Other Adding suger to kits do most do it ? and why.

[littlefootwines]

Hi just a question i have been wondering if most of the people here that do kits raise the SG or do you stick with what the kits says ?.

I do it depending on the kit if its a good kit i tend to leave it as the instructions say if its a lower quality kit i tend to raise it is this what most of you do ?.

I tend to like my wine around 12 to 13 % which is why i do it what other reasons would make someone want to make it higher?.

Just asking because some people i give wine to have said its a bit higher than normal no one complains but some times i think its free so dont bite the hand that gives free wine lol.
Just kinda wondering as i am getting into more blending and such so i was thinking of how that would affect the overall turnout of the wine.

As my wife says some times you think to much lol thanks.

Shane

 

[DoctorCAD]

If my SG isn't what the kit says it should be, then I MIGHT add sugar.

Otherwise, NO. Alcohol is not a good taste, so why introduce it to your wine?

 

[Kraffty]

I've no clue how long your wine has aged before giving it away but the alcohol flavor mellows with time. 12-13% is not terribly high so maybe they're just a little young.
Mike

 

[tonyt]

I only have done it once and that was by mistake. Luckily the wine turned out good albeit slightly hot with alcohol at first. Now about a year and a half old it's better. I guess if you're only making wine to get a buzz then it might be the thing to do but that's not me.

 

[cocroach]

Would a slightly higher alcohol level preserve a wine for longer than the three-year mark that most kits seem to be good for? Would this save from having to add sulphites as a preservative?

 

[littlefootwines]

Thanks for your input i am asking because my wife likes a strawberry celler master kit thats bought at save on foods i also get a california red kit from them also.
The abv of both kits will end up different so if i want to blend some of the red with the strawberry because its to sweet for me as is. Will the difference in the finished alcohol one being 12 % and one being 9% have some affect on the blended strawberry to red ?

Thanks shane

 

[littlefootwines]

Hey mike thanks i know i give some young so its going to have that taste try to tell them let it sit it will be better.

 

[seth8530]

I would stick with that the kit says since they are balanced the way they are for a reason. That being said, depending on how long you intend on aging it and the type of wine kit it is it might work out fine depending on how long you let it sit and how you treat the yeast.

 

[Boatboy24]

Some will add sugar, or part of the fpac to "mist" type kits to balance out the sweetness. Normally, I don't add sugar to kits, but I recently did a rose where I added a little. I've also step fed port style kits during fermentation.

 

[kevinlfifer]

I always tweak the cheaper (lower end kits) and part of the tweak always involves sugar in some form. It might be cider instead of water in a white of fruit wine, or a concentrate in a red.

Raisins are 50% sugar so they count as well. I like to add the sugar via an ingredient that will bump the body and feel and not just the alcohol level.

 

[littlefootwines]

I always tweak the cheaper (lower end kits) and part of the tweak always involves sugar in some form. It might be cider instead of water in a white of fruit wine, or a concentrate in a red.

Raisins are 50% sugar so they count as well. I like to add the sugar via an ingredient that will bump the body and feel and not just the alcohol level.

Hi thanks for the input. I tend to use red grape concentrate in the red i buy it gives it a good taste and mouth feel given that it is the first grape kit i did as per instructions it was not that good for me to enjoy so i tweaked it with the concentrate and found it changed the wine big time. I now have a Grand Cru syrah that will be done as the instructions dictate. First decent red kit for me.

I do the fruit kits tweaked all the time thats why i asked about 1 being 12% blended with 1 at 9% i really dont like the mist kits sweet but share a like for some of the ones my wife likes so wanted to split it and use the california red to blend with.

I used some oak chips in the primary this time and added the concentrate at the clearing stage that was 2 weeks ago and its very nice. I started this hobby to make wines i liked and i like whites more than reds but i drink reds also some very nice ones to be had but i find lots to be to much oak or boring both reds and whites so wanted to see if i could make what i liked for wines.


Thanks Shane