WineXpert Island Mist Hard Pink Lemonade

[Grabo]

It looks like Winexpert is releasing the Hard Pink Lemonade Island Mist kit again this year, and I am thinking about preordering it for summertime drinking. Has anyone made the Hard Pink Lemonade from previous years? I couldn't find any threads in a quick search.

I'm looking for another semi-sweet to sweet wine to complement my Dragon's Blood, so I'm wondering if I should plan to drop in half the F-pack up front like I did with last year's Green Apple Riesling.

 

[Elizajean]

I saw they are also releasing a Blueberry Lemon hard lemonade. I'm wondering how sweet these are, and if you can reduce the actual final sugar by adding half of the fpak upfront. My husband is diabetic and we can't have sugary wines, but would like something fruity for summer...maybe mix with soda water for a refreshing beverage.

 

[bkisel]

I saw they are also releasing a Blueberry Lemon hard lemonade. I'm wondering how sweet these are, and if you can reduce the actual final sugar by adding half of the fpak upfront. My husband is diabetic and we can't have sugary wines, but would like something fruity for summer...maybe mix with soda water for a refreshing beverage.

There is something on one of the suppliers sites, I think it is Label Peelers, about not bumping the ABV up (e.g. by adding half an f-pack) and not adding more fruit for balance. They sell a corn sugar and concentrate (white grape juice?) for use in bumping up a Mist type kit.

 

[Boatboy24]

There is something on one of the suppliers sites, I think it is Label Peelers, about not bumping the ABV up (e.g. by adding half an f-pack) and not adding more fruit for balance. They sell a corn sugar and concentrate (white grape juice?) for use in bumping up a Mist type kit.

So they tell you not to bump the ABV, then turn around and try and sell you corn sugar to bump up your ABV?

Every kit I've made with an f-pac, aside from port style, I've bumped the abv by adding table sugar and using part of the f-pac. That blueberry hard lemonade caught my eye. And the price is certainly right. Could be good over ice with a splash of seltzer for some bubbles.

 

[bkisel]

So they tell you not to bump the ABV, then turn around and try and sell you corn sugar to bump up your ABV?

Every kit I've made with an f-pac, aside from port style, I've bumped the abv by adding table sugar and using part of the f-pac. That blueberry hard lemonade caught my eye. And the price is certainly right. Could be good over ice with a splash of seltzer for some bubbles.

Not really. Guess I didn't explain it well. Here it is copy and pasted from their site...

"Boosting" Guide:

The boosting of an Island Mist series kit is easy and brings the alcohol content to approx 9%. Simply adding corn sugar alone will boost the alcohol of your kit without adding body or mouthfeel to support this increase. Doing this will leave your wine tasting "hot" and unbalanced. The addition of white or red grape concentrate leaves your wine with more balance and produces a more enjoyable end product. Both the 1 lb corn sugar and 1 liter of grape concentrate should be mixed in stage 1 after adding your main juice pack and before topping up to the 6 gallon mark with water.

They of course offer the two tweaking/boosting additives for sale to add to your shopping cart. Smart marketing I would say.

 

[Boatboy24]

Not really. Guess I didn't explain it well. Here it is copy and pasted from their site...

"Boosting" Guide:

The boosting of an Island Mist series kit is easy and brings the alcohol content to approx 9%. Simply adding corn sugar alone will boost the alcohol of your kit without adding body or mouthfeel to support this increase. Doing this will leave your wine tasting "hot" and unbalanced. The addition of white or red grape concentrate leaves your wine with more balance and produces a more enjoyable end product. Both the 1 lb corn sugar and 1 liter of grape concentrate should be mixed in stage 1 after adding your main juice pack and before topping up to the 6 gallon mark with water.

They of course offer the two tweaking/boosting additives for sale to add to your shopping cart. Smart marketing I would say.

Very smart of them. I guess I achieve similar results by using part of the f-pac.

 

[Elizajean]

So they tell you not to bump the ABV, then turn around and try and sell you corn sugar to bump up your ABV?

Every kit I've made with an f-pac, aside from port style, I've bumped the abv by adding table sugar and using part of the f-pac. That blueberry hard lemonade caught my eye. And the price is certainly right. Could be good over ice with a splash of seltzer for some bubbles.

Jim, if you use part of the fpac, do you do it upfront? Will it make it less sweet tasting?

 

[Boatboy24]

Jim, if you use part of the fpac, do you do it upfront? Will it make it less sweet tasting?

Yes and yes. For my taste, half of the f-pac to sweeten is plenty.

 

[Elizajean]

Just to be sure I understand, Jim. You add half upfront. Then, do you add the rest at the end, or not?
Thank you.

 

[Boatboy24]

Just to be sure I understand, Jim. You add half upfront. Then, do you add the rest at the end, or not?
Thank you.

Yep, that's my typical approach. I will sometimes add table sugar up front in addition to half the f-pac. I'll usually add the f-pac, and measure SG. If I need a little more, in goes the sugar.

My target on these would be 11-12%. With the sweetness, the wine can more than handle that. Last one I did was Cucumber Melon Sauvignon Blanc. I added half the f-pac, 3lbs of sugar, and 2lbs of white raisins up front. SG was at 1.084 and I finished right at 12%. In the end, I didn't even add all of the remaining f-pac. My notes say I got to SG 1.003 and said it was plenty sweet enough. Bottom line, when sweetening the wine, go slow. You can always add more of the f-pac, but once its in, you can't take it out. Add some, stir, taste. If it needs more, go for it. If not, you're done.

 

[Grabo]

When I added half the F-pack for my Green Apply Riesling, I added to the must and waited for 24 hours before pitching the yeast. I did this as a precaution in case there were any preservatives in the F-pack that might inhibit my yeasties from doing their dance, and also so I could double check the SG before I pitched.

If you haven't made an Island Mist kit before, one precaution I would give is that the taste from the F-pack is super strong prior to bottling or bulk aging. With my Riesling, I was worried because, even though I only used half the F-pack at the end, it still tasted like green Jolly Rancher. After 3 months since pitching the yeast, the artificial apple flavor died down, and after 6 months, it was good enough to share with friends. It's 10 months old now, and it went over so well at Christmas, that I preordered the Pink Lemonade for drinking this Summer and Fall. If my family likes it this much, they can drink my $50 kit and my Eclipse kits can keep aging ::

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm seriously thinking about getting the blueberry lemonade and grabbing a SodaStream to carbonate some of it. Now that I think of it, I have some beer bottles and caps that aren't in use...

 

[Boatboy24]

Yep, I'm gonna do it.

I'll bottle some 'still'. But will definitely carb some and put it into beer bottles or clear flip top bottles. No idea when though. I have no free Carboys and unless the 2016 Chileans miraculously come around, I won't for a while. I'll know in a few weeks if they make progress from my most recent attempt to save them.

 

[Mismost]

I like making the Mist Kits to rocket fuel status and using them in wine coolers, punches, sangria....big glass of ice, half wine, half club soda or Seven Up goes down pretty smooth on a hot summer evening....you can have nakid people in the pool by 10:30!!

 

[Higuchem]

Does anyone know the grape juice base of the hard pink lemonade and blueberry lemonade?

 

[Elizajean]

I preordered the Blueberry Hard Lemonade! Very excited!

 

[Boatboy24]

Does anyone know the grape juice base of the hard pink lemonade and blueberry lemonade?

Good question, and I have no idea.

 

[Boatboy24]

I preordered the Blueberry Hard Lemonade! Very excited!

Just preordered it as well. Got a PET carboy too!

 

[Boatboy24]

Mine shipped today! Now that I'll have a new carboy, I can start one of the LE kits already sitting in the basement.

 

[geek]

I was looking at that kit a few days ago.
How big is the f-pack?
I assume it is a Blueberry flavor.
I also assume it came with labels.