Splitting a kit? What needs to be adjusted?

[Fencepost]

I have made a lot of fruit wines, and I have made a 5.2liter kit. I was thinking about buying a 16 liter kit designed for 6 gallons but making 2 six gallon batches. That would be 8 liters vs the 5.2 liters of my first kit. I plan to get the initial SG at 1.09 or so for both batches, but I have heard that these kits are already balance for pH and acid. Would I need to add an acid blend? Any other suggestions? I thought the initial 5.2 liter kit I made was OK (and better when I blended it with a blackberry wine) so will this work out? I plan to use one of these batches to blend with 6 gallon blackberry. I have searched the forums but have not seen this question asked before. Thanks.

 

[KCCam]

That would be 8 liters vs the 5.2 liters of my first kit.

But the 5.2 L would be concentrated juice. I wouldn’t do it. You’re effectively diluting your must by a factor of 2. Half the flavour, half the alcohol. You can bump up the alcohol with sugar, but you would need something to replace the volume of grape juice you’re losing. If I spent money on a kit, I might tweak it to improve it, but I wouldn’t put only half of it into the intended volume.

 

[Fencepost]

@KCCam .... I was under the impression that the 16 litre kit was of the same concentration as the 5.2 litre kit.... ?? is it not? I thought the 16 liter would just make a much more flavorful wine. The 5.2 litre was ok, so I was thinking one at 8 liter would be better than the 5.2 but maybe not as good as a full 16 litre. Thanks... if it is not the same concentration I certianly understand and agree.

 

[KCCam]

@KCCam .... I was under the impression that the 16 litre kit was of the same concentration as the 5.2 litre kit.... ?? is it not? I thought the 16 liter would just make a much more flavorful wine. The 5.2 litre was ok, so I was thinking one at 8 liter would be better than the 5.2 but maybe not as good as a full 16 litre. Thanks... if it is not the same concentration I certianly understand and agree.

Your question was very interesting to me because it was actually the opposite idea I had that originally lead me to this site. I wondered whether you could take a 6 gallon wine kit with juice concentrate, and add water to the 4 gallon mark instead of 6, and end up with a port-style wine at close to 20% ABV ( or whatever the yeast would tolerate), and 50% more flavour.

I never actually answered my question, because I stumbled upon the Dragon Blood thread, and this site, in general, sucked me in like a black hole, and showed me how much I never knew how much I never knew!

 

[Fencepost]

Maybe @Johnd could wade in and clarify this for us....

 

[Scooter68]

I work with country fruit wines (Non-Grape) and I would not dilute a kit made for 16 liters . Split it into two batches but don't try to water it down. Remember you can ALWAYS dilute an overly strong wine after it's finished by adding a white wine to it. That way your ABV doesn't suffer.
Example: Vintners Harvest sells 96 ounce cans of wine base concentrate. They include directions for making either a 3 gallon or a 5 gallon batch with that one can. Obviously if you start with the same amount of concentrate and dilute for 5 gallons - that wine will not have as strong a flavor as a 3 gallon batch. You will use more sugar to get the same ABV from a 5 gallon batch compared to a 3 gallon batch and the flavor will be weaker.

If that 16 liter kit is designed to make 6 gallons of finished wine, trying to get more wine out of that same kit will give you a disappointing wine batch.

 

[sour_grapes]

I agree with the sentiments @KCCam expressed in post #2. You would have half the flavor.

I have no idea what the 5.2 liter kit you are referencing is, or how many liters of finished wine it was designed to make. I suppose that if you had previous experience in doubling the intended volume of a kit by thinning it out by a factor of two, and you were happy with the results, then you could go ahead and do that on a larger scale if you wanted. Seems crazy to me.

 

[Fencepost]

@sour_grapes, its the Wine Lovers kits, 5.2Liter ($55 est ABV11.5%)and 16 Liter ($90 est ABV 13.5%).. I was thinking they were the same concentration of the juice.....but I guess that if they were the same concentration then the finished ABV would also have to be about triple but it's not, so I guess they are not the same concentration of juice. Based on the feed back. I am going to forget about this option. Just wanted to ask. Thanks to all.

 

[Johnd]

Maybe @Johnd could wade in and clarify this for us....

I agree with the posters above, the concentration level isn’t the same in kits of different volumes. The lower volume kits that make 6 gallons are much more concentrated that the larger volume kits. Making two six gallon batches from concentrate designed for one six gallon batch will result in wretched despair and sadness......

 

[Fencepost]

Thanks, @Johnd, not only do you know your stuff, you have a great way with words to express it! With the Covid, State of Affairs in the County and some other issues... who needs more "wretched despair and sadness"!

Count me OUT on this idea. Thanks to all who provided guidance... Listen and Learn....it's why I come here!