Winexpert LE18 thoughts?

[Brettanomyces]

In my very humble opinion, the only thing you should do now is finish your EM. It's way too early to be worried about anything other than a high FG.

 

[motherofgallons]

Thanks... I do actually have a lot of patience but I can be a bit of a worried mother sometimes.

 

[Cellar Vader]

@Cellar Vader I'm so sorry, I just double checked the boxes and it was in fact the Selection Sangiovese with skins that was formerly known as Brunello! I totally misremembered. I hope this doesn't upset your plans. There was no "formerly known as" on the Nebbiolo box.

Lol! Not a problem. I “misremember” all the time! I think.

 

[Swedeman]

What are your thoughts on the Symphony Gewurztraminer? Can't decide if I should grab one.

 

[joeswine]

Why not ,very tasty and crisp to the finish, WHY NOT? A delightful wine with a taste of apple ,spot on.

 

[Rocky]

What are your thoughts on the Symphony Gewurztraminer? Can't decide if I should grab one.

Wouldn't that kit be a little old now? I have a triple batch of the wine that I just bottled a few weeks ago. If you do get it, I suggest that you check the juice for oxidation and add fresh chemicals, i.e. yeast, potassium metabisulfie and potassium sorbate (if applicable).

 

[joeswine]

not that old, but it could have been a second or third release. I have it so it's not that old.

 

[Swedeman]

Wouldn't that kit be a little old now?

I assume, as it got available in March last year, that it's around 1 year old by now.

 

[joeswine]

No big deal try using a red star yeast with this one and a touch of grapefruit zest , comes out just fine.

 

[malfrune]

I assume, as it got available in March last year, that it's around 1 year old by now.

Don't worry about the age as long as it was stored properly. I bought a LE15 Fortitude kit 3 weeks ago at a steep discount from the local brew shop that's going out of business. That's a LE15, so it came out early 2016, so it's been on the shelf for 4 years.

Fermented fine with the yeast that came with it, in secondary now and snuck a taste when I was racking and it's fine. Was speaking with the owner before I bought it and he says anything that doesn't sell fast enough he just puts back for himself and has never had issues with 4-5 year old kits.

 

[Rocky]

What are your thoughts on the Symphony Gewurztraminer? Can't decide if I should grab one.

Swedeman, I did not say that you should not buy the kit but I stand by my recommendation to use fresh yeast, K-meta and K-sorbate. Firstly, you are making a white wine which is not as hardy as a red. Secondly, we are only talking about a buck's worth of yeast and chemicals. I think that is good insurance for 30 or so bottles of wine. Thirdly, checking for oxidation is good practice in any case. Look at the color of the juice for browning and take a whiff of it. I will allow, though, if you have already purchased the kit, an off odor or color should not dissuade you from proceeding as it is mostly sunk cost and a little labor.

Lastly, beware of relying on anecdotal evidence. What worked one or two or ten times does not mean it will work again. You could walk through a minefield without injury but I would not recommend it as a practice. And we all know of somebody who "smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 60 years and never got lung cancer," but the evidence of the connection between lung cancer and smoking is undeniable.