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fearnosurf

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I know this seems like a pointless question, but I have to ask. Do these kit's really measure up to the Commercial Vineyards?



I'm like my Cab's, shiraz, Pinot Noir's, etc... a very full bodied wine, is there a recomendation of Kit to try?
 
Most kit wines, after proper ageing, usually are similar to 13-17 dollar a bottle wines. You're total cost to make a bottle like this, however, is roughly 3 dollars a bottle, but depending on the kit you decide to buy (initial cost). It's pretty good to drink after 28 days, but WOWEE! After a year, you think you've just created wine that came from the gods.
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Bert and I have found that they are a little fuller-bodied if we don't put in quite all the water in the directions. But, I like my reds so dry that when I cough after having ataste of wine some dust comes out of my mouth.
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What is the deal with adding marbles instead of water/filler wine? Are
these normal marbles? About how many? added losely or in a bag of some
sort?



and thanks for the replies! I'm looking forward to starting.


Edited by: fearnosurf
 
Sanitize them and add them loosely to take up most of the airspace above the wine. Some people use them, but only after fermentation and stabilization. I use water at the first racking and wine after that.
 
I would imagine they are a pain to clean. I use water only. That's what the kits say to use anyway. Unless you want to venture into country wines, I'd not bother with the marbles. If you are making country wines, however, do as Hippie just said. He's the expert around here. His wines are fabulicious!
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We use regular, glass marbles. We treat them like any other piece of wine making equipment. Initial washing with whatever you use to wash your bottles, pour them into a strainer, rinse well, pour them into a plastic container for submersion in sanitizer, pour back into your strainer for draining. We use them with both country and kit wines so we don't have to add water for topping up. If we have a lot of space we top up with a similar wine, not water. We just can't seem to bring ourselves to add water!
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We drop them into the carboy loose, and after we've racked we put our strainer in the sink and pour them into the strainer for cleaning. And they make a heck of a racket if you don't know there's one in your garbage disposal!
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And for some reason they're not round after that trip either!
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fearnosurf said:
What is the deal with adding marbles instead of water/filler wine? Are these normal marbles? About how many? added losely or in a bag of some sort?

and thanks for the replies! I'm looking forward to starting.
 
marbles is a great idea, never thought of that.... i'm like Glenval though, i'll add water in the primary, then i'll throw a twist with adding other wine there after, for Cab, i'll sweeten a bit w/ Syrah, and Syrah i'll dry out and add body by adding a cab, and kind of make a mini blend (only 3% if you'd have to add a whole bottle to fill up the carboy, and it usually is about 2/3rd for me --2.5%)
 
The flat marbles (sold in arts/crafts at Wmt) drop in gentler than the round ones. I have used them but it takes alot of marbles to move the wine volume. I normally rack down to 5 gallons so I don't have to top up. If I do topup, I use water if it's only a couple cups, wine if it's more than that.
 
Using marbles is a very clever idea. I don't like to add water to my wine either and the fellow I buy kits from and the person that showed me the ropes of wine-making NEVER tops up. They claim to have never had a problem with the airspace and are totally against watering down their wine. I have used another wine to top up in the past.


Has anyone else just taken their chances and not topped up?
 
If you want a full bodied wine, go for the premium kits (15L-18L). The winexpert crushendo kits (they have a grape pack inside) are pricey but they have more body and tannins--I'm starting my second one today. You need to allow aging time for the better kits--I'd say 1-2 years for the heavy reds (that doesn't mean you can't start tasting earlier though to see the progress--I start at 6 months and open one every 3 months or so). They do improve immensely with age, andremember, the good wines you buy at the store weren't made yesterday.

















Edited by: Jackie
 
So, is there like a chart which lists the diffrent kits and the optimum aging
time? Sounds like once you know, you know but how do you find out other
than tasting, which after all, is not a bad approach?
 
Any kit, including the cheapest ones will be better after 6 months, given the bottles are sealed well. Some of the kits wines will age and continue to get better for years.
 

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