Adventures in Ultra Budget Wines

[MattWI]

Making wine from Old Orchard is a staple of mine when not messing with making red wine.
All are based off of this:
Starting SG 1.095-1.100
Water
Sugar
Real Lemon juice
Nutrient
EC-1118

Step more nutrient in around 1.050-1.060
Ferment down to 1.020'ish and add Real Lime juice

Ferment dry, usually around .994-.996

Rack to carboys and add SuperKleer.
Clear after 1 week.
Rack onto Old Orchard at this time and add kmeta and sorbate.

I use Blueberry/Pomegranate, Strawberry/Kiwi, Cranberry, Mango/Passionfruit, etc.

In the end you end up with a variety of fruit flavors with a hint of lime.

Very easy drinkers and ready in a short amount of time at a very minimal cost.

How many cans per gallon do you typically use?

 

[wineforfun]

How many cans per gallon do you typically use?

1 can.

I usually use anywhere from 10-12oz. per gallon. I also backsweeten with 1/4 - 3/8 c sugar per gal.
It ends up being a nice, light drinker with plenty of "happiness" due to the ABV.

I will usually make 2 - 3 gallons at a time, as far as the lemon/lime base. Once it is done fermenting and clear, I then rack to 2 or 3 1 gal. carboys so I can make different flavors.
Once in awhile I will make 2 gal. of just one flavor.
I just like the versatility behind it.

 

[MattWI]

So, my smallest carboy of strawberry wine is nearly gone. It is perfectly clear, dead still, and just slightly sweet with a nice bite. Probably the best young wine I have ever made, and over the last 4 days the volume on my 3L port bottle has been getting lower at an alarming rate (my wife loves sweet whites/pinks). Will definitely by trying this yeast again, as I love the extra fruit flavors/scents it left behind that 1118 strips out.

 

[MattWI]

Blueberry/blackberry blush update:
Thiefed a few ounces today to check the progress. Still a little suspended gas with a few tiny bubbles coming up. It is dry, fairly tart, but it retained more of the fruity flavors than I expected. Planning to rack one more time, and this one should be ready to bottle end of May or early June. Debating if I want to leave it all dry, or set aside a couple gallons to bottle as a sweet rose for SWMBO.