Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[cmason1957]

I started my Wine Lovers Merlot kit yesterday evening--the 12.5% ABV kit which is 10 liters of concentrate. I decided that I wanted a target original gravity of 1.102. In the primary fermenter, after dissolving the bentonite and adding the concentrate, I carefully added water, stirring thoroughly, till I got to 1.102 on the hydrometer. This turned out to be 20 liters or a little more than 5.25 gallons. I added 2 ounces of medium toast french oak and the wine raisin package I bought with the kit. I then created a blackberry fpack as I sautéed 16 ounces of organic blackberries in 2 cups of base wine (took longer than I expected for the fruit to break down). I pitched the yeast and 10 hours later it is bubbling away nicely. I used a combination of the EC-1118 yeast that came with the kit and Red Star Premier Rouge that I picked up a the LHBS.

I've read that the Red Star PR yeast can tend to be a bit more foamy, so I'm concerned about it foaming up and over the side of my 8-gallon primary. In the meantime, I just have the lid loosely (sans the gasket) laid atop the primary bucket with the airlock hole in the lid open. It will be easier to keep an eye on things since I'm working from home these days.

If you only have 5.25 gallons in your 8 gallon fermenter, you probably shouldn't have any issues with foaming over. If you were at 6.5 or 7, then maybe, but even that would be a lot of foam.

 

[joeswine]

You have a 8 gallon fermentation bucket and only 5.25 gallons in fermentation, no problem .
Yes, sauteed fruit takes a little longer but it's all about wine making.
The balance of the process is going well,
Just place a towel across the top that creates a better fermentation process.
..

 

[RocketBee]

If you only have 5.25 gallons in your 8 gallon fermenter, you probably shouldn't have any issues with foaming over. If you were at 6.5 or 7, then maybe, but even that would be a lot of foam.

Not only do I NOT have a foaming problem...I have NO FOAM...I mean, none. Very strange and wondering what I could have done wrong...or if anything is wrong at all. I've never had a kit produce zero foam. The temperature has been in the low 70s, and the S.G. has dropped from 1.102 to 1.050 after pitching the yeast three days ago. So, fermentation is obviously happening at a normal rate, temperature never really spiked, but I've been managing it to stay low. I did use two yeasts for this batch. EC-1118 and Red Star Premier Red, 5 grams of each. Oh and it's a Wine Lover's 10L Merlot kit to which I added the wine raisins, 2 oz. of french med toast oak and a blackberry Fpack.

 

[sour_grapes]

EC-1118 is a "low-foam" yeast.

 

[joeswine]

I'll bet if you look into the wine you'll see to y iny,tiny bubbles the secondary yeast has taken over the leadership role of fermantation,not the ec1118 and that's ok.
Question: what temperature is your wine area at.
Normally with ec1118 you get a nice cap on the base within 8 to 10 hrs.usually.
With any form of champagne yeast their are low foaming and just have fuzz but it still working.stay the course and just walk away.
Check the SG. Then walk away.

 

[joeswine]

I'll bet if you look into the wine you'll see to y iny,tiny bubbles the secondary yeast has taken over the leadership role of fermantation,not the ec1118 and that's ok.
Question: what temperature is your wine area at.
Normally with ec1118 you get a nice cap on the base within 8 to 10 hrs.usually.
With any form of champagne yeast their are low foaming and just have fuzz but it still working.stay the course and just walk away.
Check the SG. Then walk away.

Check some of my threads out and you'll see what I mean.look and see.

 

[RocketBee]

It never formed a cap, but it is still working as evidenced by the drop in S.G. I've used EC-1118 on every wine kit I've done and it always has formed a cap, but not this one. The temp in the fermentation area was about 65 degrees and as the wine cooled below 70 degrees, I turned the heater on, now it's around 70 degrees.

 

[bstnh1]

No foam with EC1118 is not an issue. That yeast has been in every kit I've made over the years and quite often I see zero or very little foam. If you shine a strong LED flashlight on the side of the carboy/fermenter, you'll see tiny bubbles rising during fermentation. If your SG is dropping, that's a solid indicator that you're good to go!

 

[joeswine]

bstnh1...that's correct not only that but sometimes I've found different yeast react differently when combined with others ( I do this regularly) that's the nature of the yeast. Two different profiles acting like each individual should . see the cap,then on the second pic no cap but active work going on between the yeast and the base.

 

[joeswine]

the full flow of this cheap chardonnay....

 

[joeswine]

Balance of the flow as of today and still in the primary.

 

[RocketBee]

My Wine Lovers Merlot is still in the primary bucket at an S.G. of 1.012 and getting close to where the directions tell me to rack to the carboy (1.010 or less). I have the blackberry Fpack in the primary along with some medium toast french oak and the optional wine raisins. When would you rack the wine? And would you rack off the additional items?

 

[Rocky]

I would rack the wine at any time that it is convenient to do so. You are close enough to the required SG. If you have the f-pack and raisins in a bag, sanitize your hands with k-meta and give the bag a good squeeze to extract as much flavor as possible. If the additives are floating free, scoop them out into a colander and squeeze out as much liquids as you can and put it in the wine in your secondary fermenter. Keep it in the secondary fermenter until SG reaches into the 0.992-0.995 range.

Sounds like you have a great wine going. Good luck!

 

[RocketBee]

@Rocky thanks for the reply, at what point do you get concerned about oxidation of the wine while it is in the primary bucket? I noticed that the fermentation curve--while still going down--has certainly flattened a bit. Just curious what your thoughts are.

 

[joeswine]

Here's how I see it..I always leave room to finish what fermentation needs to be done in the first stage of the secondary process, once moved in to the carboy allow the process to sit a week or two each day shake it a little what for bubbles after a while they'll stop then its time to rerack and add chems then wait till the wine has cleared. bottle .

 

[Rocky]

@Rocky thanks for the reply, at what point do you get concerned about oxidation of the wine while it is in the primary bucket? I noticed that the fermentation curve--while still going down--has certainly flattened a bit. Just curious what your thoughts are.

RB, what I do, regardless of the instructions in a kit, is to keep the wine in the primary fermenter with the lid loosely laid on top (no airlock) until the SG is below 1.020. Once it drops below that level, I rack it into a secondary fermenter and add the airlock and keep it there until there is no evidence of fermentation (i.e. the "bubble is not moving"). At that point, I check the SG with a hydrometer and it is normally in the 0.992 to 0.995 range. (Yes, I had a typo in my earlier post!) At that point, I rack, add K-meta (I rarely or never use Sorbate) and put into bulk aging (6 months max for whites, 1 year min for reds). While in bulk aging, I hit it with K-meta (at a rate of 1/4 t per 6 gallons) every 4 months. After bulk aging, I bottle.

As stated, this is what I do. It is not necessarily a recommendation but it works for me.

 

[joeswine]

Sounds good to me Rocky.

 

[Spiros]

I was gifted a Costco chateau Pinot Grigio kit and is my first crack at making wine. I have some large white raisins that were brought back from a family farm in Greece, has anybody ever tried experimenting with these?

 

[joeswine]

Hi SPIROS,,,,, If I were going to use them I'd first wash them in cool water then rehydrate them ( 1 cup raisins to 2 cups wine),then I would make the kit as directed and in the primary add the rasinis then the yeast and 1/2 tesspoon of lemon zest).that should make a very nice finish to the PINO.
have you read any of my thread? Grapefruit zest is also quite nice to the finish.

 

[Spiros]

Hey joe, yes I have read the first 10 pages so far it’s so nice to have this wealth of information. This chateau kit comes with 2 batches so I figure I use it up before I start investing my own money, I’d like to start making reds probably a Malbec. Do you have any experience with the cru international kits because I have found a place that I can get them for $75 Canadian. They come with the grape skins and oak pack