WineXpert WE LE Petit Ruby Cab

[tjgaul]

If you're interesting in doing an EM on a Cab, try the Eclipse Lodi Cab from LP next time. About the same price, everyone says the wine is magic at 2 years.

Thanks . . . I will put that one on my "buy" list. I love a good Cab.

 

[jgmann67]

Thanks . . . I will put that one on my "buy" list. I love a good Cab.

Take a look at the RJS EP Australian Cab, too. That was my first wine kit when it was the Winery Series and it was outstanding. Love to do an EM on that kit sometime.

 

[pillswoj]

Take a look at the RJS EP Australian Cab, too. That was my first wine kit when it was the Winery Series and it was outstanding. Love to do an EM on that kit sometime.

I think that or the CC Showcase walla walla Cab Merlot will be my next EM.

 

[tjgaul]

It's hard to beat a good Cab-Merlot blend in my book. I have an RJS RQ Cab from last year and an Eclipse Merlot (Stags Leap) which I blended a small amount of when I stepped down from 6 to 5 gal carboys. The blend was very good. Unfortunately, it was so good that I'm already down to 4 bottles left. This 3 gal batch has very little chance of gaining any significant age.

You guys are expanding my "to do" list. Good thing I cashed in on the recent Midwest Supplies free carboy offer so my production capacity can keep up.

 

[sour_grapes]

I think that or the CC Showcase walla walla Cab Merlot will be my next EM.

I have no opinion on EM, but the Walla Walla kit was been outstanding to me.

 

[Bartman]

I always skip the bentonite. I was told commercial winemakers only use it for 'problem' wines that need some extra help clearing, so it's not a standard protein binding agent. I used it on my first 5-10 kits, but stopped using it except for white wines that remain hazy (or if I'm trying to speed up the clearing process), which has only been on 2-3 wines in the last 6-7 years.

I haven't been on this forum for a while, but it's interesting how the same discussions keep coming up year to year.

 

[cmason1957]

I will caution folks not to skip the bentonite in kit wines. I read a post by kit guru Tim V. That the bentonite is required by many kits to avoid a protein haze later on.

 

[Kiazer]

You can't don't want to skip the bentonite. Many kids have a protein haze potential. The bentonite helps remove that early on. I've never really had a problem with it. Put about a gallon of water in the bottom of the fermenter, sprinkle the bentonite all over, let it sit for a few minutes, then stir the heck out of it.

 

[Kiazer]

You can't don't want to skip the bentonite. Many kids have a protein haze potential. The bentonite helps remove that early on. I've never really had a problem with it. Put about a gallon of water in the bottom of the fermenter, sprinkle the bentonite all over, let it sit for a few minutes, then stir the heck out of it.

Bingo.....never skip the bentonite....youll pay for it after bottling

 

[Trick]

For reds, tannin settles protein especially after long aging period. Bentonite is not required.

That is why bentonite is typically only recommended only for white wine fining in wine book. But for rushing production following instructions, it cannot be skipped for sure. Protein can be combined with the clay during bottle aging since it takes time to react I guess.

One of the differences between kit wine making and commercial wine making is speed. Kit wine making instruction is written for high speed production. (such as ingredients, degassing, high dose of fining agents, EC1118 etc.) Quite a few things can be modified if you are a patient wine maker.

 

[Brian55]

Mosti no longer includes bentonite in their Meglioli or their All Juice Masters kits.

 

[Evan_J]

I have made the Ruby Cab kit. It's currently in carboy, waiting to clear and bottle. There was a lot of sediment, and it will require an extra racking or two. It tastes unusually good already, so I have high hopes this is going to be an outstanding wine in a year or so. However, it seems pretty different from the usual Cab.

I always use Bentonite, but in consideration of the above comments, will try using half or none of it in future red kits. Omitting it would save 15 - 20 minutes at the beginning, and maybe reduce some of the waste in racking, by reducing the amount of sediment. I have plenty of wine in storage, so I never try to rush my kits to completion in the recommended times.

If Bentonite is not used initially, I wonder if it's effective to use it after fermentation, in case a visible protein haze develops.

By the way, I never use sorbate packs in my kits, unless the kit includes an F-pack or juice for back-sweetening after fermentation. I just allow an extra couple of weeks in secondary fermentation, to be sure the yeast has used up all the sugars. I have never had a fermentation resume in a bottle (with a dry wine).

 

[Trick]

I use bentonite in white and my fruit wines like DB even in larger dose than recommended both at the beginning and during fining, since I have experienced quite a few times of haze issues after bottling for several batches of fruit wine. By the way, addition of bentonite as fining needs a special hydrating activation step. It is a pain in the ass. The mud stuck to the glass! I purchased a tiny cordless mixer just for that purpose.
The first ingredient in SuperClear (Kieselsol, negatively charged) can achieve the same goal I guess.

 

[Cibb]

Just started this kit 2 weeks ago. Anyone else doing it? The bentonite was a pain. It was extremely sticky and goopy. I left it in primary for 2 weeks, fermented dry, racked it to a carboy and started clearing it. Thinking it needs some oak and tannin riche, but I’m planning to wait a few days. I have high hopes for this blend.

I've found you need more water to mix the bentonite we sends. Theirs is less powder texture and more of very small pebbles. With more water this is easier to manage.

I'm excites about this kit as a good cab is my go to wine in a dry red as of late.

 

[Kiazer]

Just started this kit 2 weeks ago. Anyone else doing it? The bentonite was a pain. It was extremely sticky and goopy. I left it in primary for 2 weeks, fermented dry, racked it to a carboy and started clearing it. Thinking it needs some oak and tannin riche, but I’m planning to wait a few days. I have high hopes for this blend.

 

[Kiazer]

Is this a 6 gallon 23L kit?, Do you have to add water? If you have to add a bucket of water to the 2 Gallons of juice, Ive found just mix the bentonite into the bucket of water and then pour it over the juice thats waiting in the primary. If you are adding oak during the primary stage do it before you pour the bucket of water in as it helps give it a good mix. Wait 5 minutes and sprinkle yeast onto the surface

 

[Captaindaveman8]

I started this kit last Sunday. Will be interested to know early taste impressions, along with any tweaks people do. I was thinking of leaving it in the fermenter a week longer than the instructions, and skipping the Sorbate. Still fairly new to all this though, so not sure if that would be a good thing or not?

 

[Bartman]

I started this kit last Sunday. Will be interested to know early taste impressions, along with any tweaks people do. I was thinking of leaving it in the fermenter a week longer than the instructions, and skipping the Sorbate. Still fairly new to all this though, so not sure if that would be a good thing or not?

Definitely skip the sorbate on a dry red like this one. Leaving it in the primary for an extra day or two is no problem, but monitor the SG level after that. Once it is below 1.000, you should rack it. Not sure what the instructions say about when to rack (does it just tell you a number of days or a target SG level?), but i usually wait to rack until it is close to finished fermenting.

 

[Doug’s wines]

This kit is the new WE instructions where there is no secondary. Keeps it in primary until finished / 14 days with daily punch downs.

I tasted mine last week and it’s ok. A bit flatter than I was hoping for, but it’s still young. I’m thinking it needs some Tannin Riche and maybe a little more oak, but waiting to taste it again in a month or so to confirm.

 

[Kiazer]

I started this kit last Sunday. Will be interested to know early taste impressions, along with any tweaks people do. I was thinking of leaving it in the fermenter a week longer than the instructions, and skipping the Sorbate. Still fairly new to all this though, so not sure if that would be a good thing or not?

Dont worry about the taste until after clearing and then rack again and you can start with back sweetning and oaking to taste....always watch your SG and asure your self its at the level you want..(Use the kit instructions)