Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[cybergirl5710]

Hey Joeswine. . . just wanted to give you a shout out. I've followed your directions and have tweaked several of these cheap wine kits with great success. I've enough followed some of these tips with more expensive kits and they have definitely been improved. I've also walked this through this with my niece--a budding wine maker. She has TWO VERY ACTIVE toddlers and limited funds--so tweaking these kits might contribute to saving a life So Thanks Joeswine!

 

[Tetrarch]

Has anyone tried adding crushed or squeezed table grapes to add body/increase tds?

 

[joeswine]

Good morning to my cheap wine vino friends,yes you also can use fresh grape's with these kits,hand crush them before you add them to the primary,only about a pound or so you don't need much to have cause and effect.or follow the instructions for making a grape fpac ,have fun

 

[Zintrigue]

Has anyone tried adding crushed or squeezed table grapes to add body/increase tds?

I used black "midnight" table grapes in my shiraz. Boiled them in water, crushing with a potato masher, then added the juice and skins to primary before topping up with water. Also added oak chips with the skins.

About ready to bottle and so far it's great. I was afraid the grapes would be too "welchy" but they didn't detract from the shiraz flavor one bit. I wish I would have made this a 5 gallon instead of a 6, though.

 

[joeswine]

cheap wine kits

do not boil your grapes!!

 

[joeswine]

Fpacs

making a n fpac is easy ...

 

[joeswine]

Sangiovese/merlot cheap kits

this one was simple and rewarding ,good body and texture, deep dark robust taste ,strong oak finish. Follow the flow.

 

[joeswine]

Sangiovese/merlot cheap kits

more to the flow, remember take your time with these kits and have a real plan then execute the plan.

 

[Zintrigue]

do not boil your grapes!!

Wait, why? I thought I was killing wild yeast and bacteria while making them nice and mushy for pressing. Edumacate me, I'm still new!

 

[joeswine]

Just wash them and either sauteed them or just hand crush them either way wash them

 

[Ron0126]

Wait, why? I thought I was killing wild yeast and bacteria while making them nice and mushy for pressing. Edumacate me, I'm still new!

I think Joe's saying don't put them in a big ol' pot of water and boil them. Just put them in a small pan and gently saute them with a little wine. Crush them and insure they open up. Obviously they will reach a boiling point in the pan, just don't put so much liquid in there that you're boiling them rather than sauteing them.

There's a thread on creating an fpac and Joe has some great info on it.

 

[Zintrigue]

I think Joe's saying don't put them in a big ol' pot of water and boil them. Just put them in a small pan and gently saute them with a little wine. Crush them and insure they open up. Obviously they will reach a boiling point in the pan, just don't put so much liquid in there that you're boiling them rather than sauteing them.

There's a thread on creating an fpac and Joe has some great info on it.

Oh, I'm good then. Rinsed and didn't use much water, just enough to keep them from sticking. Saute made me think "add oil or butter." Didn't compute.

 

[joeswine]

Check out making and fpac.

 

[Zintrigue]

Check out making and fpac.��

Looking forward to reading it!

EDIT: reading now. So far I'm jealous of Joe's "lab."

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

im going to make these two kits for carol toms wife...on the menu...a pino grigio and a wine lovers white wine kit?...

 

[Ron0126]

And off we go again!
Second kit, a Fontana Cabernet.

1. Dissolved bentonite in 2 cups warm water stirring with a wire whisk until smooth and lump free
2. Added juice from kit
3. Rinsed juice bag with warm water to get residual juice (3x)
4. Added 2 cups of medium toast French oak
6. Added a blackberry f-pac with 18 oz of blackberries and a little water
7. Filled bucket to 5 gallons (rather than 6)
8. SG reading: 1.104. Took pH reading of 3.7
9. Rehydrated Red Star Pasteur Red yeast (after checking expiration) for 15 min in one tablespoon sugar and 104 degree filtered water then pitched. The yeast that came with the kit was EC-1118 but I'm using that one for some Skeeter Pee
10. Stirred daily (very frothy on day 3 and following -- extremely active)

I’ve sampled a bit and it's delicious. Wow! And the smell is divine …

Once primary fermentation is complete, I plan to:
-rack to a secondary
-add a tablespoon of tannin
-add chems per instructions and clarify
-put the bottle army to work (they're getting a bit restless)
-age for at least one year (ugh)

Does anyone have suggestions on what else I should do (or something I shouldn't)?

 

[joeswine]

Give it 3 mos. And do a taste test,these wine are meant to be consumed young..nice flow.

 

[Ron0126]

Give it 3 mos. And do a taste test,these wine are meant to be consumed young..nice flow.

Ok, I'll drink it young ... if you insist!

 

[joeswine]

Toms wine kits wine lovers blush

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF TWO KITS TOM LEFT BEHIND.IM NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS ONE ONLY THAT IT IS A 5 GALLON KIT,WE'LL MAKE IT STRAIGHT UP WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AN APRICOT FPAC....SEE WHAT HAPPENS...ANYONE MADE THIS KIT??

 

[joeswine]

Toms wine kits wine lovers blush

this we'll be our fpac fresh apricots