Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

In the mix

The WE/ Moscato is just right for her good balance of, sweet and flavor on the other hand Kate made a coconut Frascata from Cornocopia /amazon and it was a great clean tasting white with a coconut background a great summer wine and not a IM style either.. remember what I stated in the beginning these are not a contender for the wine of the year but a decent everyday table wine you can twist. That's is what this thread is all about.

 

[Dentman]

Dentman,nice going the product isn't bad and what you can achieve with these kits are really decent wines at a low budget cost..keep reporting for the others......Joeswine..

Hey Joe, update on the Pino Noir and 2 Cab kits from november. The Cabs are still in a glass carboy but i did bottle the Noir a few weeks ago. Let me tell you its rich, earthy flavor is all I can say; full of body. WOW!!! I admit it still has a "young" taste to it. Ever so slightly out of balance perhaps. But its only been in glass for 2 months. Thats way too early to make any kind of decision other than its really progressing nicely.

This week I ll be ordering 1 maybe 2 more kits for Spring before the chilean buckets show up. I see these currants for Malbec, perhaps ill try that. thanks Joe!!

 

[corinth]

sweat kits

wineforfun:

How about the acai rapturehttp://www.finevinewines.com/Wine-of-the-Month.asp

or one of the ice wines?


Corinth

 

[thruhike00]

This is my way of doing these wine kits your outcome could be different, so far we have 16 wine makers on this thread doing these inexpensive kits in a very different way out of the norm...what are your thoughts so far? I have always been an experimenter so to me this is my normal mode and in the end it's what I created not just dumping someone else's plan out of a box, most times I win ,I haven't lost many. So in this experiment how do you think you faired so far, both the pro's and con's..NJBrew,Dentman,Jc5066,GaDawng,wineforfun,ColemanM,Thurhike00,Bauer,RedRockGirl,MisMOst,BigSell,Dianna,Billpizzailo,Tnuscan and Jdwebb

Joe,
I am bulk aging the Fontana merlot and cab for awhile and then they are going into an oak barrel for finishing. Both small samples are good so far, but I have always thought the merlot was a winner. Made doubles of both kits as I have an 11gal barrel with a couple of extra bottles for the angels share when its in the barrel. I bumped the ABV and added raisins to both with some tannin. Did not do the reduced 5gal as suggested, but think the barrel aging with help.

As for the whites, I am still not a big fan of the cheap kits. Have made multiple kits of the pinot grigio and chardonnay both as full 6gal and reduced 5gal kits. Followed your suggestions for helping the kits and still think the taste is ok but not great. The chardonnay with some oak is the better of the two IMHO (and other friends that have tried my kits). The chardonnay is better after some aging but the pinot grigio is just not that good.

I will update on the two Fontana reds after bulk aging and their time in the barrel for final opinion but I like the merlot a lot and think its a great value.

 

[Tnuscan]

I am doing a Merlot and Malbec. They are in the clearing process now. I am more excited about these kits, than any I have made. Joe, your tweeking process helped me see that I am in control of the outcome, and can change things to fit my taste. Your threads continue to open my eyes to different possibilities. As I finish these kits I am planning ahead to tweeking more in the future. I'll be thinking outside the box and having lots of fun.
Thanks again!!

 

[wineforfun]

wineforfun:

How about the acai rapturehttp://www.finevinewines.com/Wine-of-the-Month.asp

or one of the ice wines?


Corinth

Will give them a look over. I want something I can get off of Amazon for this next one as I have $40 in certificates to use up.

 

[joeswine]

PINOt GRIS

what type of application did you use 6 gal//5gal// did you use any zest ?

 

[joeswine]

Toms wine kits

HERES TOM AND CAROL, so far he has done 8 of these kits we just racked three last week and will bottle them next week..........follow

 

[joeswine]

Toms wine kits continued

follow the flow .............................

 

[BigSell]

This is my way of doing these wine kits your outcome could be different, so far we have 16 wine makers on this thread doing these inexpensive kits in a very different way out of the norm...what are your thoughts so far? I have always been an experimenter so to me this is my normal mode and in the end it's what I created not just dumping someone else's plan out of a box, most times I win ,I haven't lost many. So in this experiment how do you think you faired so far, both the pro's and con's..NJBrew,Dentman,Jc5066,GaDawng,wineforfun,ColemanM,Thurhike00,Bauer,RedRockGirl,MisMOst,BigSell,Dianna,Billpizzailo,Tnuscan and Jdwebb

Joe,

Have two tweeked batches in the final stages of carboy aging. Both are WE kits prepared to 6 Gal.

First is a Pinot Noir, unfortunately I did not capitalize, just added golden organic rasins( thought was to preserve the Pinot color). Wine is really fruit forward and thin, going to add 1 Tsp of Tannin Riche, wait 3 or so weeks, filter and bottle.

Second kit is a WE Sangiovese, followed the Joe protocol, capitalized to SG 1.104, Med toast American oak in the primary. Once rack to secondary, added 1Tsp of genaric tannin. After 60 days tased so good the wife and I thought about just putting straws in the carboy and drinking! Going to taste in a few more weeks, may add some Tannin Riche now that I have some to see what it does. Will then filter and bottle, pretty sure this batch will not last, may have to get another one going fast.

What would you suggest for a dry Riesling?

 

[Dentman]

Added grapefruit zest in primary of pino grigio, it was grapefruit early on but now has lost its flavor. Add more grapefruit? the wine finished the second week of January.

 

[joeswine]

In the mix

if you added the zest that's good don't expect a grapefruit taste it adds to the back end finish, should be acidic in taste. refreshing to the palate. if you want to yes add more zest.

 

[joeswine]

In the mix

This is my theory on whites, if your doing a cheap kit reduce the volume,if you doing a vintners go with the mfgs. process using a home made fpac this will add some body to the mix, for sure, as you move up the price scale of kits, the higher, the more you need to concern yourself with the abv. this goes for whites only in my book, got it! let your taste buds prevail...at all times...

 

[jdwebb]

Well Joe, I'm patiently waiting on my Pinot Noir to finish in secondary. When it gets to .998 I'll rack it to a clean carboy, stabilize and degas it. Then begins the clearing and aging process.

 

[Tnuscan]

Hello Joe,
Ok, March 2nd degassed and stabilized Fontana Malbec and the Merlot, according to your thread, following everything to a T. It's been 7 days under Headspace Eliminator. Should I thieve me a couple of thimbles full or leave it alone for 2more weeks. It's killin me Joe, it's killin me.

 

[Tnuscan]

Ok I couldn't stand it any longer, I snuck me a taste. "Hey Mikey, Hey Mikey... Mikey likes it." That one goes back a few years. Ok back to the subject. MERLOT- I know it's way too early to tell, but to the nose I sensed the added heat(abv) and picked up notes of berry and plum(I did add a couple plums to the saute'). On the palate, the added abv I liked, the flavor not there yet, but I know it will be. Just needs a couple months time I guess. Still very excited with these kits. I'm hooked, I like tweeking. Please don't fall asleep on me..

On Next Kit
I know it's not suggested to do on reds, but I'm, thinking of not stabilizing--/half of the kit/-- after fermentation, and trying Battonage , for a month. I would like to add more mouthfeel ( a thicker, buttery taste).
How do you feel about this??

 

[Tom]

follow the flow .............................

Guess what? slowly getting my hair back

 

[joeswine]

TAke it slow grasshopper, take it slow,it's fun putting your personal stamp on your wine,win lose or draw, we learn from each other.

 

[Tnuscan]

Lol. Heard that one a lot in my youth, especially from Pa.(Grand father) many decades ago.

 

[jdwebb]

Joe, I'm still sitting at 1.100, have a feeling CO2 might be holding the hydrometer up, should I start degassing even though we're still in early secondary? It was racked 6 days ago at 1.100. Its still fermenting by the way...