Latest Abomination: Sunny D

[u/warneverchanges7414]

My latest sin to winemaking brought me to Sunny Delight. Upon reading several posts about how it's a bad idea, couldn't/shouldn't be done, I decided to ignore all of them and do it anyway. In a 4L container I combined 1C of tea, fermaid o, 1/2tsp of pectic enzyme, Sunny D, enough sugar to reach a gravity of 1.100, and good ol' ec1118. It was a rough ferment the whole way due to a high pH I forgot to check. After adding 1/2 a tsp of baking soda and a whole 2 months of painfully slow fermentation it finally went dry. I decided to oak it on American oak just because I thought it was funny to oak sunny d. The results piss me off more than the fermentation did because it's actually really good. Like really really good. Better than some serious projects. No puke smell likely because the only thing Sunny d has in common with actual orange juice is being the color orange. The flavor was like a robust white wine with orange notes with hints of baking spices for some reason. I absolutely hate that it's an 8/10 compared to all the wines I've made. Pairs well with remembering people you went to high school with are more successful than you now and seafood.

[u/blackpinecone]

As a professional winemaker, gotta say this is awesome. The American oak touch is what puts it over the top for me.

👏🤩👏

[u/warneverchanges7414 → u/blackpinecone]

It really did take it to the next level, especially considering it started in the basement. I wasn't planning to before tasting it, but I will be aging a couple bottles for a year just to see what happens.

[u/BroccoliOwn8193]

Could’ve done the primary right in the sunny d jug, I would’ve out of ease

[u/warneverchanges7414 → u/BroccoliOwn8193]

Certainly. I don't because r/winemaking is a bad influence. That and it gives me a bit more wine by the end.

[u/lazerwolf987]

C A R L O R O S S I

Pairs well with a nice salmon filet shared with your wife's boyfriend. Lol, awesome choice of hooch. I want to try this one. The cheap ones that turn out good always amaze me. Did you backsweeten it at all?

[u/warneverchanges7414 → u/lazerwolf987]

Not at all. There is a very tiny amount of residual sweetness, likely due to unfermentable sugar in the drink, but it doesn't even register on the hydrometer. That's good because I'm not a fan of monk fruit or stevia in anything, especially wine. They add it to everything now. Carlo Rossi is amazing.... for the jugs it comes in. Lmao

[u/Massive-Government35]

I love this , i made orange wine once with a tin of prepared seville oranges .... it had explosive froth that hit the ceiling & tasted vile (,well interesting & not orangey ), i drank it anyway 😁

[u/warneverchanges7414 → u/Massive-Government35]

It definitely had some unusual funk after primary, but not the vomit smell I often hear about. Likely because Sunny D is mostly pear juice if I remember correctly. The oak seemed to round it and really set it off.

[u/Ok_Medicine7534]

Brilliant!!! 🍹🧉