Supplimenting wine #1 with grapes

[Crundy]

Would it be possible to mash up some supermarket grapes and add to a DJ along with everything for white wine #1 (or red grapes and red wine #2)? PResumably I'd need to leave out the citric acid and reduce the sugar?

[fatbloke]

Would it be possible to mash up some supermarket grapes and add to a DJ along with everything for white wine #1 (or red grapes and red wine #2)? PResumably I'd need to leave out the citric acid and reduce the sugar?

you could do, but "eating" grapes don't usually make good wine.

It's similar with apples i.e. eating apples don't make good cider.

though you might use some (of the juice) to sweeten a ferment that has finished too dry for your taste.......

rather than confuse the issue, lets just say that some recipes will include acid (of a certain type), whereas others will derive that from the fruit used. Or is a wine has finished too acidic, you can back sweeten it with either sugar/honey/fruit juice as the sweetness will balance out some of the acidity.

There's also a "school of thought" that says you don't use acid during the ferment, but add it too taste afterwards.....

It's all about balance, for both a successful ferment, and a good tasting wine..... i.e. acid enough for the yeast (it likes and acid environment, but not too acid), sugar for the yeast (again, it's for feeding, but too much can cause fermentation problems), nutrient for the yeast (and yes, again, not too much, not too little - too little can cause fermentation problems and too much can cause "off flavours").

So I'd say, that you should probably (while you're getting started and sorting out a successful method) just make it as per the recipe and then if it's too dry, use some grape juice to "back sweeten" it too taste (and checking your hydrometer at the same time - oh and if the sweetener you're using to back sweeten is fermentable, you should have used sorbate and sulphite before it's (the sweetener) added).

regards

jtfb

[Crundy]

OK, that makes sense. Thanks.

Do vineyards flog off grape juice to you if you ask nicely and turn up when they are pressing?