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## Boyd (Jan 18, 2010)

*Ft Greely.*

Army wanted to fly us up (Company we were attached to was screwing up) but I said the hell that with we will drive. I was E-7 at the time.

Lots more scenic on the ground.

You is right about the skeeters and bears tho.

The fools we were with thought it was a good Idea to feed the bears so mama and 2 cubs came for supper when the helicoper came in the evening. Not good.


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