# ribena wine



## tully (Jul 11, 2011)

new to the forum all help would be appreciated 

what i did:

boiled 1lt of ribena and slowly poured in 1 bag of sugar (2lb) and also added a small amount of cranberry juice. Once brung to boil i left to simmer for 15-20 minutes. After this i left the mixture to cool and then poured into a 1 gallon demijohn and filled to the shoulder with water. after this i added 1 teaspoon of yeast, yeast nutrients and citric acid. Left for 2 days with the airlock in place nothing happened so today i added yeast (1 teaspoon) but mixed in some warm water first with a little sugar and added more nutrients (1 teaspoon). I left the air lock out for a while today and it seemed to form a thick sediment on the bottom but as i put it back in tonight seem to have almost gone. The reading on the hydrometer is also very high see picture below. 







any advice on how to get it start would be good!!! thanks in advance


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## tully (Jul 12, 2011)

started to bubble today only very slightly good sign a suppose just need to sit back... any idea's how long before it should start fermenting properly?


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## Deezil (Jul 12, 2011)

Honestly, im not sure what Ribena is. Euro fruit drink? Does it contain any potassium sorbate or benzoate? They both inhibit fermentation.

In any case, i would bet your high SG is hindering your fermenation. From the looks of things, you're making rocket fuel - nothing wrong with it, just a fair warning. I would add more juice & adjust your SG. 2lbs is a lot of sugar for 1 liter of liquid.

I'm assuming you're using a baker's yeast, just by how you mentioned adding it by the teaspoon - it can be done, i believe a few here (Luc comes to mind) have blogs and documentation of experiments with it. My biggest piece of advise would be to use more than a teaspoon - i know theres more than a teaspoon of dried yeast in commercially available yeast packets designed for wine; how much to use though, im not sure. 

Also, during primary fermentation, the yeast will benefit from oxygenation. I'd leave the airlock off, and give it a healthy stirring. 

Some tips:
1. Skip the boil next time as well - its necessary in beer-making, but you can lose fine aromatics and tastes during the boiling, with wine-making. 

2. Pitch more yeast (or invest in some cheap wine yeast packets)

3. Introduce some oxygen into the beginning of the fermentation. 

4. Keep your SG in the blue-area of your hydrometer. 1.085-1.090 = a nice wine

5. Ferment down to 1.010-1.000, without an airlock. Use a cloth + rubber band or something, to keep bugs and things out though. 

6. When in doubt, make a yeast starter. 

7. Check acid levels before adding acids

Some things to think about & consider. 
Hope it helps.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 12, 2011)

Good old Ribena, that super sweet black currant juice that does have yeast inhibitors in it so some people do boil it, it also has a lot of acid in it so the cranberry may have been a bit over the top for your acid, and maybe go out and buy some winemaking yeast and dilute what you made down a bit and put it in a bucket so it has some room to bubble and bubble away. Good luck, Crackedcork


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## Repsolal (Jul 12, 2011)

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3655


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## tully (Jul 12, 2011)

thanks for the replies and information... i had to boil it to get rid of preservatives in the ribena, and i think i might add some more water tomorrow see what happens...

and i am using wine yeast which comes in a tub which for 4.5 gallons you add one level teaspoon in some warm water then add to wine...

if i do add more water would i then need to add more yeast as i have added yeast twice and is all this not going to spoil the wine because if it will i would rather start again but add a little less sugar as the ribena is on special off at the minute for £1???


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## Deezil (Jul 12, 2011)

I learned something new about boiling off preservatives today 

If you add more water and get the SG into the 1.085-1.090 range, theres a chance it will take off by itself with the dormant yeast already present. However if it doesnt, you should be fine with adding another teaspoon as directed (your yeast sounds like slick stuff if it works, im kinda jealous lol). Most of the yeast falls out of the wine in the end anyway, shouldnt be any problem. 

The only major thing that will spoil your wine at this point, is it *not* fermenting - gives bacteria and things a chance to colonize the wine


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## tully (Jul 12, 2011)

Deezil said:


> I learned something new about boiling off preservatives today
> 
> If you add more water and get the SG into the 1.085-1.090 range, theres a chance it will take off by itself with the dormant yeast already present. However if it doesnt, you should be fine with adding another teaspoon as directed (your yeast sounds like slick stuff if it works, im kinda jealous lol). Most of the yeast falls out of the wine in the end anyway, shouldnt be any problem.
> 
> The only major thing that will spoil your wine at this point, is it *not* fermenting - gives bacteria and things a chance to colonize the wine



any idea's on how much water i would need to add, the demijohn i have it in is 4.5lt but it has 1lt of ribena then i topped it up to the shoulder with water at the beginning, will splitting it into two demijohns be best? and once i have added the water even if its starting to bubble now should i give it a good mix?

my grandad has made wine for years and its the yeast he used and he's never really had any problems...

i did think about the bacteria thats why i have left the air lock in the demijohn

thanks in advance...


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## Deezil (Jul 12, 2011)

I'm honestly not sure on the amount of water that would be needed. I'd need to know how much liquid there was and how high the SG really is. 

I could guess, but i think you'd be best off adding the water a little at a time & stirring it well before taking an SG reading. And repeat the process until you get into the right SG area. 

I would also try to ferment it all together, if you have or can find a vessel of some sort big enough for the job (local bakeries & such go through a lot of small food-grade buckets - bulk frosting, etc). Splitting it into two carboys isnt bad after fermentation, but seeing as we're only talking a couple gallons here - i would try to ferment it all together if possible. 

People split bigger batches on a regular basis and im sure you could split this if theres no other way. What you would do in that case, is stir everything into suspension and then split it between the two carboys. I would probably re-pitch the yeast at that point, just to be safe.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 12, 2011)

Get a food grade bucket that is much bigger, dilute your wine using your hydrometer to tell you when its at like 1.085 and let the yeast take off, you cant imagine how much bubbles you are going to have and if you leave it in the jug a lot of it is going to come out anyway. do you have any winemaking stores around you? CC


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## tully (Jul 13, 2011)

i have to bucket which would be more then big enough i'll have to get some grommets or bungs though and drill a hole in the lid for an airlock...

i have a spare demijohn think i mite start another batch with less sugar anyway as the ribena is so cheap at the moment


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## TStarr (Jul 14, 2011)

Would suggest u make up to 2 gallons - use an extra 200 mls of Ribena (boil as before to drive off preservative) so each gall will have 600 mls - then add water to nearly 2 galls, and adjust sugar until you have a 2 gall batch at 1.085 - hopefully yeast will then kick-off, but if not make up a new starter and add asap.


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## tully (Jul 26, 2011)

the above idea has worked!!! i have had it in a fermenting bin for a while its now back in 2 demijohns...

was wondering once it reached the right reading on hydrometer how do i stop it from fermenting?? campden tablet??


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## TStarr (Jul 27, 2011)

It will stop fermenting when it has used up all the sugar, which should take a couple of weeks, then a couple more for the sediment to fall out and the wine to clear - but if what u mean is how do you stop it refermenting when you add sugar to sweeten it, then add a campden tablet and some Potasium Sorbate, leave for a few days, then sweeten. When mine are ready to bottle I am going to try to sweeten with more Ribena, which should enhance the flavour.


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## tully (Jul 27, 2011)

TStarr said:


> It will stop fermenting when it has used up all the sugar, which should take a couple of weeks, then a couple more for the sediment to fall out and the wine to clear - but if what u mean is how do you stop it refermenting when you add sugar to sweeten it, then add a campden tablet and some Potasium Sorbate, leave for a few days, then sweeten. When mine are ready to bottle I am going to try to sweeten with more Ribena, which should enhance the flavour.




the reading on the hydrometer is quite near the top as it has been going for about 3 weeks now but i think the first time the yeast didn't work very well. thanks for all your advice if i get time i will post a picture of it as it is now and will keep the forum updated


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## NCityHoochBrewer (Jun 1, 2012)

*Vimto wine*

Just read this post on here & am very pleased to see there is other ppl out there like myself who are trrying to find ways of getting rid of those nasty preservatives out of the cordials.... 

I mean we all like to make wine here right & what better flavours to use than some of our favourite cordials..

I'm trying a vimto one atm with added kiora & cranberry juice & had the same problem.. mine fermented as much as it could & stopped.  It is now a 6% very sweet vimto flavour drink..

Have added more yeast to it so hopefully it restarts.. I did'nt boil it off at which i'm wishing i did at this point..

On another note. I went to lidls bought 4 litres of spring water a kilo of suger & 2 cartons of ACE drink ( has no preservatives in it ) seems to be going very well atm & i am very much looking forward to that one.

Happy Brewing to you all.


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## Julie (Jun 1, 2012)

NCityHoochBrewer said:


> Just read this post on here & am very pleased to see there is other ppl out there like myself who are trrying to find ways of getting rid of those nasty preservatives out of the cordials....
> 
> I mean we all like to make wine here right & what better flavours to use than some of our favourite cordials..
> 
> ...


 
Welcome to winemakingtalk. Have you ever thought of making just a white table wine and using your cordials to backsweeten with?


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## juventude (Jun 23, 2012)

I tried out ribena 2 weeks ago, it took a little (some two days) to start in the primary, but once started and poured in carboy it's going to blow the siphon out... think it will come out some realy good stuff


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## willymuff2 (Mar 2, 2013)

what percentage is rocketfuel? and if i copy you is that what ill make?


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## jimmyjames23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Same thing happened here. Hard to start but once it gets going it's about as stoppable as a freight train.


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## jimmyjames23 (Mar 3, 2013)

willymuff2 said:


> what percentage is rocketfuel? and if i copy you is that what ill make?



Ribena rocket fuel = 1 part Ribena 1.5 parts water. Add red star Montrachet. Should yield 14-16%

POW!


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