EDIT: I found an even better way to work this stuff. Read on for good tips.Buy TWO (or more) bottles of the same juice. Apple or peach grape are good options. Let one ferment out dry...takes about a week.
Then, pour about 75% out into a pitcher. Refill the original container with fresh juice. Put the vapor lock back on...you've created Batch #2.
Pour the pitcher of dry alcoholic juice into the new container (with 25% juice). Squeeze the bottle to remove the rest of the air. Re-install the lid. Wait 24-48 hours until the bottle is stiff again and then refrigerate. Drink and enjoy perfectly sweet/dry/carbonated spiked juice.
The advantages?
1. No worrying about how long it'll take to ferment. You can run your first bottle dry and then add the fresh juice right before the weekend to prime the carbonation. You can leave the first bottle with vapor lock in a finished fermentation state for days/weeks without issue.
2. You control the sweetness/dryness. Vary the mix ratio to suit your taste.
3. You control the carbonation. Adjust the refrigeration and/or vent carbonation to avoid overpressure. (Squeezing out all the air helps prevent oxidation).
4. You get cleaner drink. The yeast drops out of suspension and is left in the next batch.
5. YOU REUSE THE YEAST AND SAVE MONEY! Do this just once per batch and you cut your cost by 50%. Plus the next batch starts up quicker than if you'd pitched new yeast.
As a side note, this yeast is particularly well-suited for this task. I tried some white wine yeast once and it turned my apple juice into a STINKY ROTTEN EGG SULFUR BOMB! No kidding....the yeast got all stressed out and burped sulfur. Yuck. This yeast has never let me down in 10-20 batches.
Original Review:
Wow, this stuff is fun. Thankfully, it comes in double kits so you can experiment faster ( or make twice as much) without waiting.
Go grab a variety of 64oz 100% juice bottles from Trader Joes. I've tried pear cider and blackberry so far...and both worked great. Or save some money and get apple juice or peach grape from Walmart. Choose your poison.
Check it after 2 days. You'll probably want to go 3 or 4 days to get rid of a good amount of sugar and get enough alcohol. But check it daily after that, as the fermentation will be geometrically faster as the yeast multiply. After 4 days, you'll probably have a much drier taste...too dry for some.
I use a strainer to filter out the largest chunks of dead yeast, but they won't hurt you.
And I left the cap on in the fridge to have the residual yeast carbonate the drink. Yes, I was risking explosion, but it tastes MUCH better. And the cold temperature slows the fermentation...just check the bottle rigidity twice a day. If it's too stiff, HAVE A DRINK! The nice thing is, it'll repressurize itself a bit, unlike soda that goes flat after you open it.
Give it a try....you can't go wrong.
One thing to note, when you've reached the desired fermentation, remove the yeast from the bottom. If not, it will continue fermenting, even if you put it in the fridge. I did this by pouring the juice on the top into a pitcher, and leaving the sludge in the bottom of the juice bottle. Just wash it out, and put the juice back in, and you're set.
Also, be sure to keep the airlock on the bottle once it's in the fridge. Don't use the bottle cap! Since the yeast is still doing its job, if you use the bottle cap, pressure will cause an explosion.
Buy 2 x Spike Your Juice Kits, "Value Pack" Now
I got this as a gift for an old roommate of mine. Despite our propensities for beer and whiskey, neither I nor he have anything against prison wine. When life gives you pomegranate juice, probably the best thing to do is to ferment said pomegranate juice. This product really does work, and it's incredibly easy, and cost effective, and pomegranates have antioxidants.Read Best Reviews of 2 x Spike Your Juice Kits, "Value Pack" Here
As long as you follow the instructions, you will have a great tasting, slightly alcoholic drink in a few days. The longer you let it ferment, the drier the taste gets (less sugar). Since I can't drink conventional wine due to health issues (allergic to grapes, histimines, tannins), I was able to use my favorite blueberry juice and make an easy blueberry wine. I even cook with it. Great stuff!Want 2 x Spike Your Juice Kits, "Value Pack" Discount?
This stuff works greatand you can control the alcohol content and dryness.The longer you brew the higher the alcohol content will get, and at the same time your juice will get dryer from the lack of sugars. So if you want a higher alcohol content but want it to stay sweeter then just add about 1/2 cup of sugar to the juice beforehand, shake it up real good, then add the mix and brew it for a day or two longer than the initial 24 hours. The taste of your brew can change pretty dramatically from day to day so taste test it as you go along.
Also make sure to remove about 1/2 cup of the juice from the bottle before you brewthis will prevent spillover and problems when you push the rubber cap onto the bottle.
