Rosé Wine from Welch's Grape Juice?

[Dfitts1984]

First of all, thank you for reading my thread. Ive just started a simple Welch's red grape juice and pitched Montrachet yeast into it. After a bit it is now bubbling away. My question to all of you is if i were to take a bottle of red and a bottle of white and mixed them, could i achieve a sort of Rosè wine? I would like to give it a whirl. However, i see that the white grape juice contains the preservative K-meta. I see mixed reviews. Some say mix it up real good and it will evaporate and others compare it to K-sorbate. If anyone has fermented welchs white with success, please feel free to comment. Thank you!

[contrahead]

I haven't visited the cheap corner of the liquor store in a long, long time. That's where they keep things like Manischewitz and Mogen David with its “Mad Dog 20/20”.

It can be done, but there is a reason that vintners generally don't make wine from Concord grapes. Hopefully you intend to distill this wine your making.

To answer one of your questions, about mixing colors to achieve a Rosè; I should think a ratio 2:1 or maybe 3:1 white wine to red, would be necessary to get a pink color. As you probably know, a Rosè can be created from most any grape. With red grapes only the juice is used – the skins are removed or are allowed very little contact during fermentation.

Personally I've made excellent wines without ever using it, and I would suggest that one should avoid using potassium sorbate. It doesn't kill yeast, but it does not make them happy either.

https://winemakersacademy.com/potassium ... ne-making/

[Dfitts1984]

I know potassium sorbate isnt good for fermentation, potassium metabisphite i hear will allow fermentation which i need clarification for. I mean it is a preservative right?

[contrahead]

Campden tablets or powdered potassium metabisphite in stiffer solution you would use for sterilization of equipment.

Otherwise only a tiny amount of potassium or sodium metabisulfite is required or is advisable, to disinfect a must (kill bacteria and wild yeast). A period (like 24 hrs) is required for the chemical to dissipate or be entrapped or absorbed, before the must can be inoculated with domesticated yeasts.

[Dougmatt]

First of all, thank you for reading my thread. Ive just started a simple Welch's red grape juice and pitched Montrachet yeast into it. After a bit it is now bubbling away. My question to all of you is if i were to take a bottle of red and a bottle of white and mixed them, could i achieve a sort of Rosè wine? I would like to give it a whirl. However, i see that the white grape juice contains the preservative K-meta. I see mixed reviews. Some say mix it up real good and it will evaporate and others compare it to K-sorbate. If anyone has fermented welchs white with success, please feel free to comment. Thank you!

Contrahead answered your questions well, but I would add that the best way to “rose” the wine you are talking about is to add the red slowly into the white until you are close to the color you want then wait a day before adding more. It’s easiest to control that way and the color will change a little given some time.

In the kmeta piece, I’ve made a lot of “wine” using commercial bought juices with it in there. Add it to your fermenter, stir well, leave open over night, pitch the next day (approx 24 hours). This lets the kmeta do its job which is to scavenge free o2 and uses it up.

Finally if you intend to distill, then do not use juice with kmeta in it. The bi-product of the O2 scavenging carry’s over into the distillate and has the potential to leave you with a poor tasting product per many peoples experience on this board.

[MooseMan]

First of all, thank you for reading my thread. Ive just started a simple Welch's red grape juice and pitched Montrachet yeast into it. After a bit it is now bubbling away. My question to all of you is if i were to take a bottle of red and a bottle of white and mixed them, could i achieve a sort of Rosè wine? I would like to give it a whirl. However, i see that the white grape juice contains the preservative K-meta. I see mixed reviews. Some say mix it up real good and it will evaporate and others compare it to K-sorbate. If anyone has fermented welchs white with success, please feel free to comment. Thank you!

I have what I hope will be good news for you.
Supermarket red grape juice will not make a red wine, it makes a rose!

[Dfitts1984]

First of all, thank you for reading my thread. Ive just started a simple Welch's red grape juice and pitched Montrachet yeast into it. After a bit it is now bubbling away. My question to all of you is if i were to take a bottle of red and a bottle of white and mixed them, could i achieve a sort of Rosè wine? I would like to give it a whirl. However, i see that the white grape juice contains the preservative K-meta. I see mixed reviews. Some say mix it up real good and it will evaporate and others compare it to K-sorbate. If anyone has fermented welchs white with success, please feel free to comment. Thank you!

Contrahead answered your questions well, but I would add that the best way to “rose” the wine you are talking about is to add the red slowly into the white until you are close to the color you want then wait a day before adding more. It’s easiest to control that way and the color will change a little given some time.

In the kmeta piece, I’ve made a lot of “wine” using commercial bought juices with it in there. Add it to your fermenter, stir well, leave open over night, pitch the next day (approx 24 hours). This lets the kmeta do its job which is to scavenge free o2 and uses it up.

Finally if you intend to distill, then do not use juice with kmeta in it. The bi-product of the O2 scavenging carry’s over into the distillate and has the potential to leave you with a poor tasting product per many peoples experience on this board.

Hi, thank you for advice. In regards to k-meta, you said to leave it open overnight. So just leave it uncovered after adding all the other chemicals to it? Or should i have something loosely on top of it?

[contrahead]

So just leave it uncovered after adding all the other chemicals to it? Or should i have something loosely on top of it?

You want it to be able breath without airborne yeast or bacteria falling into it. Just use a porous barrier like a cloth towel for a large opening or simply a paper towel over a smaller opening.