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By a careless mistake I thought the label "no added sugar" meant that I would be able to just use this as the basis for wine. But when I get it home the full label says.... Juice drink made from apple juice concentrate and elderflower extract with sweeteners"

It was a bargain at 59p per litre, shall I just sling it or can I try to make a wine from it ?( I bought 2 litres)

thanks in anticipation..

At worst the sweeteners aren't ferment-able and you end up with a sweet/semisweet wine - if it has no sugar in the nutritional info add 1.2 kg of white sugar and some yeast and put it under air lock. no worries!

No - don't sling it. It will make an alcoholic drink. It's whether you would find it drinkable which is the question. I'm probably a bit sensitive to most artificial sweeteners, so I can taste them (and I don't like the taste) in the finished product. On top of that, I find (although this may be purely psychological) that they become increasingly bitter with age. So I wouldn't use them to make "winey" wine. On the other hand, they do make a perfect summer drink in that if you mix it half and half with lemonade (at the time of drinking it, that is) and add an ice cube, you have a very refreshing thing you can sit and sip without getting too drunk. The lemonade masks the bitterness of the sweeteners and, as you're diluting the stuff, you can drink it as soon as it's clear without waiting for it to mature.

If you want to go that way, then Jed's recipe is fine, although I'd add some yeast nutrient.

Mike (see - I don't mind you being fickle).

EDIT: Oh - that two litres will make a full gallon of wine. If you want a fuller flavour, though, just fement the two litres as is using a half-kilo of sugar.

Thanks both.
In response to the point Mike made about the unpleasant aftertaste, I think artificial sweeteners are one of the only things I can consistently still taste. I lost my sense of smell about 3 years ago and after an operation I still have flashes of smell but not a constant feed and a limited sense of taste (my cooking has really taken a downturn). However the funny bitter taste of sweeteners is probably most consistent in my olfactory range.
Like most people I have some peculiar preferences. For instance tea or coffee stirred with a spoon that has been in sugar is really unpleasant to me, whilst drinking chocolate needs at least two spoons of sugar !! I make this point because I am not sure how to proceed ( thanks to you both I am going to go ahead) I think I may go for the stronger sugar taste. But not dilute it in lemonade when I come to drink it.
This what I intent to do tomorrow. Boil up 1kg sugar in 2 pints water. add the cooled mixture to the 2 ltrs of juice give it a good shake, bung in a 1/2 tsp yeast and top it up (only to the shoulders ) with water and put on a bung. Once it has stopped being really lively I will top it up closer to the top.I'll leave it for about two weeks -but primary wait until the plopping ( fermentation) finishes then gently siphon it off and bottle it.
Does that sound right?

Oh Mike, "You are the man " that smooth imposter RS - no sweat

Sounds perfect. But don't hurry that bottling.

Mike

Once it finishes its vigorous ferment, if there is a drop out of sediment - say in 4-6 weeks, you may want to rack it into a second demi-john and leave it another month or two before bottling.

frozenthunderbolt wrote:, if there is a drop out of sediment - .

I think I am reading (from both of your replies) that you think two weeks is optomistic ? Fine I will leave it until it stops "plopping" and I also interpret that 3-4 weeks is a more realistic timescale but I don't understand the above phrase? thanks Jed.

It'll all fall clear. You'll know when it happens.

It can happen in two weeks if it's warm and all conditions (nutrients, acidity etc) are good. But it's normally longer.

So ... no bubbly-bubbly ... clear liquid above the deposit at the bottom of the demijohn ... rack into second demijohn (GENTLY!) ... observe and wait ... if no further action, bottle. Then keep those bottles as cool as you can. Better still, leave it in that second demijohn until a few days before you want to drink it, and then bottle.

Mike

Once it starts plop-plopping you can cold crash it - put it in a fridge for 24-48 hours. afterwards take it out carefully and you will see a layer of dead/inacitve yeast and other sludge on the bottom.
Use a hose (clear food grade) to siphon the wine into a second demi-john avoiding splashing it and introducing air, and also avoiding sucking up any significant amount of sludge from the bottom of the first container.