Home Distiller

As the title sais, I recently made a batch of Brandy, using the wine that I made with grape juice concentrate.
It is well worth the effort.

The recipe for Welches Frozen Concentrate Wine was my guide for the wine.
Here's the bill for those who might be curious about cost:

$22.88 ... 16 cans Old Orchard grape juice
$1.50 ... 15 Tsp Acid Blend
$.055 ... 6 Tsp Yeast Nutrient
$1 ... 6 Tsp Peptic Enzyme
$.035 ... 1 Tsp Wine Tannin
$2.50 ... 5 Pounds Sugar
$2.95 ... Vitners Harvest SN9 Yeast
$3.75 ... 2 Cups Sweet Marsala Wine
Total= $35.48

I used so much Citric Acid to get the ph down to @ 3.8
I filled up a 6 1/2 gallon carboy to within 15cm/6 inch of the spout.
The sg started out @ 1.10 I was a little worried about it, but it started off right away.

Anyway, once finished, I let it clear for a couple of days, than ran it twice, ending up with 1/2 gallon @ 61Percent. I added a couple of charred oak sticks, then a few days later, added 2 cups of sweet Marsala wine to it. I wanted to use a favorite, (http://www.bodegasochoa.com/gb/framegb.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) sweet Moscatel, but I ran out The Marsala was stocked at a local store, and was cheap.

I'm trying to keep my mitts off of the Brandy, since it keeps getting better as the time goes by....but it's hard. I'm keeping my eyes out for cheap grape juice at the markets!

Not cheap to make, but well worth the effort

Photo: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-2 ... directlink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I whould suggest you leave out the enzymes (not necessary, has been used by the manufacturer to git the juice) and the wine (that is what you are making.

Thanks for the tip!
I'd never made wine before this.
Anything that I can do to make this whole process cheaper and more efficient, I do !

to elaborate a little , enzymes are used to brake down the cell walls easier to extract the juice. the tannin mite be eliminated also
used in wine for taste but whould be removed when distilled? so all you need is juice, sugar, water, acid (depending on PH) yeast

Must be that time of year. I have just finished an all dark grape juice ferment, using plain juice straight off the supermarket shelf (not a concentrate). This is my first grape juice ferment ('wine', as punkin pointed out).

45 litres dark grape juice (99.9% natural juice, preservative free)
nutrients
citric acid
yeast

Fermented out fine.
Ran 2/3 of it as low wines on the weekend, and that plus the remaining 1/3 of the wash are sitting in the still ready to go for the spirit run.

The ferment was the best smelling one I have done so far. And the first few drops out of the still during the low wines run, the highly aromatic stuff that comes over around 45-50 C on most low wine runs, had the most rich delicious smell I have had from any run yet. Really looking forward to this spirit run.

Just a question someone might have the answer to... isn't the grape juice selection and price better at a U Brew (on premises wine making facility) than the supermarket?

I've always shied away from using juices from the supermarket due to preservatives. I may have to try something like this in the future though.

~bd~

Next time, I'll leave out the tannin and enzymes and see what comes of it. Thanks.

Most of the juices that I have seen don't have any preservatives, other than citric acid and such. Give it a try!

The prices in the markets for grape and apple juices are far lower than what can be purchased at the wine shops. If what you want to make is just wine, then it is worth it. But, for distilling, the $80 to $130 for wine kits is just too much for me to justify.
Even the concentrated,canned juice, that makes 3 gallons of juice costs about $40. Still too much.
Sure the selection is limited at a supermarket, but the price is right.

My wife didn't even complain of the smell when it was fermenting, like she usually does when I have a batch of Rum or DWWG or something like that bubbling away. When I was distilling the low wines, the distillate smelled like Grappa in the beginning. Yum!

Next on the list is Calvados from concentrate, since nothing is growing here yet.

My wife accuses me of being an agony, and not having the patience to give anything that I make time to age....
I'll bet I'm not the only one that hears comments like that.

Around here in the fall Safeway, a local grocery chain, carries apple cider with no preservatives. They only have it seasonally and at about $3 a gallon you can't find it any cheaper. It's Pasteurized so there's no need to worry about bugs. Last fall I fermented six gallons of it. This fall I plan to do more than that, because it turned out so well.

Nest on the list is Calvados from concentrate, since nothing is growing here yet.

What concentrate will you use? Is there a good one you'd recommend?

I just bought a white zin from a local grocery store for a third the regular price, 20.00. Seems they go on sale when there's a couple left and a new load coming in. Maybe beef it up with some concentrate for more flavor, after fermentation's complete.

By Calvados, I mean, Apple Brandy, aged on oak.

At the local markets, there are several brands of apple juices. I have tasted a couple of them, looking for the one that tastes most "appley". I stay away from anything that comes from China. I think it is Langers or Old Orchard that makes their juice from apples in Washington.
I don't have anything fermenting right now, and I feel sort of lost.... I see a carboy full of cider in my near future!