I'm eyeing this one on Amazon. It makes 6 gal., but I only have 3 gal. carboys and buckets. I was wondering if it would be OK to split it in half, maybe use another strain of yeast on one. I have never made a kit wine before, but make country wines frequently. Has anyone tried this one, how did it come out, the reviews were promising.
Other Wilde Grapes Chardonnay kit
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I see absolutely nothing wrong with that plan! (I have not tried that kit.)
I made it last year and really like the wine. I find it well above the cheaper, wine box store chardonnay's-maybe matches a next level wine above them.
I'm not a dry wine fan and OTOH, I don't like really sweet wines either. I back sweetened mine with part of a 1l white grape juice pack, as sold on Amazon in red & white for wine makers. It's discussed on this forum. Depending on your rathers you might be ahead to make the kit as it comes and sweeten at the table if desired.
Having an accurate scale to halve the liquids would make it easier then store in freezer. The better choice is to obtain something larger for wine. I use a 12 gallon plastic "barrel" sold by a plastic mfg near me. Lots of choices that will come to your doorway w/o driving. Wine box store in my nearest town sells the carboys and plastic buckets are an easy find to split the mix in the beginning.
I'm not a dry wine fan and OTOH, I don't like really sweet wines either. I back sweetened mine with part of a 1l white grape juice pack, as sold on Amazon in red & white for wine makers. It's discussed on this forum. Depending on your rathers you might be ahead to make the kit as it comes and sweeten at the table if desired.
Having an accurate scale to halve the liquids would make it easier then store in freezer. The better choice is to obtain something larger for wine. I use a 12 gallon plastic "barrel" sold by a plastic mfg near me. Lots of choices that will come to your doorway w/o driving. Wine box store in my nearest town sells the carboys and plastic buckets are an easy find to split the mix in the beginning.
I'm not familiar with the kit and cannot comment, but there's no reason to not split the batch.
Dividing the must accurately will be tougher without a container large enough to reconstitute it. If you can, get a 10-12 gallon Brute from Home Depot or Lowes (assuming you have access to these stores). This container is more than large enough for any kit I am familiar with. Reconstitute the kit in the Brute, ensure it is homogeneous, then divide it into the smaller primaries.
I have experimented with using different yeasts on the same base grape juice, and I found that I did not get much differentiation. It may be that I chose yeasts that were too similar in nature. I'm not counseling against it; just recommending selecting yeasts with different characteristics.
Dividing the must accurately will be tougher without a container large enough to reconstitute it. If you can, get a 10-12 gallon Brute from Home Depot or Lowes (assuming you have access to these stores). This container is more than large enough for any kit I am familiar with. Reconstitute the kit in the Brute, ensure it is homogeneous, then divide it into the smaller primaries.
I have experimented with using different yeasts on the same base grape juice, and I found that I did not get much differentiation. It may be that I chose yeasts that were too similar in nature. I'm not counseling against it; just recommending selecting yeasts with different characteristics.
I used Lalvin QA23 for my Sauvignon Blanc this year, on the recommendation of the local shop owner, as it is recommended for Sauvignon Blanc. The notes indicate it's good for Chardonnay as well.
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Yeah, I never realized that I never finished this thread. The juice they sent me was WAY short, only 1.060 -1.055 was achieved. I added sugar and the resulting wine was thin and disappointing. Goodbye Wilde Grapes, see ya!
