Lidl grape juice for wine

redser7

Hi,
Has anyone used the Vitafit not from concentrate grape juice for wine making? On offer next saturday.

Wonder does it have preservatives?

http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_ri_ie/hs.xsl/4182_24859.htm

Thanks

Khannie

I'd say it just uses ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for preserving. That's all their apple juice uses.

I have tasted that stuff and it is a mix of green and red grapes as far as I can tell. Hard to beat the price though.

redser7

Worth a go I reckon, thanks Kannie.

Khannie

It's not a whole heap cheaper than some of the cheaper wine kits you can buy btw.

redser7

Thanks. Been doing some reading and came across fruit tea bag wines. The recipies use grape juice. They are supposed to be amazing and often superior to kit wines and work out much cheaper. Have you tried it?
Here's a thread ...

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/juicy-gossip/fruit-t-bag-wine_18686.html

Nothing but great feedback

Khannie

Ooh. That sounds very interesting indeed. Thanks for the tip.

redser7

Just picked up some Twinnings Raspberry, cranberry and elderflower and some Blackberry and Nettle. Any idea where I could get tartaric or citric acid? Dont want to order online from brew companies at the moment.
Cheers

Khannie

Citric acid you could get with a bit of lime, tartaric acid - I'm guessing but cream of tartar in the baking section? (I'll google now).

update: Cream of tartar is a by-product of tartaric acid. It is acidic. If I were in a pinch I'd go for that.

Your local chemist might help.

Further update. This looks useful.

redser7

Thanks Khannie. I actually managed to get a bag in an asian shop on Mary Street (Dublin) next to the Mr Middleton gardening shop. 100 grams for 2 euro. Turns out Chemists tend not to stock it because junkies use it when shooting up! Asian shops commonly stock it for cooking. You live and learn. Picked up 14 litres of that grape juice Will try a gallon first, if it's as good as they say I'll step it up to 5 gallons.

jill_valentine

Brilliant. Asian shops are my go-to haunt for "weird stuff sold in giant bags that I can't find anywhere else." When in doubt, Asian shop

The fruit tea wine looks interesting, seems to be very quick to make?

redser7

Going to kick it off this weekend jill, first time but looks like 2-3 months to drinking but improves with age
What else do you find in Asian shops out of interest?
Cheers

jill_valentine

I've gotten malt, glucose and - unrelated to brewing, but still awesome - maize flour for making corn bread, which is gorgeous, in Asian shops. When I was a student, they were great for giant ass bags of rice too.

There's a big Asian shop on Abbey street and another one near Smithfield, and sometimes I'll just wander around buying random things to find out what they are. That shop up on Mary Street also sells a carbonated malt drink that I've gotten myself addicted to, and cans of coconut juice for way cheaper than you'll pay elsewhere. Om Nom Nom.

Coconut juice, now there's an idea...

redser7

Om nom nom indeed Thanks a lot jill.