Homemade Wine, Brandy, Whiskey

[Mark C]

Originally Posted by andysutherland

Higher alcohol content as a result of more yeast or more sugar? Or more of both?

You need the right type of yeast, not a larger quantity. Aclohol is toxic to yeast, but some strains are more tolerant than others. I think the range is about 12-17% alcohol, with most around 15% max. I know there's one yeast developed for spirits production that can go up to ~20% alcohol.

But to get your alcohol that high you need enough sugar. Most grape juice will not reach those levels unless you add sugar, but that's generally not a good idea 'cause it'll throw off the balance in your wine.

If you're making grape wine, the alcohol content will likely be entirely dependent on the amount of sugar in the grape juice, which is almost entirely dependent on vineyard management and growing conditions. Consequently it'll be very similar to commercial wines from the same region and year (not counting fancy commercial winemaking techniques like reverse osmosis).