Recent content by LWOOD

Thanks, all. I've been making kit wines for 4 years now, and it's alot of fun! I've also found that time is your friend, and if you're going to make the effort, definitely let it age after bottling, at least 6 months... ideally a year or more. I've made a cabernet, sauvignon blanc, amarone...

Planning for my next red wine kit -- does anyone have experience in making both the Wine Expert - Mezza Luna, and Wine Expert - Stags Leap Merlot? Thoughts on each, and personal preference? Thanks! :a1

My next endeavor is a WineXpert Sherry, and it gives the option of making a Dry Sherry, or Cream Style. Does anyone have experience with either of these?

thanks much!

Hello from Danville KY! The kits are amazing nowadays. Happy wine making!

I'm making this Wine Expert kit, and learned through experience, using another ingredient like Super-Kleer KC as a clearing agent generally works better than what's included. I did steps 1 - 3 (primary, secondary, stabilising / clearing) and just re-racked into another carboy (step 4). It's...

MM instructions and ingredients are very good - just follow the guidelines and you are good to go! Once you bottle, let it age for at least 6 months for max enjoyment :)

thanks so much, everyone. The SuperKleer was da bomb, and cleared it right away, after re-racking. It dropped another significant amount of sediment. I'm not messing around with the kit-included clearing agent from now on. Bottling very soon!

The fining agent I used was the one that came with the kit(chitosan or insinglass clarifier). 4 weeks later, still very murky... it was only supposed to go 2 weeks. That's when someone suggested it was not degassed, but it was, so then I added the agent LD Carlson makes from the local wine...

b-e-l-e-e-e-e-v-e me, it's not gas. I am a very good de-gasser, if I do say so myself. :) The kit came with oak powder, rather than chips, and quite a bit of sediment is on the bottom. I'm going to re-rack and add the superkleer. I did try some last night, and it's good... just cloudy.

"room temperature", same as the last two kits I made. Around 75 degrees. (one was a Mosti Cab, and the other a WE Sauv Blanc - both went without a hitch, although the WE Sauv Blanc DID take alot longer to clear... but not more than a month like this one!) Any ideas?

I started this Wine Expert International Selection Amarone kit way back on 09/02/2011. All the steps and readings seemed fine. I cannot get the stuff to clear! It's in a 6 gallon carboy. Someone on the forum suggested I didn't de-gas properly, so I re-did that step. No gas... no bubbles...

I too, am having problems getting this WE Amarone kit to clear. It's definitely NOT gas. Very few bubbles in a vigorous 2nd attempt to de-gas it. So I'm trusting my instincts, and forum suggestions, and adding a second clearing agent.