Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[David Violante]

I've done three FW kits, also in a 7.5G fermenter, all with double skin packs. As OldCorker indicated, it was just enough space until everything settled down.

In two of the kits I then transferred to a 7G Fermonster for EM and then to a carboy for bulk aging.

I think it's a great idea to get a 20G Brute as Bryan says, and have peace of mind, plus some expansion capabilities.

 

[winemaker81]

Two years ago when I went to pickup my grapes, I brought two new 32 gallon Brutes, three ~7 gallon primaries (with lids), and a 16 gallon primary with a lid. The 16 gallon was 30 years old and seemed quite sound.

Until I dropped it onto concrete -- it literally exploded into pieces. Age and too many years setting in my attic in the NC summer time made the plastic brittle.

Better too many containers than too few.



I lucked out. Just before this, one of the guys arrived, bringing a load of food grade barrels with snap ring lids he was giving away. I snagged 2 of them, as they are perfect for transporting crushed grapes. Then I discovered that I needed them! If not, I would have gone to the nearest Home Depot and purchased 2 more Brutes.


EDIT: The fermenter was empty when I dropped it. If it had been full, I'd still be crying!

 

[Sailor323]

I have 2 questions;

1) I have a 7.5 gallon fermenting bucket. Would that be big enough for a FW petit syrah with 2 grape skin packs to ferment in?

2) I also have a 6.5 gallon Big Mouth Bubbler. Would that be ok to do a MLF in of the FW petit syrah?

I have used a 7.5 gal primary for all of my FW kits, no problem

 

[Lynx rufus]

I used a 7 gal Fermonster for my Super Tuscan (dbl skin pks). During the active fermentation it got scary close, but didn’t have to clean up anything, & it didn’t get into the airlock.
Right now it’s marinating on the skins for EM.

 

[rca]

I used a 7 gal Fermonster for my Super Tuscan (dbl skin pks). During the active fermentation it got scary close, but didn’t have to clean up anything, & it didn’t get into the airlock.
Right now it’s marinating on the skins for EM.

Report back on it please, the Super Tuscan is definitely on my list.

 

[Lynx rufus]

Will do! This is my first FW kit, first Super Tuscan.
I’m planning on an 8 wk EM, followed by 4 weeks w/oak cubes in secondary.
I did WE Bordeaux & Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon this way and they’re going to cellar a year before I open them.

 

[dmw_chef]

Not gonna get a whole of lot extraction in 4 weeks on cubes, IME.

 

[Lynx rufus]

I’m not very experienced, and I don’t want to over do the oak.
What are your thoughts, time wise?

 

[G259]

Thank you @Khristyjeff! I can tell you that I enjoy this hobby immensely. I guess I kinda take country winemaking and the challenges that go along with it for granted, because it's what I have always done lol. Winemaking is very rewarding. Even though I will always be a country winemaker at heart, I am looking forward to trying my first kit.

I had always made country wines as well, then bought a cheaper $60 Chardonnay kit as my first grape wine. Immediately, I thought the juice bag was light, and I had never made a kit wine in my life! SG was like 1.060. - 1.065 or something. I had to add sugar to 1.085. Needless to say that company is dead to me! However, Finer Wines looks really good as my 'go to', and I haven't even tasted the finished wine yet! They went up from their intro pricing but it still looks good to me, time will tell, but I'm fairly confident.

 

[cmason1957]

I’m not very experienced, and I don’t want to over do the oak.
What are your thoughts, time wise?

With cubes, in the amount included in a wine kit, I don't think you can over oak. They give up everything they can in about 4-6 weeks. Sticks, spirals, other oak adjuncts you have more to worry about.

 

[dmw_chef]

With cubes, in the amount included in a wine kit, I don't think you can over oak. They give up everything they can in about 4-6 weeks. Sticks, spirals, other oak adjuncts you have more to worry about.

StaVin recommends 2 months minimum with cubes becoming neutral at 3-4 months. You might get most of your extraction by six weeks, but I'd disagree that they give everything they have by then. IME there are flavor fractions still remaining in that time period that contribute quite a bit of complexity, even if on the surface it doesn't seem like you're getting much more. For cubes I usually suggest extracting them to neutral (so 3-4 month contact time), and six months minimum for Xoakers.

But yeah, spirals and chips are absolute garbage.

 

[Lynx rufus]

My concern is headspace in that amount of time. In the past I put the carboy under vacuum with an AIO headspace eliminator.
Would this work for that amount of time?

 

[dmw_chef]

My concern is headspace in that amount of time. In the past I put the carboy under vacuum with an AIO headspace eliminator.
Would this work for that amount of time?

Ideally you plan your batch size so you can fill your secondary carboy up to the very top for oaking so headspace isn't a concern. I also dose 50ppm k-meta when racking out of primary, and 25ppm each time I rack thereafter. Lots of folks around here top up subsequently with a similar wine.

 

[winemaker81]

Would this work for that amount of time?

One problem common to using vacuum and inert gases to address headspace is that you cannot see if it's working. By the time you find out it's not, it's too late.

Filling the headspace with wine, as @dmw_chef said, ensures that problem does not occur.

 

[Lynx rufus]

What wine would be a good to top up a Super Tuscan?

 

[cmason1957]

What wine would be a good to top up a Super Tuscan?

Not to be a wise-guy or anything, but a Super Tuscan would be good. If you are unable to find one of those at a price point you wish to pay, any Sangiovese or Cabernet Sauvignon would work just fine.

 

[sour_grapes]

What wine would be a good to top up a Super Tuscan?

I would go with Sangio or Merlot.

Edit: cross-posted with Craig, but at least we more or less agree!

 

[winemaker81]

What wine would be a good to top up a Super Tuscan?

I agree with @cmason1957 and @sour_grapes, but if you need topup wine, any good quality Vinifera will work fine.

 

[winemaker81]

I received my Finer Wine Kits Barbera yesterday. I purchased the kit to get the permanent 10% discount and went with Barbera as I have nothing like it in the cellar. I went with no skin packs as I have a number of longer aging wines in process and want something of a quicker drinker.

I have a great email conversation going with Matt Pruszynski of Label Peelers, and have watched their videos. I can't say enough good stuff about these folks.

When I started the kit last night, I also started a detailed blog of my journey through the FWK's instructions. So far I'm impressed -- these are the best kit instructions I've seen.

Today my niece received a deluxe hardware set from her husband for her birthday, so she will be a new winemaker very soon. She may purchase a WE kit from a local retailer, although I recommend she purchase a FWK, because of the detailed instructions. [She lives quite a distance away so my help will be via email and phone.]

 

[bstnh1]

Ideally you plan your batch size so you can fill your secondary carboy up to the very top for oaking so headspace isn't a concern. I also dose 50ppm k-meta when racking out of primary, and 25ppm each time I rack thereafter. Lots of folks around here top up subsequently with a similar wine.

StaVin recommends 2 months minimum with cubes becoming neutral at 3-4 months. You might get most of your extraction by six weeks, but I'd disagree that they give everything they have by then. IME there are flavor fractions still remaining in that time period that contribute quite a bit of complexity, even if on the surface it doesn't seem like you're getting much more. For cubes I usually suggest extracting them to neutral (so 3-4 month contact time), and six months minimum for Xoakers.

But yeah, spirals and chips are absolute garbage.

Why do you say spirals are "garbage"?