Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[David Taylor]

Also, do I want to leave all my lees in the primary and discard?

 

[sugar]

Yes,
I moved my Fontana Merlot at 5 days..
Like the instructions suggest.
Leave as much of the lees behind, those are dead Carcuses.
Mine turned out great, following the instructions that came with the kit.

 

[David Taylor]

What is it reading now?

SG is 1.0

 

[joeswine]

Yes let the final end of the process take place in the secondary.
Then follow up with the instructions.

.

 

[sour_grapes]

THE SG on my Fontana Merlot tweak is not down to 1.0. Should I move it to my secondary?

What is it reading now?

SG is 1.0

Color me confused. By any chance, was the word "not" that I bolded above in your first post supposed to be "now"?

 

[David Taylor]

Color me confused. By any chance, was the word "not" that I bolded above in your first post supposed to be "now"?

Yes! now . . .

 

[sour_grapes]

Yes! now . . .

Then, yes, as Joe said, you should now move your wine to a carboy.

 

[WineJake]

Fontana Malbec is on its way to me. My plan is to get a reading on pH, acidity and Brix. Then go to work as follows:

• 5 gallons
• 1 Cup Z black currants (maybe sauteed in 1/2 c Malbec)
• 1 Cup French oak in primary
• 1 T Tannin
• 1 T coarse ground French Roast coffee
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 Cup cold smoked plums

Is this TOO many ingredients for the Malbec? Has anyone experimented with smoked ingredients in their Red wines? I am an avid cook and enjoy cold smoking meats, vegetables and fruits. I am not sure that the smokiness is going to come through the primary fermentation. Ideas?

Do I need oak in the secondary? I am not shooting for a huge heavy oak flavor. I do like a full bodied Malbec, though. Thanks in advance for all of you suggestions.

 

[sugar]

The smoked Plums should be More than enough.
I've used coffee,works well..tho thou of the vanilla bean.
Please keep us posted on your progress and good sipping.

 

[abrewkat]

Just started an "Australian Trio"- Cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot kit (7L of juice, just under 2gal). It was $39 (CAD) so I couldn't pass up! Started it up at 5 gal instead of 6 gal, added a Fpac of 1 cup currants and 1 lb 5oz. raspberries. I cooked the raspberries in about 5 oz of a commercial red blend wine until simmering and fragrant, and added some simple syrup to the fermenter to increase the SG to 1.102. Pitched Red Star Premier Rouge instead of the EC-1118 that came with the kit. Looks and smells good, can't wait to see how it turns out! Trying to figure out the oaking, the instructions weren't very clear in that respect. Might have to pick up another kit while they're still on sale!

 

[David Taylor]

I was thinking of using my homegrown purple grapes in my Fontana Shiraz instead of homegrown raspberries. What does forum think?

 

[joeswine]

Raspberry is a cool way to go I've done it more than once.
Do you Know how to make an fpac?if so have fun with it .

 

[WineJake]

Fpac??? Help a newbie out with an explanation of an Fpac.

 

[David Taylor]

Raspberry is a cool way to go I've done it more than once.
Do you Know how to make an fpac?if so have fun with it .

Thanks Joe, I think so. A pound of fruit sauted in cup of wine, and put in mixture. How long saute 10-15 minutes?

 

[joeswine]

Until it's start to break down then add it directly into the the mix.

 

[PodumSchmuck]

Hi all!
Joe your great!
I've been following this thread for awhile now and yup, I read the whole thing.
Anyhow, last month I started a Fontana Cabernet Sauvignon kit and I gotta say it turned out better than I expected.
Here's my notes:

Fontana Premium Cabernet Sauvignon kit

8/29/18
Added bentonite
Added juice
Added 2 cups sugar in the form of simple surup
SG 1.110
PH 3.6 useing strip
Must Temp 86 degrees
1 cup Sunmaid Zante Currants
1 cup American Oak - med toast
1 Tabelspoon Tannin

Stired 2 times a day (am & pm)

9/02/18
SG 1.070

9/03/18
1.050 am
1.040 pm

9/4/18
1.030 am
1.024 pm

9/5/18
1.018
transfered to carboys
1 - 3 gallon
2 - 1 gallon
(no 5 gallon carboy available)
used about 1/2 a bottle of Woodbridge Cab to fix head space

9/7/18
SG 1.102
ABV 14.67 %
ABV looks like it will go too high
could not taste much oak or tannin
5 gallon carboy came in
racked to a 5 gallon carboy
&
added 1/2 tablespoon tannin
added 1 cup med toast American oak
added 2 cup of filtered water, boiled & cooled to fix head space

9/8/18 am
SG the same as yesterday

9/10/18 am
SG 0.996 ABV 15.63
still light bubbleing / 4 seconds between bubbles

9/12/18
7 seconds between bubbles

9/14/18
15 seconds between bubbles
SG 0.995 @ 82 degrees
ABV 15.63
Racked to primary bucket
degassed
racked to 5 gallon carboy
used 1 can welches grape concentrate an 2 cans water to fix head space.
Thoughts:
Didn't use wine because of high ABV.
Didn't use water because I didn't want to make the wine runny.

Added the 2 clearing agents 2 1/2 hours apart
SG 0.998 @ 82 degrees
ABV 15.22 <-- a bit hotter than I wanted

9/22/18
PH seems to be about 3.2 maybe a touch less. (useing test strips)
racked into a 3 gal carboy and a 1 gal carboy.
I botteled the 5th gallon into 4 1/2 750 lt bottels.
I snarfed down the 1/2 bottle and I liked it but it could use more oak and tannin and was a bit tart.
Friends and neighbors liked it but to me the Welch's was a mistake


Thoughts for next run of Fontanna Cab:
Start next batch at 5 1/2 gals so as to avoid head space problem when going to secondary.
Only top off with wine as the Welch's concord concentrate is too tart.
Use a full tablespoon of tannin in secondary as per Joe's instructions.
1 1/2 cups med toast American oak in secondary.


10/03/18
This stuff is tasting better to me now however, I'm anxious to do it better.
Tried to find another one of these kits to no avail so I ordered a Fontana Shiraz kit thats coming in tomorrow.
As soon as another Fontana Cabernet Sauvignon kit is available I'll do the Cab again.

I can't seem to taste the Welch's anymore. Or: Did I ever taste it in the first place?

Gonna need more carboys.

Thanks Joe!

 

[sugar]

I did the same kit. Simular. However I added real Cocoa,,Tablespoon.
Gave it that,... what is that? Thing with a smile.
I like it, you may?
Good sipping!

 

[WineJake]

Planning the start of my Fontana Malbec kit soon. Planning on 5 gallons not 6 gallons (as suggested by Joeswine). I have a newbie question for the forum. Do I need to acidify my distilled water before I add it to the juice to keep the pH in range or have the instruction taken into account that the winemaker is going to add neutral pH (7.0) water? Remind me of the correct starting pH range for Reds (less than 3.6)? Also, in making my simple sugar mixture, is there any benefit to using cane sugar to create the simple sugar?
Thanks to everyone who contributes to this thread. I have learned a great deal from all of you. Robert

 

[Johnd]

Planning the start of my Fontana Malbec kit soon. Planning on 5 gallons not 6 gallons (as suggested by Joeswine). I have a newbie question for the forum. Do I need to acidify my distilled water before I add it to the juice to keep the pH in range or have the instruction taken into account that the winemaker is going to add neutral pH (7.0) water? Remind me of the correct starting pH range for Reds (less than 3.6)? Also, in making my simple sugar mixture, is there any benefit to using cane sugar to create the simple sugar?
Thanks to everyone who contributes to this thread. I have learned a great deal from all of you. Robert

Kits are manufactured to accommodate the addition of plain water, so normally, you don’t need to account for the water addition. Adding a gallon less than designed will affect the acid in the wine, having never shorted a kit by a gallon, I don’t know what the impact is.

 

[joeswine]

The overall the down sizing of a kit allows you to improve for the most part the structure of the wine and it's body.
Akways keep this in mind adjusting the over all volume requires a keener awarness of the chemistry .
Always use the hydromenter as your calaberator allowing you to know and then set the abv. Standard for your wine.
Remember this, less is more and plan your work and work your plan.
Got it!