Making Tasty Wine from Cheap Fruit Juice and Bread Yeast (Full Walk-through and Tasting)

[@tomdoyen6051]

I made 2 batches of wine 1 batch was a 100 per cent juice using 1and a half cups of sugar and a half a tsp. bread yeast . The 2nd batch was a juice cocktail I used 1 cup of sugar and a half a tsp. of bread yeast both bottles were 2 qts with 16 oz. removed. I left them for 4 weeks to make sure they were done. I loosen the cap for the gases to escape they were plastic jugs. I tasted them both and they were very good I plan on doing more in the future. I am from Minnesota and just beginning to make wine and apple cider, I haven't made the cider yet.

[@frank-tube]

This has to be the best newbie guide for making wine. No nonsense talk, Straight to the point, No questions left unanswered. Thank you sir!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thank you, Frank, I appreciate it

[@flyop312]

brings back memories of 40 years ago when i made wine same way used many different juices found orange and pineapple were the strongest, great video

[@McRib65]

Great information on making a simple wine. As a wine maker I would like to add one thing if you don’t mind. When getting the juice he said pick juice with no additives and that’s 100% correct. The one additive that many have that’s okay is citric acid. I add citric acid to all wine I produce as a taste balancer. If you want a higher alcohol content just add a little more sugar however be careful or it could end up tasting like cough syrup especially the cherry. 🍷

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Guy, that's great info.

[@LoreExplore369]

one question im using welches grape juice no additives however it says pasteurized and to refrigerate after opening. is this juice ok to use and does the fermentation process kill harmful bacteria? Thanks and cheers!

[@williammentink]

​@@LoreExplore369 The yeast swamps any other bacteria that you introduce after opening. The extra sugar that is added pushes up the final alcohol level to the point where nothing can grow in it.

[@milad4323]

@@LoreExplore369As long as it doesn't have any additives, it should be ok. Pasteurisation is basically cooking it to kill all the microorganisms before packing it

[@rustyshackleford8531]

Potassium metabisulfite is also ok in store bought juice for making wine.

[@bonnieganschow9137]

As a wine drinker, I will have to try this. Like you, I like my wines in the middle of sweet and dry, a little either way is okay. Thank you again for a great learning video. Blessings

[@johannesvanhoek9080]

Cool video, did not think that it was too long. I thought that it was personable, informative, and enjoyable to listen to, you have a new subscriber. 👍

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Johannes, I appreciate your comment

[@berhanemesfin2379]

Love this guy. Ploughed all through. Hope he made the best wine.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@wfwtheradioguy3414]

Great video... no need to make a condensed version, IMO. I'm not a wine drinker... but this might be fun to try someday. Thanks for sharing...and for putting it all into one video.

[@مسترسكر]

great job and excellent explanation

[@strhhswgter]

Great video! I wouldn’t change a thing! Im making my very 1st batch of home made wine today. So pumped.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks, and good luck with your wine!

[@chartz346]

Great step by step video on making juices to wine dude gives me the thought of making juices into wine thanks Dude great Job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks friend

[@morningflowerB]

Wow..sounds like the Cherry could be dangerous. A definite hangover. I LOve Black Cherry 🍒 Great video. Thank you 🍇🫐🍒

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Ha, yea it basically tastes like cherry juice but has 10% ABV. Could get into some trouble with that!

[@mh0862]

I used to make cranberry wine in gallon glass jugs. Used condoms as an airlock, which always provided interesting reactions from dates roommates brought home.

[@poopsMcgee05]

unused condoms might have been better in hindsight

[@dddgtsd]

I thought that said 'used condoms' as an airlock lol

[@jackamberson9379]

You'll find it if you use a gallon jug like that use 3 cups of sugar mine always come out perfect that way I make a wonderful concord grape wine and they still turn out somewhat dry even with three cups of sugar

[@ahmelmahay]

good man its nice to see the end product

[@michaelwarwick5754]

lots of O2 is good for the yeast during the first fermentation.

[@stephenshort8113]

Hi ..... ive bought 100% red grape juice with no preservatives in, an unspecified of potassium metabisulfite is mentioned ... will this stop any fermentation from taking place ..... many thanks, a brilliant and inspiring video

[@happygardener28]

you could use the cherry wine to make a syrup for icecream.

[@ronniecreed6023]

Really good video. Thank you

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks Ronnie, I appreciate it!

[@215Daniel]

The quality of the microphone you're using in the 2nd half of the video is very good.

[@LoreExplore369]

Great video! one question im using welches grape juice no additives however it says pasteurized and to refrigerate after opening. is this juice ok to use and does the fermentation process kill harmful bacteria? Thanks and cheers!

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Thanks! Yes, that should be just fine. The fermentation process does keep harmful bacteria from being a problem. Any wine (or beer or mead) making involves letting a lot of very sugary liquid sit at basically room temperature for weeks or months.

[@geraldfrost4710]

White grape juice has a yeast inhibiter, the trick is to open the bottle, set the lid on but not tighten, and put it in the fridge for the sulfur to defuse out. Two to four days seems to be enough. Also, if you don't stur the sugar in, it will dissolve on it's own in a week. The only downside is you won't be able to test the sugar content, which most people don't bother with anyway.

[@bansheebird]

Great video, thank you.

[@DRUMMER-j-u2x]

Well, to be honest, Great Lakes, I'm not a wine drinker. However, this was interesting to watch.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Yes! Another person who likes yellow peppers on their pizza. I gotta say, my friends and family think I'm so weird for that particular topping. I tell them that pizza joints wouldn't offer it if it wasn't somewhat popular!

[@skyeridge2020]

If I wanted to make a dryer wine with these juices, would I put in less sugar or would I get a yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance? I don’t really like sweet wine. I want to make a dry wine with these fruit juices. Thank you for your advice.

[@tylerlee9615]

Less sugar

[@nrbrtmuller]

do you print the bottle labels yourself? love the designs

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Yea I made and printed these, thanks!

[@Ron-mk6kq]

Use a large balloon to seal those jugs until they're done fermenting

[@Ron-mk6kq]

Taste it daily to make sure it doesn't start to get bitter and turn to vinegar

[@aleisterforest7690]

That's called jail hooch. Lol. They use their bread rolls to get the yeast.

[@oscarthagrouch]

and that’s known to cause botulism? but kvass also uses bread (rye) to get its yeast. so how does that work… genuinely concerned bc i don’t want to get botulsim

[@kayeeiland4167]

Question - In the recipe section in the area below the video , the yeast called for is 1 teaspoons/quart . In your video the stated quantity is 1/4 teaspoon/quart . Surely that amount would be critical . Which is correct , please ?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Use the recipe as written out in the video description

[@مسترسكر]

we suffer in gulf area the hot weather , if you explain the correct temperature for making the wine

[@TrustyJ06]

When making, keep indoors in a dark somewhat cool space. Room temperature away from light.

[@johnp.turner2000]

Can you please tell me what size the Bung is for your one gallon airlocks?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I added some links in the video description to the exact materials I used, including the jug and bung.

[@LockedUpPresbyterian98]

As far as the juice ingredients go, what about ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and/or citric acid? Will these still screw up the wine?

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

I’ve been into home brewing meads, fruit wines and ciders for over 30 years. Citric acid/ascorbic acid won’t affect fermentation. Neither do tartaric acid or malic acid. Yeast actually needs a slightly acidic environment and as an added perk, if the pH is low enough (as in: acidic enough) you create an environment that is inhospitable for botulism, which is why producers of commercial fruit juices will add it to their juices as well as for balance. What you want to watch put for are sorbates and sulfates. Or, as some home brewers say: anything that ends in -ate or -ite. They have their uses AFTER fermentation, but that’s another story in case you want to add sweetness but the yeast you’re using has an alcohol tolerance that’s higher than the wine you’ve made. As this recipe uses baker’s yeast, the alcohol tolerance should be around 10-12% maximum. I’ve had baker’s yeast go up to 14% but that’s unusual. Easy tip: when your wine has finished fermenting, give it a little taste. Take a gravity reading, it’ll probably show a value of 1.000 or lower. If it’s gone completely dry (no sweetness left), add sugar to taste. Take another gravity reading. Replace the airlock (or the cap). Watch for signs of fermentation. If there are none after 2-3 days and your wine starts clearing again, bottle it and either enjoy, or allow it to age (it’ll get better if you do!). If you don’t have a hydrometer, simply add sugar to taste, replace the cap/airlock and watch out for signs of fermentation. If there are none for several days to a week, bottle. Some advice: Always wait to bottle until your juice wine has cleared. Invest in airlocks, a hydrometer with a fitting graduated cylinder, no-rinse sanitiser and an autosiphon with tubing like in the video, they can be re-used over and over again and make your life SO much easier to make wines, ciders, meads and beers. They save a lot of work and take the guesswork out of it. You can make your alcoholic drinks without them but for just a few bucks, you will avoid bottling too soon (bottle bombs!), will avoid oxidation of the wine you’ve just spent so much time waiting to be ready (oxidised wine tastes stale), will easily know when fermentation is done, how much alcohol it contains AND if you need to add more sugar.

[@blackcatspirit13]

Tried most type of fruit juices for DIY homemade wine. My two bobs worth… Cherry is “bleh!” Unless you like the taste of cough syrup. That’s what it reminded me of. LOL!

[@juliebutler8241]

Might be good mixed with club soda....

[@hithere4719]

Thanks for the heads up because I actually like that flavor 😂

[@charliecat8891]

How long will it last with those kids..thank you

[@NanOfTwo]

I have just made cherry wine but it's cloudy.

[@peterloichtl4512]

wait until it settles then drink it or put the wine into a new bottle. Takes weeks.

[@jackamberson9379]

By the way always put the dry ingredients in first such as your sugar

[@johnp.turner2000]

My question is why didn't you put the cap on the air lock?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

The caps on these cheap airlocks did not allow it to vent properly. They created an air-tight seal which allowed no gas to escape. It didn't hurt anything to leave them off.

[@johnp.turner2000]

@@GreatLakesPrepping Thanks for your videos and help 🙂

[@grammyp4525]

What brand yeast did you use

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

If I recall correctly, I just used Kroger brand bread yeast for these.

[@alexlarsen6413]

This really is helpful to beginners, but dude...that formula for ABV is slightly off. There's plenty of wine calculators online using both latest standard and alternative formula. The standard one is more accurate at lower ABVs up to ~ 12% while the alternative one is more accurate at higher ABVs above that. According to the standard formula which is normally approximated by subtracting final from the original gravity and multiplying by 131.5 your first wine was actually at around 10%. Your second whine was at 10.65% and the third one at 9.45%.

[@Vintech64]

Why a cool place when red wine ferments best at 86F or 30 Celsius?

[@nickharcrow5697]

They do make a bigger funnel

[@newwavepressure6478]

Anyone know where I can get corks or something for these one gal jugs I lost my caps 🙃 😒

[@teresa9613]

How much water in the airlock? Trying to get my nerve to try this.😊

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

Just fill it around 2/3 full and you should be good.

[@teresa9613]

@@GreatLakesPrepping Thank you!

[@jahliones12]

i need a video where someone shows wine making without a wine testing thingy and those weird caps. where i live can't get then and no amazon is not a option

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I made another video that wayyyy simplifies the process, and you don't need any sort of special stuff. Just a bottle of fruit juice. Here's the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZSXepJjZ7ahi68

[@peterloichtl4512]

you dont have to test it and if you watch more videos on winemaking your questions will be answered.

[@rustyl4090]

acutally, when you add your yeast, shake the crap out of it. Yeast likes oxygen during primary fermentation.

[@rebal1681]

Also, could you take it further and ake a good balsamic vinegar?

[@drinkyjac3155]

What would happen if I were to open it mid curing ?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I'm not quite sure what you mean

[@drinkyjac3155]

@@GreatLakesPrepping I'm using balloons as a airlock and was asking could I takeoff the balloon if it were to expand to much? Would that hurt the yeast?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

@@drinkyjac3155 Ah, I see. I think it's fine. I know people have used the balloon method for a long time, and it should be fine as long as you remember to release that pressure regularly.

[@jorgemora9538]

Alcohol % at the end?

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

I talk about that starting around 24:26

[@izmark671]

What the heck? in the video 1/4 teaspoon yeast per quart.1/2t each jug. In the description 2 teaspoons per jug.

[@donberry6079]

Note: You must use 100% juice, NOT FRUIT COCKTAIL. I have already tried that and it does not work.

[@giuk1987]

I'm confused..... I've read some comments saying its fine as long as the juice doesn't have any added preservatives

[@gregmiller6713]

who would that pump a siphon??????

[@tanaklit]

👍👍👍👍👍💕💕💕

[@celinehanssen]

you whatch brian and erika, city steading brews, shake the bejesus out of it

[@ookie134]

I don't think you shook the bottles good enough before you poured them into your glass jugs

[@Photologistic]

Gross, do not ever use bread yeast for beer or wine. Complete waste. Yeast is everything.

[@GreatLakesPrepping]

This is a video about making cheap "hillbilly" wine. This may not shock you, but my channel isn't really geared towards professional vintners and sommeliers.

[@skyeridge2020]

What kind of yeast would you recommend for making a dry wine with these same fruit juices?

[@peterloichtl4512]

bullshit you are wrong just because you act all wine snooty doesn't mean breadyeast wine tastes bad this is not a wine you would stick your nose into and make a dumb face pretending your sniffing is sophisticated wine knowledge.