Other Juice buckets vs premium wine kits

[cimbaliw]

Some time ago joeswine made a comment, something like; make a high end kit then learn to tweak a similar value kit to taste like the high end kit. What it sounds like to me is that juice buckets cost about the same as a good quality value kit. Both can be massaged into a higher quality category, maybe it's a bucket v. kit coin toss? I've never made a juice bucket before so I don't really know.

 

[deboard]

I'd say at $55 or so, the juice bucket is a steal. The juice is a LOT better than a $55 kit. My experience is with Luva Bella buckets, and the juice there is easily as good as most kits you'd pay $120 or more for. The difference is the grape pack I think more than anything else.

 

[Gwand]

I am a total novice making my first wine kit currently (Eclipse Cab Sav). However there must be some predictors of whether a juice bucket is high quality such as brix, pH, total acidity or some other variable that can be measured. Does anyone know what these variables might be? After making a few kits I want to try my hand at a juice bucket for the reasons already mentioned in the form. Thanks.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I highly recommend making juice buckets, I prefer them myself, I like the fact that I control the whole process, you can make great wine from juice buckets.
You will have to test for PH, SG/Brix, Acidity and S02 and adjust accordingly. The winemaker is the biggest variable, patience will be the biggest obstacle, unlike Kits that claim to be drinkable in 4-6 weeks, you will need to age these for a significant amount of time.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I highly recommend making juice buckets, I prefer them myself, I like the fact that I control the whole process, you can make great wine from juice buckets.
You will have to test for PH, SG/Brix, Acidity and S02 and adjust accordingly. The winemaker is the biggest variable, patience will be the biggest obstacle, unlike Kits that claim to be drinkable in 4-6 weeks, you will need to age these for a significant amount of time.

I totally agree ! I for the most have either used fresh fruit - or juice buckets.
Especially starting out it is alot easier than going straight to grapes and all.

I think the allowed time that they say kit wines are drinkable could be questionable ?
Similiar to making regular wine from grapes

 

[USA_WineMaker]

There is one other, somewhat controversial issue that has not been definitively proven but has been alleged in several place that I have read. That is, some companies selling an "all juice" bucket are really selling one of their lower priced kits with the water added. I have made a couple of "all juice" buckets and I find the wine to be very thin, somewhat like a less costly kit. While this is not definitive, it does support this contention.

I tried those "AllJuice" kits and they aren't very good. They are very misleading in that they are not all juice as the label appears. You are right though - they were very thin kits. Live and learn I guess. In fact I won't buy anymore of that product at all.

 

[geek]

Although I have M&M grape Juice just over an hr from me, I would love to meet up with everyone at L'uva Bella, I've heard nothing but great reviews of the place, the products, and I would get to meet some of you guys and gals in person....unfortunately, I believe it is just about a 12 hr drive each way.

Tom,

in the upcoming fall season you may want to stop by at my local HBS, Calli Brothers, in Waterbury CT.....like 30 miles closer to you....

They have all the same juice buckets like M&M.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Varis,
Thanks for the info! Do they have a website?

 

[geek]

Tom,

I don't think they do but can send you their phone number if you want; they told me the juice buckets will arrive around the 2nd week in September.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Varis, Perfect!!!!! Thanks!

 

[tonyt]

What is the difference between the following?
Mosti Origional all juice bucket
Chilean Juice bucket
Other buckets y'all talk about?
I would love to try something with less processing but I don't want to have to invest in a chemistry set.

 

[robie]

What is the difference between the following?
Mosti Origional all juice bucket
Chilean Juice bucket
Other buckets y'all talk about?
I would love to try something with less processing but I don't want to have to invest in a chemistry set.

I'll give one potential difference - Some juice buckets come with the yeast already pitched, some don't. Make sure you know which of the two types yours is.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Robie, although juice buckets are pre inoculated, if you pitch a yeast that has been re-ydrated properly, it becomes the dominating yeast.

 

[robie]

Robie, although juice buckets are pre inoculated, if you pitch a yeast that has been re-ydrated properly, it becomes the dominating yeast.

I can see where that might happen in some cases, but I would think it might not in every case. A lot depends on the yeast strains, of course.

Problem I have seen with some juice buckets is the fermentation has already started by the time the bucket arrives.

But to be totally honest, I have never done a juice bucket.

 

[Bartman]

Mosti's Alljuice buckets are like regular kits, with all the same types of additives and packets of stuff. The only difference is you add no water to it - the instructions have you stir in the bentonite, add the included yeast (which you could substitute if you wanted), take your S.G. reading, and you're off to the races. Mosti's Chilean juice buckets (Chile Fresco) are frozen juice that comes pre-inoculated os it would be tough to change the yeast on them, but should be theoretically possible. Once they defrost, they immediately start fermenting.

Idk about the other kinds of juice buckets - never bought them.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Robie, agreed, this is why I rehydrate the yeast making sure to visibly see that it has doubled, sometimes tripled in volume in the selected container.
This is something that I highly recommend to everyone; plus, the other school of thought is that by adding your own yeast, you can get characteristics from both yeasts, making the wine very personal.
Either way, this is how I've been doing it and countless others have been doing it for years with great success.

 

[robie]

Robie, agreed, this is why I rehydrate the yeast making sure to visibly see that it has doubled, sometimes tripled in volume in the selected container.
This is something that I highly recommend to everyone; plus, the other school of thought is that by adding your own yeast, you can get characteristics from both yeasts, making the wine very personal.
Either way, this is how I've been doing it and countless others have been doing it for years with great success.

I almost always create a yeast starter. Fermentation starts much quicker and best of all, it proves the yeast are viable.

No doubt using a starter would provide better chances for one's own chosen yeast to overpower any yeast already pitched. Still, it's no guaranty, especially since many pre-innoculated buckets tend to already have started fermenting by the time the wine makers receives them. (I probably only hear about the problem ones and not the thousands that are not.) Comes down to whether or not the bucket arrives still frozen or at least very cold.

If one has a chosen yeast strain, it does seem practical to at least try that yeast, since a packet is so inexpensive anyway. Certain not much to loose.

 

[JGottshall]

My Lambrusco bucket of juice arrived yesterday from California fermenting really good today. attached the heating pad to it . To get the temps up and make the yeast happy

 

[geek]

I really though that juice buckets had a water ratio added to them, even my local HBS guy said that the buckets could be a 50/50 juice/water.
Then I asked his main supplier (M&M) and the guy there told me that the buckets are 100% juice....which I kind of doubt at a price of around $52/bucket.

This one from California is "Collina del Sol".

So, do these buckets have water and what ratio? Nothing about it on the bucket itself.

..

 

[Pumpkinman]

Varis, juice buckets are just that, juice.