Sort of Sparkling Shiraz
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2021 4:12 pmPlaying around with supermarket fruit juice and EC-1118 yeast at the moment.
Test batches were Golden Circle Grape Juice. 200ml removed from the plastic container. 1/8 teaspoon of EC1118 sprinkled on top. Covered with cling wrap held by elastic band. Hope poked in top with sanitised needle.
Ferments out to a very dry sort of shiraz. Bottled in stubbies as for cider with sugar for secondary fermentation. About 8%ABV.
Looks like sparkling shiraz and sort of tastes like it. In the second and third test batches I added some weak stevia syrup ( 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons). I preferred the batch with 1 tablepoon stevia solution.
Bulk ferment has just been bottled. 11 x 2 litres grape juice, 5 g EC1118. For tannins I soaked 6 teabags in boiling water and left for an hour (teabags removed before adding to fermenter). For flavour I added liquid from 6 raspberry/strawberry teabags soaked for 1 hour ( wouldn't bother again). For sweetness I added 500g frozen raspberries in a strainer bag. Ended up with the equivalent of 72 stubbies. This had some sweetness but was not overly sweet. Needs to sit for a couple of weeks before I can try it.
As supermarket grape juice is not that interesting, I am thinking of adding some black pepper to the next batch, possibly with cherries instead of raspberries.
Watch this space!
Test batches were Golden Circle Grape Juice. 200ml removed from the plastic container. 1/8 teaspoon of EC1118 sprinkled on top. Covered with cling wrap held by elastic band. Hope poked in top with sanitised needle.
Ferments out to a very dry sort of shiraz. Bottled in stubbies as for cider with sugar for secondary fermentation. About 8%ABV.
Looks like sparkling shiraz and sort of tastes like it. In the second and third test batches I added some weak stevia syrup ( 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons). I preferred the batch with 1 tablepoon stevia solution.
Bulk ferment has just been bottled. 11 x 2 litres grape juice, 5 g EC1118. For tannins I soaked 6 teabags in boiling water and left for an hour (teabags removed before adding to fermenter). For flavour I added liquid from 6 raspberry/strawberry teabags soaked for 1 hour ( wouldn't bother again). For sweetness I added 500g frozen raspberries in a strainer bag. Ended up with the equivalent of 72 stubbies. This had some sweetness but was not overly sweet. Needs to sit for a couple of weeks before I can try it.
As supermarket grape juice is not that interesting, I am thinking of adding some black pepper to the next batch, possibly with cherries instead of raspberries.
Watch this space!