Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[Bmd2k1]

I see FWK Grape Skin packs are now available as a separate purchase... (not sure if already posted by someone else...)

https://labelpeelers.com/wine-making/additives/two-finer-wine-kits-grape-skin-packs-free-shipping/

 

[Cellar Dweller Kent]

i've made this kit and have started drinking it... i'm not a Rose fan but it is good. I'm more of a dry, deep red drinker.

but do like making FWK

 

[Rocky]

I have encountered something unpleasant that I have not had to contend with in other kits...fruit flies! Now, I know about them and fought them constantly when we made wine from grapes. I also encounter them now when I make wine from juice and augment with a few lugs of the same variety of grape, but I have never had them with other kits.

Understand, I am not complaining because the FWK RED kits are fine in every way. I am just saying that in other brands of kits, even those with grape packs, I have not seen the little beasties.

Hell, they don't drink that much anyway but I have found some remedies. I made a trap out of a 1-liter soda bottle and killed a zillion with that. The last few were dispatched with a soap and water spray. This gave me the opportunity to really GI my carboys. There are still a few left, but nothing like before.

Has anyone else run into this issue?

 

[sremick]

Has anyone else run into this issue?

I have experienced fruit flies with other kits. Depends on the environment. I just dealt with them with a trap, which managed to eradicate them. If you're having more flies w/ FWKs I imagine there's something about the higher "freshness" of the kits that might be more-appealing to flies.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I have encountered something unpleasant that I have not had to contend with in other kits...fruit flies! Now, I know about them and fought them constantly when we made wine from grapes. I also encounter them now when I make wine from juice and augment with a few lugs of the same variety of grape, but I have never had them with other kits.

Understand, I am not complaining because the FWK RED kits are fine in every way. I am just saying that in other brands of kits, even those with grape packs, I have not seen the little beasties.

Hell, they don't drink that much anyway but I have found some remedies. I made a trap out of a 1-liter soda bottle and killed a zillion with that. The last few were dispatched with a soap and water spray. This gave me the opportunity to really GI my carboys. There are still a few left, but nothing like before.

Has anyone else run into this issue?

I only get a few in my lower level during bulk aging and they drown in the airlocks -- and they don't seem to care which kit producer! Equal opportunity fruit flies here

 

[cmason1957]

I haven't noticed these kits being any worse than any other with regard to fruit flies. I was kinda surprised last week with 200 lbs of grapes not to have an issue with them, I guess it has been to cold around Missouri.

 

[Cellar Dweller Kent]

i haven't noticed the fruit flies at all but have had some issues in doing the white FWK with the charcoal dust. I have made about 10 FWKs mostly reds (and i like them a great deal) but twice on the whites (chardonnay and sauvignon blanc) they have exploded in the fermenter. Black gunk spilling all over the fermenter. I added the second nutrient as directed but it still overflowed. but in the end, they have clarified just fine and the taste is correct. has anyone else experience this??

 

[winemaker81]

but twice on the whites (chardonnay and sauvignon blanc) they have exploded in the fermenter. Black gunk spilling all over the fermenter. I added the second nutrient as directed but it still overflowed. but in the end, they have clarified just fine and the taste is correct. has anyone else experience this??

How full is your fermenter? I suggest no more than 3/4 full to allow for expansion.

With the second nutrient addition, did you dump it in? If you have a vigorous fermentation, the addition of any powder provides a focus for CO2 to adhere and bubble. Sprinkle gently until you're sure it won't explode.

The only problem I had was charcoal dust in the air. That's another one to sprinkle gently (regardless of situation) and stir gently until dissolved. It's not as bad as laser printer toner, but it's not fun to clean up.

 

[Cellar Dweller Kent]

i fill the fermenter as suggested to 1/8 below the level line... I have made over a hundred kits and probably 10-12 FWK....I was going to ask Matt or Matteo but haven't made it over to them... this only occurred twice....next white i will be more careful but pretty careful from the get go.

 

[Jovimaple]

i fill the fermenter as suggested to 1/8 below the level line... I have made over a hundred kits and probably 10-12 FWK....I was going to ask Matt or Matteo but haven't made it over to them... this only occurred twice....next white i will be more careful but pretty careful from the get go.

Do you lock the lid during primary fermentation or just put a towel over it?

I always just use a towel over the bucket and have never had that happen. If the ferment gets vigorous, it will simply push on the towel. I have never had an overflow (knock on wood).

 

[winemaker81]

i fill the fermenter as suggested to 1/8 below the level line

If this is the typical 7.9 gallon fermenter, that is 3/4 full.

 

[Wayne Freeman]

If this is the typical 7.9 gallon fermenter, that is 3/4 full.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like wine.

Apologies to Groucho.

Anyway, what I do for the first stages of fermentation is make a very large fermentation lock our of a plastic hose the same diameter as the fermentation lock hole in the lid, I insert one end of the hose in that hole and put the other end in a gallon jug with some water in the bottom. That way, if the fermentation does get a little too enthusiastic, it doesn't geyser all over the room. After a couple of days when the fermentation calms down, I'll replace that Rube Goldberg gizmo with a standard fermentation lock.

 

[Rocky]

If this is the typical 7.9 gallon fermenter, that is 3/4 full.

Or, if one is a pessimist, 1/4 empty!

 

[Jim Welch]

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like wine.

Apologies to Groucho.

Anyway, what I do for the first stages of fermentation is make a very large fermentation lock our of a plastic hose the same diameter as the fermentation lock hole in the lid, I insert one end of the hose in that hole and put the other end in a gallon jug with some water in the bottom. That way, if the fermentation does get a little too enthusiastic, it doesn't geyser all over the room. After a couple of days when the fermentation calms down, I'll replace that Rube Goldberg gizmo with a standard fermentation lock.

In the brewing world that’s called a blow off tube. I don’t use that on my Brutes but occasionally ferment in my small stainless conical fermenters and use a blow off tube the first 2-3 days.

 

[suzyq2]

I only get a few in my lower level during bulk aging and they drown in the airlocks -- and they don't seem to care which kit producer! Equal opportunity fruit flies here

Omg! I'm so happy to read this. I've been freaked out because I've had to clean airlocks out a few times a week. I know that's what their for but I've got about 15 fermentation's going on. Happy to hear it's kinda normal.

 

[jgmann67]

A little update on the Grenache Rose... The FWK comes with carbon and bentonite. That surprised me a little, but NBD. I dropped the yeast on Sunday morning, first thing and the wine is chugging away. Added the yeast nutrient this morning and gave it a stir. It smells great - like strawberry soda. It'll be interesting to see what this wine looks like when cleared.

 

[Rocky]

If I did not need one, I found another reason why I like the S-type air lock opposed to the three-piece version. As noted above, I am having a huge fruit fly problem this year. I tried the vinegar-soap trap and caught a slew, but I was concerned about having vinegar near the wine. I got some of the old-fashioned fly tapes that we seniors all remember from butcher shops and caught ten bazillion more. There are still a few but manageable. However, the little beasties did manage to defeat a three-piece airlock and get into my Trebbiano-Riesling. I was able to remove them from the surface with a paper towel and I replaced the airlock with an S-type. They can get into the airlocks through the holes in the top, but they cannot get through the K-meta solution in the tube.

 

[suzyq2]

If I did not need one, I found another reason why I like the S-type air lock opposed to the three-piece version. As noted above, I am having a huge fruit fly problem this year. I tried the vinegar-soap trap and caught a slew, but I was concerned about having vinegar near the wine. I got some of the old-fashioned fly tapes that we seniors all remember from butcher shops and caught ten bazillion more. There are still a few but manageable. However, the little beasties did manage to defeat a three-piece airlock and get into my Trebbiano-Riesling. I was able to remove them from the surface with a paper towel and I replaced the airlock with an S-type. They can get into the airlocks through the holes in the top, but they cannot get through the K-meta solution in the tube.

I ended up twisting a piece of paper napkin around my air locks. I ordered a set of ten of amazon and the holes are notably larger.

 

[QuiQuog]

If I did not need one, I found another reason why I like the S-type air lock opposed to the three-piece version. As noted above, I am having a huge fruit fly problem this year. I tried the vinegar-soap trap and caught a slew, but I was concerned about having vinegar near the wine. I got some of the old-fashioned fly tapes that we seniors all remember from butcher shops and caught ten bazillion more. There are still a few but manageable. However, the little beasties did manage to defeat a three-piece airlock and get into my Trebbiano-Riesling. I was able to remove them from the surface with a paper towel and I replaced the airlock with an S-type. They can get into the airlocks through the holes in the top, but they cannot get through the K-meta solution in the tube.

I can't imagine how a fruit fly could get through either type of airlock. Did it dive underwater in the three-piece airlock? Maybe one gets by in a fluke where it gets sucked up in a reverse bubble somehow. My guess is that it's something else. maybe they were on the underside of the lid when you put it back on?

 

[Rocky]

I can't imagine how a fruit fly could get through either type of airlock. Did it dive underwater in the three-piece airlock? Maybe one gets by in a fluke where it gets sucked up in a reverse bubble somehow. My guess is that it's something else. maybe they were on the underside of the lid when you put it back on?

I believe what happened is that the K-meta level in the airlock dropped enough so that the rectangular openings on the inside cap were no longer under the surface. The flies probably got in through the holes on the cap and entered through the rectangular opening, climbed in through the tube. There were about 10 of them in there.