Vintner's Harvest canned fruit

[franc1969]

Can anyone who uses Vintner's Harvest fruit cans tell me how much they really make? I am looking at I think 49 ounce (called puree) or 96 ounce cans (called 'fruit base') of blueberry, apricot, blackberry, black currant, elderberry, rhubarb, etc. Do you just use these as though you have 3/4/X pounds of fruit? I don't know how much to order.

 

[Johnd]

Can anyone who uses Vintner's Harvest fruit cans tell me how much they really make? I am looking at I think 49 ounce (called puree) or 96 ounce cans (called 'fruit base') of blueberry, apricot, blackberry, black currant, elderberry, rhubarb, etc. Do you just use these as though you have 3/4/X pounds of fruit? I don't know how much to order.

IIRC, the 96 oz fruit base models are the ones I used to use, and they would produce 3 gallons of must of proper flavor concentration, but would need some added sugar to bring up the SG.

 

[garymc]

The 96 ounce can makes 3 gallons of full bodied wine or 5 gallons of "refreshing summer wine" or some such. Just make sure you're getting Vintner's Harvest and not Vintner's Best. Harvest is just the named fruit and Best has other fruit juices. But you can do some clicking and read the directions for yourself if you go to their website.

 

[franc1969]

not Vintner's Best

No, not the gallon jug full of corn syrup. Although it might be fine as a type of easy-drinking summer 'wine', if anyone were wanting to pay that price for not actual fruit. It strikes me as the soda of wine.

 

[Rice_Guy]

The last Vinters Harvest I used was an “apricot Puree“. To be correctly labeled this means it contained apricot which was run through a blender and possibly processing aids (ascorbic acid or SO2 or acidification).
The numbers I have on it are pH 3.87 and an “as is“ TA of 1.99% (ie containing pulp). The label declares pH 2.8 to 3.4 and gravity 1.036 to 1.048. Net weight of 1.39Kg. ,,,, Therefore from the numbers I assumed it actually was fruit without any added water and could be used like any other country wine, ,,,, a typical recipe with a finished TA of 0.6% could yield 4.6 Kg or a TA of 0.7% could yield 3.94 Kg ,,, ie roughly a four liter bottle based on acid content.

I actually used it as a flavoring in four gallons of white grape to build up solids/flavor

 

[Scooter68]

Vintner's Harvest wine base comes in 96 oz cans and they will make good 3 gallon batches of 100% single variety wine.*

Vintner's Best wine base comes in 1 gallon jugs and should make 5 gallon batches of a blended wine. (They are a mix of the variety on the label plus Sugar/CornSyrup, apple juice, grape juice and pear juice.

They are VERY different. ALWAYS read the labels of any concentrate carefully BEFORE you buy them.

The Vintner's Harvest Purees are not wine bases and are made for use in flavoring other brewed beverages if you read the Vintner's Harvest product sheets. They aren't so good as a wine base unless you are making a much smaller batch like 1-2 gallons max.

* While the label or descriptions state that it contains fruit packed in it's own natural juices, Most seem to be 90% juice concentrate and maybe at most 10% fruit pulp.

 

[Scooter68]

The last Vinters Harvest I used was an “apricot Puree“. To be correctly labeled this means it contained apricot which was run through a blender and possibly processing aids (ascorbic acid or SO2 or acidification).
The numbers I have on it are pH 3.87 and an “as is“ TA of 1.99% (ie containing pulp). The label declares pH 2.8 to 3.4 and gravity 1.036 to 1.048. Net weight of 1.39Kg. ,,,, Therefore from the numbers I assumed it actually was fruit without any added water and could be used like any other country wine, ,,,, a typical recipe with a finished TA of 0.6% could yield 4.6 Kg or a TA of 0.7% could yield 3.94 Kg ,,, ie roughly a four liter bottle based on acid content.

I actually used it as a flavoring in four gallons of white grape to build up solids/flavor

I too used the same Vinters Harvest Apricot Puree for one 2 gallon batch of wine and I was dissappointed in the flavor. It may have been that I don't like apricot wine or that 2 gallons was too much of a stretch for it, but; in any case I've been pretty happy with their other actual wine base cans especially black currant.

 

[winemaker81]

Vintner's Best wine base comes in 1 gallon jugs and should make 5 gallon batches of a blended wine. (They are a mix of the variety on the label plus Sugar/CornSyrup, apple juice, grape juice and pear juice.

I purchased the Vintner's Best elderberry a couple of years ago, as I didn't read the label until I got home and opened the jug. Seeing apple or pear juice as the first ingredient of elderberry concentrate did not give me a lot of confidence.

However, I added 1 liter of red grape concentrate to stretch it to an initial 6 gallon batch, and it made a surprisingly good wine.

I didn't realize the Vintners Harvest puree is for flavoring -- that's good to know.

 

[Scooter68]

Tried to find the manufactures site but that's a tough search. Did find one or two sites that suggested using 1 can of puree for 1 gallon of wine or two cans for 5 gallons - (Not sure I understand that logic) In any case the cost of the purees per gallon of wine at either of those rates is a bit more than the wine base so I have never purchased more of the purees. I used their Black Currant, Plum, and Blackberry. The first two were very good the third is tough to compare as I have made just a couple of one gallon batches from our own wild blackberries and since those are always smaller, low water berries the flavor from the wild blackberries is really strong and robust. Haven't opened a bottle of the wine from the VH wine base yet.

WHOA !!! After looking for the makers site (Vintner's Harvest) and making this post I ran across two sites (Same site in reality ??) with Vintner's harvest wine bases at really good prices. I'm taking a chance on their blackberry as it's at $10,00 / 96 oz because it's past the sell by date. I don't believe those are hard fast "DANGER DANGER" dates so... I ordere 2 cans of Black Berry and two of Black Currant (Not listed as past date but only $25.00/can - a great price.

https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Vintners-Harvest-Fruit-Base-and-Puree_c_776.html

 

[Snafflebit]

Wow. I’m going to take a chance on making some blackberry wine

 

[winemaker81]

Wow. I’m going to take a chance on making some blackberry wine

Go heavy on the blackberry. While it seems like a strongly flavored berry, my experience is that going light on the fruit will prove a disappointment.

 

[Scooter68]

Always easier to lighten it up with some white wine or other less strongly flavored wine than trying to figure out how to get more flavor. I never do their 5 recipe - the 3 gallon worked well for me.

 

[Scooter68]

Not trying to hijack the thread but just wanted to say that my order of 4 cans of Vintner's Harvest wine base are scheduled to arrive tomorrow according to UPS. Not bad - Ordered on Friday 8 January and arriving Wednesday 13 Jan. Will post an update once I see how far out of the date the Blackberry wine base really is.

 

[Scooter68]

Vintner's Harvest Order arrived today:
Blackberry Wine Base (2 cans ordered) - Best Buy date September 2020 $10.00/96 oz can
Black Currant Wine Base (2 cans ordered) - Best Buy date June 2021 $25.00/96 oz can

So make of that what you will. I'm going to be going with the 3 gallon batch recipes as I've found that to be an excellent full flavored wine. For the Blackberries I might try to sneak a couple of lbs of our wild blackberries into each batch just to lend a bit more of the wild berry flavor.

 

[Darkroom]

Thank You Scooter68 for the info on the Vitners Harvest blackberry. I just ordered 7 cans, (6+ cans at $8.50 ea.) and free shipping, why not. I used to make a blackberry wine and sometimes a Cabernet Blackberry years ago. Looking forward to recreating with improvements

 

[franc1969]

Vintner's Harvest Order arrived today:
Blackberry Wine Base (2 cans ordered) - Best Buy date September 2020 $10.00/96 oz can
Black Currant Wine Base (2 cans ordered) - Best Buy date June 2021 $25.00/96 oz can

So make of that what you will. I'm going to be going with the 3 gallon batch recipes as I've found that to be an excellent full flavored wine. For the Blackberries I might try to sneak a couple of lbs of our wild blackberries into each batch just to lend a bit more of the wild berry flavor.

This is what I was planning on, waiting for delivery. Too late for the blueberry but I have 5 gallons ready soon, so it won't make me sad.

 

[MarcOlivetti]

Thank You Scooter68 for the info on the Vitners Harvest blackberry. I just ordered 7 cans, (6+ cans at $8.50 ea.) and free shipping, why not. I used to make a blackberry wine and sometimes a Cabernet Blackberry years ago. Looking forward to recreating with improvements

Darkroom, which site did you use to order the vintners harvest and get free shipping?

 

[Scooter68]

If you go to the link I posted above (Austin Home Brewing) They offer free shipping but it depends on the amount of the order. I just put in a "pretend order" for 7 cans of the blackberry at $8.50 a can and while I didn't acutually purchase it at the checkout point is shows free shipping. I'd get moving though because the other site is now showing out of stock on the blackberry.

 

[MarcOlivetti]

If you go to the link I posted above (Austin Home Brewing) They offer free shipping but it depends on the amount of the order. I just put in a "pretend order" for 7 cans of the blackberry at $8.50 a can and while I didn't acutually purchase it at the checkout point is shows free shipping. I'd get moving though because the other site is now showing out of stock on the blackberry.

Thanks Scooter!

 

[Darkroom]

Darkroom, which site did you use to order the vintners harvest and get free shipping?

Ordered from AustinHomebrew.com
Didnt really see it listed but when checking outt there was option for no shipping charge. I thought it was because of quantity,