Grape Packs

[DoctorCAD]

Finally got my grape packs from M & M.

The USPS seems to have lost the first shipment. Interesting that the grapes were sent 2 day priority mail, but the USPS has a 10 day "guarrantee" of delivery. Only after that 10 days can you file for lost stuff.

M & M was as professional as they could be about the whole thing and shipped a second order out as quickly as they could. This time they chose FedEx and I had (frozen) grapes on my porch yesterday. M & M assured me that freezing will have no affect on the grapes.

I will try to start my next wine kit in the next week. Its a Cab-Merlot blend that will get one of the grape packs. I will see how a $45 kit works with a good shot of solids and sugars.

 

[Matty_Kay]

Doc- I was planning on ordering 2 grape packs for 2 juice buckets this spring. How big are they? Also, do you plan on using strainer bags or can the grape pack be added directly to the juice?

 

[DoctorCAD]

They are quite large, each weighs 4 kilos, which is 8.8 lbs. The box they come in is about 5" square x 10" tall.

I will put them in a strainer bag, siphoning is really difficult when the skins are free-floating in the must.

 

[Matty_Kay]

Hey Doc- how much additional sugar do the grape packs add? I usually need to add some sugar to juice buckets to get the starting SG up but wasnt sure how much sugar a grape pack will add.

 

[joeswine]

Grape fpacs

ALWAYS BEST TO LET YOUR HYDROMETER BE YOUR GUIDE AND ESTABLISH WHAT ABV YOU WANT TO SHOOT FOR HAVING SIMPLE SYRUP AROUND WILL MAKE THE WORK SIMPLER.

 

[Matty_Kay]

What size of paint strainer bags work well with an all grape pack?

 

[joeswine]

Grape fpacs

there is really not enough to care about if its a manufactures fpac a just let them float if your using a bucket and allow the surface action to work for you removing is just as simple with a kitchen strainer.

 

[DoctorCAD]

8.8 pounds of grapes is a pretty big pile, lots of juice and lots of skins.
My strainer bag is whatever the supplier I bought it from sent, I think it is about 12" x 18"

 

[joeswine]

grape pac

I'm missing something here, why such a large amount are you making from fresh grapes? Fresh juice and fpac? And what are you preparing to put them in originally? The juice I mean.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I will put them in middle of the road kits and better kits that don't come with grapes.

Same reason you use raisins, except I dont like raisin taste in my wine.

I have no access to grapes and my closest frozen juice store is 2 hours away. Id have to take time off of work to go pick it up and they dont give a date, just a call when ready.

Sucks living where grapes cant grow.

 

[joeswine]

Grape fpacs

okay, got it these are separate grape fpacs are they liquid or rehydrate style? I agree raisins are not for all wines .But I do use a lot of different kinds of fpacs and believe you me you really don't need a lot one pound can make a big difference on 6 gallons of juice but if your using them like a winery and adding poundage to the mix that can be over whelming, for straight up kits more is less and doesn't have the same effect on the base, and I've found although the cost of the kit does factored in with all kits it's the abv and acidity first then complexity on the structure and that's where the fpacs come in to play. JUST my thoughts..

 

[Matty_Kay]

So I picked up 2 juice buckets yesterday and added an all grape pack into a paint strainer bag in each bucket of juice. I thought I had the one tied well but it opened up and all of the good stuff from the grape pack is loose in the must. I'm assuming this isn't too much of a problem during fermentation?

 

[Boatboy24]

No problem. It'll just make that first racking a bit of a challenge.

 

[Simpsini]

Can you make these grape F-pacs ahead of time, freeze them and thaw them out when you need them? Does freezing them hurt them?

 

[Rocky]

Can you make these grape F-pacs ahead of time, freeze them and thaw them out when you need them? Does freezing them hurt them?

I don't believe it hurts them. This is the way I do it. I just ordered 4 half-lugs (18 lbs.) of Cabernet Sauvignon from which I will make grape packs and freeze them until needed.

 

[ceeaton]

How many grape packs do you get from 18lbs x 4?