Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

Adding tannins reds yes , whites no


Not not in my opinion ive always age in the bottle and it cuts the work time out ,without little change in the wine.always remember these are kits they designed to be drunk in a year or two , there's Know wright way just have fun

 

[Chuck E]

When you rack out of the Primary fermenter, how do you keep the fruit pulp from clogging the siphon?

 

[Ole]

You recommend adding tannin to primary for white wine. But do you also add tannin to secondary for white?

 

[Johnd]

Can you add tannin during bulk aging? After clearing?

Yes, you can add tannins during bulk aging, whether your wine has cleared or not. There are many different products available to be used both during fermentation and afterwards, just make sure you're matching the condition of your wine with the intended use of the tannin you select. If your wine has finished fermenting and is bulk aging / clearing, you'd want to use a finishing tannin, again, check to see what the manufacturer has intended for its use. Always use these products sparingly, it's easy to add more to taste than it is to remove them once you've overdone it.

Is it the same recommendations for tannin for both red and white wine?

You can buy tannins intended for white or red, some don't specify, but a product like FT Rouge is intended for reds, FT Blanc is intended for whites. Can't say that I've ever added tannins to any whites I've done, but that doesn't really mean anything.......... There's a whole world of tannin additives out there, liquids, powders, oak additives to increase tannin, etc., just do your homework when considering them, and you can always run a product up the flagpole on this forum, someone has probably got experience with it.

Does it make a difference to a wine if you age in carboy or bottle?

This question will likely elicit a lot of different responses and variations, I'll share my opinion with you. I bulk age all of my good wines (not the Island Mist type fast drinking stuff) for at least a year, grape wines closer to two, and believe it offers several benefits:

1. Your wine will completely degas on its own, it will not in a bottle
2. Your wine will clear and drop its sediment in the carboy, not in a bottle
3. You'll have the opportunity to taste and adjust the wine as you see fit (acidity, sweetness, tannin, etc.) with the benefit of knowing how it tastes as a maturing wine, as opposed to one bottled quickly which still has all of the characteristics of a green wine, and I find much harder to evaluate and adjust.

That said, if you can degas and clear your wine in less time, and are perfectly happy with the taste, bottle away!!!!!!

 

[baron4406]

Does "extended maceration" mean that you leave the grape skins in the primary fermenter for 8 weeks? How do you rack out of the primary with all the skins in the mix?

Yes that is exactly what it means!

 

[Ole]

My wine kit dealer recommends adding 2 fresh green (unmature) scalded walnuts for a round, fullness, complex tannin taste. Has anyone tried that? For Reds? Whites?

 

[joeswine]

Couldn't have said it better.johnd
Kit wines,, they are designed to be what they are on the finish, as prr the mfg...that said your Tweaking will take that design and move it in one direction or the other.
Probably the best experience is going with the flow,ask your questions and don't be afraid to make mistakes
Remember Less is More and have fun.

.

 

[joeswine]

Ole.. I've used it in the the process and it's a well structure product to use. I have

 

[baron4406]

Johnd raises good points however and remember YMMV, if you again in a glass carboy it doesn't do much, I'd age it for a year in a carboy, adjust as needed, then bottle age for a year. Bottle aging really helps the wine if you use natural corks. They have proven you get a small amount of micro oxidation from the cork. I can confirm this really works.

 

[Ole]

When you bulk age in a carboy without degassing what kind of bung do you use? Solid rubber/silicone? Solid natural cork? Or an airlock? My experience with the airlock is that it will let in air (o2) when the ambient temperature changes. With a negative impact on the wine.

 

[joeswine]

Just standard air lock will work just make sure you have the right amount of water in it at all times.and . and a good seal.

 

[Wayne Freeman]

I purchased a cheap shiraz kit at Costco a while back, 60 bottles for 60$.

Where did you find wine kits at Costco? I've never seen any, and I just searched their web site.

 

[cmason1957]

Where did you find wine kits at Costco? I've never seen any, and I just searched their web site.

You won't find them in the US Costco for some reason. They are a Canadian item.

 

[MikeTee]

Where did you find wine kits at Costco? I've never seen any, and I just searched their web site.

It's Canada exclusive. I emailed the company ("Conglom") a few months ago about the possibility of entering the US market and got no response. We are out of luck I guess.

 

[ThreeSheetsToTheWind]

Yup I'm in Canada. I had no idea you couldn't get them In the US .

 

[joeswine]

Keep on thinking outside the box, the wine kits are out there

 

[rca]

When you make a fpac with fruit, do you put it directly in the must or put it in a strainer bag?

 

[joeswine]

The amount you'll use is about 16 Oz's or so , sauteed and directly into the primary or secondary depening on what your trying to achieve.
Primary ///partnership better balance
Secondary///// background hints of flavors.
Got it?
You can always use more it's your choice.

 

[rca]

Thanks Joe, I put it directly into the primary.

 

[joeswine]

At this point check your ABV.to see how the berries have affect the batch
Then just let it happen.