[wisp]

Cheers David

[ecclesr1]

Some people boil the Ribena for a few minutes but I’ve never bothered and have never had any problems.

On a couple of accasions I've had Ribena wine difficult to start, with a prolonged fermention period and finishing before fermenting out, leaving me with a weak, sweet wine. I attributed these problems to residual preservative due to not boiling enough, and have never had the same problems after making sure it boils for a full 10 mins.

I may be over cautious, but as I make 6 gall batches of blackcurrant & blueberry

(just boiled blackcurrant high juice and carton blueberry juice - no water - no need for any added sugar), I don't want anything to go wrong.

Hi david- Please could i have the proportions for your blackcurrent and blueberrry wine? id only like to make a gallon. i'v made riberna wine before but this sounds more interesting. thanks

[Little Miss Muffet]

i would never have thought of making wine from ribena :shock:

we used to drink ribena hot when we were kids

[David.]

Hi david- Please could I have the proportions for your blackcurrant and blueberrry wine? I'd only like to make a gallon. I've made ribena wine before but this sounds more interesting. thanks

I only use that mix for blending with bland wines:

1.25 L Tesco blackcurrant high juice +3.25 L Tesco/Morrisons carton blueberry. The juices contain all the sugar required to get it over 13% ABV, but it is rather strong in flavour unblended.

A MUCH better social drinking wine that I make all year round, containing blackcurrant & blueberry is (for 1 gall):

0.50L (2/3 of a 0.74L bottle) Rocks Organic blackcurrant squash (no preservtives/need to boil).

2/3rds of a 1L carton blueberry juice.
1 L of carton cranberry juice.
2 L of Morrisons' chilled "Summerfruits" drink (99p for 2 litres PET bottles and contains apple, strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant juice - it may taste good enough to make wine out of on it's own, but lots of the flavour is lost during fermentation and the extra blackcurrant & blueberry juice is essential). If they don’t have enough or too much you can freeze it – but don’t be tempted to use their Blackcurrant & Apple instead.

333g of sugar will get it to about 12% ABV.
Yeast Nutrient
GP yeast
Pectalase

Save a little juice in the fridge for topping up after several days.

It will have hardly any sediment and be ready to drink as soon as it clears in about 2 months. It’s a really delicious, fruity wine that has been described as both bl**dy lovely and bl**dy gorgeous

[mashauk]

i would never have thought of making wine from ribena :shock:

we used to drink ribena hot when we were kids

So did we as we thought it was full of vitamin C.  However my Aussie neice says that they've had to take the "health benefit" aspect of it off bottles out there as someone in NZ tested it and found it to contain no vitamin C, I find this hard to believe as ours is still labelled as containing it, has anyone else heard this?  I know about all the sugar etc but can't believe it doesn't contain fruit or even added vitamin c!

[blulagoo]

So can I make wine out of any cartons of fruit juice? I haven't made wine for years and fancy having a go again when my building work has finished!

Oh! Hello by the way, got lost here on my way to the henhouse!

[leanne]

Hi all - newbie here - was interested in the Ribena recipe however a sachet of yeast???  The sachet I had said that it was sufficient for 25 litres of wine, although it was a small sachet - started the wine, seems to be fermenting nicely however only used half the sachet as didn't want to put too much in.  Been fermenting now for approx 10 days.  I was conscious that this recipe did say a sachet can anybody advise please?  Should I put the rest of the sachet in.  Thanks

[lobot]

I'm a bit of a newbie to winemaking too, but I'd follow the directions on the sachet.
I've used several different makes now, and some sachets are enough for only 1 demijohn, whereas others are enough for several.

[leanne]

Thanks Iobot for this information - I looked on the packet of the yeast and other than saying it was sufficient for 25 litres nothing else was mentioned - I am hoping have I have put enough in we will see how it goes - suppose it's not an expensive wine if it goes wrong!!

Thanks again

[lobot]

If you're using a standard 1 gallon demi-john, that's equivalent to around 4.5 litres.

[Jo-n-Neil]

Imnot a wine fan but i reckon i might give that a go. 

[MoreWhisky]

Ribena is currently on offer at Morrisons 87p a bottle yes 87p.

[Allotment Jon]

Found below on  www.zen37219.zen.co.uk website containing many wines that can be home made. First time making it but after swallowing some when sucked to hard on syphon tube found it quite nice and very lively and quick fermentation.
 

Two tins Blackcurrants (Used 3 Asda 280g)
1kg Sugar
250 ml grape concentrate
1 tsp pectolase
Tannin (Used tea as no Tanin available)
Nutrient
1 tsp acid blend or citric acid (Was advised to use less as blackcurrant contains acid)
Yeast
  Pour 4 pints of boiling water(two kettles full is about right) over the fruit and add the sugar.
When cool to room temperature add the rest of ingredients and 2 pints of cold water.
It should start bubbling within 24 hours. If it doesn't, add more yeast because you killed the first lot!
After 2 days strain off, use a coarse straining bag that you can buy off us. Or, improvise if you must with muslin or the net curtains.
Put into a clean demi john with an airlock and leave to ferment out. This may take a few days or a couple of weeks depending on the temperature.
When the bubbles stop coming through the airlock, or slow down to about one every 2 minutes test the wine.
Either use a hydrometer or taste it. If it's too sweet leave it longer.
If it's dry(sour taste) or just right syphon off into a clean demi john.
Add 1 campden tablet and potassium sorbate.
Leave to clear.
When clear, syphon into a clean demi john or bottle.

Will be back in several months time to let you know how it tastes.

[scabs]

I made wine from Blackcurrant High Juice (boiled it for five minutres or so, just to be on the safe side.)

A little bit sweet for my tastes, but my friends love it.

I may have to sample my teabag wine tonight. 

[Teen76]

My question is, does it taste any good (the Ribena wine I mean) and is it worth all the effort?

If it is I might be joining you all in having a go!