How soon can you drink a fruit wine??

[hbhudy]

I made a fruit wine (Welch's frozen concentrate recipe). I was just wanting to get and idea how quickly this can be consumed? OG1085ish. Could this be ready to drink in 90-120 days? will back sweaten

 

[djrockinsteve]

Drink it sure however it will be better if you give it 6 months. The problem you run into is back sweetening too soon could cause a refermentation even if you add sorbate.

In small quantities you can sweeten and keep it cold and drink it within a few days.

 

[hbhudy]

OK so if it ferments 30, then rack and add sorbate for another 30 (with some wood chips), then clear for 30, and bottle for 30 would that be WAY to soon??

I will keep 2 bottles for at least 6+months, but hoped to have some wine ready for april.

 

[Mine-Fine-Wine]

Over 6 months a least I would say, you will appreciate it that way.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Time is not always that exact with wine, hell if it ferments out in 2 weeks, and it can, you can drink it then. Use your hydrometer to figure out when it is finished. When you get the same reading 3 days in a row, consider it finished. If all you do is add sorbate then backsweetin it may start fermenting again. You will also need to use K-meta as well. It will probably not take 30 days to ferment. I have friends that I make Welches for and drinking it in 8 weeks happens A LOT.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Time is not always that exact with wine, hell if it ferments out in 2 weeks, and it can, you can drink it then. Use your hydrometer to figure out when it is finished. When you get the same reading 3 days in a row, consider it finished. If all you do is add sorbate then backsweetin it may start fermenting again. You will also need to use K-meta as well. It will probably not take 30 days to ferment. I have friends that I make Welches for and drinking it in 8 weeks happens A LOT.

Yes, but will the wine be better with more age? probably. I think it is all about picking a range. As mike was referring too, you can make wine that is VERY fast to be drinkable. Lower pH and alcohol help with this. Some fruit wines DO age well. The darker berries come to mind. The more citrus fruit wines (pineapple, orange, etc) can be drank in 4-6 months and be very good, even younger depending on how its made. So, there is NO set time, it's about, do you want to wait or have the time or are you looking for the BEST time frame to drink that particular wine? A quick thread here should give you more insight on a particular wine. Mind you, specifics need to be added such as pH and alcohol content, etc.

 

[JohnT]

I say that you can drink it as soon as it tastes good.

There have been years that I make sturm (feterweiss). This you can drink after only 3 weeks.

 

[WineYooper]

You want fast wine? Make some skeeter pee. Earliest I drank my fruit wines has been about 6 months and found them to be ok but much better when I bulk age for at least 11 months and they still have improved more after bottling and letting sit for awhile. I have some (first ever) 2 year old raspberry and blackberry that I really like and have a hard time staying away from my last 5 bottles of each. The trick I found is to make more wine so you have newer wines to sample as the first ages. I have 30 gals bulk aging now from 1 month old to 10 months old and just bottled 6 gals that was 11 months old. Soon you will be addicted like more senior members than I.