how can i make my supercheap homemade wine even BETTER?

Question

let's get one thing straight -- i do not intend to spend more than five bucks on making my hooch.

i dump a can o frozen concentrate into an empty milk jug, add a pack o yeast and a couple of cups of sugar and let it hang out in my closet for a couple of weeks.

is there any other cheapskate method anyone knows of that is superior to this?

also, am i gambling with botulism?

i suppose i should've mentioned that i fill the milk jug. so we're talking a little less than a gallon of water here.

Answer 1

For being super cheap, you've done what you can do. Anything else you do will cost more money and may make the process take longer (not a problem if you're patient).
You can add more sugar for a higher alcohol content.
You can add some dissolved gelatin to help it clarify as it ferments and sits.
You can get some sanitizer to make sure your brew doesn't get infected...it won't be botulism, but it will be every bit as nasty.
You can play with different flavors of concentrate (cranberry, apple, grape, whatever).
You can use wine yeast instead of baking yeast (a pack that makes 5 gallons is only a buck at the homebrew store).

Have fun, but if you don't sanitize your equipment properly, you risk getting your brew infected and wasting your five bucks. If you go overboard with your sanitizing, you can kill your yeast before it even starts, and you will have wasted your five bucks.

Answer 2

Add liquid oak extract (sinatin 17).
This product enhances flavour and reduces aging time.
2-4ml to litre of red wine and 1-2ml for white.

Been making my own for over 10 years at home and this stuff is amazing.

Answer 3

How much water do you add.