Hi All. New to this winemaking but having fun anyway, but a question about a starter bottle concerning the fruit juice. What juice do you use, I have tried 100% grape juice (pasteurised) from Waitrose (UK) but it looked like my yeast died as I did not get any foam after 2 days. I did add nutrient, citric acid & sugar. So should I be using some other type of juice and not off the shelf ? TIA Mike
Whatever type of juice you choose, make sure it does not contain sorbic acid (sorbate) or benzoic acid. These will inhibit fermentation. Frozen concentrates should not contain these, but apparently are rare in the UK. If it contains sulfites (and not the preservatives mentioned above), you can get it to work by stirring or pouring between containers several times to "drive it out".
Perhaps you can get some apple cider in season that doesn't contain preservatives and then freeze for winemaking use through the year.
Stephen
DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.