Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

We had a huge discussion on this forum about this subject without any final ending, so to each their own.
Back to tweaking cheap wine kits.

 

[Ireen]

this is one of many inexpensive wine kits we have done with great success one of the key points we learned early on was not to make it as a 6 gallon kit but as a 5 gallon kit we found at a six gallon volumn it was to thin and taste less, not much to speak of actually a waste of money .so by reducing the volunm we increase the flavor profile (gained taste) added better balance between the oak and the alcohol level.
follow the tweaks and take your time and you to will see that you can make a decent wine at a very reasonable cost.i have made a geat deal of kits and no matter what the starting price range a winemaker always tweaks weather you’re a pro, or a cellar dwellar you tweak bar none.follow the flow and as always think outside the box.

8 hours later fermentation underway great aroma and cap the blend of oak, currents tannins and capitolization will make this cheap kit all it can be.now we wait.

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Hello can i know the formula for getting ammount of sugar to and in my fruit juice to accure a certain brix example from 6 brix to 23 brix

 

[Al Hatfield]

I’m glad its not all in my head. I’ve made 4 kits, all different types and they have all had it. Some stronger, some weaker. I noticed the same thing when I used to make beer. When I used malt extracts they all had a common flavor that didn’t make it bad or undrinkable. It was just always there.

 

[cmason1957]

Hello can i know the formula for getting ammount of sugar to and in my fruit juice to accure a certain brix example from 6 brix to 23 brix

I don't know the exact formula. I use a calculator on the web to tell me how much to add. It is also available as an app download to your phone/tablet either android or Iphone type. FermCalc JS

It does lots of other calculations as well.

 

[Swedeman]

little bit of stevia sweetener

Then you are obviously not sensitive to the nasty licorice aftertaste of Stevia.

 

[Khristyjeff]

In all these years of wine making i still don't understand what is kit taste???
When wine is processed correctly .

Now that you mention it, I may know why you don't taste it, Joe. In the kits I have tweaked with your suggestions, I haven't tastes it either!

 

[joeswine]

it'd al about structure ,and remember everyone's taste buds are very different at times and wiith the other chemicals were taking in everyday life

 

[Bohemiana]

Today we started another new cheap chardonnay kit (Fontana Medium Body Chardonnay purchase on Amazon). I put 1 T. fresh grapefruit zest and double the apricot (this time I used 10 dried apricots). I reconstituted the apricots with 1/4 a sweet apple (cooked just about 5 minutes and then put in the fridge to cool). So I put the fruit and zest in the primary this a.m. Our thinking is to split the 6-gallons into two 3-gallons--one with light "oak," and the other with medium French toasted oak.

UPDATE to the tweaking--
We just bottled half of our kit (described above). Both halves were in carboys with their oak for 3 weeks to compare the oak flavors. The half we bottled today was the one with 1/2 c. medium French toasted oak--WOW! It is so good! The oak is just enough to add interest and allow the fruit to come through. Maybe it's my imagination but I can taste the apple and apricot. The other half of the kit was oaked with the no-info "light" oak. Blah...no oak flavor at all and it was one dimensional so we added a 1/2 c. of the medium French toasted oak and we will let it sit for 2 weeks, then probably bottle. Hopefully adding the toasted oak will match the half we bottled today.

 

[joeswine]

You really don't need to cool down you saute, once it's done just dump it into the mix.

Keep on thinking outside the BoX

 

[Bohemiana]

Questions about adding glycerin...

#1-- We have a good shiraz ready to bottle. It's good as it is but has anyone filled one bottle and added just a touch of glycerin to see how it would improve it? Is there any way that adding 1/4 cup of glycerin to the 6-gallon carboy could turn a good wine bad?? If so, we don't want to risk it. If not, then it would make a good wine better. Thoughts?

#2--We found a 6 oz. bottle of Equate pure vegetable based glycerin (99.5% anhydrous) in the pharmacy area at Walmart for $3.88. It doesn't say "food grade" but it seems like it's exactly the same as the "food grade" glycerin on Amazon. Is this ok to use in the wine?

UPDATE to the above--
#1--We did NOT put glycerin into the carboy for the shiraz...thank goodness! The taste without it is very good but we experimented after bottling by putting 1/8 t. glycerin into it just to experiment--didn't taste nearly as good with the glycerin. We've decided to only add glycerin to our wines after bottling/before serving.

 

[joeswine]

Today for Carol, I started a wine lovers Merlot standard kit it came with n oak and ec1118, I added 16 ozs. Of Blackberries saute down with a SG close to 13,%.
414k views,

 

[joeswine]

Carols MERLOT

 

[joeswine]

carol's merlot phase #2

 

[Darrell Hawley]

carol's merlot phase #2

Joe, second time around to making merlot with your suggestions. Picked up the blackberries yesterday and will start up later today.

 

[joeswine]

Take your time have your plan then work it,and as always have fun making it your own.

 

[RocketBee]

I just ordered and received two Wine Lovers Sauvignon Blanc kits (medium body, 11.5% PABV). I'm trying to replicate what I did the last kit because it was my best tweaked kit so far (thanks @joeswine and @Rocky ) So they made a change to their packaging, previous kit they threw a pack of Lalvin EC-1118 into the kit. This time around all of additives are in a sealed pack and the yeast is a packet the same size, however, it's not the same Lalvin package, it's a branded "ABC Crafted Series" yeast package. It has rehydration instructions on the flip side. I'm going to assume that this is still the same old EC-1118, but it would be nice to know for sure.

 

[Khristyjeff]

"ABC Crafted Series" yeast package.
I noticed that, too. I do know it fermented well and I didn't rehydrate.
What were the tweaks you did last time that worked so well?

 

[AR324]

I have begun to experiment with kits. WE had one gallon cabernet and one gallon Merlot. I did make the one gallon Cabernet following the instructions. It was surprisingly good. Last week I bought 2. I used Premier Rouge instead of the yeast that was included. In one I added a blackberry fpack. In the other, blackberry. I will add Hungarian cubes afterwards to see what happens.

if you like experimenting, these one gallon kits are about $30. That way I can see what works before I try 6 gallons.
Has anyone tried these for experimenting? If so, I’d be interested in what you did.

 

[AR324]

I have begun to experiment with kits. WE had one gallon cabernet and one gallon Merlot. I did make the one gallon Cabernet following the instructions. It was surprisingly good. Last week I bought 2. I used Premier Rouge instead of the yeast that was included. In one I added a blackberry fpack. In the other, blackberry. I will add Hungarian cubes afterwards to see what happens.

if you like experimenting, these one gallon kits are about $30. That way I can see what works before I try 6 gallons.
Has anyone tried these for experimenting? If so, I’d be interested in what you did.

Added blueberry in one. Blackberry in the other.

 

[bstnh1]

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