Thinking about upping my production.

[richmke]

The problem, I see, is that no-one has ever thought of marketing a large quality kit (say 50 to 100 liters).

It is a weight issue. USPS/UPS/FedEx have weight limits around 50-75 pounds for a single package. After that, it has to go Freight, which is much more expensive.

At 40 pounds (weight of an 18 liter kit), you are pushing what the average person can comfortably lift.

 

[sour_grapes]

At 40 pounds (weight of an 18 liter kit), you are pushing what the average person can comfortably lift.

+ another ~5 lbs of sugar!

 

[cajunlte]

Wow! A very good amount of information here to consider. I think I am going to start off with switching to two 6.5 gallon brew bucks at a time for the primary fermentation and rack to 5 gallon glass carboys to begin the process of increasing the amount of bulk aged batches especially if I plan on moving to real grape wines. My very first batch ever of Apple Cherry made from frozen concentrate about 8 weeks ago is already half gone with people asking me for more and a recently bottled batch of blackberry from homewinery looking and tasting better as time goes by. The way I see it if I primary 2 at a time each month then I should end up with at least 120 gallons after the first year in multiple stages. That would put me near needing twelve 5 gallon carboys at one time if max bulk aging is kept to 6 months.

Oh. And I don't plan on using kits.

 

[tanddc]

I tried to base my kit amounts on our own consumption but quickly found that it did not work. We give away and share quite a bit. Several bottles were consumed on Thanksgiving and we just invited our friends over for a wine tasting on Sunday.

I currently have six batches going on in various states of the process.

 

[Enologo]

Having variety is all well and good, but I assume that the issue you have here is simply volume. Why not look into making wine from fresh grapes next year? You can make big batches when using fresh fruit.

Having gone through the same type of gyrations here is where I'm at. Between my own consumption, three adult children and their better halves, a neighbor who keeps me continusly supplied with empties and the rest of the family (brothers and sisters in law) and trying to keep some for extended ageing it just wasn't working out, so. After trying mutiple kits I started to move more toward the juice pails and a lug or two of grapes, since I'm not ready yet to go full grapes as yet. 32 gal. Brute for the ferment, 4 juice pails and a lug or two of grapes when available. This will be my process going forward. Currently have 100 liters in the barrel, 4 25l demi waiting to go into the barrel once I bottle, 4 carboys that are getting racked back and forth and when clear will go into the demi's. Once the carboys are clear and I don't need to rack they will sit and I'll do the two kits I have waiting in the wings. This should hold me till the Chilean grapes and juice become available in the spring and the rotation will get another bump and hopefully some of this will survive to get some real age on it. Well that's my plan anyway.

 

[cajunlte]

Where are you getting your juice pails and grapes?

 

[Enologo]

Corrados in Clifton NJ is the closest LHBS to me about an hour each way. I have also gone to Gino Pinto which is about twice the distance for glass and other supplies.

 

[calvin]

Wow! A very good amount of information here to consider. I think I am going to start off with switching to two 6.5 gallon brew bucks at a time for the primary fermentation and rack to 5 gallon glass carboys to begin the process of increasing the amount of bulk aged batches especially if I plan on moving to real grape wines. My very first batch ever of Apple Cherry made from frozen concentrate about 8 weeks ago is already half gone with people asking me for more and a recently bottled batch of blackberry from homewinery looking and tasting better as time goes by. The way I see it if I primary 2 at a time each month then I should end up with at least 120 gallons after the first year in multiple stages. That would put me near needing twelve 5 gallon carboys at one time if max bulk aging is kept to 6 months.

Oh. And I don't plan on using kits.

I recently bought a 20 gallon brute trash can for a primary. So far I have done a double batch of dragon blood. Today or tomorrow I'm starting a double batch of skeeter pee. I think I will be buying two kits at a time from now on. 30 bottles just don't stick around long enough.

 

[richmke]

For me, variety is the spice of life (although my wife is going through my LE 2013 Argentine Malbec like there is no tomorrow). So, I would rather make more variety than more of the same bottle.

Once I figure out which ones I like, then I might to the volume route to build a supply of those so they have longer time to age.

 

[sour_grapes]

But @cajunlte, I do think you should indeed up your production. Then you could say:

"I have upped my production -- Up yours!"