Youngs wine buddy - merlot

[kirky80]

Hi, I bought a youngs wine buddy from Tesco a few weeks back, it cost a fiver for a 30 bottle kit when they had there offers on. I have never made any wine, how do these turn out? I there anything I can add to make it a nicer wine???

Thanks.

[crafty john]

They aren't the best wine kit on the market, in fact I would say they are nasty, as far a adding stuff to make it nicer, grape juice concentrate instead of the sugar.

[kirky80]

Yeah I thought that may have been the response, oh well I may as well give it a go!? How do I work out how much grape juice to add? Sorry to be a pain but I have never done this before???

Thanks

[crafty john]

Yeah I thought that may have been the response, oh well I may as well give it a go!? How do I work out how much grape juice to add? Sorry to be a pain but I have never done this before???

To be honest it would cost quite a lot to get enough grape juice concentrate to add to the kit, to put it in to perspective, when I do a wine kit I use kenridge classic which have 10 litres of concentrate that you dilute to 23 litres, those are a decent kit but if I want something special I buy a kit with 18 litres of concentrate (costs over £100.00) so because winebuddy kits aren't the best on the market why don't you brew it short to say 10 litres and adjust the sugar accordingly. or just brew it as per instructions and hope for the best

Thanks

[fatbloke]

Actually, at this time of year, you could give it a bit of a boost by adding some elderberries...

A pound or two per gallon total liquid, but pick the weight, get them rinsed etc, then simmer them for 5 or 10 minutes in a gallon of water, let it cool to room temp then just treat the berries and liquid as part of the water.......

[crafty john]

Actually, at this time of year, you could give it a bit of a boost by adding some elderberries...

A pound or two per gallon total liquid, but pick the weight, get them rinsed etc, then simmer them for 5 or 10 minutes in a gallon of water, let it cool to room temp then just treat the berries and liquid as part of the water.......

Good idea mate, I never thought of that one, that would definitely give it more body and lots of nice deep berry flavour, what about pectin though, would it be an idea to add some enzyme?

[kirky80]

I like the sound of that, is that all there is to it then? Pick a load of elderberries and boil and mash them up. Would I then transfer it all to the fv and let it ferment as normal, transfer to a bottling bucket and bottle as normal, leaving all the crap behind? Pectin is almost a foreign language to me, what would that do and is it needed? They sell it in the homebrew section of the local garden ctr so I can get some easily enough.

Thanks for your help.

[fatbloke]

I use pectolase with wine grapes too.

Not only does help with metabolising pectin to prevent it hazing, but if used before fermentation, it can help with flavour, colour and aroma extraction.

As long as they're kept to a pound or two per gallon, they will give good colour and body, but given the generic fruity taste of them they wouldn't (well shouldn't) be dominant.....

Just simmer them for 5 or 10 mins. No need to mash or anything daft like that. The yeast sorts it out from there.....

[kirky80]

Thank you. I'll give it a go!!

[KevP]

Hey Kirky, Id be interested to hear how this turned out if you get time