Other Adding part of F pack early?

[KimA]

Some people have said they add part of the F pack bag in the first stage to help bump up the alcohol content of the kit. If I do that, will it change my initial SG reading? Will it change what the others should be at each stage?

I'm a newbie at this, having done only 2 kits so far so any help you can give would be appreciated. I'm using the Cornucopia kits.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Boatboy24]

Yes, it will change the starting gravity. But you should still finish in about the same place, assuming the yeast can handle the higher alcohol.

 

[robie]

And of course it will lower the sweetness of the finished wine when it is ready to drink. Is that what you are after or are you wanting to raise the alcohol percentage? There are others method for raising the alcohol content.

 

[KimA]

I like the flavor/sweetness of these kits as is. I just think the alcohol content seems a little low. Not looking to increase it immensely. Right now I'm coming out about a 7.9%.

 

[robie]

I like the flavor/sweetness of these kits as is. I just think the alcohol content seems a little low. Not looking to increase it immensely. Right now I'm coming out about a 7.9%.

I make 2 to 4 of these summer wine kits each summer. I always bump the alcohol up some. Seems the alcohol can be raise 2 or 3 % without the result becoming out of balance, which is a concern for many wines. I always make the RJ Spagnol Orchard Breezin' summer (mist) wine kits.

Sorry I don't have the link, but out on the web there are links to calculator that tell you how much sugar to add to get to a specific ABV. Maybe someone else will provide it for you. Me, I just always add 3 to 4 pounds of sugar to each kit.

If you don't utilize the calculator, add about 2.5 pounds of sugar to your next kit. Dissolve the sugar in as little water as you can. I put the sugar in the water and put the container in the microwave and heat it up. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, let the solution cool to the temperature of the must before adding it to the must. I don't top up the must to the 23 liter mark until after I add the extra sugar solution. Because the sugar water tends to not mix well with the must, you will need to really stir it in well. It may even look mixed, but it can easily separate, so stir well.

Once the sugar water is stirred in well, take an SG reading, so you can eventually determine the ABV.

 

[Rodnboro]

I did the Cornucopia White Merlot/Strawberry last year. I added half of the fpak up front and boosted the starting sg to 1.090. I also cut the quantity from 6 gallon to 5. It turned out ok but was still too sweet in the end for my taste. I guess it was ok for the cost.

 

[KimA]

Thanks for the suggestions! Will let you know how it turns out. Will start it Tuesday.

 

[babered]

What did you end up doing and how did it turn out? I know how to increase the alcohol but I don't know how to make it less sweet without messing up the cherry flavor.

 

[KimA]

It turned out great. It did take longer to degass for some reason but the end result is good. I can't say it necessarily cut down sweetness but the ABV was above 9%. Tastes great!