# Minute Maid



## gaudet (Sep 14, 2008)

Has anyone tried making wine from any of the minute maid 100% juice blends? I bought a bottle of pomegranate blueberry the other day for personal consumption and it was delicious. I thought it might make a great wine. Its a blend of blueberry, apple, grape, pomegranate, and I think raspberry. I think it was about $2 for 60 oz of juice, and the only preservative I saw was ascorbic acid. I might give this one a shot since I have no more fresh fruit to use at this time.


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## Wade E (Sep 14, 2008)

I have used Dole a few times but not the Minute Maid, Im sure it will make a decent wine.


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 14, 2008)

I have made wines using the 64 oz bottles of various juices as well as the frozen concentrates....

I think the 64 oz bottles of juices are a little thin to make a wine with just that product...I would use it, but also add one can of a frozen concentrate if you can find a concentrate of juice similar to the 64 oz product...One can of concentrate per gallon would give it more body and flavor.

Just my 2¢....


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## s.arkvinomaker (Sep 14, 2008)

I have the Blueberry/Pomegranate wine going right now. It is about 8 months old. I've thought about an orange wine having tried one at a winery in Florida a year ago. Thought it was fantastic. The recipes I have call for using some of the zest of the skin minus the white part. The white is suppose to make the wine bitter. Unsure just how essential that zest is. Let me know how it comes out if you try just the juice.


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## gaudet (Sep 15, 2008)

Here I go again






7 quarts MM Blueberry Pomegranate juice
2 cans Welches 100% White Grape juice concentrate
20 cups sugar
Filled to 6 gallon mark

1 tbs yeast energizer
2 tbs yeast nutrient
2 tsp pectic enzyme
3 tbs acid blend

Initial SG 1.080
pH 3.8

1 packet Pasteur Champagne yeast


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 15, 2008)

That sounds good to me...

Think adding the White Grape Concentrate will help with the body.

keep us posted....Photos are nice.


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## Wade E (Sep 15, 2008)

Sounds good here to!


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## gaudet (Sep 15, 2008)

Images as requested




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## NorthernWinos (Sep 16, 2008)

It looks like it has a nice color.....
Now...I've been thinking about this recipe.....
Was that 7 qts MM juice ready to drink??? Or was it a concentrate???



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## gaudet (Sep 16, 2008)

It was ready to drink in 60 oz bottles, the label had ascorbic acid as the only preservative listed. And the yeasties are hard at work again.....

Signs of activity are present. Bubbles everywhere...............





*Edited by: gaudet *


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 16, 2008)

Did you use 7 of those jugs, or 7 quarts of juice???

It's amazing the wines you can make from store bought juices....they turn out very nice and early drinkers.....and...always available...rain or shine.


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## gaudet (Sep 16, 2008)

I measured out 7 quarts of juice

Good old trusty pyrex 32oz at a time


And the aroma is just wonderful....................





*Edited by: gaudet *


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## eclectic (Sep 16, 2008)

In about 3 weeks Iwill be bottling a Pomegranite Blueberry wine that I made using 3 cans of Old Orchard frozen concentrate. The colorandaromaare wonderfuland I believe the flavor will be very good.


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## Wade E (Sep 16, 2008)

Welcome eclectic. please start a thread and tell us about yourself.


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 16, 2008)

Welcome eclectic...glad you stepped in...Hope you stay awhile and tell us about yourself and your winemaking experiences.

I don't see all those flavors in our frozen juice section...need to go to bigger cities with bigger stores.


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## gaudet (Sep 16, 2008)

Northern Winos said:


> Welcome eclectic...glad you stepped in...Hope you stay awhile and tell us about yourself and your winemaking experiences.
> 
> I don't see all those flavors in our frozen juice section...need to go to bigger cities with bigger stores.



You're not talking about the minute maid products are you Northern? Cause they seem to be common in my local walmart. They even have pomegranate lemonade, and pomegranate tea juices............


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## gaudet (Sep 16, 2008)

This is the juice I am using.

http://www.minutemaid.com/products/Variety_Juices_and_Drinks/PomegranateBlueberry.jsp 
*Edited by: gaudet *


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 16, 2008)

Haven't seen that yet. 

Went to a larger store in a bigger city when I was doing a frozen concentrate Cherry Wine and a Cranberry Wine.....I found some super concentrates...12oz cans were about $5, but they were pure juices....I used the cheaper blends....Old Orchard with apple juice blend and Welch's with Niagara grape blend..they were good too.

So many possibilities...


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## gaudet (Sep 17, 2008)

I put it under airlock yesterday since it seemed to be very actively fermenting. I just opened it up and took a sg, 1.034 

I wasn't expecting it to ferment that quickly. I guess it will be ready to go to the carboy either tomorrow or Friday. Does Pasteur Champagne ferment that quickly?


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## Wade E (Sep 17, 2008)

It is a more aggressive yeast. Some wines will just ferment very fast while others will take their time though and thats why you just have to stick a hydrometer in there often, if its taking its time then you dont have to check as often.


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## gaudet (Sep 18, 2008)

SG reading 1.018. Gonna rack it to the carboy in a little bit.


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## cowgirlallison (Sep 18, 2008)

Sounds wonderful! I am glad to know you can use these so when I clean out my freezer of fruit I know there are lots more options! Good luck and thanks for the info!


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2008)

Hey!!!


I made a really great peach wine with three bigcans of Dole cling peaches!
I was a bit timid at first about how they'd come out but they turned out great.


Good for you Gaudet!!!
You started somthing outside the box.


Handyman


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## gaudet (Sep 18, 2008)

handyman454 said:


> Hey!!!
> 
> 
> I made a really great peach wine with three bigcans of Dole cling peaches!
> ...



Well, we'll find out. Its fermenting extremely well. But taste will be the final test..... And we've got to wait on that one...............


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## Wade E (Sep 18, 2008)

You can make a great wine out of a lot of stuff. When i 1st started and really had a tight budget I hit a great sale at Shop Rite with a can can sale where everything in a can was at half price. I picked up around 26 cans of Pears in heavy syrup and it made 1 of the best wines Ive made to date.


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## Lloyd1 (Sep 19, 2008)

Wade, I've heard you speak of this Pear wine before.
Could you post the receipe, or a link to it?
I might want to give it a try.
Thanks!


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## Wade E (Sep 19, 2008)

I used 18 cans and they were the big ones and 8 lbs of sugar. I think I would add 22 cans this time and less sugar. I started with an SG of 1.090 and would soot for 1.080 this time as it was hot for quite some time. I back sweetened with pear juice that I bought at a nature food store and strained it through a colander and then coffee filter and then added it to my wine which was not clear. Doing this this way will cloud it back up so either lots of time or SuperKleer will be needed. It was 1 of my first wines so SuperKleer was the choice. It did make the SuperKleer work for its money.I dont recall how much acid blend I needed or what amounts of nutrient but I would use 1 tsp of nutrient and 1/2 tsp of energizer if done again and i most likely will. I would use Red Star Cotes Des Blanc east also. That was a 6 gallon batch.


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## s.arkvinomaker (Sep 19, 2008)

One thing I noticed when shopping for juices to make the Pomegranate/Blueberrry wine. Watch the ingredients. Besides looking for additives look to see what the main ingredient is. It will be the first few listed. Many of the brands had alot of apple juice in them. It will say Pomegranate/ Blueberry or pomegranate/cranberry but is loaded with apple juice. I didn't notice it right away and was wanting as pure a juice as I can find. Just FYI !I am generally pretty picky what i make wine out of.


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## gaudet (Sep 19, 2008)

I noticed, but the flavor was so good, that I wanted to try it anyways. I think it had apple, grape, and possibly pear juice................ Along with pomegranate and blueberry as the primary flavors. As long as it makes a good wine, I don't have a problem with it. But I can see where you are coming from.


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 20, 2008)

In the frozen juice sections of some larger stores they have pure juice concentrates...the 12oz cans run about $4-5 but the reconstitute to a larger quantity fo pure juice...like cranberry and cherry.

I also have noticed in the health Food sections of these larger stores they have pure juice in qt bottles...things like Only Black Cherry, Just Cherry...etc. They cost more, but sure can beef up the reconstituted bottles of juice when making wine.

I like lots of flavor in the fruit wines...whether made with fresh, frozen or store bought juice....

Just my 2¢.


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## gaudet (Oct 8, 2008)

Update on this wine.

I racked it today. The SG was 0.992 so I guess the yeasties were done. I stabilized with K-sorb and K-meta, and backsweetened with 1/2 cup sugar per gallon or 3 cups sugar. I degassed with mix stir and used the brake bleeder to finish off the degassing. After which I placed it back under airlock. I will be moving this into the closet to bulk age and clear for about 2 months. It smells wonderful. I didn't taste it after back sweetening. But I should have. With a predicted ABV of 12% (11.98% if you do the math) I am thinking this will be pretty darn good. <a href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMichael%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" target="_blank">





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*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Wade E (Oct 8, 2008)

Did you take an SG reading or anything during sweetening it? This is 1 step that should not be done blind cause if you over sweeten it you will have to mix it with a dryer wine to undo it. Sweetening a wine is done in small increments to taste!


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## gaudet (Oct 8, 2008)

I know I should have been a little more precise, but I think I am ok. 

I just took a reading and it came back 1.002 So I guess I am in the clear..........


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## Wade E (Oct 8, 2008)

Thats a pretty decent SG.


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## gaudet (Oct 8, 2008)

So I take it you think it will be ok .......... I remember you saying to back sweeten to no more than 1.008

I did raise it over 0.008 by adding 3 cups of sugar, so that ought to take away some of the dryness. I can always add another cup or two before I bottle to raise it some some.


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## Wade E (Oct 8, 2008)

I would never say that as sweetness is a personal preference and veryones taste vary. I typically make my fruit wines right around there or a tad more depending on what I feel it needs to brig out the fruit. I do tend to like a sweet fruit wine and dry reds.


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## gaudet (Oct 8, 2008)

Taste is subjective...............

I will have to see what it tastes like when I go to bottle it. If it isn't to my liking, then I will add some more sugar. But as always I appreciate your input.


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## gaudet (Oct 17, 2008)

Today I added a packet of isinglass and topped it off with a little water to minimize headspace. I will let it ride for the next two weeks to clear. This is my first time using isinglass. I will let you know how it works for me. The wine is only a month old, but I had not added any fining agents until now. Its a very rich purple color, very murky, but it smells great.


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## Wade E (Oct 17, 2008)

Isinglass is a decent clarifier and is typically whats included in a Winexpert kit. Keep us up on the progress.


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## gaudet (Nov 5, 2008)

Two weeks is gone and its still as murky as the day I put the isinglass in solution. What should my next step be, or should I just be patient and wait this one out a bit longer?


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## Wade E (Nov 5, 2008)

Try SuperKleer KC, it has never failed yet!


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## gaudet (Nov 5, 2008)

I got some of that I might just have to put it in tonight.

Edit 1:

Packet #1 in at 17:35

Edit 2:

Packet 2 in
*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Wade E (Nov 5, 2008)

Go for it. I use the Isinglass when it comes with a kit but personally i would never buy it separately. If you never have used SuperKleer go for it tonight and then check tomorrow morning and you will be amazed but let it sit about a week to make sure everything is down and to let it get compacted so you wont disturb it when racking off it!


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## gaudet (Nov 5, 2008)

I used it on my first batch of blackberry. It worked great. But the weird thing is I have a 1 gallon batch of blackberry mead aging that cleared with no fining agents whatsoever. I have used the isinglass in two other batches and so far I am not impressed with it.


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## gaudet (Nov 6, 2008)

Wade you have made a firm believer out of me. I put the isinglass in almost 3 weeks ago, no sediment drop off at all. I put the superkleer in last night and I have almost an inch of lees already in a little over 14 hours. Sweet. I guess I should just throw away the isinglass cause I'm not going to use it again. The hard thing about the superkleer is splitting it among 1 gallon batches. How would you accomplish that? I guess I will just have to use a whole packet.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 6, 2008)

I use Super-Kleer in numerous jugs....If I have 5 gallon jugs I will put each packet in 5 oz of water and add an ounce to each gallon....That's is not according to directions, but it always works real good.

Only once I had Super-Kleer not work....I added Isinglass and it was crystal clear over night.....So, either had a bad batch of Super-Kleer or has gas in the wine at the time I added it.

Don't throw your Isinglass away, put it away...just in case you might need it.


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## gaudet (Dec 11, 2008)

I plan to bottle this batch this weekend. I will be tasting it and post some pics of how it looks as a final product. Its got a great color on it and the last time I racked it it was tasting pretty good. Keep our fingers crossed.


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## Scott (Dec 11, 2008)

Are you done yet? how about now? where's the pics?







I just used Super-Kleer for the 1st time and worked GREAT, my dandelion didn't clear but the next morning, wa-la clear.


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## gaudet (Dec 11, 2008)

Scott said:


> Are you done yet? how about now? where's the pics?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wonderful stuff that Super Kleer..... I will post pics tomorrow or Sat. After I bottle it


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## gaudet (Dec 13, 2008)

Bottled yesterday got 30.5 bottles

Here are some pics of it in the back yard. You can see my muscadine trellis in the background. And the snow is gone from two days ago....


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## Wade E (Dec 13, 2008)

Looks great!


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## montyfox (Dec 13, 2008)

That looks fantastic! How does it taste? I'm thinking of making a blueberry wine from concentrate and frozen fruit since I've missed the season. I'm just curious how drinkable it is once its finished.


Monty


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## gaudet (Dec 13, 2008)

It's taste reminded me of the blackberry merlot kit my friend made last month. It will be a good summer/table wine. I think it is finished at close to 11% ABV

Monty you can get the juice from Wally World for about $3 for just under 2 quarts. I did not backsweeten it at all and it has a nice fruity flavor. Its very drinkable right now, but I want to put some gray hairs on it......
*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Waldo (Dec 14, 2008)

Sure does look good gaudet...great job


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## Scott (Dec 14, 2008)

Mmm that looks good, the wine and no snow. Enjoy both


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