RJ Spagnols 1st wine brew and diary - Vino del Vida wine kit

[lovethepirk]

August, 25 2009 6pm

So I spent $200 yesterday and got all my supplies and a "Vino del Vida" red Zinfandel kit. My girlfriend and I were excited. We like Pinot Noir mostly but the local brew guy suggested red zin after a chat on his personal results.

The local guy told me I really didn't need star sans sanitizer and potassium metabisulfite solution would do nicely. I am cleaning everything with that and letting it drip after a good shake.

So we put 1 gallon warm water with bentonite into bucket, easy. Mix in concentrated juice, easy. Add water till I got to 5.2 gallons, checked sg and was nearing 1.09 so I added more water and stirred heavily. Checked and got about 1.088!

Tossed in the inclueded wood looking powder/fine scrapings? No clue what it was. And tossed in the included peppercorn looking stuff, oak maybe? Stirred heavily.

Here's where I am venturing off kit instructions.... I put 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite into must to get 40-50 ppm. Stirred heavily. Kit instructs to add this after final rack, but I read you should do this before yeast and wait 24 hours.

We capped bucket and put airlock on with pot. metabisulfite solution in.

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Notes and questions
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1) good move puttin in 40-50 ppm potassium metabisulfite in 24 hrs before yeast?

2) why do we need to wait 24 hrs?

3) Tomorrow before we add yeast should we stir heavily before the yeast or do we not want to stir up the metabisulfite?

 

[cpfan]

Lots of answers.

a. K-meta (potassium meta-bisulfite) is a sanitizer NOT a cleaner. You need to clean before you sanitize.

b. wood looking powder is oak

c. peppercorns looking stuff is dried elderberries

d. you shoulda bought the Pinot Noir - the store owner does NOT have the same taste buds as you.

e. follow the instructions. kits are different than fruit wines. First time kit makers should follow the instructions and totally ignore nearly all the other advice

Now to your numbered questions

1. Not a bad move, but a waste of K-meta, as it was not needed, and it MAY slow down your yeast. K-meta at start is to stun wild yeast. K-meta at bottling is to give longer shelf life to finished wine. Totally different purposes. BTW, with this kit, I wouldn`t bother adding the extra K-meta at bottling.

2. K-meta stuns yeasts. It will slow/stop the wine yeast as well as any wild yeasts.

3. YES, I would stir vigorously. a-it will help to dissipate the K-meta. b-it will help to incorporate oxygen into the must (which the yeast needs)

Steve

 

[lovethepirk]

CP,

Thanks for your reply. I cleaned everything fairly well as ut was new outside in the yard. Then I sanitized with the k meta.

I think you are correct on the Pinot.

I am guessing if I was using real grapes I would need the k meta prior but since this is kit I don't?

I will stir well and add the yeast later without stiring the yeast in.

More later....

 

[Tom]

Cp is right in what he said.
but,
I would make a starter to get the yeasties going
Remember start making wine YOU like not from others results of different wines.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Remember start making wine YOU like not from others results of different wines.

yep and then try what you are interested in.....have fun!!!

 

[Wade E]

CP, I dont make the Vino Del Vida kits but is that the new one with the Elderberries(International Series)?

 

[St Allie]

Does anyone mind if I move this thread into the wine kits section?..

I'm sure it will be helpful to other Vino del Vida kit buyers.

Allie

 

[Wade E]

Please do, I just logged on and was trying to catch up on posts and didnt even notice where it was, I always leave a 1 month redirect.

 

[cpfan]

CP, I dont make the Vino Del Vida kits but is that the new one with the Elderberries(International Series)?

Wade:

That would be Grand Cru International California Zinfandel. My notes for that (from Spagnols and over two years old) show no oak and no elderberries. As far as I can tell, there isn't a Vino del Vida World Tour zinfandel.

For the standard VdeV Red Zinfandel, the RJS notes show elderberries but no oak. However, I sold this kit in my store, and my personal notes show toasred oak and elderberries.

I think that lovetheprk has the standard VdeV Red Zinfandel.

Steve

 

[St Allie]

Thankyou Wade..

this thread has now been moved into..

-"Wine kits - other brands not listed above forum.."

Allie

 

[Wade E]

Ill move it to RJS as thats what it is. OOps, yeh, I had this confused with the Grand Cru. I did not know any of these kits came with elder. The only ones I knew of were WineExpert.

 

[St Allie]

Thanks Wade,

Had no clue, I can't buy that brand here.

Allie

 

[lovethepirk]

cp,

Yes this was the standard kit I assume. It was NOT a world tour one like the Shiraz one was.

And it had what I assume was oak which was in a silver, non see thru baggie. and the berries were in a clear smaller baggie.

 

[lovethepirk]

August, 26 2009 7pm
---------------------

Pulled the cap off the white 6 gallon bucket and kept it in a sanitized area.

Cleaned and sanitized a measuring cup and filled it with some of the juice from the bucket. I poured in my yeast and mixed well and let sit for 5 minutes. Then I stirred it again a bit and before pouring it into the bucket I gave the bucket a good stir. I poured it in the bucket and resanitized the lid and covered it. Re sanitized the airlock and away we are!!!!

Only thing I regret is not using warm water for the yeast activation. I think using the juice that was at 74 degress F will be fine though.

Questions....
-------------
1) Should I uncover and stir the must once or twice a day?
2) After 4 full days would it be smart to take an SG test and see where I am at?
3) At what SG should I rack the must? (ie. 1.03, 1.02, 1.01) Does it even matter?

Thanks....

 

[cpfan]

cp,

Yes this was the standard kit I assume. It was NOT a world tour one like the Shiraz one was.

And it had what I assume was oak which was in a silver, non see thru baggie. and the berries were in a clear smaller baggie.

Yep. Some of the RJS oak is in an unlabelled silver package. And the elderberries in a clear, sometimes labelled package.

Steve

 

[lovethepirk]

August 29th, 2009
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Today is day 4 of the fermentation....Plenty of gas bubbles coming up through the airlock and no bad smells. I assume things are GOOD!

I took a SG measurment and got around 1.72 ish. I had thought it may have been a bit lower than this but for the first day there wasn't much gas bubbles coming up thru the airlock. Everything seems healthy now.

I stirred my must lightly and resealed. Gonna test everyday and see how the progress continues.


What is the preferred SG for a Racking or what is the range?
--I am thinking of Racking at 1.02-1.01

Thanks...

 

[lovethepirk]

August 30, 2009

Again while cleaning and sterilizing everything I opened my bucket lid and tested the sg it was 1.06. Moving along nicely, I gave the must a stir and covered it back up.

I ALSO tasted the must and it tasted good!!!!


Can't wait to drink this!!!!

 

[St Allie]

sounds like it is coming along fine..

I'm a bit slack on the moving to secondary.. I leave mine til it's pretty much done in the primary.. and move it to secondary just for the stabilising/clearing stage. Mainly because I only have 2 x 23 litre( 6 gallon) carboys for that step in the kits.. and a lot of primaries. So they only take 8 days in the carboy each for the clearing step. I just time each kit to finish when a carboy is free.. My pinot noir got shifted to secondary at .995...

Allie

 

[lovethepirk]

Thanks...

I see you are from NZ. I spent 2 weeks there this year. Been there 3 times now. Been to Christchurch 3 times, obviously flying through Auckland, and went to Queenstown this year.

Queenstown was AMAZING. What awesome views around that lake.

Thanks for your help...

 

[St Allie]

That's a long flight from knoxville for a 2 week holiday.. were you on a longer holiday including other countries?

I have to ask..

did you do the bungee jump in Queenstown?

Allie