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It was a process. I had to watch it closely the first few batches...a new barrel will impart a ton of oak very quickly. Within weeks. My first kit was only in the barrel for 3 weeks, and was way too “oaky” for my taste. The second kit was able to barrel for 6 weeks, the third for 8 weeks. I...

Funny how this thread somehow resurrected. I haven’t been around much. It was striking to see my name on the thread list! My winemaking has slowed to just a couple kits a year. I have a WE Stag’s Leap Merlot in my neutral Vadai barrel and two kits on deck (WE Selection Amarone and Passport Two...

I have been making kits for almost 10 years. I have blended kits once (WE Lodi Cab, WE Petit Verdot,and WE Stag’s Leap Merlot). Did a bunch of bench trials to get what I thought was the best mix after fermentation and some individual bulk aging. While the end product was good IMO, I’m not...

Not to muddy the water, but Winexpert kits generally advise NOT to rack at the completion of secondary fermentation. They believe retaining some sediment helps the clarifier do a better job of clearing. Check the instructions, but usually they recommend adding the chemicals, clarifier, and any...

I'm not sure. The WE kits start very high in sugar (og 1.122-1.128), then chaptilize with dextrose further into fermentation. This bumps the the sg up another 0.014-0.016. My first attempt, I added the dextrose at the recommended sg, which I believe is @1.020, and even the EC-1118 couldn't chew...

In my limited experience compared to many on this forum, most of any issues I've had with kits involved user error or just taste preference. For example, I've made a couple WE IM Blackberry Cabernet kits, by the book. They just aren't to my taste. I gave them away, and got all positive...

I haven't done this specific kit, but if I read your post correctly, you tasted it after bottling it just one week ago? Maybe bottle shock? If that's the case, time is your friend (as with many things in winemaking, I'm finding...). I try to let newly bottled wine sit at least a month before...

Congrats on your barrel! The schedule that I found to work for me was very similar to what Boatboy posted. The first wine through my barrel was a WE Selection Shiraz. It was only in for a touch over 4 weeks and was VERY oaky...at least to my taste. And it really hasn't faded, now over 3 1/2...

I read your post quickly, without my glasses on, and thought you wrote, "If I wasn't 100% sold on this hubby before, I am now!" It's so nice wine has brought you two closer...

Check it again after 24 hours. You will likely find it bump up even more...maybe 0.015 or 0.016 in total. But that's' still pretty low. I haven't made that kit in a while (one of my favorites, BTW), but my starting S.G. Was 1.100. Did you add the proper amount of water? Does this kit still come...

RJS En Primeur Winery Series Amarone Classico winemaking kit. Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway. I haven't ordered yet. I don't order many kits online...at least not yet. I choose to support my brick and mortar LHBS because the owner is my friend. As long as he stays in business, I want to...

I've never made wine from grapes...only kits. Thinking about the jammy skins pack in Eclipse kits, does that resemble how crushed grapes look? What is the gooey stuff in with the skins? Does anybody know?

I stretch my bag over a large, sanitized glass mixing bowl. I used to cut a corner, but have found it easier and cleaner to just open the cap. I squeeze out as much as I can, then I add water. Usually takes a couple of times with vigorous swishing to get all the skins out. I add any oak chips to...

I'm bumping this thread to see if this went anywhere. Did we submit the questions? Will any answers be posted here, or will another thread be created? Just curious.

Thanks! I was wondering about each of the issues you raised...how easy is it to move, will the plastic scratch with whipping, is the lid/opening functional for skins kits... Is the 7.5G the largest, do you know? I thought I had seen a thread recently where the Fermonster was mentioned. In fact...

I make mostly red kit wines with skins. I often will ferment to dry in my bucket, keeping the lid loose until the SG gets to around 1.010, then snapping it down under air lock to let fermentation finish. The only slight drawback for me is that I can't see the bottom of the bucket well when I...

Yes, in part. Fermentation produces both alcohol and carbon dioxide. The wine will continue to blow off the CO2 ("bubbling") for quite some time after fermentation is complete. Activity in the air lock is not always an indicator of active fermentation. The longer a wine is allowed to rest after...

I had a great deal of loosely compacted lees with this kit...probably the worst I've experienced in this regard. I always put the oak chips in the bag with the skins so as not to have an issue with them on racking (I use an AIO). I only fermented with the RC212 provided. Don't know if skipping...

This is a long question, but basically, how do red kits have such deep red color? If juice from red grapes is not deep red at first...if color extraction is achieved by long contact with the skins during fermentation...how does the juice get its color having not undergone fermentation?

I just racked and degassed my Bravado. I fermented it to dry in the primary to maintain contact with the skins as long as possible. I only used only the RC212, skipping the EC1118. The ferment proceeded relatively slowly it seemed, taking nearly 3 weeks to go down to 0.996 from 1.096 at 70-72...