Blackcurrant Wine Issues

[SniffTheGlove]

Hi all,

A few months back I made a blackcurrant wine using Lidi Blackcurrant Juice squash (50% Juice). I used the no added sugar variety.

I boiled 2litres of the Juice to get rid of the Sulphites and then put all the ingredients into the 5litre FV (SG 1078) and at 21deg pitched the yeast and nutrient and then fermented at 21deg in the Temp Controlled Fridge.

It fermented well and came out at about 11% and was very nice but a little sweet even though the SG was at 0.996 and I put this down to the sweetener used in the "no added sugar" juice.

Anyway I have tried it twice now, this time using the exact same ingredients apart from using the other variety of normal sugar added Lidi Juice 50%

Boiled it for 30mins , cooled to 21deg then pitched the yeast and put into the temp controlled fridge at 21deg and absolutely nothing happened. I added a yeast re-activator and still nothing happened. After 3 weeks of trying I tipped everything all away.

I want to try again but would like to know if possible what went wrong so I do not waste time and energy.

[fatbloke]

It will likely be to do with a different preservative.

Sulphites would have dissipated especially with the heating but if it was something like sodium benzoate, then it probably won't have been driven off.

You could just used frozen or bottled/jarred/tinned fruit. Iceland for frozen (probably) or if you have a local Polish grocery place for the tinned/jarred stuff (sometimes in the major supermarkets too).

[SniffTheGlove]

For the ordinary Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

For the "no added sugar" Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

I and just trying another 2 batches (one of each type) that I started 2 days ago and still do fermentation actions. Each batch contains 2 litres of Juice.

The temp of brew fridge is 20deg C

I have been looking all over the place for fruit but what I have found is most expensive and not make it worth while.

[fatbloke]

For the ordinary Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

For the "no added sugar" Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

-----snip-----

Bingo! the most likely candidate for problems here........

[CJR]

For the ordinary Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

For the "no added sugar" Blackcurrant High Juice 50% the preservatives listed on the bottle are Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite .

-----snip-----

Bingo! the most likely candidate for problems here........

But the "No added sugar" version fermented just fine. If they're the same preservatives, it's something else.

[SniffTheGlove]

But I boiled for approx 20mins to boil off the preservatives like I have read.

Anyway, I have given up doing this and planted my own Blackcurrant Bushes for next year.... This year will have to go PYO

[crafty john]

You will not get anything to ferment that contains potassium sorbate. Edit I have just re read your post, very strange that one juice worked and one didn't, potassium sorbate is used in wine production for stopping yeast activity prior to bottling. Very Strange