Juice bucket mixed results

[Jbu60]

I'm going to try some red juice pails in the coming weeks that are arriving fresh from Chile. Last time I tried red juice pails I wasn't impressed, but that was 10 years ago. Have things improved with red juice pails? My understanding is that because they don't contain skins they will be light and lack body especially if you're trying out some big heavy hitters.

 

[Chuck E]

I always add grapes to the pails. Or at least frozen grape skins from a previous batch.

 

[Rocky]

I'm going to try some red juice pails in the coming weeks that are arriving fresh from Chile. Last time I tried red juice pails I wasn't impressed, but that was 10 years ago. Have things improved with red juice pails? My understanding is that because they don't contain skins they will be light and lack body especially if you're trying out some big heavy hitters.

You might PM joeswine and ask him for some suggestions on adding body to the wines. I don't think Joe is a big fan of juice buckets, but he may offer some insight. As Chuck says above, adding a lug of crushed grape of the same or similar variety will help. I have done this after cooking out about 1/2 the water in the crushed grapes and allowing them to cool before pitching the yeast.

 

[Jbu60]

So, the extraction process for red juice pails hasn't improved? Anybody have experience with thermo-flash juice pails and how they extract colour and body for red wines?

 

[Rocky]

So, the extraction process for red juice pails hasn't improved? Anybody have experience with thermo-flash juice pails and how they extract colour and body for red wines?

I would not say it hasn't improved, but I do find juice pails inconsistent from year to year and from country to country. Just my experience, others may differ.

 

[BABRU]

Seeing the red juice bucket negative comments posted compelled me to comment that my experience is opposite, nothing but excellent results for me, especially Chilean Carmenere and Malbec. My reds are bulk aged for a year then bottle aged for several more.

 

[BMarNJ]

I don’t have a lot of winemaking equipment, so I rely on juice pails, but I also add fresh grapes. 18 or 36lbs per bucket and have good results. This spring I am trying my first all grape wine, but I know it wii be tough w/o a crusher and a good press, but it will be good experience. I’ll be back to buckets in the fall.
When I taste the cab sav juice from a chilean bucket, I think it is absolutely delicious, how can you go wrong?

 

[heatherd]

I don’t have a lot of winemaking equipment, so I rely on juice pails, but I also add fresh grapes. 18 or 36lbs per bucket and have good results. This spring I am trying my first all grape wine, but I know it wii be tough w/o a crusher and a good press, but it will be good experience. I’ll be back to buckets in the fall.
When I taste the cab sav juice from a chilean bucket, I think it is absolutely delicious, how can you go wrong?

I do some all-grape batches and find I can press by hand easily. I get them crushed where I buy them or buy frozen all-grape must that's already crushed. Worst case you can do a batch where you leave the clusters whole. Here's an article about it.
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/stemmy-wines-lets-talk-whole-cluster-fermentation/

 

[BMarNJ]

I do some all-grape batches and find I can press by hand easily. I get them crushed where I buy them or buy frozen all-grape must that's already crushed. Worst case you can do a batch where you leave the clusters whole. Here's an article about it.
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/stemmy-wines-lets-talk-whole-cluster-fermentation/

Interesting read, thanks. My supplier doesn’t provide crushing, so I’ll enlist some friends, and maybe I will toss a few whole clusters in this time. Doing the de-stemming and crushing by hand is time consuming, but we’ll just have to make a party out of of it.

 

[tullamore]

I don’t have a lot of winemaking equipment, so I rely on juice pails, but I also add fresh grapes. 18 or 36lbs per bucket and have good results. This spring I am trying my first all grape wine, but I know it wii be tough w/o a crusher and a good press, but it will be good experience. I’ll be back to buckets in the fall.
When I taste the cab sav juice from a chilean bucket, I think it is absolutely delicious, how can you go wrong?

i would go with a 2-i ratio - 2 pails 1 lug - 1-1 is getting to thick
u can go wrong many ways - as u know wine making is very finicky - i've said this in many posts - sanitize everything - when u think it s clean - clean again!!
this was instilled from my father - helping him out in the 1970s
i find the home wine maker (IMO) doesn't see the importance of cleanliness

 

[kevinlfifer]

I have not posted for quite some time. First, hello Rocky, hope all is well. I got a Malbec drum last spring, quite thin, drinks OK but not exciting. In 2018 i bought a drum of Amorone, It was spectacular. So I also see a bit of hit and miss on juice. Just picked up a drum of Chilean Cab Sav, bucket of Sangiovese and some Merlot conc. I will spit the drum into a Cab Sauv batch and a Super (Chilean) Tuscan.

 

[Dorotystew]

My opinion on juice buckets is I am unable to make a wine I want to drink or of any juice bucket and just don't bother with them any longer.

to be honest
FACTS

 

[cmason1957]

to be honest
FACTS

Facts: I had made wine from various juice bucket suppliers, can't give you names at this point. I often find that no matter what varietal was stamped on the bucket, they tasted very similar at the start. Grapes weren't available from the place were the buckets came from, so adding those want a choice. They were always a bit less dark than I wanted them to be. Just decided they weren't for me and moved on.

 

[kevinlfifer]

I'm still a fan of juice. In the fall I add 4 lugs of grapes to a drum. In the spring I add concentrate as grapes from South America are not available. So far so good on the current batch. I lost 18 gal of it to my mooching brother who decided to start making wine last year.

 

[distancerunner]

We did an Australian Shiraz bucket in January 2020. Bottled in January 2022. Sorry we didn’t get two.

Did a Chianti bucket at the same time. It’s just okay. Tad on the tart side.

They’re convenient. But they’re a crap shoot.

I’d rather work with grapes.

 

[three_jeeps]

I've tried making wine from juice from buckets and kits with grape skins. IMHO, the product made with the skins has a much fuller mouth feel and body. So my question is where to order skins to compliment the juice buckets?
J

 

[BMarNJ]

I’ve only made wine from all grapes, or grapes added to a juice bucket. My supplier sells both, can’t your bucket supplier also supply grapes?

 

[three_jeeps]

I’ve only made wine from all grapes, or grapes added to a juice bucket. My supplier sells both, can’t your bucket supplier also supply grapes?

no, that is why I am asking

 

[wineview]

I've tried making wine from juice from buckets and kits with grape skins. IMHO, the product made with the skins has a much fuller mouth feel and body. So my question is where to order skins to compliment the juice buckets?
J

I have the same question

 

[JTS84]

When I picked up my juice at Midwest they had Mosti AllGrape packs there to purchase in store. I got one to add to my Carmenere juice; this will be my first time trying it out.

I haven't seen any skin packs listed for sale online. When FWKs came out you could choose between adding one or two skin packs. I wondered why they weren't available separately then.