Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

I agree I've left head space, as long as I had positive pressure on the inside of the airlock. Then bottled or racked down, or not it's having a good seal on the bong that counts.

 

[Rocky]

@bstnh1, @joeswine Got it. We will have to agree to disagree on this point. I like minimum headspace and degassing only requires me to siphon out about 1 gallon, de-gas and add it back. More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[RocketBee]

@Rocky I'm interested to know why you are uncomfortable with the headspace. This is only the fifth kit I've ever done so I'm just trying to learn. I was taught by a guy at the LHBS that as long as the yeast is working the CO2 blanket protects the wine from being oxidized. I just accepted that that was true. I would like to know why it makes you uncomfortable.

 

[Rocky]

@Rocky I'm interested to know why you are uncomfortable with the headspace. This is only the fifth kit I've ever done so I'm just trying to learn. I was taught by a guy at the LHBS that as long as the yeast is working the CO2 blanket protects the wine from being oxidized. I just accepted that that was true. I would like to know why it makes you uncomfortable.

RB, I guess the simple answer is an "abundance of caution." I have always tried to minimize exposure to air and from the picture you posted, because the level of the wine is just above the "shoulder" of the carboy, you are almost at maximum exposure should something go wrong, e.g. the stopper pops out, gets bumped and loosened or the air lock dries out. In secondary fermenters and bulk aging, I try to keep the the wine level at the neck of the carboy or demijohn. You also stated your SG is at 1.005, which is nearing completion and the amount of CO2 being produced is diminishing. Air is important early in the fermentation process, but my feeling is it is not at this point in the process.

Briefly, my bottom line is that it can only have no effect or hurt the wine and cannot help the wine, so why do it?

 

[joeswine]

Here's the deal , if you transfer over when your just not quite done fermentation and you have a good seal and positive pressure in side the carboy your good to go.
If you use nitrogen as a capper and a good seal, your good to go
When you add fillers to top of with rather than racking down, you add items that are at a different time and taste to the process that doesn't belong
Just my thoughts

 

[RocketBee]

Briefly, my bottom line is that it can only have no effect or hurt the wine and cannot help the wine, so why do it?

@Rocky makes complete sense and thank you for sharing. If you don't have to take the risk, why do it? Why put all of this effort in up front to only have something go wrong and ruin it?

However, since I have no available 5 gallon carboys and I'm not using nitrogen to cap, I'm going to have to wait a few days. At the rate that the EC-1118 tore through the sugar, I expect that the wine will be ready to stabilize by next weekend. And at that time, I'll drop it into the appropriate containers that will minimize the headspace.

Next time @Rocky I will follow your advice. And thanks again for sharing.

 

[joeswine]

@bstnh1, @joeswine Got it. We will have to agree to disagree on this point. I like minimum headspace and degassing only requires me to siphon out about 1 gallon, de-gas and add it back. More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Brian55]

I agree I've left head space, as long as I had positive pressure on the inside of the airlock. Then bottled or racked down, or not it's having a good seal on the bong that counts.

This explains everything ^^^

 

[joeswine]

Is that good or not good?

 

[Brian55]

Is that good or not good?

I believe that's a personal preference.

 

[joeswine]

Ok,..,.

 

[joeswine]

Ok lets move on ..............this one is my favorite fruit wine of all...PEACH BELLINI..............filled with a fresh peach taste yet still is a wine.

 

[bstnh1]

That was a special release in 2018, I believe. Can't find it now! Closest to it is a Peach-Apricot. I made an Exotic Fruits that I thought was great and that's disappearing too. I noticed that WE has dropped any reference to varietal in the name, i.e. Green Apple Riesling is now simply "Green Apple". They're all listed as 6% ABV and I never had one come out that low.

 

[joeswine]

Bsth1.. I always like mine around 10 to 12%.

 

[Bill Pet]

I made the Wild Grapes Australian Chardonnay. I followed the instructions for the full six gallons using the included french oak but the with the following additions: added enough sugar to bring SG up to 1.100, added the zest of one grapefruit, and added 1 pound of chopped golden raisins (in a mesh bag). I was a little worried when the fermenting temperature went to about 80 (summer in the South) but apparently no harm done. I let the SG and fermentation activity determine the pace of moving from step to step. Start to finish (cleared and bottled) 27 days. I suspect high temperature made things go faster. I was VERY surprised at how good it tasted immediately. Ending SG was .990 and fermentation had stopped completely so I assumed it would taste very dry. Not so. It has a fruity, very slightly sweet finish and very good body. I'm more than pleased.

 

[joeswine]

Have you follow this thread in the past?
That was a solid plan by the way.

 

[Rocky]

I made the Wild Grapes Australian Chardonnay. I followed the instructions for the full six gallons using the included french oak but the with the following additions: added enough sugar to bring SG up to 1.100, added the zest of one grapefruit, and added 1 pound of chopped golden raisins (in a mesh bag). I was a little worried when the fermenting temperature went to about 80 (summer in the South) but apparently no harm done. I let the SG and fermentation activity determine the pace of moving from step to step. Start to finish (cleared and bottled) 27 days. I suspect high temperature made things go faster. I was VERY surprised at how good it tasted immediately. Ending SG was .990 and fermentation had stopped completely so I assumed it would taste very dry. Not so. It has a fruity, very slightly sweet finish and very good body. I'm more than pleased.

Bill, if your measurements are correct, that wine is about 14.5% ABV which is on the very high side for a Chardonnay. If the wine tastes "very slightly sweet," I respectfully suggest that your final SG reading may be in error. A wine with an SG of 0.990 would be very, very dry, one might say arid with no detectable sweetness.

In any case, congratulations on your wine. It is great that you are so pleased with it.

 

[Bill Pet]

Have you follow this thread in the past?
That was a solid plan by the way.

I have lurked here for months and my use of grapefruit zest was due to your suggestions. I've been making cheap kits for 3 years (usually Fontana) and have never had a white wine turn out as well as this. This was my first time with grapefruit zest and raisins. Also, I had not used oak in previous white wine kits.

 

[Bill Pet]

Bill, if your measurements are correct, that wine is about 14.5% ABV which is on the very high side for a Chardonnay. If the wine tastes "very slightly sweet," I respectfully suggest that your final SG reading may be in error. A wine with an SG of 0.990 would be very, very dry, one might say arid with no detectable sweetness.

In any case, congratulations on your wine. It is great that you are so pleased with it.

I understand your post and would agree except: I've been making kit wines for three years (know I'm an expert wine maker). However as a former science lab tech in past lives I know how to read a hydrometer. The SG was right, that is why I was so surprised at the taste. I like a little higher alcohol in my wines. That's why I added the extra sugar. I'm sure the raisins even raised the SG a bit above my original measured SG. The wine is NOT by any means VERY sweet. It is dry but has a slightly sweet, or maybe, smooth finish. I was just extremely surprised. It may be something about the combination of the grapefruit (zest of a whole pink grapefruit), raisins, and oak. Given the SG reading, lack of residual fermentation activity, and ease of clearing, I think all the sugar was consumed. By the way, the supplied yeast, which I used, was Lavin 1118 which has very good alcohol tolerance, so I don't think the yeast quit on me.

 

[Rocky]

I understand your post and would agree except: I've been making kit wines for three years (know I'm an expert wine maker). However as a former science lab tech in past lives I know how to read a hydrometer. The SG was right, that is why I was so surprised at the taste. I like a little higher alcohol in my wines. That's why I added the extra sugar. I'm sure the raisins even raised the SG a bit above my original measured SG. The wine is NOT by any means VERY sweet. It is dry but has a slightly sweet, or maybe, smooth finish. I was just extremely surprised. It may be something about the combination of the grapefruit (zest of a whole pink grapefruit), raisins, and oak. Given the SG reading, lack of residual fermentation activity, and ease of clearing, I think all the sugar was consumed. By the way, the supplied yeast, which I used, was Lavin 1118 which has very good alcohol tolerance, so I don't think the yeast quit on me.

Did you make a temperature correction to the SG based on the calibration temperature of your hydrometer? If you did not and you have a hydrometer calibrated at 60 degrees F, your final reading (based on your statement that the temperature "went to about 80") would be closer to 0.993, which would make more sense.