Mango lemonade wine experiment, taste test and final alcohol readings

Like my previous experiment with watermelon lemonade I bought this to reuse the bottle for testing but of course had to see how it would ferment.

Original gravity 1.04
Final gravity for both bottles was 0.095

Final alcohol level for each bottle is just under 6%

Bottle 1

1/16 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee Yeast

Bottle 2

1/16 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee Yeast
1/8 tsp DAP
1/6 tsp yeast nutrient (B vitamins)
1/8 tsp bentonite

For more details on the method check out my blog. The quick instructions are below.

After the ingredients are added cover the top with breathable paper as the yeast are multiplying, after 2-5 days add an airlock or loose cap with a plastic bag and elastic band. The wine should be fully brewed in 2-3 weeks. Leave in a warm, dark area until all bubbling stops.

Bottle 1

The smell is fruity with a mango/fruits salad smell but in a slightly nauseating way. lol

After doing a few of these tests I am noticing the same sour, acrid taste in all the test batches without nutrients added. It must be a byproduct of the yeast when they are lacking nutrients. It's not good enough to want to drink.

Bottle 2

There is a mild fruity smell. The taste is mild and sour like lemon water with a hint of mango. It's quite smooth. It could work as a hard lemonade if mixed before drinking. Also the potential is there to make a stronger wine if more sugar was added at the beginning.

The bentonite cleared the liquid partially but not as much as the watermelon wine.

Final thoughts:

I think I've established enough that juices other than grapes absolutely need nutrients added so I'm going to start adding them to all my experiments. I'm also going to start adding sugar and dextrose to aim for 13% wine in my future experiments now that the recipes have given some basic results to build on.

Please leave your comments and thoughts below. Cheers!