BC winewbie

[PrisonWallet]

Hi, I've been lurking for awhile, but decided to post on here since I feel like less of a creeper that way. Currently have a Gewurtztraminer kit in Primary, and a Pinot Grigio kit in secondary, supposedly ready to be bottled next weekend. Have heard these kits taste better after aging for a month or so, does it make a difference if they sit in the carboy or in bottles?

The Gew is interesting, it foamed up nicely at the end of day 2, and by day 4 the foam was gone. It hit the towel on top and just disappeared. Starting sg 1.085, and 1.060 by day 4. Room temp is 64-66 degrees.

Seems like fun so far, will try a 23L juice kit next: Mosti Alljuice Nero d'Avola.

Pleased to meet everyone!

 

[vinny]

Welcome!

I moved to Alberta, but grew up in the lower mainland of BC. What's your general location?

With the kits I have done, I have found that they really come together at the 3 month point after the kit bottle date. It took a little longer for the pinot grigio kits I have done vs the reds. You can age in the bottle or carboy, The benefit of carboy aging is less oxygen exposure compared to the headspace in each bottle, but you can also taste as it ages to see if you are ready to drink it vs opening a hole bottle that's just ok.

Don't read into things too much, if it tastes good, bottle it and drink it. if it tastes like alcoholic welches grape juice, it will get better. give it time!

 

[BigDaveK]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[ChuckD]

Welcome. Plus one on letting those kits age in the carboy for a few months. I have found that good things happen when you practice patience.

 

[winemaker81]

@PrisonWallet, welcome to posting!

Don't be in a hurry to bottle -- kit schedule is the minimum time to bottle. Give the wine a few more months in the carboy -- you'll like the result MUCH better. After bottling, don't open a bottle for 2 or 3 months.

Do yourself a favor and record your impressions each time you taste the wine, then put the notes away and do not look at them. After a year, read your notes from first to last. You'll be surprised at the changes in the wine.

Foam and/or activity in the primary, and bubbles in the airlock -- neither tells you anything useful. While it's nice to see, pay attention to your hydrometer -- it tells the real story. Your says that fermentation is proceeding.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to delurking!

 

[Rice_Guy]

welcome to WMT

 

[vinny]

Don't be in a hurry to bottle -- kit schedule is the minimum time to bottle. Give the wine a few more months in the carboy -- you'll like the result MUCH better. After bottling, don't open a bottle for 2 or 3 months.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but this statement is a lot easier to follow when you have wine to drink. I 100% agree with the statement up until after bottling. At that point I would suggest waiting a couple of weeks or more for bottle shock. Then if you start drinking them, mark a few and save them for 3,6,9,12 months so you can see how aging affects the taste and quality. Then you can plan for other kits to take that long.

The only reason I would dare 'correct' @winemaker81 is because I remember how excited I was to try my wine 8 months ago when I first started. The only reason I didn't drink them at the kit bottling date was because I didn't like them. When tasted, they clearly needed more time.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm not saying you are wrong, but this statement is a lot easier to follow when you have wine to drink.

Very true! The one sure-fire way to age wine is to make more than you drink!

The only reason I would dare 'correct' @winemaker81 is because I remember how excited I was to try my wine 8 months ago when I first started. The only reason I didn't drink them at the kit bottling date was because I didn't like them. When tasted, they clearly needed more time.

Always question! [I'm a George Carlin fan] It's far better to raise a question and be wrong, than to not raise a question and be right.

 

[PrisonWallet]

I'm not saying you are wrong, but this statement is a lot easier to follow when you have wine to drink. I 100% agree with the statement up until after bottling. At that point I would suggest waiting a couple of weeks or more for bottle shock. Then if you start drinking them, mark a few and save them for 3,6,9,12 months so you can see how aging affects the taste and quality. Then you can plan for other kits to take that long.

The only reason I would dare 'correct' @winemaker81 is because I remember how excited I was to try my wine 8 months ago when I first started. The only reason I didn't drink them at the kit bottling date was because I didn't like them. When tasted, they clearly needed more time.

This is probably more likely to happen, since I want to drink the odd bottle while aging the rest, and would like to have top-up wine for the next similar batch. Can I top up the Gewurztraminer carboy with the Pinot Grigio when that time comes?

Would also like to have a few bottles ready at Christmas time, and when company visits, plop it on the table with the wine they brought. Will see what they say, unless it's not tasty at all.

 

[PrisonWallet]

Very true! The one sure-fire way to age wine is to make more than you drink!

The kits I have came with 2 batches of each. So 60 bottles of Pinot Grigio and 60 bottles of Gew. I plan on adding only half the sweetener with the Gew on the first batch. Will adjust second batch to taste. Would it be wise to add a bit, taste, add a bit more and taste again until the way I like it?

 

[PrisonWallet]

Welcome!

I moved to Alberta, but grew up in the lower mainland of BC. What's your general location?

Was born in Vancouver and raised in the suburban outskirts. Got tired of the exploding population there, and moved out to the Fraser Valley about 6 years ago. Now it's getting overpopulated out here. Can't move further away, as my round-trip daily commute is already 3+ hours.

 

[BigDaveK]

The kits I have came with 2 batches of each. So 60 bottles of Pinot Grigio and 60 bottles of Gew. I plan on adding only half the sweetener with the Gew on the first batch. Will adjust second batch to taste. Would it be wise to add a bit, taste, add a bit more and taste again until the way I like it?

Oh gosh yes! Make it the you like!
And keep in mind you can sweeten and bottle some, sweeten and bottle more. It's like having different wines from the same batch.

 

[ChuckD]

Would it be wise to add a bit, taste, add a bit more and taste again until the way I like it?

Absolutely! If I weren’t so far away I’d offer to help .

I have found it to be true that you should do bench trials. sweeten to where you like it then back off 10% or so when you calculate the volume for the whole batch. They seem to get a little sweeter in the bottle.