This was a bit of an unplanned wine batch as I had some ingredients I accidentally mixed together and didn't want to waste them. Still some valuable insights were gained from this batch.
This juice looks like concord grape juice but if you look at the ingredients list it contains a mixture of grape and apple.
Ingredients:
2 liters of grape/apple juice
1 liter of water
2 tea bags steeped
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp DAP
1/4 tsp bentonite
1 - 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup dextrose
1/16 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast
Original gravity was 1.082
Final gravity was 0.99
Final alcohol 12.08%
For more details on the method check out my blog. The quick instructions are below.
After the ingredients are added cover the top with breathable paper as the yeast are multiplying, after 2-5 days add an airlock or loose cap with a plastic bag and elastic band. The wine should be fully brewed in 2-3 weeks although now I am noticing that it should be left for 5-6 weeks to settle and complete the last small bit of fermentation. Leave in a warm, dark area until all bubbling stops.
Results:
There is some element of sweetness even though this is fermented quite dry at 0.99, this like other experiments have shown is from the fructose of the sugar. It also has that familiar bite to it from the sugar that isn't there when using dextrose.
Overall it brewed out very well, the flavor is somewhat plain with residual grape wine like flavor and smell. There is a slightly detectable taste of the tea which I would not include next time.
Final thoughts
This fermented lower (0.99 final gravity) than most of my previous batches and I am thinking it's partly because I left it for 5-6 weeks before bottling it. I think the best thing to do is after the airlock is added just put it away and forget about it for a while. It's easy to be eager for the batch to be ready and bottle it after 2-3 weeks but even the flavor of some of my Welch's wine that I recently sampled after sitting around for a few months have mellowed out and taste better than before.
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