Other FWK - Oh SO Strawberry

[silverbullet07]

I purchased the Oh So Strawberry FWK to try out for the first time. Going over instructions and ingredients now. I noticed it came with the packet X carbon to include at primary fermentation. Since this is a red do I skip it? Or since this is a lighter red should I add it?

 

[winemaker81]

I wasn't aware the fruits are coming with carbon packs, I thought that was whites only.

Let's ask @Matteo_Lahm, whose answer is definitive.

 

[Jovimaple]

I posted pictures in the other thread. If it's like mine, it's a deep red. I would skip the carbon, depending upon what @Matteo_Lahm says, like Bryan suggests.

 

[Omabob]

I received the strawberry wine kit also and it came with the carbon packet. Instructions are for Tavola White Wines. Guessing that we are to add the carbon for a lighter colored wine, but I am not certain what to do either.
Bob

 

[silverbullet07]

i guess I’ll skip it. I’ve not heard anything yet.

 

[silverbullet07]

This was from Matt on Facebook. I guess a little late now but I will know for the next time.


Harold L Buckner hello! Carbon can seem a little scary but just follow the steps. It clears. It also makes a difference in the test in a positive way. Carbon is a professional technique. It’s one of the many secrets of the wine making industry that you don’t hear about. All fresh fruits that are light in color brown. It’s one of the downsides to not ultrapasteurizing our products. The carbon corrects it beautifully.

later he mentioned

Harold L Buckner if you don’t mind your wine being a little on the darker side, don’t use it. That’s the only reason why we include it. It’s just for color

 

[Jovimaple]

@silverbullet07 If your strawberry is like mine, I think it’ll be fine without it. It’s so dark already!

 

[silverbullet07]

@silverbullet07 If your strawberry is like mine, I think it’ll be fine without it. It’s so dark already!

Thanks. I like the dark color so I was fine not using it.
I got everything ready this evening and will pitch the yeast tomorrow. I would like to have added Dutch chocolate to primary but was nervous to try it. I’ll add the extract later when i sweeten.

 

[silverbullet07]

Reading on the must before pitching yeast
69 F
ph 3.56
sg 1.100

 

[Matteo_Lahm]

Thanks. I like the dark color so I was fine not using it.
I got everything ready this evening and will pitch the yeast tomorrow. I would like to have added Dutch chocolate to primary but was nervous to try it. I’ll add the extract later when i sweeten.

hi everyone. I know the carbon seems a little scary but if you’re OK with the wine being a little darker. It’s up to you whether or not you use it.
best,
Matteo

 

[Omabob]

Started the kit and added the carbon as instructed. The aroma from the must is really nice, the yeast is starting to take off.

 

[silverbullet07]

I added Dutch cocoa to my primary. Wife wanted a chocolate strawberry wine. It is nice and bubbly on top. Smells nice.

 

[vinny]

Activated charcoal/carbon is standard media for use in all (but, specifically Brita) water filters and chemical respirators. It is literally a sponge that can absorb colour, taste, smell... Toxic chemical in extreme conditions.. but this is really just a very creative way to add an additional level of filtration to the kit wine process. Bentonite clay is similar in kits, I assume... because it is it's main purpose in other uses. These are common tools in medical and safety equipment use for absorption of volatile organic compounds.

If you don't flush a brita water filter adequately you will notice a silver hue to the first few glasses of filtered water. It is used in distilling as well and can impart a silver grey hue to spirits. I can only imagine in a wine it is going to absorb the strongest flavors, and honestly all ferments create percentages of aldehydes, propylene, acetone and these are the things that carbon will 'mop' up creating a 'refined' wine.

I really wish I could get my hands on a FWK. This is just a little extra creativity intended to create a cleaner wine. Any colour introduced by the carbon will settle out over time. I admit it's a brave move, but trust that it wouldn't be included if it would compromise the quality of the wine.

Just something to consider outside of the "WTF.. WHY IS MY WINE BLACK?" perspective

 

[Swedeman]

I really wish I could get my hands on a FWK. This is just a little extra creativity intended to create a cleaner wine.

It's interesting to watch how a "forum" is moving; before it was suggested to ditch the provided clearing agents because "why strip the wine of the flavor? It will clear on it's own" kind of approach. Now bentonite, active carbon and chitosan/kiselsol is added obviously without much hesitation.

The clearing agents will NOT only deal with the unwanted compounds in the wine. Having said that, the FWK will perhaps still create an excellent wine that is better than its competitors' products.

 

[vinny]

It's interesting to watch how a "forum" is moving;

Being new to wine making, all of these additives in kits are just 'normal' to me. It's the way its always been! (ever since I started making wine way back in January). I find it interesting that FWK is using the methods they do, and I am intrigued enough to want to test the results myself. However, I can totally understand how it could be offensive or gimmicky to a seasoned wine maker. If it aint broke, why fix it? Making wine without all of these things has worked for centuries, let it do what it does. It makes perfect sense to me.

This forum is actually a microcosm of our entire society. The older generation holds on to tradition and the way that things are and have always been, resisting change, where the upcoming generation embraces the changes without pause because they don't know any other way.

 

[Matteo_Lahm]

These are some awesome comments. You guys are right on. We’ve actually found that the carbon not only improves the color but it also improves the smell and the taste. Like I keep saying, we were hesitant about introducing this process because of people being freaked out with a massive “WTF why is my wine black?” however, our products are for people who want to make serious wine and carbon is a standard process for many white and rosè wine producers. In the end, it produces a superior result than conventionally pasteurized kits that are really nothing more than cooked grape juice. The process to make juice aseptic so it can sit on a shelf at room temperature all but destroys it. That is the source of “the kit taste “that lots of people have been talking about since our products hit the market. Ours doesn’t have it because we don’t do it.
Matteo

 

[vinny]

These are some awesome comments. You guys are right on. We’ve actually found that the carbon not only improves the color but it also improves the smell and the taste. Like I keep saying, we were hesitant about introducing this process because of people being freaked out with a massive “WTF why is my wine black?” however, our products are for people who want to make serious wine and carbon is a standard process for many white and rosè wine producers. In the end, it produces a superior result than conventionally pasteurized kits that are really nothing more than cooked grape juice. The process to make juice aseptic so it can sit on a shelf at room temperature all but destroys it. That is the source of “the kit taste “that lots of people have been talking about since our products hit the market. Ours doesn’t have it because we don’t do it.
Matteo

Now you just need to figure out how to get kits up to the Canadian market!

 

[Swedeman]

And Europe...

 

[winemaker81]

This forum is actually a microcosm of our entire society

This is a valid point. I also think of the "old dog/new trick" metaphor.

My winemaking process has changed a lot over the last 5 years. I'm considering ideas that are new to me -- some prove useful and I adopt them. Others not.

Kit vendors are the largest source of innovations. Sure, the overall goal is to sell more kits, but that doesn't mean the ideas are bad. Some are quite useful in other context.

More valuable is the number of folks searching and posting their results. The discussions are great! I learn something new every week.

 

[silverbullet07]

The kit came with two bags of wine conditioner. The instructions say after adding the stabilizer, clearing agents to add the sweetener packet. Which I assume are the two packets of conditioner. Should I just add them or do a bench test to see how much to add, like I would do when I back sweeten?