WineXpert Tweaking the reformulated Island Mist Green Apple

rallenhall · Jul 26, 2024

I've made the Island Mist Green Apple-Riesling kit for years, and it's been very popular with family members who don't care for dry wines and like things on the lighter side. I just fermented the current Island Mist Green Apple (sans Riesling) and OMG, it's not even close to the former kit; it's now a heavy flavored Jolly Rancher alcopop. I don't think I screwed up anything during the process ... no deviations from the directions and finished with the expected 5 gal. @ 7.1% abv. Wondering if anyone else has noticed this and has completed a successful post-fermentation tweak that makes this concoction more like its old self or at least something better than it currently stands. I keg, carb and keep this wine on tap, so dosing the batch is easily done.

joeswine · Jul 26, 2024

when making a kit it's always best to adjust the ABV in the primary that way you know what and where you would like to finish out, no matter what kit type, you cant rely on what was.

Jovimaple · Jul 27, 2024

rallenhall said:
I've made the Island Mist Green Apple-Riesling kit for years, and it's been very popular with family members who don't care for dry wines and like things on the lighter side. I just fermented the current Island Mist Green Apple (sans Riesling) and OMG, it's not even close to the former kit; it's now a heavy flavored Jolly Rancher alcopop. I don't think I screwed up anything during the process ... no deviations from the directions and finished with the expected 5 gal. @ 7.1% abv. Wondering if anyone else has noticed this and has completed a successful post-fermentation tweak that makes this concoction more like its old self or at least something better than it currently stands. I keg, carb and keep this wine on tap, so dosing the batch is easily done.

Did you mean 6 gallons? Most of the wine cooler kits I have done have been 6 gallons.

Regardless, if it's too strong of a flavor, I would bench test adding a dry white wine or maybe even grape juice to reduce the Jolly Rancher flavor. If you do add something like grape juice with sugar to the whole batch, you may want to add another dose of sorbate and kmeta to make sure it doesn't start fermenting again.

Kev6 · Jul 27, 2024

I completed a RJS green apple kit this spring. Made it to 6gal, boosted abv to finish at 11% before the f-pac was added. Integrated the whole f-pac and it was so sickly sweet to our taste that it took 8 bottles of dry riesling to tame it. Still a sweet wine but not syrupy dessert level. In my notes I have that I should only add half of the pac then taste before adding any more. That will be my plan for any kit with a f-pac from now on.

joeswine · Sep 1, 2024

Kev6 said:
I completed a RJS green apple kit this spring. Made it to 6gal, boosted abv to finish at 11% before the f-pac was added. Integrated the whole f-pac and it was so sickly sweet to our taste that it took 8 bottles of dry riesling to tame it. Still a sweet wine but not syrupy dessert level. In my notes I have that I should only add half of the pac then taste before adding any more. That will be my plan for any kit with a f-pac from now on.

Next time add fresh Apple

slices to the primary, and incredible taste difference.

Todd Abel · Oct 7, 2024

I haven't made GAR in years. When I would make this kit, I would add 1/2 the f pac to the start and then add the rest for back sweetening. I would have the right amount of flavor and sweetness when done.