what can I add to my wine kit to make it more full bodied.

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mancer62

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I am going to buy a WINE BUDDY MERLOT kit 30 bottles £11.25 from Tesco.
I was wondering is their any ingredients and amounts you recommend I can add to this kit to make it more full bodied?
 
Some seem to get more success with reducing the water to around 20l but keeping the same sugar level.
I have just done my first one of these. Only reduced to 22l but also added 1l of rgj. Ended up with something a bit light bodied but 12.5%. See other thread and pictures when compared to Beaverdale kit. I may also try a small can of Youngs red wine enricher next time too as I happen to have some. At this price though then why not for mid week quaffing?
 
I also got the Winebuddy Merlot in the Tesco sales, as well as some tins of wine enricher which is suppose to add body and vinosity. My plan in to brew it a bit short and substitute some of the sugar for four tins of that plus some red grape juice.
 
That's the wine bought 60 bottles for £22.50 you can't complain at that. I read somewhere on here that add some cheap supermarket apple juice and some tinned black cherries as well as some dried elderberries.
I was thinking adding 4 litres of apples juice (65p a litre from Tesco/Morrisons) and 2 tins of black cherries to each 30 bottle batch......in your opinions would this help to give it extra body. Also you recommend I add even more if so what?
 
I am going to buy a WINE BUDDY MERLOT kit 30 bottles �£11.25 from Tesco.
I was wondering is their any ingredients and amounts you recommend I can add to this kit to make it more full bodied?

substitute some water for red grape juice or add red grape concentrate , richies is best its pure , youngs contains glucose , :thumb:
 
Is the tin that comes with this just RGJ concentrate, as I bought 2 kits, and was thinking about just mixing them into one kit. Good/bad move?
 
Is the tin that comes with this just RGJ concentrate, as I bought 2 kits, and was thinking about just mixing them into one kit. Good/bad move?

if you mixed them together , used a port or sherry yeast oaked back sweetened to taste and fortified with brandy you will have a port type wine if its a smooth red use the richies red grape concentrate and age it well maybe a few oak chippings, if you like smooth red look for the merlot grape kits or merlot mix , you could use both and make to one and a half the amount .
 
if you mixed them together , used a port or sherry yeast oaked back sweetened to taste and fortified with brandy you will have a port type wine if its a smooth red use the richies red grape concentrate and age it well maybe a few oak chippings, if you like smooth red look for the merlot grape kits or merlot mix , you could use both and make to one and a half the amount .

It was a Cab and a Merlot I ordered. A port style drink sounds good to me. :thumb:
May be making a few more enquireries about this.
 
It was a Cab and a Merlot I ordered. A port style drink sounds good to me. :thumb:
May be making a few more enquireries about this.

i made 4 gall this summer using a rioja, blackberry elderberry mix. your cab merlot will be fine , bang it on some oak when its finished fermenting then taste back sweeten with truvia then buy some cheap brandy (tesco distilled grape )is £9 bottle i use 1 bottle per gallon more if you wish to forify no need to worry about refermentation or adding any thing to arrest the yeast the high alcohol takes care of every thing, just needs a good bulk aging on that oak bottle sept should be nice for xmas,
 
I'm looking for as cheap alternatives as possible. Onviously grape juice from home brew shop would include postage etc. Is there any suitable alternative juices...tins...fruit etc I could add from my local supermarkets to get a decent outcome?
 
I'm looking for as cheap alternatives as possible. Onviously grape juice from home brew shop would include postage etc. Is there any suitable alternative juices...tins...fruit etc I could add from my local supermarkets to get a decent outcome?



You can get pretty cheap 100% red grape juice in Lidl if you have one nearby. I think Asda might do one as well.


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I see asda doing 3x 1L bottles of red grape juice for £3.
What you think would be ok to add to 30 bottle batch 3L of grape juice 2 tins black cherries?
 
dried elderberries would be good, but adds a right **** on to the process. (I've got 4 gallons of Asda RGJ and dried EB on the go, at various stages)
 
I bought a 6 bottle elderberry kit to add to a 30 bottle Winebuddy cabernet sauvignon. This improves both body and colour by 50%, abv to 12% and adds extra tannin (from the elderberry concentrate). The elderberry kit includes red grape juice concentrate. The total sale price + 4 kg sugar came to £19. I'll save the spare yeast etc or another brew.
 
I'm looking for as cheap alternatives as possible. Onviously grape juice from home brew shop would include postage etc. Is there any suitable alternative juices...tins...fruit etc I could add from my local supermarkets to get a decent outcome?

wilco sell grape concentrate under �£4 and pure red grape juice from the supermarket
 
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