On July 17 learn late season grape growing and harvest techniques for your small-scale vineyard with “Backyard Vines” Columnist Wes Hagen. Register now to grow and harvest the best wine grapes this year!

wine-wizard

How can I best save an open container of grape juice concentrate?

Q: In the Spring 2000 issue of WineMaker, there was an article about using concentrates as adjunct to grape wines. I make small batches of country wines that call for minced yellow raisins or white wine concentrate. I can measure the cup of raisins, but now I have an open container of concentrate. I don’t know how to protect this $65 can of concentrate from being destroyed by air, bug, and fermentation. Your help is needed.
— John Spencevia • e-mail

A: In regards storing your opened can of concentrate, I would freeze it. Dump the remains into a Tupperware or other freezer-safe storage container and stick it in your freezer. The high sugar content might actually prevent all of the liquid from freezing, but the cold temperatures will halt any chemical reactions or microbial growth that could degrade the concentrate. Try to use it within six months if you can, just to be sure the quality of those delicate aromatic compounds remains intact.

You might also like…

WIne glass as a question mark. wine-wizard

Dandelion Wine Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting dandelion wines that carbonated in bottles or browned early.

WIne glass as a question mark. wine-wizard

Adding Fruit Character

The Wizard offers recommendations to boost the light fruit flavor in a red wine that is lacking.

WIne glass as a question mark. wine-wizard

How Wine Evolves in the Bottle

The Wine Wizard explains how wines evolve in the bottle, which is not always linear.

WIne glass as a question mark. wine-wizard

Role of Sulfur Dioxide

Explore the role sulfur dioxide plays in winemaking and why a batch of wine that uses SO2 will have more lees than one that does not.

Continue reading – Enter your email to log in or register

New to WineMaker? Create a free account to get our weekly newsletter and two free article webpage visits every month.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.