Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[Gilmango]

You may be able to use a 7 gallon bucket for fermentation. I did the Finer Wines Cab Sauv with double skins and really didn't get much foaming action. Definitely could have used the bucket for that. Super Tuscan may or may not be similar. On the other hand, every bold red RJS EP I've done had a lot of foaming and definitely needed the extra room of the Speidel. And thanks for your follow up!

Thanks, good to know not much foaming action in Finer Wines. I mainly want to use my only Speidel 30L due to being able to seal it under airlock near the end of fermentation so I can do an extended maceration (probably a week of fermenting followed by 4-5 more weeks in the primary under airlock). My buckets don't have air-tight lids where I'd feel safe doing that.

So I'll do them one after the other, Finer Wines then RJS, but I do have a bunch of carboys and figure after bulk ageing for a few months there won't be too much of a difference between one which bulk aged for say 5 months vs. one which bulk aged for 6 months, for the purpose of comparing them side by side. Plus most of the comparisons will be done after several more months in the bottles.

And sadly after all that time, should I happen to prefer the RJS EP one, it won't be sold in its 18L format anymore.

 

[Darkroom]

I kept telling myself I wasn't ordering any these, resisted last time. This morning I found they now had a Zinfandel.
then, sober as a preacher on Sunday morning I relented and ordered a Zin with double skins.

 

[Gilmango]

I kept telling myself I wasn't ordering any these, resisted last time. This morning I found they now had a Zinfandel.
then, sober as a preacher on Sunday morning I relented and ordered a Zin with double skins.

I was really tempted by the Zin as well since I think Finer Wines sources from Lodi, California and Zinfandel is probably the red grape I associate the most with Lodi. But I wanted to do the Super Tuscan comparison with the RJS kit I have so I resisted the Zin this time.

 

[Mcjeff]

I kept telling myself I wasn't ordering any these, resisted last time. This morning I found they now had a Zinfandel.
then, sober as a preacher on Sunday morning I relented and ordered a Zin with double skins.

I ordered a cab on Monday. Today I went back in and they still had some so I ordered a Pinot Noir as I have a friend that likes Pinot but I’ve never made one. I also have 2 Chile juice buckets on order and no free carboys. Is this a sign of winemaking addiction?

 

[jgmann67]

I ordered a cab on Monday. Today I went back in and they still had some so I ordered a Pinot Noir as I have a friend that likes Pinot but I’ve never made one. I also have 2 Chile juice buckets on order and no free carboys. Is this a sign of winemaking addiction?

The solution to all your problems... more carboys.

 

[David Violante]

Just ordered the Zin....!

 

[Darkroom]

I ordered a cab on Monday. Today I went back in and they still had some so I ordered a Pinot Noir as I have a friend that likes Pinot but I’ve never made one. I also have 2 Chile juice buckets on order and no free carboys. Is this a sign of winemaking addiction?

I am picking up 2 Chile juice buckets tomorrow and waiting on 2 RJS kits that should be in next week. But, I always refer to it as my hobby not my addiction!
And yes more carboys!

 

[pacific_red]

Just ordered the Super Tuscan with double grape skins. I plan on comparing with the RJS EP Super Tuscan that I will start at the same time. The Finer Wine kits look a bit different - does anyone know what yeasts these come with? I'll be disappointed if they come with just EC-1118.

 

[heatherd]

Hopefully these are as good as they claim, as I'm not too excited about the "cost savings" path that WE and RJS are taking. Was anyone on here one of the lucky 150 to get one?

I pre-ordered a Cab and a Super Tuscan, both with double skins that are supposed to head my way in a couple of weeks. I am going to make them according to the video @cmason1957 shared. I'm excited that the yeast, nutrients, 2x muslin bags, large dry skins, oak chips, and a more manageable size juice bag are included. The video is cool in that its really specific at to making the best of this kit, including where and how to pour the yeast starter, how to put the dry skins in the provided bags, how to use the oak, and how to punch down the skins. I am impressed with how well thought-out this seems. We shall see!

 

[Gilmango]

Just ordered the Super Tuscan with double grape skins. I plan on comparing with the RJS EP Super Tuscan that I will start at the same time. The Finer Wine kits look a bit different - does anyone know what yeasts these come with? I'll be disappointed if they come with just EC-1118.

Someone who did the Finer Wines Merlot kit noted (in youtube comment to their first video which was posted by @cmason1957 on the first page of this thread) that it came with Lalvin RC 212 (not sure if that is the yeast for all varietals but pretty certain none come with EC-1118). Finer Wines also include yeast nutrient for making a yeast starter in advance of your fermentation, as well as more yeast nutrients to add further along in the fermentation.

 

[jgmann67]

I have so many questions. Can’t wait to find out.

While this appears to be closer to making wine from grapes, there’s still a certain amount of engineering that goes into these kits. No need for MLF? Don’t need to worry about pH being off? I’m assuming the answer to both questions is “no.”

 

[cmason1957]

I have so many questions. Can’t wait to find out.

While this appears to be closer to making wine from grapes, there’s still a certain amount of engineering that goes into these kits. No need for MLF? Don’t need to worry about pH being off? I’m assuming the answer to both questions is “no.”

The MLF is as really good question. For most wine kits (and you know) the answer is don't try. I may send them that question.

 

[StreetGlide]

Couldn’t resist buying a Cab today to go with the Zin I ordered Monday.

 

[Khristyjeff]

Just ordered the Super Tuscan with double grape skins. I plan on comparing with the RJS EP Super Tuscan that I will start at the same time. The Finer Wine kits look a bit different - does anyone know what yeasts these come with? I'll be disappointed if they come with just EC-1118.

I believe they had yeast combined with a yeast nutrient. I don't recall off hand any mention of kind of yeast. I'll check my notes tomorrow.

 

[cmason1957]

I have so many questions. Can’t wait to find out.

While this appears to be closer to making wine from grapes, there’s still a certain amount of engineering that goes into these kits. No need for MLF? Don’t need to worry about pH being off? I’m assuming the answer to both questions is “no.”

I sent LaelPeelers this question: "I ordered a Finer Wine Kit. I was wondering if they are ph balanced and if, like most wine kits MLF isn't recommended for these wine kits. Do you folks know the answer to this? "

and received this as a response very quickly. I sent the question last night about 730 and this morning the answer came in:

Craig,
The PH is in fact balanced. Since these are not pasteurized, you can use MLF though I'm not sure you would really need it.
Have a great day!
—
Matt Pruszynski

 

[Old Corker]

I have so many questions swirling around in my head about these kits.

1. Is the "State of the art low heat vacuum dehydration" the same new process used by WE and RJS makers?
2. What I understand about how the WE and RJS kits are made (learned from this forum really) is that they are a combination of concentrate and varietal juice which is pasteurized with heat. So, if I assume the concentration process (condensing 23 liters of grape juice down to 6 liters of concentrate) is the same, the difference is what?
   • The quality of the origin fruit?
   • The lack of additional heat applied post dehydration?
   • The care taken in the processing?
   • The liquids added back to get a 23 liter must?
   • The yeast and other additives?

I guess only time and tasting will tell if this new type of kit lives up to the marketing hype Label Peelers has done a great job of creating. I, for one, am looking forward to finding out the answers.

While I don't think I've done a very good job of unswirling what's in my brain into coherent questions, there they are.

 

[jgmann67]

Has anyone had any indication of when these kits will ship. I'm anxious to try something new.

 

[jgmann67]

I sent LaelPeelers this question: "I ordered a Finer Wine Kit. I was wondering if they are ph balanced and if, like most wine kits MLF isn't recommended for these wine kits. Do you folks know the answer to this? "

and received this as a response very quickly. I sent the question last night about 730 and this morning the answer came in:

Interesting. I wonder what underpins the statement that you shouldn't need to do an MLF? One way to find out - chromo test. =)

 

[Gilmango]

Has anyone had any indication of when these kits will ship. I'm anxious to try something new.

I haven't heard anyhing beyond that many of us bought April 5th, and it warned then that orders would be fulfilled in 2-4 weeks (which would be between yesterday and May 3rd). They never updated the 2-4 week warning, it is still up on the label peeler website even though all 6 kits are sold out now. I assume that they (or the shipper) will email when it has shipped (or when shipping info is first entered), and specifically asked for that heads up, so I can have my preferred primary empty and ready to go.

They seem pretty responsive if emailed.

 

[Khristyjeff]

"They seem pretty responsive if emailed."
Agreed.