Other Tweeking Cheap Kits

Might not be a cheap kit, but doing the same thing with it, and it actually was cheap (free). Actually was thinking that this was the perfect place to discuss small batch wine making, lots of creative ideas and advice. Did post on another thread, but then didn’t see that thread again.

This is open to the cheap kit crew.
Has anyone made FORZA wine from a kit?
If so,where did you get it?
The Spanish and Italian wine has sparked an interest in myself from another thread.
Thanks. I

Forza has come and gone at times in the beginning , haven't seen ,
Finishing up Carol' s set of Fontana's wine kits , chard and Merlot there both in the clearing stages, easy kit straight up decent finish . Will post pics.

Clearing Fontana Shiraz and Pinot Gris,
Stabilized with the packets included... then did some backsweetning with simple syrup...
Bubble moving again.
Should I just wait till it's totally stopped or add Camden and sorbate again?
This is New territory to me.
Thanks in advance for any information.

Hi sugar, you added simple syrup in the secondary?
Your kit came with the standard chems.
You should have completed the process then added the simple syrup to taste.
At this point just let it sit for a couple of weeks ,check for gas and taste then decide whether to let it are couple of weeks in the carboy or age in the bottle.
These wines usually finish out semidry...q question..do you like sweet wine.?

joeswine said:

Hi sugar, you added simple syrup in the secondary?
Your kit came with the standard chems.
You should have completed the process then added the simple syrup to taste.
At this point just let it sit for a couple of weeks ,check for gas and taste then decide whether to let it are couple of weeks in the carboy or age in the bottle.
These wines usually finish out semidry...q question..do you like sweet wine.?

Click to expand...

Joe,
It finished very dry.
I actually like a sweater semi dry.
Not real sweet.
These two wines are perfect at this taste point for me.
Thanks

As long as you enjoy the finish that's all that matters.
Have you learned from this thread?

joeswine said:

As long as you enjoy the finish that's all that matters.
Have you learned from this thread?

Click to expand...

I started knowing nothing about making wine, September 2017.
5 kits,one from my Muscadine vines,and
One Fruit pac....they all finished ok.
Salvaged the over degassed Blanc.
You all have been a brother Hood to me.
Yes, the thread has been a major teacher for me.

Just for the sake of helping:
I have used my dishwasher with heat dring..put it on pots and pans..
Put crushed Camden tabs in 2nd cycle.
Let it cycle through.
While bottles are warm..bottle.
Sanitized and clean.
Works great.

sugar said:

Just for the sake of helping:
I have used my dishwasher with heat dring..put it on pots and pans..
Put crushed Camden tabs in 2nd cycle.
Let it cycle through.
While bottles are warm..bottle.
Sanitized and clean.
Works great.

Click to expand...

Failed to note that you stick the bottle neck down on one point

Thank you for reading and as always Think outside the box.jp

Yep,
About outside the box...
A fith of good clear Rum..,lots of wood, some coffee beans..with lots of syurp and you can cover a major mistake.
H2O death.
Saved it.

No I don't think that's correct ,but if that's how you view it???????

This is the next two kits on the menus for Carol and her daughter, a straight up chardonnay with a 5.5 gallon batch and light oak in the primary ..follow the flow see how much this batch yielded

PHASE #2 JUST A LITTLE MORE TO GO ,THESE KITS ARE ENEXPENSIVE TO MAKE AND EASY TO TWEAK...

joeswine said:

No I don't think that's correct ,but if that's how you view it???????

Click to expand...

Joe that is how worked out to a taste I could enjoy.
Since it was my first vingarie taste.
I open to do it another way without coffee.
And etc.

THE CAB WAS EVEN BETTER THEN I THOUGHT AT THE FINISH A GREAT EVERY DAY WINE WITH DECENT BODY AND A CAB FINISH,FOLLOW THE FLOW..

PHASE #2.....................THE IDEA WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF RASINS WAS TO GIVE THE CAB A LITTLE MORE DEPTH WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD WITH PRODUCT..

The cab is still bubbling slowly, will measure the SG this weekend (started Aug. 11), I did put some French Oak in after macerateing the grapes. I am treating this as a kit, having learned that time is your friend with the Merlot kit. Next will be secondary fermentation and perhaps addition of some Black Cherries if I can find them. Maybe 1/2 a cup. Just which to accentuate the natural tastes that a varietal cab has. I have not added any Tannin as I did have plenty of skins in this mix to start. Will rack 3 times as I did with my Malbec kit, just to get it as clear as I can without filters (don’t have a pump, etc.) and these are all small batch projects anyway. Great fun, drinking and learning.

Sounds like a plan and you are enjoying the work... sauteed the fruit in 2 cups of the base then puor it all back into the secondary.