Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[Spikedlemon]

A seal? Typically a bung w/ airlock. Nothing special. Perhaps I don't understand the question.

I'm certain that I'm below 1.00 (as I was at 1.00 when I racked to secondary) but as I've not degassed and it's only been a couple weeks: the slowly released CO2 is still likely blanketing the headspace in my carboy. My wine is just past the shoulder of the carboy (not up to the neck) at this point.

As to your comment on plan: I expect to let it rest for another couple weeks, rack & KMS, degass and fine both wines in relative short order before bottling (and let it age in bottles).

 

[jdwebb]

Working on my third kit, the chardonnay, I have a Pinot Noir and a Shiraz completed. Both seem to finish with a very tart taste. The Pinot was fermented with 1 pound mix of Blackberries and Raspberries, the Shiraz with 14 oz of Blueberries. I can see where blackberries and raspberries can contribute to tartness, but not the blueberries so much. I'm going to assume they both need time to sit...a long time. So far, I'm not convinced of the "bucket to glass" in a month many of these kits profess. So...I am anxiously waiting.

 

[Tnuscan]

Just stabilized and added the f-pac in my Coconut Yuzu tonight. Tick-tock, tick-tock. And going by the smell, I just may end up attacking this one early.

 

[Mismost]

Working on my third kit, the chardonnay, I have a Pinot Noir and a Shiraz completed. Both seem to finish with a very tart taste. The Pinot was fermented with 1 pound mix of Blackberries and Raspberries, the Shiraz with 14 oz of Blueberries. I can see where blackberries and raspberries can contribute to tartness, but not the blueberries so much. I'm going to assume they both need time to sit...a long time. So far, I'm not convinced of the "bucket to glass" in a month many of these kits profess. So...I am anxiously waiting.

That tart may be CO2...next time you open a bottle and pour a glass, hold your thumb over the top and give the bottle a couple of shakes...if you get a poof or a rush of gas, well then it's CO2. Decant it and let it breathe a bit, it really helps some my wines that rushed through to get in the bottle. I just didn't get them degassed enough.

 

[joeswine]

mismost

MISMOST:Good advise, even though these are short term kits you need to add a dash of patients with them like in all wine making. Berries of any style carry a tartness to them ,in my experience 8 ozs.. to 16 ozs. is quite enough in the cheaper kits, remember if you reducing the volume////// everything else changes. Always check your Ph with berries. Let time be your guide, it will be okay in the end. Below are pics available at Making a FPAC. Also remember I sauté down all my fpacs to bring out the sugars in the fruit.

 

[jdwebb]

I'm pretty meticulous about degassing, so I don't think it's that. I think time in the bottle is what they need. Pinot was bottled, Shiraz is sitting on 2oz of Hungarian Oak for a month, and will leave to bulk age until November.

 

[joeswine]

Kate's cheap chardonnay

Kates chardonnay turn out pretty good follow the flow...........................................

 

[joeswine]

Kate's chardonnay continued

follow the flow,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Mismost]

opened another Fontana Malbek...can't seem to leave it alone. This stuff is real good and still real young.
If it wasn't all labeled, I would call it Joe's Tribute Malbek. Soft, full, just very nice.

 

[Dentman]

wow how this thread has taken off! i wanted to ask joeswine about blueberries. they were only 1.49 at aldis (7/23/16) so i got 4 packages. do you think that is too much for one kit? i was going to add them to a fontana merlot. i think its a 1 dry pint per unit so i would be adding 4 dry pints cooked down in some red wine

 

[joeswine]

16 ozs. Should be enough not to over power or cause to much acidty. Yes this has been a great learning to for all of us,don't you think!

these are the wine makers we started with:NJBrew,Dentman,Jc5066,GaDawg, wineforfun,ColemanM, THRUHIKE 00,Bauer,MisMost,RedRock Girl,MattyC,BigSell,Dianna,Billpizzaiolo,Tnuscan and Jdwebb. are we having fun yet? and what have we learned which is most important.

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

Yes we came along way see the above list

 

[wineforfun]

Getting ready to do a final racking on the Fontana Green Apple Reisling. After adding the fpac last week, SG is 1.014. May have to add a little more sugar to get it to the sweetness my wife likes.
Decent taste already for a sweet wine.
Pretty much stuck to the plan with this one.

Next up will be some sort of port, not sure which right now.

I haven't had any more of my Fontana Malbec since bottling(3 mos. ago). Letting it sit for awhile to see what that does for it. It was good already though.

 

[Spikedlemon]

Tasted the 5gal Merlot after secondary.

That's hot. By my calcs: I'm around 15%.
I might be the co2 masking the flavors yet but I think I want to dilute this down a little.

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

what was your starting SG? did you capitalize the wine?normally these wines when reduced can be from 12 to 14 %..what was your plan?

 

[Bauer]

I just did a fontana pinot noir. I added black cherries and some plums. It only fermented to 1.040. Why did it stop? It's now a sweet wine which my husband will like but I don't want this to happen again.

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

Hi Bauer, good to hear from you ,there are several reasons why fermentation could have come to a halt.
Yeast could have been old or week, temperature in the space ,what was your starting SG.? at what potential ABV.? The fruit adds to the mix this could also be an advantage or disadvantage depending on volume.
SpikeLemon: let it sit give a good mixing then let it sit, patients.
Wineforfun: have this one on the way sounds just fine for a summer wine,I'm going to do mine with Apple Extract as well as boosting the ABV> just slightly, I don't want it to sweet.

.

 

[wineforfun]

Hi Bauer, good to hear from you ,there are several reasons why fermentation could have come to a halt.
Yeast could have been old or week, temperature in the space ,what was your starting SG.? at what potential ABV.? The fruit adds to the mix this could also be an advantage or disadvantage depending on volume.
SpikeLemon: let it sit give a good mixing then let it sit, patients.
Wineforfun: have this one on the way sounds just fine for a summer wine,I'm going to do mine with Apple Extract as well as boosting the ABV> just slightly, I don't want it to sweet.

.

I boosted mine also to around 10.5% ABV with the addition of sugar into the primary.
It ended up at 1.018 with the fpac added all at the end. I know some people added 1/2 up front and 1/2 at the end so it isn't too sweet. I wanted this sweet for the wife.
I racked off the lees from clearing last night. Took a drink and gave my wife some. It has real good flavor, and I am not a sweet wine drinker. Nice, mellow green apple flavor. I thought it might need some more "sweetness" for her but she said it tasted great, and wants me to do this one again.
Will bottle in a week or so.

 

[joeswine]

green apple Riesling

here's the key//////////////????????????????

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

We did this one and it turned out just fine, if you sauté the fruit and follow my flow it should be okay?