[ibglowin]

Here is one I tried on my last red kit and 2 last white kits. Still way too early to tell the effect but I added 6gm of Booster Rouge. High hopes for more body/mouthfeel etc.

I used Booster Blanc for the whites of course!

[Boatboy24]

bzac and others: I'd love to hear about any experience you have with using less water. My first kit, which is now bulk aging, is a Vino Italiano Barolo I purchased from Amazon. Almost all the positive reviews on it stated that the kit was made to five gallons instead of six. Those that did make six seemed to complain that the wine was "thin". Granted, this is a low end kit, but I'm curious to see how it turns out. I wouldn't expect this tweak to be necessary on a higher end kit - especially one with skins or a grape pack.

[ibglowin]

So you save money by buying an inexpensive kit and then you only get 5 gallons (or less) after racking........ That step just raised your per bottle price ~ 20%

Just buy a better kit to start with and get 6 gallons a REALLY GOOD wine!

Just my $0.02.

[JDC]

Another "tweak" is to not use the clarifying agents provided with the kits. This really is what "speeds-up" the Kit process, with normal wine making you would normally add more rackings and more settling time. If you plan on bulk aging anyway - then only use a clarifing agent when you have a difficult to clear wine - otherwise let gravity take its course & let them clear naturally over time. Natural wine makers seldom use clarifiers, just time. I think you will get good results (I have - I normally do not use the kit provided clarifiers). I have only had to use a clarifier on one Pear wine I made a few years back on my Fruit wines & have never used any on any of my Meads. I did use the kit provided ones on the first 2-3 kits, but none in the past 4 years or so.

[Boatboy24]

Originally Posted by ibglowin

So you save money by buying an inexpensive kit and then you only get 5 gallons (or less) after racking........ That step just raised your per bottle price ~ 20%

Just buy a better kit to start with and get 6 gallons a REALLY GOOD wine!

Just my $0.02.

I agree. But this was my first kit, and a small investment to make in a hobby I'm just starting with. If I fail miserably, I've only lost ~$45. Still, my cost will be less than $3/bottle. My second kit (currently in primary) is a CC Showcase.

[ibglowin]

Most of us understand that feeling of trying to be careful of spending too much $$$ at first........

Seems to dissipate fairly fast I have to warn you!

[Rocky]

I was concerned about spending too much on this hobby but compared to the old car hobby (which I just got out of), it is much more manageable. When you have to spend $1200 for a carburetor or $500 for an air cleaner, a few hundred on wine making equipment pales in comparison. And, I enjoy this hobby much more (as does my Bride!).

[bzac]

for the clarifiers , I don't use them on red wines as I bulk age or barrel them long enough .
if a red was still cloudy at the 6 month mark I would use them as an intervention .

for whites I use them pretty much as described , between the bentonite and the clarifiers they resolve alot of chill or protein haze issues that can develop in a wine that was clear at bottleing. I reccomend always using them on a white wine.

[bzac]

Originally Posted by Boatboy24

bzac and others: I'd love to hear about any experience you have with using less water. My first kit, which is now bulk aging, is a Vino Italiano Barolo I purchased from Amazon. Almost all the positive reviews on it stated that the kit was made to five gallons instead of six. Those that did make six seemed to complain that the wine was "thin". Granted, this is a low end kit, but I'm curious to see how it turns out. I wouldn't expect this tweak to be necessary on a higher end kit - especially one with skins or a grape pack.

I really don't reccomend this , it can preoduce a wine that is very out of balance as far as acids and alcohol levels go .

if you have a cheap red kit and want to give it a bit more oomph .

you can add a lb of raisins pre ferment . wine making ones are best , followed by zante currants whicg are actualy not currants but black corinth grapes a vinifera variety. last choice is a sunmaid raisin. make sure what ever raisins you use they are preservative and more importantly oil free.

or add enough sugar to bring the sg up by one or two brix (you own a hydrometer right?) prior to pitching the yeast

here is a calculator to figure out how much sugar to add

http://vinoenology.com/calculators/chaptalization-and-water-dilution

[Boatboy24]

Originally Posted by ibglowin

Most of us understand that feeling of trying to be careful of spending too much $$$ at first........

Seems to dissipate fairly fast I have to warn you!

Yes it does. Only a month into the hobby and I'm on my fourth carboy and already my third batch of wine. Thought I'd be doing a batch every few months or so.