watermelon wine

[Duster]

I have searched a few post here and understand that watermelon wine can be difficult. Sounds like the problems are too weak and the juice goes bad quickly.
I was wondering if one takes the juice and filters it, then boil it down. I'm hoping this will make a "stronger" watermelon concentrate so to speak and kill off any bacteria that causes the juice to turn south.
Any thoughts?

 

[Julie]

well the way i see it where watermelon is concern anything is worth a chance. I had to throw away the watermelon that I started last year, it spoiled.

I'm thinking that cooking it might be worth a chance. The other years that I did watermelon, I would top up with 100% juicy juice and that wine was good. Since you made the comment about cooking the juice I was thinking that the juicy juice was probably cooked as well so that might prevent it from spoiling. i would hit is with bentonite as well

 

[Tom]

I would say "forgeta bout it!". Watermelon has little flavor even if you "simmer" it down.

 

[CoachPieps]

I also have tried Watermelon Wine and I threw it away. It's touch to make....

 

[closetwine]

Mine is still aging but it hasn't cleared in 6 mos. I boiled one batch down like that and it lost its flavor before adding yeast, it was like sweet water. you might look into Juicy juice and Dole's (in a carton) has a juice out with great watermelon flavor, but I don't know the ingredients.

 

[djrockinsteve]

We may have to look into that. I have thought adding strawberry and some bananas might help. Also only use the sweet meat of the watermelon, that's the best part.

All this talk no one mentioned if they used seeded or seedless. The seeded have more flavor. Plus you gotta work quick and ferment around 60 degrees, no easy to do in August.

 

[closetwine]

We may have to look into that. I have thought adding strawberry and some bananas might help. Also only use the sweet meat of the watermelon, that's the best part.

All this talk no one mentioned if they used seeded or seedless. The seeded have more flavor. Plus you gotta work quick and ferment around 60 degrees, no easy to do in August.

I used seeded and only the meat to, I didn't want the bitterness of the rind. I have a feeling it would overpower everything. A cool ferment should up the flavor, but in August when I started mine.... yeah, not happening.

 

[FTC Wines]

I made a 2 gal. batch of watermelon from red meat only & added 1 can froz. white grape juice. 4 mo. later it's clear, not too light, slight watermelon flavor. also made 3 gal. of strawberry/watermelon wine,also clear at 4 mo. better flavor. Just added Bacardi Strawberry Daquiri Mix as an F Pac. really kicked up the flavor, but will need to reclear. Both were Jack Keller receipes & fermented at 75* Roy

 

[tjbryner]

3.5 gals. in my basement and every one loves it.

I used 4 gallons of 100% juice from a mix of watermelons, ec 1118 and about 11% ABV potential. After it was dry, I added 2 gal of all natural watermelon juice from my local store to add flavor.

I then left it set for 2 weeks and back sweetened it to my wife's likes.

I will say that it is nasty tasting and smelling at anything less then 9 months of aging. The best was aged in my basement at about 50-60 degrees for 1 year.

Mine has cleared very nice to a lite pink with out any clearing agents but has been racked every 3 weeks.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Julie said it smelled bad for the first year and you had to be patient. Yeah that makes me want to smell it when I rack it.

You guys got me excited to try and succeed with the watermelon this summer.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

If you're determined enough, I remember reading a thread where someone collected lots of juice, and then partially froze it. They then removed the ice crystals (assuming they are almost pure water). After a couple of cycles of that process, they got a "concentrated juice" that didn't suffer the heat effects of boiling. They claimed success, and that's all I know about it.