Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[Levita]

You didn't, I was guessing after reading Chardonnay post No oak then

 

[JandE]

search for quality at a price

Where is your favorite place to shop for wine kits given cost for shipping is easily as expensive as the actual kit. I do not favor giving to the USPS since they do nothing to add to my budget.

 

[Ron0126]

Walmart.com and Amazon both have Fontana kits at $38.95. Walmart has free shipping and Amazon has free shipping with a Prime membership.

 

[Zintrigue]

Started tweaking a pinot noir on the 31st while family was visiting. Tossed in 1 lb raspberries sauteed in pinot juice and a bit of oak (mother wished for raspberries). Tweaked down to 5 gallons, starting gravity was 1.100. Smells great so far, the raspberry is subtle, which is good. Racked into secondary a few days ago and fermentation is still going strong with no signs of stress on the yeast.

High hopes for this one, excited. I agree with the previous poster, the cheap kit tweaking needs its own forum so there can be a thread for each varietal.

 

[joeswine]

This thread has grown in leaps and bounds it has a voice of it's own what ever you need to know or be shown just ask and it shall be there.

 

[joeswine]

How are the vintner's of tweaking cheap wine kits doing out there I just bottleTOMs pini grigio will post some pics.

 

[wineforfun]

Waiting for my Fontana Chardonnay to go completely dry. Racked into secondary over a week ago. Should be there by this weekend then will rack and add clearing agents.

 

[joeswine]

Toms wine kits

at the end of the process this is the abbreviated version.

 

[wineforfun]

@joeswine For the Fontana Chardonnay, all you added extra was the oak and grapefruit zest, is that correct? No additional oak or tannins or ?

I added oak and zest in the primary. May add a 1/2 grapefruit zest while clearing.

 

[joeswine]

Go lite ,and yes.

 

[Zintrigue]

Instructions said to bottle my pinot noir today. Decided to rack, add some kmeta, and a light touch of oak (boiled oak chips, added 1c of the oak water and a few pieces of actual oak). Popped the airlock back on and set it aside.

The taste I took today was wonderful. Strong chocolate notes in the smell, even though none was added, and a zesty, bright fruit flavor. The raspberry from primary was subtle.

Question for you experienced folks: the wine doesn't come to the neck of the carboy. I don't want to top off with water cause it makes me cringe. Can I store the wine under vacuvin pressure, or should I just buy a cheap pinot and top off?

Thanks

 

[joeswine]

Adding nitrogen is better but if you're leaving it for a week and you can pull a lite vacuum your good to go, are we you in a 6 gallon at present? If so rack down to a 5 and a partial gallon . I for on don't top off,what do you think of this thread are you having fun with your hobby?

 

[Zintrigue]

No nitrogen here. It's in a 5 gallon already. Leaving it for 3 months.

Loving this thread so far, really expands the horizons. Makes my favorite hobby more unique and affordable.

 

[wineforfun]

Fontana Chardonnay racked to 5 gal. carboy, degassed for 15 minutes, then added clearing agents. After two days, almost crystal clear. Had to add 3/4 bottle of Chardonnay to get it topped off. Will rack down from here on out.
Will rack to a 3 gal. carboy and probably a 1 gal. and 1/2 gal. this weekend for some aging. May add some more oak to the 1/2 gal. and some more grapefruit zest to the 1 gal., just to see what becomes of it. The 3 gal. I will leave as is.

 

[joeswine]

Cheap wine kits Wineforfun

have fun remember zest goes a long way...

 

[Ajmassa]

Started tweaking a pinot noir on the 31st while family was visiting. Tossed in 1 lb raspberries sauteed in pinot juice and a bit of oak (mother wished for raspberries). Tweaked down to 5 gallons, starting gravity was 1.100. Smells great so far, the raspberry is subtle, which is good. Racked into secondary a few days ago and fermentation is still going strong with no signs of stress on the yeast.

If you read this post last year, would you have ever believed that it woulda been written by you in less than a year??
Sounds like you are killing it over there. Good for you Zintrigue. Keep on tweakin' !

Btw- are you just under the neck of the carboy, but still close to it? I think your cool as long as the surface area is closer in size to the neck than to the full carboy width. And also, most importantly, properly sulphited. And just put your vacuum seal on the bung, re-pumping maybe a couple times a week to be safe since you can't tell if you lose pressure.

***OR......this is the perfect opportunity to order a headspace eliminator. You don't need the whole AllInOne pump to use it. You could use a hand vacuum pump with it and as long as that blue "baby snot remover" thing is depressed your good to go. You see it fill up some? Just pump out some more o2. Easy peasy. ***

Steve should rename the "Headspace Eliminator" to the "HeadACHE Eliminator" because that's what it really does

 

[Zintrigue]

If you read this post last year, would you have ever believed that it woulda been written by you in less than a year??
Sounds like you are killing it over there. Good for you Zintrigue. Keep on tweakin' !

Btw- are you just under the neck of the carboy, but still close to it? I think your cool as long as the surface area is closer in size to the neck than to the full carboy width. And also, most importantly, properly sulphited. And just put your vacuum seal on the bung, re-pumping maybe a couple times a week to be safe since you can't tell if you lose pressure.

***OR......this is the perfect opportunity to order a headspace eliminator. You don't need the whole AllInOne pump to use it. You could use a hand vacuum pump with it and as long as that blue "baby snot remover" thing is depressed your good to go. You see it fill up some? Just pump out some more o2. Easy peasy. ***

Steve should rename the "Headspace Eliminator" to the "HeadACHE Eliminator" because that's what it really does

Ah, thank you for getting back to me on this. I was about to get another cheap pinot to top off, and I abhor the idea of diluting my work with someone else's. Haha

I'm about at the half way point between edge of carboy and neck. I'd like to look into the nitrogen idea or the headspace eliminator. Would also like the AllInOne wine pump, but gotta save my pennies for that one. Haha

And thanks for the encouragement. I'd like to think I'm killin' it, but I'm pretty sure I'm still at "bumbling incompetence" level. But hey, it's fun! Cheers!

 

[joeswine]

Blueberry fpac

try this with a pino nior or cabernet ,THINK OUT SIDE THE BOX.......

 

[Zintrigue]

Do like! I'll be tweaking a petite sirah next. Really a big fan of that deep, complex red. Since it's a black fruit profile, was thinking blackberries sauteed in my shiraz.

 

[joeswine]

Outstanding. Complement to most red's 16 ozs. Will do .if you it to the primary it becomes a partner with the base, added to the secondary it becomes a background taste all depends on your plans