Winexpert Eclipse Three Moons

[Brian55]

Quick question - those that have the kit in hand, Does it include labels? Mine did not which does not seem right for an eclipse kit.

Yes, it came with lables. Sometimes they're under or on the side of the big juice bag. Have you emptied it yet?

 

[pillswoj]

Yep started it this afternoon, will give my shop a call tomorrow.

 

[jsbeckton]

Not to become the ultimate source of information on wine kits but on my last two kits I priced Label Peelers and they were not the best price point either time. Northern Brewer/Midwest are the same company and offer free shipping over $30 plus they give first order discounts and more to veterans. I got their best deal plus free shipping plus vet discount. label peelers has been higher when you add the shipping on every potential purchase I looked into. Buy as you choose after a close look.
Amazon has some deals too.

Are you comparing the list price on labelpeelers or did you put it in your cart to see the true price? It’s significantly lower once in your cart and I haven’t been able to beat it anywhere else.

 

[1d10t]

Are you comparing the list price on labelpeelers or did you put it in your cart to see the true price? It’s significantly lower once in your cart and I haven’t been able to beat it anywhere else.

One caveat. On at least one wine, I think the Stags Leap Merlot they had two listings and only one had the reduced price in the cart. I didn't go check the whole site for duplicate listings like that. At first I thought they'd changed their price on me and kicked myself for not pulling the trigger the day before.

In the end I got the local guy to price match +$10 which wasn't bad considering my drive time there and back.

 

[jgmann67]

Are you comparing the list price on labelpeelers or did you put it in your cart to see the true price? It’s significantly lower once in your cart and I haven’t been able to beat it anywhere else.

Another question: did you click on “free shipping” or did you pick from the line of kit (e.g Eclipse)? From what I recall, the pricing for the kit in the Free Shipping section is not as good - at least for me - as it is just buying the kit with their reduced rate.

 

[jsbeckton]

Another question: did you click on “free shipping” or did you pick from the line of kit (e.g Eclipse)? From what I recall, the pricing for the kit in the Free Shipping section is not as good - at least for me - as it is just buying the kit with their reduced rate.

Same. Have always found the free shipping price more expensive so not sure why they even include it as it just seems to confuse people.

 

[jgmann67]

Same. Have always found the free shipping price more expensive so not sure why they even include it as it just seems to confuse people.

I just assumed that shipping to some places isn’t the same bargain I get shipping one state eastward.

 

[szap]

Thanks for posting that there are two options for the Eclipse kits on labelpeelers. I thought the free shipping was the only choice and the price after adding to the cart stayed at the $174.95 price at checkout so I bought the kit from another seller. I just checked adding the kit on labelpeelers that was not the free shipping and after adding shipping the price for that option was $138! A $36 difference and $12 less than what I paid.. Without winemaking forum I would still be spending too much.

 

[FunkedOut]

Well, still waiting for my kit to ship. They say it should ship out in the next two weeks.
That's too much time for my idle wine mind so I ordered a second kit from labelpeelers. They still have some in stock.

A part of me wants to try EM on one and follow the kit schedule on the other, so I can learn the difference that makes.
The rest of me wants to ferment one kit with D254 and the other with D80, so I can blend them later.
Tasting the difference between the two yeasts and the blend sounds like the most fun and involvement I can get out this right now.

I've gone an purchased a 7 gallon fermonster, so the first kit will be EM with D254.
Now to noodle some more...

 

[jgmann67]

Well, still waiting for my kit to ship. They say it should ship out in the next two weeks.
That's too much time for my idle wine mind so I ordered a second kit from labelpeelers. They still have some in stock.

A part of me wants to try EM on one and follow the kit schedule on the other, so I can learn the difference that makes.
The rest of me wants to ferment one kit with D254 and the other with D80, so I can blend them later.
Tasting the difference between the two yeasts and the blend sounds like the most fun and involvement I can get out this right now.

I've gone an purchased a 7 gallon fermonster, so the first kit will be EM with D254.
Now to noodle some more...

I did something very similar with an RJS RQ French Merlot and a MV Cherie French Merlot (which turned out to be just a badge engineered RJS RQ). The RQ was done following the directions for the most part (I skip the sorbate and clearing agents, add oak and tannin in the finish, and bulk age for 6-12 months). I did the same with the MW version, except I did an 8 week EM. It is markedly different - smoother, more mature, darker, fuller bodied. The MV is, by virtually every metric, a better wine IMO.

 

[FunkedOut]

I did something very similar with an RJS RQ French Merlot and a MV Cherie French Merlot (which turned out to be just a badge engineered RJS RQ). The RQ was done following the directions for the most part (I skip the sorbate and clearing agents, add oak and tannin in the finish, and bulk age for 6-12 months). I did the same with the MW version, except I did an 8 week EM. It is markedly different - smoother, more mature, darker, fuller bodied. The MV is, by virtually every metric, a better wine IMO.

I read that thread.
I’m thinking I will EM both kits and make the yeast the only variable.
I will ferment them two months apart, serially, in the same fermonster.

 

[LouisCKpasteur]

I tasted this last night at 9 weeks and I have to say I was impressed. One complaint I have about kits is sometimes it seems the finish has no legs. This one did -at nine weeks.

 

[ras2018]

Started this kit last weekend. SG was low, barely hitting 1.08 before skins. Added some corn sugar to 1.09. Going to EM this one.

 

[pillswoj]

Started this kit last weekend. SG was low, barely hitting 1.08 before skins. Added some corn sugar to 1.09. Going to EM this one.

Mine had an SG of 1.102 after stirring in the skins (I free float the skins for EM) , started it back in July.

 

[ras2018]

I was at 1.107 after the skins were saturated for ~24 hours

 

[joeswine]

I think the a v. Is low should be around 13%. For a well rounded Merlot, I would have added tannins to the primary,oak cubes,
A hand full of raisin would deepen the profile.just my thoughts

 

[jgmann67]

So how is everyone’s Three Moons going? What path did you choose (traditional ferment or extended maceration)? What would you do differently?

I have mine on deck and making plans to start it in two weeks.

 

[Brian55]

So how is everyone’s Three Moons going? What path did you choose (traditional ferment or extended laceration)?

Extended laceration sounds painful.

 

[jgmann67]

Extended laceration sounds painful.

HAHAHAHAHAH

I should really have my glasses on when I'm typing.

 

[ras2018]

Just wrapped a 4 week EM. Used BM 4x4. Added a few grams of TRE and a gram or so of complex. Added about 60g of medium plus cubes to what they provided. Now it’s down for a nap. My initial gravity before skins was a bit low so I added some corn sugar until I hit 1.09.