lidl red wine

[Mitchamitri]

Bottled a load off last night - didnt bother with finings or bentonie so its a nice blush bright cloudy colour - anyway, initial tastes are a spitting image of a californian rose zinfandel, and the one I forgot to put the tannin in is like a d'anjou rose (would go well with thai food).

[mooshy]

Thought i would have a go at this and have just made about 13lt with 10 lt red grape 1 lt white grape and 2 lt blackcurrant Juice! 2lb of sugar and got a reading of 1090. The only thing is i didn't add any tannin, will it be ok without? I used Young's super alcohol yeast and pitched it yesterday but its taking its time to get going, think it was a bit cold so just put a brew belt around it. i am using a 19lt water fountain bottle as a DJ so when it calms down( if it gets going!) should i top it up to the neck, about another 6lt or will that be too much? sorry new to all this!

[Mitchamitri]

It'll be ok without but theres no reason you shouldnt add some. Dont keep it too warm - just enough to keep it bubbl;ing. You dont rush wine!! If I were topping up I'd use either red grape juice or ocean spray cranberry (makes it nice and dry), also dont forget some apple juice (or dreadskins famous grated bramley apple) could be used instead for more complexity to the depth.

[mooshy]

Thanks, think i will leave it for now on the brew belt, it was down to 10deg before is that to low? thought i would try and keep it around 18deg. will top it up with 4 lt of apple and 2 lt red grape in a week when its slowed down then. As for the tannin, i don't have any so could i add a strong cup of black tea instead? Say 5 tea bags in a cup? would that be ok?
Thanks for any help.
Steve

[DREADSKIN]

id stick 6 in a pot and leave them for 1/2 hr. and definitly fill up to the top after racking. i use those big bottles exclusivly. after racking i always top up to the top. never had a problem. they are great and generaly free!

[stevenm]

I have made this wine and to be honest really disapointed.Found it quite bitter. Have i made it wrong or does anyone have any suggestions about making it less bitter.
Thanks
Steven

[stevenm]

Is that a no then!
Steven

[mrbenbod]

When you say bitter do you mean tart?
I found my first batch quite tart and very very dry.
I have reduced the citric acid and add more sugar and I find it more to my liking.
I also leave it to mature now, it makes a big difference.
If it was actually 'bitter' I have no idea why.

[Laripu]

When you say bitter do you mean tart?
I found my first batch quite tart and very very dry.
I have reduced the citric acid and add more sugar and I find it more to my liking.
I also leave it to mature now, it makes a big difference.
If it was actually 'bitter' I have no idea why.

Perhaps he means tannic, causing a puckering sensation in the mouth. That would be from the tea, and just means it needs more aging, or less tea. If you're making a single gallon of wine, 5 or 6 teabags is too much. That's what I'd use for 5 gallons. A better and more controlled addition would be to use powdered grape tannin, available inexpensively at most homebrew shops.

As I read back in the thread, I see someone used cranberry juice. That is also a bit tannic.

[stevenm]

Yeah i suppose tart is a better word to use. Might try less citric acid next time thanks
Steven

[Blue Brew]

I made this a couple of months back and was very impressed with it. I've now got a batch on that I intend to make into sparkling wine as previously mentioned on this thread.

How much sugar/grape juice would you recommend adding to the gallon of wine and how would you remove the sediment that will be produced? I've read about keeping the bottles inverted and then freezing them so that the sediment can be carefully removed. Does anyone have any advice on this please?

Thanks

Blue Brew

[StevieB]

Interesting stuff above...

I've just started 30 bottles of Lidl red wine:

23l Lidl red grape juice
1Kg Granulated sugar
2tsp Bentonite
2tsp Citric acid
2tsp Pectolase
1 sachet Champagne yeast
2 Crossed fingers... How bad can it be? :O)
OG: 1.092

This is my first experimental wine in more than a quarter of a century... Wish me luck! :O)

Fraternally,

Steve

[StevieB]

Interesting stuff above...

I've just started 30 bottles of Lidl red wine:

It's NASTY!!! As Monty Python said in the '70s: "This is not a wine for drinking. This is a wine for laying down and avoiding!"

[Laripu]

Interesting stuff above...

I've just started 30 bottles of Lidl red wine:

It's NASTY!!! As Monty Python said in the '70s: "This is not a wine for drinking. This is a wine for laying down and avoiding!"

Really open up the sluices at both ends? Suited for hand-to-hand combat?

Somehow they're still relevant!

[beer]

we made 4 litres of lidles best a couple of weeks ago to see what its like and i must say i was quite impresed not quite like wine a would chose to drink but very nice quite light and girley with a dryness to it just had another taste at the weekend and it gets better with age