Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

[joeswine]

Here’s two more for the girls a pino Grigio and another Merlot
I think there stocking up for the new Year?? Possibly

 

[joeswine]

Something special comes my way this is an excellent champagne

 

[Khristyjeff]

Something special comes my way this is an excellent champagne

I can't argue with you Joe. You have a sophisticated palate. Enjoy.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Question for all: Has anyone used Fresh wet Wine Skins more than once? I just finish a wine that had super fresh wine skins. I was thinking, why not reuse them in a cheap wine kit to enhance the flavor. it will be like with like: Syrah v Syrah. They are in a heavy FWK that will be ready this weekend. Then I can start on another.

 

[joeswine]

I guess you could ,BUTT I wouldn’t . Why , the alcholo from the first batch has already extracted what it can from them , what’s left to give ??
But that’s just me

 

[joeswine]

I guess you could ,BUTT I wouldn’t . Why , the alcholo from the first batch has already extracted what it can from them , what’s left to give ??
But that’s just me

Unless your making Grapa

 

[winemaker81]

Question for all: Has anyone used Fresh wet Wine Skins more than once? I just finish a wine that had super fresh wine skins. I was thinking, why not reuse them in a cheap wine kit to enhance the flavor. it will be like with like: Syrah v Syrah. They are in a heavy FWK that will be ready this weekend. Then I can start on another.

It should work, although what you'll get from them will depend on how hard you pressed the skins. The harder you press the skins, the more oomph goes into the first wine, and the less into the second. It's a trade-off.

I've made second runs wines on-n-off for years. Sometimes it turns out really good, and other times it's meh.

Two years ago we added our pomace to a couple of FWK Tavola Merlot kits, and that turned out quite good. Not great, but worth the effort.

Last year we did the same with Sangiovese juice buckets, and the wine is top notch. We pressed the skins less. This year we used F-A hybrid pomace in Pinot Noir juice buckets, and as a raw, green wine, it's looking good.

You have nothing to lose by trying.

I guess you could ,BUTT I wouldn’t . Why , the alcholo from the first batch has already extracted what it can from them , what’s left to give ??

What's left to give? Actually, quite a lot. The sugar / alcohol is only part of the situation, else we'd all make sugar wine.

Last year we did a "medium" press on 20 lugs of Bordeaux grapes and added the pomace to two 6 US gallon Sangiovese juice buckets. We have a basket press so all measurements are by eye, there's no setting the desired pressure. Turns out we grossed nearly 12 gallons of wine from the pomace, as the final pressing was nearly 24 gallons. After a year in barrel, this wine is fantastic.

This year we did the same with the pomace from 600 lbs of Chambourcin & Chelois. We pressed a bit harder and grossed 5 gallons of wine from the pomace.

In both cases, the pomace greatly outweighed the fresh juice, as a lot of the oomph was already extracted from the pomace. That's why second run recipes typically call for adding 1 gallon water for each 2 gallons of extracted wine.

 

[joeswine]

Winemaker 81, have you ever tasted the skins after first use ? Bitter every bitter ,
Now to each his or hers own , and wine making is all subjective .
Kits no , fresh produce I’m not so sure..

Ok I pass…

 

[winemaker81]

Winemaker 81, have you ever tasted the skins after first use ? Bitter every bitter ,

There are numerous flavors in every component of wine, including bitterness. They all work together.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

I've never mad a 2nd run wine that I loved. That being said, I still make them for top offs. They're not great but better than head space. I purge with argon then any head space is filled with previous same varital - 1st or 2nd run wine. It's usually a very low percentage, otherwise I'd use a smaller storage vessel (or VCT).

 

[Sailor323]

I occasionally do that. I freeze and vacuum seal skins used in one batch for using in a subsequent batch.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Thanks to all for the input. Wine making for me is a hobby. It is an experiment. I will try it. I do not know if a Cheap Wine kit will benefit or not. If just OK, I can use it for top offs.

 

[winemaker81]

Thanks to all for the input. Wine making for me is a hobby. It is an experiment. I will try it. I do not know if a Cheap Wine kit will benefit or not. If just OK, I can use it for top offs.

Well, adding a previously used skin pack won't make it worse. There's no way to go except up.

 

[wineview]

This may sound a little crazy but here goes. In September of 2023 I purchased several buckets of Malbec juice and fermented it on skins. I recently went to bottle and was not happy with the wine. Plus it was very red. I was expecting a Malbec to be dark. I bottled two buckets and have one still in a carboy. Here comes the crazy part. If I were to put this wine in a fermenting bucket and added sugar, fruit like blueberries or blackberries and yeast, would it take off or would the alcohol prevent further fermentation. Bottom line….would it be a waste of time.

 

[winemaker81]

This may sound a little crazy but here goes. In September of 2023 I purchased several buckets of Malbec juice and fermented it on skins. I recently went to bottle and was not happy with the wine. Plus it was very red. I was expecting a Malbec to be dark. I bottled two buckets and have one still in a carboy. Here comes the crazy part. If I were to put this wine in a fermenting bucket and added sugar, fruit like blueberries or blackberries and yeast, would it take off or would the alcohol prevent further fermentation. Bottom line….would it be a waste of time.

Your idea is not crazy, but first, what don't you like about the wine? If there are factors other than color, trying to correct those first may be a better choice. Especially as adding fruit for color will affect aroma and flavor, and you need to do that in a positive fashion.

I'm not sure blueberry or blackberry will produce enough color without adding a lot of fruit. Something like elderberry may be a better choice.

I'm spitballing this, but my thought is to buy a can of Elderberry concentrate, and dilute it to about 1.090 to 1.100, adding no sugar, and ferment that. Let it age 3 months and then start bench testing. It should have a very dark color, but how the Elderberry integrates with the Malbec is the question.

Adding Elderberry may fix the color, but if you don't like the taste of the result, you end up with more of a wine you don't like.

 

[wineview]

The taste is thin and light which surprised me. I used two packages of grape skins from Label Peelers. Those packs typically add some body and flavor. That is the dilemma I am trying to figure out.

 

[winemaker81]

The taste is thin and light which surprised me. I used two packages of grape skins from Label Peelers. Those packs typically add some body and flavor. That is the dilemma I am trying to figure out.

I'd expect 2 skin packs to plump up pretty much any wine.

Following @mainshipfred's advice, I'm using finishing tannins this year. He and @Rice_Guy are proponents of tannins, and I trust their opinions enough to take the plunge.

Another thought is glycerin and/or gum Arabic.

Unless you have a pressing need for the carboy, I suggest you take your time and think about this.

 

[wineview]

I suppose powdered tannin or grape stems might be an option. I like the elderberry suggestion although I’ve never done it. I don’t need the carboy but I’m not sure more time in the carboy will do very much.

 

[winemaker81]

I don’t need the carboy but I’m not sure more time in the carboy will do very much.

I meant that you are not pressed for time to make a decision. You have the option of waiting 3+ months while making another wine to blend in.

 

[wineview]

Oh I’ve got plenty of wine to blend. I may try blending some bottled wine with some of the Malbec in bottles currently. Somewhat like bench trials.