Anyone add fresh/frozen grapes to their kit?

[DriftlessDoc]

I have a couple red kits, a WE Luna Rossa and a LE17 New Zealand Merlot that didnt come with grape packs. After watching the youtube videos on Extended Maceration, I'd really like to try to boost these kits with some fruit.

Has anybody used the Allgrape packs before? Do you think its even worth adding them to these kits? I like reds that are bold and have body and I'd really like to have something nice to share with family around Christmas time.

 

[Johnd]

I have a couple red kits, a WE Luna Rossa and a LE17 New Zealand Merlot that didnt come with grape packs. After watching the youtube videos on Extended Maceration, I'd really like to try to boost these kits with some fruit.

Has anybody used the Allgrape packs before? Do you think its even worth adding them to these kits? I like reds that are bold and have body and I'd really like to have something nice to share with family around Christmas time.

It’s beneficial to add the grape packs, or even leftover skins from a grape batch, if you like bigger body in your wines. The Mosti Mondale ones were always my preference. As for Christmas, you can get them done by then, they’ll be way better at Christmas 19 and 20.....

 

[Hordak]

I have used the AllGrape packs a number of times. Sometimes I split them between two kits and sometimes I use just one per. I thought I read somehwere they use Merlot grape skins in the pack so they are pretty flexible what they can be used in. I would definitely use the grape pack with EM to try and get the best wine you can by Christmas. The EM process will really smooth out the wine earlier than a standard process the instructions specify.

 

[DriftlessDoc]

Thanks for the insight everyone. I have some on the way. Shipping for 1 pack was 24 dollars and shipping for 3 of them was 28 dollars so I grabbed one for each kit, plus an extra to have on hand.

 

[DriftlessDoc]

These packs are HEAVY! each had 4 kilos of grapes. The last kit (and honestly my first kit) I did with a grape pack was a Cc Sterling Cab Sav that maybe had 1 kilo of grapes in it. So much more in these. Cant wait to add these to my kits and get started in a couple weeks.

 

[Venatorscribe]

A friend of mine has just bought a kit and I was reading the instructions related to adding water up to 23 lt ( 6 US gallon ) but I did not see anything in there about acidifying the water. And — there was no sachet of tartaric acid in his box. What does everyone else do ? Do you just dilute the concentrate and not worry about TA and pH or has the manufacturer pre-doctored the concentrate.

 

[Johnd]

A friend of mine has just bought a kit and I was reading the instructions related to adding water up to 23 lt ( 6 US gallon ) but I did not see anything in there about acidifying the water. And — there was no sachet of tartaric acid in his box. What does everyone else do ? Do you just dilute the concentrate and not worry about TA and pH or has the manufacturer pre-doctored the concentrate.

Typically, the chemistry has been adjusted as needed to account for the water additions, no need to adjust pH, TA, BRIX, etc. One of the advantages for folks just getting started is the relative simplicity.