Making the most of expensive kits

[Lwrightjs]

How do you make the most of your expensive kits? I've just purchased an RJS En Primeur Super Tuscan. Most expensive kit I've ever done. Normally, I add currants, tannin, extra oak, and swap the yeast on cheap ($60) kits. But how should I do this one? I've been pretty nervous about it and put off starting it last weekend because I don't want to ruin an expensive kit.

What do you to make these into great wines?

 

[Boatboy24]

Pretty much exactly what you mentioned, although I've only done the currant addition once or twice.

 

[Lwrightjs]

I've been reading a lot about extended maceration. Is that something I want to try here?

 

[jsbeckton]

I just bottled this kit in February after a year of bulk aging. I did a 6W EM and made the same adjustments that you noted.

It’s still young but I think it’s going to turn out very nicely.

I only do high end kits and my advice to you is to not plan on drinking it for 2-3 years if you want to “make the most of it”.

After I bottled it I stuck mine in the back of my cellar. Almost forgot about it until I read this thread [emoji6]

 

[Lwrightjs]

Awesome. I was thinking 6 to 9 weeks of EM, and then another 6 to 9 months of bulk aging. I like bulk aging but it's hard when you want to put more stuff in your carboys.
I've got like 100 bottles worth of wine that I made from tweaked kits. I hope I can get a year out of it.

 

[jsbeckton]

They key is to make more than you can drink early on. I think most people make several cheap kits that are early drinkers before making the expensive kits. This makes it easier to keep your hands off them for awhile.

 

[pillswoj]

Definitely do an EM on it, I would skip the currants, add all the oak in the kit in the primary, use some tannin. BM4x4 is a nice yeast for it. Get an oak spiral for aging, maybe a French Medium plus. Bottle anytime 9-12 months (I usually bottle after I go for a 3 month aging cycle with zero sediment this is often the 6-9 month cycle but can be longer).
DO NOT sample a bottle until it is OVER 24 months old.

 

[ras2018]

Awesome. I was thinking 6 to 9 weeks of EM

9 weeks of EM seems a bit excessive and might lead to oxygen exposure. Just my 2c worth.

 

[pillswoj]

9 weeks of EM seems a bit excessive and might lead to oxygen exposure. Just my 2c worth.

If someone is doing an EM, I would recommend using a fermonster or a big mouth bubbler. Lock it down after 1 week and slosh it to keep the skins wet. No issues of Oxygen exposure that way

 

[Lwrightjs]

If someone is doing an EM, I would recommend using a fermonster or a big mouth bubbler. Lock it down after 1 week and slosh it to keep the skins wet. No issues of Oxygen exposure that way

What do you mean by lock it down?

Ive been thinking about doing it in a 7.8 gallon bucket and then spraying argon Gas in it around 2 or 3 weeks.

Also, I have the 7. 5 gal fermonster. Does that work fine?

 

[pillswoj]

I do all mine in the 7.5 fermonsters,. For the first week I have the top on very loosely and punch the cap down twice a day. After the week, I tighten the lid and just rock the fermonster back and forth to keep the skins wet. I have settled on 8 weeks for my EMs.

 

[pillswoj]

Also the skins will sink at the 3 or 4 week mark.

 

[Lwrightjs]

Excellent news. I was afraid I'd have to buy a new piece of equipment for it.

Do you have a solid lid then? I have a bung with an airlock right now but can pick up a solid bung easily.

 

[jgmann67]

Excellent news. I was afraid I'd have to buy a new piece of equipment for it.

Do you have a solid lid then? I have a bung with an airlock right now but can pick up a solid bung easily.

Airlock. It’s fine.

 

[Lwrightjs]

Pretty much exactly what you mentioned, although I've only done the currant addition once or twice.

I meant to ask about this. How was the currant tweak? Would you recommend, or have you noticed a difference? I've done it on cheaper kits to add a little extra.

 

[Boatboy24]

I meant to ask about this. How was the currant tweak? Would you recommend, or have you noticed a difference? I've done it on cheaper kits to add a little extra.

I'm not sure if it made a real difference or not.

 

[robert81650]

I'm not sure why you would want to tweak a high price kit. By spending that kind of money, I would not want to mess with what the experts at the kit manufacture have done to get it ready to make a good wine.

 

[Brian55]

I'm not sure why you would want to tweak a high price kit. By spending that kind of money, I would not want to mess with what the experts at the kit manufacture have done to get it ready to make a good wine.

All you're getting vs. a cheaper kit is more juice, less concentrate, and maybe skins with a red. Most are still lacking in tannins, oak, etc.. Plus the directions are intended to hurry the process so they can sell more kits.

 

[Lwrightjs]

I'm not sure why you would want to tweak a high price kit. By spending that kind of money, I would not want to mess with what the experts at the kit manufacture have done to get it ready to make a good wine.

Yeah, I'm not necessarily looking to tweak it majorly, but to make the most of it.

Do you believe the high priced kits are great how they are? What do you normally do?

 

[jsbeckton]

The high priced kits are still designed to be consumed quickly so I find they are light on oak. They also give you the ‘vanilla’ yeast EC112 because the manufacturer feels it’s better to ensure complete fermentation for a novice winemaker rather than chance it to add more complexity.

So if you make it by the book with the kit instructions I think your will get a good wine but IMO you are not “making the most of it”.