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Anyone else buy and start the Triumph (Shiraz/Viognier)? I finally started mine over the weekend. After I put everything together, I let the skins soak a bit and bubbles die down, and I measured a SG of 1.100 and pitched the RC 212. It was happily bubbling away this morning when I checked on...

I received my kit last night. I'm super excited for this one; since I started making wine, I've been raving about how I want to pack bourbon flavors into my ideal red wine, and this feels like the first step. Unfortunately I won't be able start mine until after I rotate in a couple other kits...

Thanks for the confirmation! I also see that the Winexpert website had this kit uploaded recently, so thanks for adding the skins note to the description on the website, too! http://winexpert.com/product/bourbon-barrel-zinfandel-cabernet/

At this point I'd call it just "good" but has potential. I get some apple and peach up front with a good amount of acidity on the back end. It needs more time, but it doesn't taste as full body as I read in the descriptions. The Fpack really brought in the fruit flavors, though. Before the...

I finally got to adding the F-pack for our Quartet. Before F-pack, the SG was 0.992, and after F-pack the SG is 1.002. This F-pack looked and poured much less syrupy than previous F-packs we've used from Winexpert, which I interpret as a good thing :)

Another interesting pieces of information I saw in the Fine Vine Wines newsletter is that this kit is going to have unique instructions. Here is a copy/paste from the newsletter: In order to obtain optimal bourbon character in the finished wine, the Eclipse Bourbon Barrel limited release...

That sounds great! I have limited experience with melomels; I've made JAOM batches, but those were some of my first ever brewing experiences, and I chose it because I could find everything at my local grocery store. I'd recommend browsing some mead-focused forums for ideas on that, and maybe...

I've read of people doing it either way, so if you're concerned about contamination or if your honey is straight from a beehive (meaning straight from a beekeeper) it doesn't hurt. I've tried it both ways, and I've also tried to boil the must and letting it cool before pitching the yeast. I've...

Calling someone's mead-making process "very bad" is pretty ignorant for such a broad statement without understanding the flavor target. If you're making a low abv mead, it is very different flavor profile from a higher abv mead, so it matters what your end goal is. There are flavors that take...

When you say "aging" do you mean specifically with oak? Generally speaking, mead gets significantly better over time. I make my meads more like wine than beer (not carbonated and higher ABV), and the last 5 gallon batch I bulk aged for nearly 18 months before bottling. I used cheap store...

We pushed this one up in the schedule, and started it last night. Starting SG was 1.082 at 72F, and we swapped in QA23 for this kit. As others have said on this forum, the new bentonite really sucks to get into solution. It's more like kitty litter than powder now.

I have mine in queue. Probably won't be starting it until September, though.

I had a bottle of the Pink Lemonade last night. It is just shy of 13 months since pitching the yeast, and it is still really good! To me it takes like it has lost a bit of sweetness, but in a good way, so I am still very happy with this kit.

From what I've read, the bread yeast is important to the recipe. I've read about other people using different yeasts, but I haven't seen anyone try Cotes des Blanc, so I'm curious how yours turns out in terms of flavor. I followed the JAOM recipe as written, and the taste of the clove and the...

Looking back on it, I also boosted the SG in primary, too. I use Domino sugar dissolved directly into the must prior to pitching the yeast. Typically my method is not recommended because it is harder to dissolve all the sugars, but hey I sleep the same. For recommended ways to boost SG...

I made this using the full F-pack at the end, and it is my favorite Island Mist kit so far. My hope for this wine was an alcoholic Country Time Lemonade, so the full F-pack at the end gave it the sweetness I was looking for. I don't keep many sweet wines, but this is one I'll keep making as...

It partially depends on your location because shipping costs can make or break the price. For me: For price and for Winexpert kits: https://labelpeelers.com/ For selection: https://www.finevinewines.com/Guide-to-choosing-a-wine-kit.html Both sites, in my opinion, have excellent service.

Even with an airlock, you get permeation between the airlock and the bung, the bung and the carboy opening, and (in the case of the wide mouth) the carboy opening and the threaded closure. With a narrow neck carboy, you have fewer modes of permeation and a smaller surface area in contact with...

For me, the main reason is that I have been sticking to kit wines and the occasional bucket. Those are usually measured out fit into a 6 gallon carboy, so I don't want to have the extra 0.5 gallon of headspace. I've also slowed down my wine and mead making, so I have started to age the brews...

In addition to what Boatboy said, it depends on if it is plastic or glass. The plastic ones are a little easier to find at or less than $40. For glass ones, that is a good deal. For what it's worth, I keep only 1 Big Mouth Bubbler around, and I use it for melomel or any other ferment where I...