Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

Sugar, pepper corns can add spice notes ( not to many of them).
Blueberries are a hard berry to develop taste with ,if you used them in the secondary they do the most good.
If you learn how to govern the SG.( Specific Gravity) back sweeting doesn't Become an issue in the process.
Learning these things takes time and trial and error . And that's were these cheaper wine kits come into play..

 

[sugar]

THANKS,
I used the blueberries in the primary with all that was sent in the kit. i am about to take the wine off the secondary leas.
my thought was to put a few peppercorns in the aging for 60 to 90 days,then bottle.?

 

[pillswoj]

@sugar be careful with the peppercorns, it does not take much to overpower any other flavours in the wine.

 

[sugar]

Right! I am considering 4 to 8 in 5 gal.

 

[cmason1957]

Right! I am considering 4 to 8 in 5 gal.

I have never used them, but there was a woman who was starting out making wines and added peppercorns to something, I have slept many times since this, but I seem to recall that it didn't add anything good to the mix. I may have spit it out. But she was quite proud of it.

 

[sugar]

Thanks,
I will put that in the past then.
Trust to your non ego palate to another's ego palate.
We sometimes are not honest with our own creations.

 

[joeswine]

Here's a little something for the fruit lovers in the audience.....

 

[Steve Wargo]

Thanks,
I will put that in the past then.
Trust to your non ego palate to another's ego palate.
We sometimes are not honest with our own creations.

If you are curious about adding pepper to wine?
When your wine is ready to drink, and you have tasted a glass. Then add a dash of pepper into your next glass. Then let it sit for 15 minutes. The pepper will sink to the bottom. Stir and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Without stirring give it a taste. You might like it, you might not.

 

[joeswine]

now that's thinking.....makes sense. and its still thing outside the box.

 

[sugar]

Thank you
I was thinking about doing the same experiment
Thanks for the input

 

[joeswine]

For you cheap wine kit makers take a look at the WINE LOVERS site ,very good pricing...

 

[RocketBee]

For you cheap wine kit makers take a look at the WINE LOVERS site ,very good pricing...

@joeswine have you made any of the 5.2 liter Wine Lovers kits? If so, how do they compare with the Fontana kits?

 

[joeswine]

Yes not that much difference in the Fontana ,wine lovers or wild grapes, if there was to be a comparison the Fontana better yield, the other two are about the same .it all depends on how you want them to finish out nothing more.
As I said in the past you need a plan no matter what the kit cost, the more expensive the kit the less you play, but play you can. The cheaper kits gives a new comer to the craft a chance to learn and experiment.
remember the cheaper the kit the less concentrate is in the box.so you need to plan.

 

[Steve Wargo]

@RocketBee I bought a 10L Chardonnay Kit from Winelovers late last Dec 2019. Delivered quickly, no shipping fee, plus % discount. I started the kit about 6 days ago 2/20. It came with EC1118 yeast, clearing agents, Bentonite. The Winelovers juice just outta the box Brix reading was off the chart. Based on what I was seeing on the Hydrometer, I'm guessing it was between 45 and 50 Brix.

The Chardonnay kit Concentrate temp was 62 deg-F, when poured into the bucket. I keep my fermentation room in the basement between 60 and 62 deg -F. for a Slow ferment. I added to the bucket 1-gal spring water, and 3-gallons organic apple juice all at 62 deg F. total 6.6 gallons must. I took a reading and the SG reading was over 1.110+ . No added sugar. I was impatient. There was foam below the 1.110 mark getting in the way of an exact reading After that I used D47 lees from a very recent fermentation (62-F) instead of the EC1118 to innoculate the must and lightly mixed. The D47 was noticeably working about 18 hours later. Two days later ferment going strong. Then I added 1 cored fresh pineapple sliced and then 20 pitted dates cut in half (all uncooked). Like @joeswine says "think out of the box". Maybe I'll add some raisins, I don't know yet.

The must taste and aroma started off more apple, but the chardonnay is moving to the forefront. I have another 10L chardonnay kit in the waiting. I'll learn a lot from this run. Have fun experimenting.

 

[joeswine]

go slow grasshopper ,less is more at times.

 

[joeswine]

We are still #1on Google ,with tweaking cheap wine kits.
Thank you all for following.

 

[joeswine]

for those of you wanting to use the wild grapes brand, here's how the fermentation looks 8 hrs.' after start.
notice the Global Vintner brand, notice the nice looking fermentation caps. time to make wine.
this wine is for a custer of mine . as I do make for other people.

 

[RocketBee]

@joeswine what tweaks did you make on the Chilean Merlot?

 

[joeswine]

16 ozs. of blackberries in the primary and the oak that came with the kit, then in the secondary I'll add 1 teaspoon of wine tannins that's how the owner like's their wine fruit forward with wood background. For the Chilean Merlot.
For the Cabernet. 16ozs. of Raspberries in the primary and the oak that came with the kit.
in both cases the {ABV. was at 12 to 13%.that's} the way they like their finish.
in both cases take the berries are simmer down with 2 cups of the base wine then they are dump directly in the mix . Sprinkle the yeast directly on top. Do not stir.

 

[joeswine]

We are also #1 on face book in this category.....as well as Google..Ya team..