Cellar Craft 10 year old wine Kit for a beer brewer

[Husher]

I'm a beer brewer and a friend gave me a 6.5 gallon acid carboy (kewl) and a 10 year old wine kit. He's fantasized about making that and beer for that long but never got around to it (wife was so please I took them away).

Anyways, is the wine kit destined for a landfill? It's a red with oak powder. I'm assuming I'd replace just about everything (yeast, etc) but the must/juice (and maybe the oak powder). I've never done wine before (done mead, recently banana wine) and was thinking it would be more of a learning experience, but if it's gonna make me sick, I'd rather not. I figure I'll add the water to bring it back to juice, and if it's not offensive, proceed.

I read somewhere about making it into a port (I like Port!). How do I do that? Or does the inherit oxidation make it taste like a port?

Thanks

 

[greyday]

I don't think it will make you sick, but it might not taste all that good. If the must is vacuum sealed and there is no mold/air pressure then, if anything, it's most likely just the taste that has deteriorated over time. I don't use kits so I don't have personal experience to rely on, but I know when it comes to freezing/canning/etc and shelf life, if there's no sign of bacteria it is generally safe for consumption.

You also are probably fine using most of the kit, but you're totally right to replace the yeast; it COULD work, but it's most likely too old.

 

[Husher]

I just checked the kit for a date and found that the yeast expired in June 2011. The kit can't be 10 years old then can it? How long does yeast usually have before it expires? a year? 18 Months?

 

[greyday]

The yeasts I buy, if not refrigerated, range from 6-18 months. Refrigerated they last a lot longer (I have yeasts that are years old) and I've noticed no ill tastes or anything. One didn't start, though.

 

[jsiddall]

I just checked the kit for a date and found that the yeast expired in June 2011. The kit can't be 10 years old then can it? How long does yeast usually have before it expires? a year? 18 Months?

I can't imaging that the yeast was more than a couple of years from expiring when the kit was made, meaning it was probably made early 2010 or roughly 5 years old now.

If you don't mind investing a few dollars for some replacement ingredients, like yeast and k-meta, to give it a try you will at least buy yourself some free experience. Best case you can enjoy the wine you made. Worst case you dump it out and use it as a very inexpensive learning experience you can use to familiarize yourself with the procedure before spending money on a new kit. I would go ahead with it!

 

[sour_grapes]

Have you seen this link: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f84/main-link-date-code-3339/

It tells you how to definitively determine the date of manufacture.

 

[Husher]

ok, well the lot number is I10812SA.

Meaning September 10th 2008, right? Older than I'd hoped, and weird since the yeast expired almost 3 years later.