Not very red wine

[psycho46]

Hi guys & gals I hope you can help me today.

I have made a couple of WOW's one of which was Raspberry & Cranberry mixed with RGJ (all 100% juices from ASDA). I thought it would make a really nice red wine. Well, its made a great wine but its ended up a very pale rose. how can i make sure my reds are really red? is just a case of adding food colouring?

 

[graysalchemy]

In a word you can't. I'f you want a proper full bodied red wine you need wine grapes of a variety befiting the style.

However you could use elderberries they would add some red wine qualities but they won't add body. But really kits and at that decent ones is the only way to make a full bodied red.
:thumb:

 

[Zedilly]

You could try wearing a pair of these while you drink it

 

[PD]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

brilliant.

 

[oldbloke]

Cochineal?

Most of the colour of red wine, as GA says, comes from the grape skins and elderberries might work similarly. Maybe blackcurrants too.

 

[bobsbeer]

As GA says you can't make a WOW style red. You can make a good rosé, of varying degrees of pink. But sadly the red WOW is a bit like looking for the philosopher's stone. There is a product you could add to get a deep red colour, and you could add banana for body, which would give you an acceptable looking/tasting table red, but a decent kit is about the only way to achieve a good red. There is a recipe called Richards Red, but that uses red grape concentrate and by the time you add up the ingredient costs you are up to the price of a cheap red kit, and it tastes about the same.

Don't use cochineal. If you want to use a colouring use Oenocyanine. It is made to add to wine. Commercial wineries use Mega Purple, but that's not available in small quantities.

 

[Badger]

lawl at those glasses :P

Just finished drinking my crazy strong asda grape juice wine and a red was next ... bit dissipointing everyone seems to be pointing towards the kits :/

 

[bobsbeer]

The body and taste is doable, but the colour is the issue. No grape skins to get the colour from, so an alternative has to be sought. Some have tried beetroot, but it goes brown. Many people have tried, but none as I know have succeeded in a decent red WOW.

 

[graysalchemy]

If you want a decent red then I would go for the beaverdale kits or the Vintners reserve kits. They are not cheap but are made from 100% grape juice of a single variety, unlike others which have added apple juice and sugar :evil: :evil:. :evil:

For about £1.75 a bottle you will get a good red equivalent to a £5 bottle from the supermarkets IMHO.

If you make cheaper Wows for whites then that cost can be offset, lowering your weekly alcohol bill but still drinking good wine. And if I take into account I brew beers far better than the supermarket offerings for 20p a pint, then spending a little on an expensive kit doesn't look so bad. Thats how I look at it. :grin: :grin:

 

[Boatbrewer]

My 'Tea n Jam' is not too bad an imitation of a red. It lacks real body but is light and fruity.

20 Twinings Blackcurrent tea bags.
2 Yorkshire tea bags.
500g Sour cherry conserve (Aldi)
2 litres red grape juice
800g sugar
1 teaspoon pectalase, glycerin
1/2 teaspoon nutrient, citric acid.

Simmer the tea bags in 1 litre water for 10 minutes. Remove the bags and disolve the sugar.
Simmer the jam in 1/2 litre water to remove any preservatives.

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

Maybe blackcurrants too.

I used ~500g of blackcurrants with 2L of RGJ in a 5L WOW a month or so ago. It is now a gorgeous deep red, darker even than the elderberry wine I transferred into DJ last week, which has 2Lbs elderberries and 1Lb blackberries per gallon. The RGJ should only have produced a light rose colour, so blackcurrants may actually be better than elderberries at getting a deep rich red.

 

[psycho46]

loads of great replies and suggestions, thank you all. with regards to using banana to add some body, when should this be added and in what quantity in a 5l mix ?

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

Really intrigued by banana in wine to add body. Only heard about it last couple of months... do people really reccomend it?

 

[wurge]

Really intrigued by banana in wine to add body. Only heard about it last couple of months... do people really reccomend it?

Over-ripe I have seen is better

 

[psycho46]

But when should they be added and in what quantity??

 

[Crastney]

one or two, mashed, right at the start.