another question for the big dogs

[bg7mm]

couple months back i made a blackcherry mist kit from niagra mist. the wine is a beautiful sweet mixture with great blackcherry flavor. these kits ( all niagra kits) are listed as having only 7% alcohol. can i add sugar to another kit i just recieved and follow instructions as directed to increase alcohol levels? if i do add sugar should i also add yeast nutrients/energizer?

we love this wine over ice. a great pool party favorite but we would like to add some kick to it. the first batch is alomost gone and i would like to get the second kit going in the next couple days. any recommendations would be much appreciated

Bud

 

[Runningwolf]

Bud, yes you can add sugar now. I would make up a simple syrup and add enough sugar to take it up to about 1.085-1.09sg. Stir it in very well.

 

[DoctorCAD]

The added alcohol will probably make it taste differently. The kits flavor was intended to be "as-built".

 

[Julie]

The added alcohol will probably make it taste differently. The kits flavor was intended to be "as-built".

Not really, well actually, I believe they tasted more like wine than kool-aid once the alcohol was up around 10%. I have done this in the past to the blackberry cab.

 

[BobF]

I've added 3-5# in various IM kits. I like the 3# best. The ones with 5# added finished with an edge that takes several months to subside. Still very good, and like Julie says, they are more like wine. The sweetness is pushed back a bit - a good thing!

 

[Flem]

I've added sugar to both of the Mist kits I've made. They come out just fine.

 

[TJsBasement]

I did a mist kit and sugared up to 1.087ish and everyone loves it. It was my first batch so expectation could have been low.

 

[GrandpasFootsteps]

I did the mist kit and added sugar to up the abv to 11%. Everyone loves it. These are "early drinkers". It didn't taste like rocket fuel at all. Very fruity. Enjoy!

 

[robie]

In my house it is standard operating procedure to bump up the ABV to about 11% on all the summer wines. Don't worry about it getting out of balance at that ABV.

 

[tonyandkory]

Oh ya ... 10-11% is where we try to get with those, but never higher. I think it would either ruin the taste or be 'hot'.

 

[bg7mm]

you guys got me excited now

 

[Runningwolf]

you guys got me excited now

That was easy!

 

[EdwardLongshanks]

I did the Niagra Mist Blackberry Malbec a few months back. I added about 1.5 Kilograms of Cornsugar It think it was. It brought the SG to about 1.075 so I think around 10% abv. I have to say I was surprised It was drinkable right away, and tasted great. I will be trying another flavor very soon.

 

[bzac]

if you slowly add half the F pack while the wine is in the peak of ferment (say start ading a little at a time once the wine is 25% dry and stir like mad with each addition )
you can get half the f pack to ferment , this will bump the alcohol up a bit and make the wine a little less sweet.

add the other half of the f pack once the wine is stable as you normaly would.

 

[grapeman]

I do like bzac says. It helps make a too sweet Mist wine more palatable, retains the flavors and bumps the alcohol a bit.

 

[Runningwolf]

I also do this but I just add 50% right in the very beginning. Same idea and probably same results. Thanks for adding that in Zac.

 

[bzac]

adding it a little at a time reduces the risk of a stuck ferment and the timeing of 25% of the way into the ferment ensures there is a huge yeast population to digest it.

the fpack contains some sorbate so if you add it at the beggining and there is something else slowing the yeast down like a cold temperature you could get a stuck ferment. especialy if you don't hydrate your yeast first and just sprinkle it on top like the instructions say.

you will get away with adding it all a the beginning most of the time. but by adding it as I suggest , you will be less likely to have problems.

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks Zac that makes a lot of sense.