Help on Ribena wine needed!

[billy]

Hi all,

I have scoured the internet for a solid and accurate (and foolproof) recipe for ribena wine. So far my attempt at it using a method I found has proven a disaster. It started out with half bottle of asda 50% high juice blackcurrant (500ml) and sugar to around the 1090 sg.

two months later looks clear but tastes like some kind of harsh bitter medicine.

Does anyone have a solid, unconfusing, (unlike cjj berry) and reliable method of making this elusive brew?

Thanks!

[Her Lushness]

Try this thread.

[billy]

Thanks, HL...

That was the one I tried, I am sure.

I think something went very wrong with mine...guess I'll try it again

Bu99er....

[billy]

It was the thread I tried...

On reflection it was the thread and the confusing methods on this thread that resulted in my disaster, so to ask again, do we have a solid foolproof method of producing a drinkable wine from blackcurrent cordials?

thanks!

[Richard S]

If I remember rightly, mine wasn't exactly brilliant either. The harshness you mention could point to the wine being out of balance due to too much alcahol. Put some in a glass and disolve small amounts of sugar and keep tasting, does it improve?

[billy]

Thanks Richard.... I'll give it a go

[Aid]

I'd do three things:-
1/ If you can measure the acid, do that and adjust it if necessary.
2/ Put it somewhere safe and forget about it for months and months.
3/ Continue looking for someone with a tried and tested recipe.

I made some runnerbean and raisin wine in 07 and it was vile. Seriously vile. I took the advice from 2/ and stored it (with occasional racking). Today I racked and tried it and it's not bad at all!

[james]

The downloadable book "The winemaking story" has a long discussion on ribena wine from page 21 onwards.

I'm not convinced by the recipe, but its a starting point....
My two concerns are that its heavy on the concentrate (& therefore the sugar..) and the author fails to mention the size of bottle being used.

In the disscussion, it states that 6 bottles of ribena were used along with 6 bottles of water to make just under 1 gallon of wine. That must make each of these bottles 350ml. The discussion suggests that for a normal, dry red wine 4 bottles would be more appropriate. Assuming these bottles are the same size, this works out at just under 1.5 litres of ribena with no added sugar.

Another concern I have (& probably the reason I've not yet made it...) is that I've heard ribena wine isnt very nice, no matter what you do to it.
Its probably best to use ribena as an adjunct to other ingredients to add colour and flavour, rather than to create a wine entirely from ribena.

[Mamgiowl]

The downloadable book "The winemaking story" has a long discussion on ribena wine from page 21 onwards.

I'm not convinced by the recipe, but its a starting point....
My two concerns are that its heavy on the concentrate (& therefore the sugar..) and the author fails to mention the size of bottle being used.

In the disscussion, it states that 6 bottles of ribena were used along with 6 bottles of water to make just under 1 gallon of wine. That must make each of these bottles 350ml. The discussion suggests that for a normal, dry red wine 4 bottles would be more appropriate. Assuming these bottles are the same size, this works out at just under 1.5 litres of ribena with no added sugar.

Another concern I have (& probably the reason I've not yet made it...) is that I've heard ribena wine isnt very nice, no matter what you do to it.
Its probably best to use ribena as an adjunct to other ingredients to add colour and flavour, rather than to create a wine entirely from ribena.

* Not had time to read the whole piece, but he states half pound sugar per bottle and a total amount of just over 7lbs. so I think he is talking about 12 fluid oz. size.

* I couldn't disagree more, and judging by the majority of comments on this and other threads most people would agree with me, even those who've had initial problems.

I have made this so many times it's now known as my 'house red' and I and guests have never been disappointed with it.

I have not used the prescribed 12oz. bottle - I'm not even sure if that size is still available - but use 1ltr per gallon of either Ribena proper or Tesco's own brand, that being the cheaper, and have found no discernable difference in taste between the two.

Why not experiment and give it a go and see what you think? I'm sure you'll like it

[lockwood1956]

Does anyone have a solid, unconfusing, (unlike cjj berry) and reliable method of making this elusive brew?

Thanks!

Hi Billy
no-one has more "issues" with CJJJJJ Berry than me, but the techniques laid down at the start of first steps are pretty sound....its a great little book as far as method goes, which bits are you finding confusing?

perhaps we can help clarify?

his (CJJJJ) recipes however, suck, and they all have way too much sugar n them.


how did your must taste before the yeast went in?