Finer Wine Kit Syrah Forte

[Shurt1073]

Oak and seeds go in the muslin bag in my wines. So much easier to clean up after.

Guessing you punch them down a few times per day and at the end of fermentation squeeze the goodness out of them?

 

[Billdean]

Guessing you punch them down a few times per day and at the end of fermentation squeeze the goodness out of them?

Yes….2 times a day I punch them down and stir a little.

 

[jgmann67]

Guessing you punch them down a few times per day and at the end of fermentation squeeze the goodness out of them?

Yep. I do.

 

[szap]

FYI - I put my oak in a muslin bag also. Just keeps it from getting in the way.

Why did I never think of this? Cleaning oak chips out of fermenter is a pain

 

[wineview]

Oak and seeds go in the muslin bag in my wines. So much easier to clean up after.

A separate muslin bag or combined with the skins. Just curious.

 

[Billdean]

I just followed the directions. This is good to know for future wine kits though…

 

[Shurt1073]

I felt more like a winemaker today than ever before! My FWK arrived and my afternoon was spent with the Forte using skins & seeds. I've never used either of these, so this was a cool experience. The Forte seemed thicker than the Tavola . I'll start the Tavola next weekend.

I'll pitch the yeast in the morning and more fun begins!

 

[Billdean]

I felt more like a winemaker today than ever before! My FWK arrived and my afternoon was spent with the Forte using skins & seeds. I've never used either of these, so this was a cool experience. The Forte seemed thicker than the Tavola . I'll start the Tavola next weekend.

I'll pitch the yeast in the morning and more fun begins!

My feeling exactly. The Syrah forte was way thicker than any thing I ever tried before! I have the Tavola also but I have to wait for a couple of weeks for my fermenting bucket!

 

[Dwerth]

FYI - I put my oak in a muslin bag also. Just keeps it from getting in the way.

I really, really regret not reading this 20 minutes ago now...
Not a huge deal dealing with this one more time, but now I can see the future, and it has less cleanup.

 

[jgmann67]

A separate muslin bag or combined with the skins. Just curious.

I put one pack of skins and seeds in one, and the the other pack of skins and oak chips in the other. Punch down 2–3 times a day. End up with just particulate and dead yeast at the bottom when it’s finished.

 

[Ohio Bob]

FYI - I put my oak in a muslin bag also. Just keeps it from getting in the way.

Excellent suggestion, it keeps the oak submerged and doing it’s job.

Even after 30 years of winemaking I learned a new tip.

 

[winemaker81]

I really don’t care for real tannic dry red wine. I'm wondering if the FWK Syrah Forte without skins would be a better option for me? I am going to start this kit tomorrow and was curious how it might turn out with out the skin packs?

I made the pre-Tavola Barbera and the Tavola Pinot Noir without skin packs, and am very pleased with both. While I generally drink full bodied reds, I find value in lower bodied wines, e.g., my PN is perfect with roast turkey and for folks that don't like heavy duty reds. Or when I just want a fruity red to drink.

If you don't like heavy reds, make what you want. 30+ years ago I was in the bar of a restaurant that had a great, rotating red selection. I hung out there more often than was probably good for me, but it was fun. One night a few friends and I were discussing a new red and an older couple (funny to think about it, as they were a bit younger than I am now) sheepishly asked, "We don't like red wine. What should we drink with a steak?"

My immediate answer floored them. "White wine."

"But you just said ..."

My response was that there are many very good reasons for drinking a red wine with steak, but if they don't like reds, they should drink what they like.

Even after 30 years of winemaking I learned a new tip.