Cellar Craft CC Showcase Amarone Kit Tips?

[Dugger]

I don't know how to convince you... I used two different hydrometers and let it sit on the grape pack overnight. I found it shocking myself, but I did ultimately believe that.

My fermenter has gallon markings (which I did myself by measuring water on a scale, since a gallon jug holds more than a gallon), and these markings have been used for a prior kit which worked fine.

I tend to prefer everything to be very precisely measured, it seems very unlikely to me that I over-diluted the concentrate juice base at all, and much less likely that it would be so diluted to cause such a dramatically low SG. I guess I can order another kit and hope for a better batch, it's not that much money... but I'm somewhat disinclined to buy another cellar craft product... :/

Decided to check in and noticed this post. I had the same experience with this kit. Started one last Nov and the OG was 1.064 which surprised the heck out of me. After skins, the best I could get was 1.082. I notified the store and they advised me to let it run its course, confident that it would be fine. After 5 months I tried it and it was not fine. My brother in law had made the same kit about the same time and his was excellent, much darker, better taste and body. I took a bottle of mine in to the seller and they agreed it was more like a low end kit. They gave me a replacement Showcase Amarone kit. Darned if it didn’t also start out at 1.064 (3 different hydrometers, same result) - contacted store and they were very good and gave me a Forza kit to replace it (OG on it was 1.085 before skins). This kit is supposedly similar to an Amarone.
I can’t explain why the Amarone kit failed twice, especially with them being 5 months apart. Like you I am very particular with volumes, mixing, measurements, etc. It had been on my list of kits to make for a long time so it was all very disappointing. If by brother in law’s Amarone turns out as good as it showed promise to be, I may give it another try.

 

[jsbeckton]

This is pretty shocking to me. I’ve never had a kit OG less than 1.085 or so, and my RJS Amarone was 1.100 so I think I’ll prob stick with RJS for this one I the future (it’s just over a year but already very good).

 

[pillswoj]

Last Showcase Amarone I did I started January 2018, starting SG after stiring in skins was 1.102. Finished up 0.993 ~14.5% ABV