Island Mist Kit adding frozen fruit

[cspade]

I am very new to wine making and I have an Island Mist blackberry kit that I am going to start.
I am wondering if anyone has added frozen fruit to this kit. The salesman advised me that this kit leaves a "tickle" and he informed me that some people will mix the blackberry and blueberry island mist kits....however I have just got started with wine making and do not feel comfortable having 2 kits going at once.
I thought maybe I could add frozen blueberries to the blackberry kit to give it an improved flavor....I am also wanting to increase the abv.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[cmason1957]

Increasing the abv is simple, add sugar. Search the web for Fermcalc. It will help you figure out what you want. And just plain old table sugar is great. I think 4 pounds is what you want.

Then go look for a thread called tweaking kits, or some name like that. Lots of ideas on things to add to make to make them your own.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Island Mist kits are not fruit wine. They are regular grape wine, in your case, Cabernet, with a flavoring pack added after the wine ferments. The flavor pack adds the "fruit" flavor.

Knowing this, you can either make the wine better or the flavoring better. Adding grape skins to the wine helps a lot. Adding blackberry concentrate or syrup might give more fruit flavor.

However, these kits make a sweet and low alcohol cooler that works great over crushed ice while sitting around the pool.

I'd wait to experiment after you get a few kits under your belt...you never know, you might end up making Mist kits for all your neighbor ladies like I do. It's a rewarding hobby!

 

[GaDawg]

Increasing the abv is simple, add sugar. Search the web for Fermcalc. It will help you figure out what you want. And just plain old table sugar is great. I think 4 pounds is what you want.

Maybe simple syrup will be easier than plan sugar.

 

[joeswine]

These kits were design to be made and used as is.
However ,of adding a flavor pack of your own interests you 16 oz. Of berries in the primary will do.
Then proceed as directed.
Adding simple syrup is the best way to reach a higher ABV. Level,1 quart should be enough to bring you to a 1 .09 or 10 enough to still let your taste buds know it's still wine.
Always think outside the box.