Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[oppyland]

I have a Petit Sirah (started in November) and Merlot (February) bulk aging. The Sirah will be bottled first, I'm shooting for 6 months minimum bulk aging before I bottle.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Oppyland, I predict you'll open a bottle at 7 months and it tastes so damn good that all 30 will be gone soon after

 

[winemaker81]

That Rhône sounds good! I just put a blend in my 15 gal flextank: 4% Cab Franc (frozen must), 30% Forte Merlot and 66% Forte Cab....

Making blends with the kits is tougher, due to size constraints and available containers. I make an 8 lug batch for each 54 liter barrel, so I can do 1/8 increments.

I'm not sure mine will ever make it to year two

Hint: Make more wine!

All jokes aside, the only way to age wine is to make more than you drink.

 

[G259]

Is, Is that possible??

 

[Old Corker]

At about 7+ months these single skin kits are really there. My Forte kits are just -BAM- right out of the fermenter, year or 2 should be something else.

Yeah, I bottled it at 8 months. It will get better but is pretty darn good right now. The first FWK I bought was a Sangiovese w/ two skins packs. I will bottle it next month at 12 months of aging.

 

[jgmann67]

I have three FWK wines in the bottle - a merlot, a cab and a petite sirah. Of the three, the PS is the most drinkable now. I like it so much that I already started another (sitting on oak right now).

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

I'm now giving away or only trying to drink the RJS and WE bottles I have in my cellar to get rid of them and make way for the eleven FWK kits I have in carboys, barrels and Flex tanks!

 

[Rocky]

I'm now giving away or only trying to drink the RJS and WE bottles I have in my cellar to get rid of them and make way for the eleven FWK kits I have in carboys, barrels and Flex tanks!

Do you have my address?

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Do you have my address?

Haha! It's just that they no longer taste as good to me now that I have these FWK reds maturing, no comparison imo. Even my 1 yr old RQ and PR Stags leap bottles don't hold a candle compared to my 4 mo old FWK.

 

[iagowasframed]

I've only made 3 whites a chard that honestly has a terrible color and tastes flat and flabby, a SB that tastes like a cheap chardonnay but looks like a turned white, and another chard that I have in the carboy haven't tasted it but the color is not inspiring. Yeah I know they have a new process for the whites but honestly I love the idea but so far the execution has been lacking. I will order another white but I'm skeptical that I will ever get a SB kit that has the color and crispness my wife loves in NZ SB's.

But I fully applaud them for pushing the envelope and being available and answering questions here so I do want to give them more chances to get the whites right.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

I've only made 3 whites a chard that honestly has a terrible color and tastes flat and flabby, a SB that tastes like a cheap chardonnay but looks like a turned white, and another chard that I have in the carboy haven't tasted it but the color is not inspiring. Yeah I know they have a new process for the whites but honestly I love the idea but so far the execution has been lacking. I will order another white but I'm skeptical that I will ever get a SB kit that has the color and crispness my wife loves in NZ SB's.

But I fully applaud them for pushing the envelope and being available and answering questions here so I do want to give them more chances to get the whites right.

Sounds like you should move to drinking reds .....I have a couple whites fermenting now, I have faith in the new process

 

[ratflinger]

I've never had an issue with my 30L (7.9 gallon) Speidel foaming over. Sounds like you had a crazy foamer on your hands.

2nd time, last time was a white, this time a red. Just watch your foaming when stirring, it can happen.

 

[Swedeman]

I've only made 3 whites a chard that honestly has a terrible color and tastes flat and flabby, a SB that tastes like a cheap chardonnay but looks like a turned white, and another chard that I have in the carboy haven't tasted it but the color is not inspiring.

Aghh, I feel for you!

 

[user 35751]

This is my fifth, a Tavoli Sauvignon Blanc. My first sauvignon blanc was in that batch that were dark. I still have several bottles of it and it looks like dark honey mead. It tastes fine.
But I see their remedy in this kit. They’re adding a black carbon pack that you add to the fermentation process. Between it and the bentonite it should clear up the darker color.
here we go! Cheers!

 

[Rocky]

This is my fifth, a Tavoli Sauvignon Blanc. My first sauvignon blanc was in that batch that were dark. I still have several bottles of it and it looks like dark honey mead. It tastes fine.
But I see their remedy in this kit. They’re adding a black carbon pack that you add to the fermentation process. Between it and the bentonite it should clear up the darker color.
here we go! Cheers!

Good luck with your wine. The new system seems to work but it takes time and effort. I also have a SB from the original issue that is the color of dark tea. That would not be fatal, but the wine tastes on the verge of spoilage, oxidized. I have a Muscat with the new procedure going at present, again, it is clearing albeit very slowly. Don't know what the taste will be as yet.

 

[Kross]

This is my fifth, a Tavoli Sauvignon Blanc. My first sauvignon blanc was in that batch that were dark. I still have several bottles of it and it looks like dark honey mead. It tastes fine.
But I see their remedy in this kit. They’re adding a black carbon pack that you add to the fermentation process. Between it and the bentonite it should clear up the darker color.
here we go! Cheers!

I sure hope you’re right. So far a week after racking and adding K and C my Chardonnay still seems dark.

 

[Bmd2k1]

The Forte kits are heavy hitters, higher ABV to provide more oomph. Your numbers are correct.

Regarding ABV calculations -- All ABV calculators provide an approximation. There are numerous formulas of varying accuracy. Also, the formula changes depending on the ABV itself, e.g., a different calculation is made if the ABV is 10-14% vs 15-18%.

just curious -- which ABV calc method do you tend to use? I've been using FermCalc app for Android which outputs 4 #'s - I drop the high and low and averaging the other 2. Generally for my vinos it does tend to give a higher value than the traditional (OG - FG)*131.25

Sample for my just bottled Viognier...in which case using my protocol I went with 13.3%

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

just curious -- which ABV calc method do you tend to use?

I started a new thread, as I found errors in the FermCalc Javascript page -- it produces wrong answers.

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/fermcalc-javascript-page-produces-incorrect-answers.75613/

 

[Brant]

Super irritated with Label Peelers today. The FWK Cab Sav I ordered didn't come supplied with any of the packets or yeast. Wtf. Now I'm having to find room I'm my fridge to store it until they ship the rest of the kit.

Any my whole house dehumidifier just took a crap on me.

Seems like today is just one of those days.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Super irritated with Label Peelers today. The FWK Cab Sav I ordered didn't come supplied with any of the packets or yeast. Wtf. Now I'm having to find room I'm my fridge to store it until they ship the rest of the kit.

Any my whole house dehumidifier just took a crap on me.

Seems like today is just one of those days.