1st Time Kit Qs

[OdinsBrew]

Hi All,

First off thanks for posting all the info so far. I've been reading up on old "how to" posts and getting good info. I"m about to take the plunge!

Long time brewer, 1st time Winemaker. I plan on making the Cellar Craft Showcase Sonoma Cab Sav.

From beer making, I know that a few simple tweaks can make a big difference. Yeast, ferm temps, a pound of sugar, some of this for extra head retention etc. From what I've read the Showcase kits are very good, but, yes, I am a wine and beer snob.

I'm thinking of buying some Wyeast to replace whatever comes in the kit. Good idea? Bad idea? I'm thinking BM45, RP15(VQ15), or ICV-D254.

A little extra oak? Staves, cubes? Would this go in secondary until the taste was right and rack or remove the oak?

Fermentation: I plan to wrap a warming blanket on it and keep it in the high 70s if I can. In secondary, more like mid 60s.

Guidance appreciated!

 

[Arne]

For the first try, I would go with what the kitmaker says to use. They have done a lot of experimenting and want you to come out with a great finished product so you will buy some more of their product. Get a couple of these under your belt, then when you know what you are doing you can start doing some experimenting of your own. Use your hydrometer before you add more sugar, you might have plenty of alcohol with the amount of sugar in the kit. Just my 2cents, take it for what it is worth. And good luck with it, welcome to winemaking talk. Arne.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm thinking of buying some Wyeast to replace whatever comes in the kit. Good idea? Bad idea? I'm thinking BM45, RP15(VQ15), or ICV-D254.

A little extra oak? Staves, cubes? Would this go in secondary until the taste was right and rack or remove the oak?

Swapping to any of those yeasts seems like a fine idea. (I have used all of them on various kits with no problems.) Note, however, that those are all from Lalvin, not Wyeast.

I agree with Arne regarding the extra sugar. My previous examples of CC Showcase were not lacking in sugar (i.e., alcohol); I would not do this to your first kit. As far as oak, I would wager adding some would help, but, of course, this is a matter or your taste!

 

[jgmann67]

Two tips:

1. Get a Brewbelt. Cheap and easy way to keep your wine in the target temp - lower 70's.

2. Look into tannins. Tannin Riche or TR Extra might be right up a wine snob's alley.

https://morewinepro.com/search?search=Tannin

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

If you're going to degas after fermentation is complete, which is what I believe the kit instructions would have you do, then you'll want to raise the temp back up into the low to mid 70s range.

 

[OdinsBrew]

Thanks All!
This is great information, and just want I was looking for.
I pitched today and .... I'll let you know how it is in a few months!

I bought some extra oak, and tannins as I wasn't sure what was in the kit. My kit the CC showcase cab sav came with french medium and heavy oak shavings (about the size of rice). The kit also includes Hungarian cubes. I bought some American cubes, and I'll decide on what to add later once I rack to secondary. SG is 1.099, after only adding 1.5 gallons of water in total to the must, in primary. To clarify from my first post, I was meaning to reference adding sugar to boil kettle while making wort for beer, and didn't mean to suggest the idea of adding sugar to the wine since I don't know what I'm doing yet. I bought and pitched the Cellar Science Bordeaux yeast. On the fly decision at the LHBS.

Thanks again for helping me get started, and Cheers!

 

[DoctorCAD]

The description of that yeast strain sounds great, but be aware that kit juice is NOT the same as vine picked crushed grapes. The yeasts are chosen for their kit tolerance. Might not be a big deal, but dont flush the pack of yeast from the kit just in case the new yeast stalls or pukes. Regardless, let it age on hungarian and it will be damn good.(imo)