cocroach
Junior Member
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- Apr 7, 2013
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I have chosen two different yeast strains for the RJS RQ 2014 Spanish Monastrell-Petit Verdot kit to hopefully bring out its flavour profile of black fruit, smoke and cedar and maximize on body.
My plan is to split this kit into two 3 gallon batches and use the Lalvin ICV-D80 (enhance mouthfeel, tannin intensity, smoke and licorice) and ICV-D254 (mid-palate and spicy finish). I would like to then bulk age for some time before blending a portion of it and keeping some separate to see how these yeasts have affected the wine.
This would be my very first time using these yeast strains, blending and bulk aging a wine kit.
Some questions:
Firstly…is this even a good idea??
If so, do I need to add any other additives into the primary with these yeasts?
Lastly, if these yeasts are supposed to bring out tannin intensity, should I add oak? If so, what type and toast-level? I was thinking to add this during the bulk aging stage to hopefully achieve a more complex and longer lingering finish.
I should mention that I am looking to hopefully end up with a kit that doesn't have that strange “kit-taste” that I have consistently tasted and smelled on all of the kits I have made so far (RJS WS, CC Sterling, Meglioli). The taste is not horrible, but I am getting a little tired of coming across the same thing, and not being able to taste or smell other characteristics of the wine. I’m hoping that by selecting yeasts to enhance specific flavours it will either eliminate, or at least mask the kit-taste somewhat.
Feel free to let me know if I am ‘out-to-lunch’ on any of this, or if I’m biting off more than I can chew. Feedback would be appreciated!
My plan is to split this kit into two 3 gallon batches and use the Lalvin ICV-D80 (enhance mouthfeel, tannin intensity, smoke and licorice) and ICV-D254 (mid-palate and spicy finish). I would like to then bulk age for some time before blending a portion of it and keeping some separate to see how these yeasts have affected the wine.
This would be my very first time using these yeast strains, blending and bulk aging a wine kit.
Some questions:
Firstly…is this even a good idea??
If so, do I need to add any other additives into the primary with these yeasts?
Lastly, if these yeasts are supposed to bring out tannin intensity, should I add oak? If so, what type and toast-level? I was thinking to add this during the bulk aging stage to hopefully achieve a more complex and longer lingering finish.
I should mention that I am looking to hopefully end up with a kit that doesn't have that strange “kit-taste” that I have consistently tasted and smelled on all of the kits I have made so far (RJS WS, CC Sterling, Meglioli). The taste is not horrible, but I am getting a little tired of coming across the same thing, and not being able to taste or smell other characteristics of the wine. I’m hoping that by selecting yeasts to enhance specific flavours it will either eliminate, or at least mask the kit-taste somewhat.
Feel free to let me know if I am ‘out-to-lunch’ on any of this, or if I’m biting off more than I can chew. Feedback would be appreciated!
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