Winexpert Selection Italian Amarone

[Stevelaz]

Ok. I know about adding it a few days later, Im just looking ahead. lol Have not started the kit yet .

I was just looking for another thread i read somewhere where someone suggested soaking the oak dust in water the day before you start for some reason. Did you guys do that?

 

[jgmann67]

Ok. I know about adding it a few days later, Im just looking ahead. lol Have not started the kit yet .

I was just looking for another thread i read somewhere where someone suggested soaking the oak dust in water the day before you start for some reason. Did you guys do that?

I've done that in the past with some kits - made some "oak tea" then poured it in to the wine. Smells good.

 

[Johnd]

Ok. I know about adding it a few days later, Im just looking ahead. lol Have not started the kit yet .

I was just looking for another thread i read somewhere where someone suggested soaking the oak dust in water the day before you start for some reason. Did you guys do that?

I kinda figured that's what you were doing, but just wanted to make sure. When I have oak dust and bentonite to add to a ferment, heat up the prescribed amount of water to near boiling, add it to the fermenter and mix the bentonite in, then mix in the dust. I find that it completely saturates and mixes in much better and doesn't stay floating around in the fermenter for days.

 

[Stevelaz]

Ok, that sound like a good idea. Thanks! Hoping to start it this weekend!

 

[bkisel]

I kinda figured that's what you were doing, but just wanted to make sure. When I have oak dust and bentonite to add to a ferment, heat up the prescribed amount of water to near boiling, add it to the fermenter and mix the bentonite in, then mix in the dust. I find that it completely saturates and mixes in much better and doesn't stay floating around in the fermenter for days.

I'll have to try that! Thanks for the tip.

 

[Stevelaz]

Just for the heck of it, i called winexpert and asked about the little light brown specks and clumps in the chaptalization packs. She said it is made that way and that addition was added to help improve the overall quality of the wine. She said they have been getting numerous inquiries about that. She wasn't exactly sure what it is but thinks it is a caramelized sugar...

 

[Grabo]

I had just assumed that Winexpert mixed different sugars (for whatever reason). Like the sugars in this picture:

https://englishbakinginamerica.com/tag/granulated-sugar/

 

[Stevelaz]

Kinda looks like the soft brown in that pic.

 

[Stevelaz]

Started my kit today. Mixed everything this afternoon and pitched the yeast at 10pm.
Sg was at about 1.092

 

[vacuumpumpman]

That appears to be almost exactly what I had also -

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50428

 

[dcbrown73]

I'm starting mine now, it has two packets of yeast. Is this correct or did I actidently get two? It's time to toss the yeast and I'm not sure if I show toss both.

 

[AZMDTed]

Both, lots of work for the yeast on this one.

 

[Stevelaz]

yes, both yeast packs. Mine is really rolling now, day 2, will check sg in a bit.

 

[dcbrown73]

I'm extremely excited about this kit.

It's a WE Select, but looking at it I would swear it was an Eclipse kit.

I was very surprised about how big (and the fact there are two) chapitalization bags included.

 

[Stevelaz]

My sg is at 1.072, adjusting for must temp of 73 I guess sg is at 1.074??

 

[Stevelaz]

Hay dcbrown, does your chapitalization packs have little brown clumps/specks mixed in?

 

[dcbrown73]

Hay dcbrown, does your chapitalization packs have little brown clumps/specks mixed in?

I don't think so, but I will have to double check once I get home. I will let you know this evening.

 

[Stevelaz]

My ferment is really roarin. Is the fruit bag supposed to float all the time? I believe it does. I'm pushing it down when stirring but it pops right back up! Are u supposed to squeeze the bag at all during fermentation?

 

[malfrune]

My ferment is really roarin. Is the fruit bag supposed to float all the time? I believe it does. I'm pushing it down when stirring but it pops right back up! Are u supposed to squeeze the bag at all during fermentation?

What I do for stirring/punchdown is poke my spoon into the side of the bag and twist the spoon, gets the bag to wrap itself around the spoon and helps squeeze out whatever juice is in it. Before I rack I'll squeeze it out good by hand to get everything out.

 

[jgmann67]

My ferment is really roarin. Is the fruit bag supposed to float all the time? I believe it does. I'm pushing it down when stirring but it pops right back up! Are u supposed to squeeze the bag at all during fermentation?

Answers to your questions: Yes... and Yes.