Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[jgmann67]

In practice, it's not. When used in the sense of establishing federal jurisdiction, "interstate commerce" means "all commerce Congress has the power to regulate," which is virtually synonymous with "all commerce in the USA." Like most areas of federal law (tax, wage & health, drugs, guns, etc.) trademark law fully applies to purely intra-state sales. Technically, there should be some intrastate element lurking somewhere (e.g., some piece of equipment, office supplies, fertilizer, etc. crossed a state line at some point), but even if not, an intra-state sale "affects" interstate commerce, which the Supreme Court has found sufficient for federal law to apply.

Beware the dormant commerce clause.

 

[GretchenR]

I am making a Zinfandel blush. Am I correct that I can add the sweetening packet later (preferably after all of the carbon has dropped out and I have racked it off the ugly black lees), so that I can sweeten to taste? I may have done the math incorrectly, but I think the recommended amount of sweetener is 330 ml for a full kit's worth, which equates to about 1 1/3 cups. The included package is 500 ml, so I'd be using just over half. Does that sound right? Update: The package itself recommends 7 ml or 1 1/2 tsp per liter, which equates to 150 ml or roughly 2/3 cup, or about a third of a package. I know I'm supposed to sweeten "to taste," but I'm hoping for some guidance.

Update: I added eight ounces, or one cup, of the wine conditioner. I let it sit for a couple of weeks and then removed some and chilled it for tasting. It's delicious! I bottled it yesterday and my husband and I drank the dregs and really enjoyed it. Not particularly sweet but complex and refreshing, perfectly clear, and a beautiful color -- a winner.

 

[G259]

LOL, I thought I was the only one that saved and separated the 'dregs'!!

 

[Jim Welch]

LOL, I thought I was the only one that saved and separated the 'dregs'!!

I bottle everything and label the last bottle or two as dregs. I’ve found many times that they are THE most flavorful of the whole batch.

 

[winemaker81]

I bottle everything and label the last bottle or two as dregs. I’ve found many times that they are THE most flavorful of the whole batch.

At bottling time I rack into a primary to add K-meta, and occasionally backsweeten, leaving a bottle or so behind in the carboy. No matter how carefully I rack, there may be a dusting of sediment, and that gets left behind. This produces clear bottles that drop no sediment.

That remainder? I do the same -- it gets bottled and I write an X on the top of the cork, and it gets used first. Anything remaining that doesn't fit in a bottle gets enjoyed.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm watching the FWK year end video again, and the discussion starting at 12:55 caught my attention, comments regarding Tavola kits being popular even with the introduction of Forte kits. @Matteo_Lahm and @Matt_Pruszynski, food for thought -- I've got Forte kits in barrel right now, making big wines, and have Tavola kits with no skin packs -- to have something different. Sometimes I want a heavy red; other times I want a lighter one, especially with a lighter meal. Other times I want a white or mead or a fruit wine.

Back in the late 80's I recall reading an interview with famous singer who bragged that he only drank Chateau Petrus, which at that time retailed for $195 USD. My first thought at the time was that he was bragging (yeah, I already said that). My second thought was that I'd be bored drinking the same wine every day. It doesn't matter how good it is, if that's all that's in my glass I'd learn to not appreciate it.

 

[winemaker81]

@Matteo_Lahm and @Matt_Pruszynski, I hope you guys are happy with yourselves. I was having a quiet evening after a hectic week, watching your video. No alcohol for me tonight.

But you two blathering on about the wines you were drinking ... it got me. Sort of like peer pressure.

So now I'm sipping the Tavola Barbera (no skin packs) I started a year ago and bottled in January. It's lighter bodied, but is still full flavored, very fruity with nice cherry tones.

 

[jgmann67]

@Matteo_Lahm and @Matt_Pruszynski, I hope you guys are happy with yourselves. I was having a quiet evening after a hectic week, watching your video. No alcohol for me tonight.

But you two blathering on about the wines you were drinking ... it got me. Sort of like peer pressure.

So now I'm sipping the Tavola Barbera (no skin packs) I started a year ago and bottled in January. It's lighter bodied, but is still full flavored, very fruity with nice cherry tones.

View attachment 91927

I believe I have a Forte Barbera made with two skin packs (will check my order history to verify that it's a Forte). Would be interesting to compare them. It will got in the bottle before the end of summer.

 

[Jovimaple]

I started my FWK Cabernet Sauvignon Tavola on Saturday, 8/27. Pitched the yeast the next day. THREE days after yeast pitch, it's down to 1.005. Crazy fast! I stirred in the 2nd nutrient pack yesterday at 1.036 and that really did finish it off. It was running at 83 degrees for a day and half or so. It's down to 81 degrees now. Ambient temp is 71-73 in that room.

It came with oak chips and a grape seed pack, so I think I will probably leave it in primary until Monday when I get back from our Labor Day weekend at the cabin, to give it a little more time on the grape seeds.

Smells so good!

 

[winemaker81]

It came with oak chips and a grape seed pack, so I think I will probably leave it in primary until Monday when I get back from our Labor Day weekend at the cabin, to give it a little more time on the grape seeds.

Or follow the instructions and let it go the full 14 days?

 

[Jovimaple]

Or follow the instructions and let it go the full 14 days?

This hobby is a procrastinator's dream! Why, yes, I may let it sit the full 14 days! Or almost - I will be out of town on day 14, as well, so I would have to do it a day or so early anyway.

 

[winemaker81]

I will be out of town on day 14, as well, so I would have to do it a day or so early anyway.

Yup. A day or 2, either way, doesn't make any significant difference.

 

[silverbullet07]

This hobby is a procrastinator's dream! Why, yes, I may let it sit the full 14 days! Or almost - I will be out of town on day 14, as well, so I would have to do it a day or so early anyway.

Or as everyone told me, Airlock the bucket and let it go for another 6 weeks for an extended maceration on the skins.

 

[ratflinger]

Any red FWK kits I make get at least 1 month in the fermenter. I use ColorPro also (Thanks winemaker81). A month is about as long as I can go as I need the fermenters for new batches. Wish I had a little more room, then I could have more fermenters. Maybe I should just buy stock in Label Peelers

 

[Bmd2k1]

Any red FWK kits I make get at least 1 month in the fermenter. I use ColorPro also (Thanks winemaker81). A month is about as long as I can go as I need the fermenters for new batches. Wish I had a little more room, then I could have more fermenters. Maybe I should just buy stock in Label Peelers

Curious about Colorpro - as I've not used it yet. What's the typical protocol for usage?

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

Curious about Colorpro - as I've not used it yet. What's the typical protocol for usage?

Cheers!

Add it when reconstituting the kit. It works well on skin packs. The color of my Forte kits is as inky as grape wines.

 

[irabaker]

I'm curious winemaker81, do you use the included yeast with your Forte kits or swap it out for something else

 

[3dB]

Crazy fast!

Yeah, I discovered a detriment to my technique of submerging grape skins so as not to have to "punch them down" repeatedly, with concomitant exposure to O2. I have two 6-gal batches of Cab Sauv Forte in 8(?) gal buckets. The submerged skins, plus the volume of the glass weights holding them down, pushed the surface of the must up to just below the lid -- where a very vigorous fermentation drove it up through the airlock and all over everything! I don't know if it was just the must or also the bubbliness of StarSan in the airlocks, but it foamed up, and upon thousands of tiny bubbles bursting, sprayed a fine mist of partially fermented grape juice over everything within 5 feet!

 

[Jovimaple]

Or as everyone told me, Airlock the bucket and let it go for another 6 weeks for an extended maceration on the skins.

Mine is a Tavola - no skins!

 

[Jovimaple]

Yeah, I discovered a detriment to my technique of submerging grape skins so as not to have to "punch them down" repeatedly, with concomitant exposure to O2. I have two 6-gal batches of Cab Sauv Forte in 8(?) gal buckets. The submerged skins, plus the volume of the glass weights holding them down, pushed the surface of the must up to just below the lid -- where a very vigorous fermentation drove it up through the airlock and all over everything! I don't know if it was just the must or also the bubbliness of StarSan in the airlocks, but it foamed up, and upon thousands of tiny bubbles bursting, sprayed a fine mist of partially fermented grape juice over everything within 5 feet!

I don't use an airlock during primary fermentation - I just set the cover on the bucket, not snapped down, and lay a towel over the top to make sure no bugs get in since the cover is not snapped down. That being said, without skins my primary fermenter of 7.9 gallons is big enough, barely, to contain any foaming up.