Other Extended bottle aging a kit

[blkcloud63]

Hello,
Just a general question. Looking at some kits that state good for up to a year when you bottle them. Is there something I can add to extend the shelf life? Also the process. Do I need to add it to each bottle when filling or add it before bottling? Thanks in Advance.

 

[salcoco]

if y0ou add proper dosage of k-meta at bottling and store in the proper place kit wines can sustain greater than 5 years of life

 

[winemaker81]

I agree with @salcoco. If we're talking red kits, there's no reason to not get a 5 year shelf life out of the wine. The rule of thumb is 1/4 tsp K-meta per 5 or 6 gallons, at each racking after fermentation completes, and at bottling time.

If a kit package stated that I can get up to a year, even for a white? I'd not buy it.

EDIT: I expect a red to age a year before drinking, not have it in decline at the year mark.

 

[tttaff]

I have reds that are going on 8+ years old that are fantastic at this age. And I've kept whites for several years and they are still good. Just follow good sanitation practices and you should be able to keep kit wines for quite a while.

 

[rustbucket]

I agree that any such statement by a red kit manufacturer would be wrong; but #blkcloud63 didn't say that it was a red wine kit. White wines don't age as well as reds, although, even for whites, a year is still too short a period. Maximum viability of fruit wines, however, may fall into blkcloud63's one year time line.

We need to know more about the kind of wine being made and the name of the wine kit company.

 

[blkcloud63]

I agree that any such statement by a red kit manufacturer would be wrong; but #blkcloud63 didn't say that it was a red wine kit. White wines don't age as well as reds, although, even for whites, a year is still too short a period. Maximum viability of fruit wines, however, may fall into blkcloud63's one year time line.

We need to know more about the kind of wine being made and the name of the wine kit company.

It’s a red wine Master Vintner Merlot week day wine kit.

 

[Mike Parisi]

The kit makers figure the faster they can get you to drink it, the faster you will order another kit.

 

[Khristyjeff]

The Master Vintner Merlot was the first kit I made about a year and a half ago. It has always tasted thin with 'kit taste" on the nose and lingering. If I were to do this Merlot kit again, I would follow the tips from the "Tweaking Cheap Kits" thread and add an f-pac of blackberries or some black currants to add more body and enhance the flavor. I've had good luck with this method and believe these tweaked wines will last well beyond a year and require very minimal extra effort on the winemaker's part. Good luck and enjoy!

It’s a red wine Master Vintner Merlot week day wine kit.

 

[blkcloud63]

The Master Vintner Merlot was the first kit I made about a year and a half ago. It has always tasted thin with 'kit taste" on the nose and lingering. If I were to do this Merlot kit again, I would follow the tips from the "Tweaking Cheap Kits" thread and add an f-pac of blackberries or some black currants to add more body and enhance the flavor. I've had good luck with this method and believe these tweaked wines will last well beyond a year and require very minimal extra effort on the winemaker's part. Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks for the advise. Just getting back into wine making. I started with that kit because of the price point. Need to polish my skills and equipment before I step up to move expensive kits. My thoughts this might turn out like a table wine and hopefully be drinkable Thanks again for your help and all others who have chimed in. Cheers