WineXpert CabSav "clearing" time?

[M38A1]

I've purchased a couple kits from W/E and completed them with good results. But I've always had one lingering question about timing that to me isn't clear in the instructions. This question centers on their Eclipse Lodi Cab Sav kit...

For a Grape Skins wine kit, Step 3 says "Day 15 - Clearing". I'm ok with following 3.1 to 3.5 but when it comes time for 3.6 "Continue clearing process according to the chart above", I'm confused with the 5,6 8 week options as the next step (4) says "Day 30 Polishing Rack/Aging".

IF I go with a 6 or 8 week "Length of time to make wine", thats more than 30 days since I started. See my confusion? Or is this a generic instruction set and my kit takes 5 weeks to make wine - yeast pitch to clearing is two weeks, plus 20 days or about 3 weeks to clear which is five weeks?

Am I overthinking this or just not getting it? I'm at about 30 days now since starting

And from experience/prior users, what's the general aging period for this before consumption?

I've sent pretty much the above to W/E about mid-Feb and they've not replied as well.

 

[heatherd]

I've purchased a couple kits from W/E and completed them with good results. But I've always had one lingering question about timing that to me isn't clear in the instructions. This question centers on their Eclipse Lodi Cab Sav kit...

For a Grape Skins wine kit, Step 3 says "Day 15 - Clearing". I'm ok with following 3.1 to 3.5 but when it comes time for 3.6 "Continue clearing process according to the chart above", I'm confused with the 5,6 8 week options as the next step (4) says "Day 30 Polishing Rack/Aging".

IF I go with a 6 or 8 week "Length of time to make wine", thats more than 30 days since I started. See my confusion? Or is this a generic instruction set and my kit takes 5 weeks to make wine - yeast pitch to clearing is two weeks, plus 20 days or about 3 weeks to clear which is five weeks?

Am I overthinking this or just not getting it? I'm at about 30 days now since starting

And from experience/prior users, what's the general aging period for this before consumption?

I've sent pretty much the above to W/E about mid-Feb and they've not replied as well.

I like my reds to clear/age for a year plus. My suggestion would be to give it extra time, especially since you have a nice higher-end kit. To do so, you'll add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite every three months. I rack before bottling, but not on the three-month intervals.

 

[sour_grapes]

I agree with Heather. It would be best to let your wine age for a year or more. This makes concerns of 5 vs. 8 weeks pretty immaterial.

 

[Swedeman]

The instruction on their homepage is updated, obviously they have had some questions on this very topic:

http://winexpert.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/GVI-4-8week-Rev10Nov2018_FINAL-JW.pdf

 

[tradowsk]

I've been doing this very same kit. Pitched the yeast in Aug 2018 and it's still in a carboy clearing. I didn't add the included clarifiers, hence the longer time.

I would say give it more time to clear before bottling. You don't want a bunch of sediment in your bottled wine, and there's no downside to bulk aging for a few months.

 

[crushday]

To answer your question related to the 5, 6, 8 weeks on the chart, your Eclipse kit is an eight week kit on the chart. WE has kits that would employ the other “clearing” options but these kits are less expensive.

 

[M38A1]

Thank you all for the input.

I'll just leet this sit for another couple months, toss some K-Meta at it and put it in the closet with a note to re-KMeta every three months for a year then see what happens.

 

[M38A1]

The instruction on their homepage is updated, obviously they have had some questions on this very topic:

http://winexpert.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/GVI-4-8week-Rev10Nov2018_FINAL-JW.pdf

Thanks!