Other Cornucopia 2 kits we love SALE priced on Amazon

[Sammyk]

We have almost 2 years under out belt as wine makers. Not experts by any means but like I said we have made over 20 different "mist" type kits so I felt free to experiment.

Dissolve the bentonite in hot water as per the directions. I then brought a Dutch Oven pot 1/2 full to boil and add a splash of lemon juice. I did not measure how much water but the Dutch oven was a little over half full. When it started to boil, I added 4 pounds of sugar and turned the burner off. Stir to dissolve the sugar. You can tell when it is all dissolved because it turns from white in color to crystal clear. I added that right to the primary after a few minutes of cooling right on top of the bentonite. THEN I added the juice bag.
And then while adding tap water, we kept stirring well and checking the SG to get to 1.085. It did take enough cooler water to bring to the 6 gallon lowest rim on the fermenter pail.

The reason I did it this way is because the first mist type kit we did added way too much water and the wine was weak. I wound up blending with another wine I had already made. Lesson learned about adding too much water.

 

[geek]

oh, have you tried mixing the Coconut Frascati and the Strawberry Merlot?

Wondering what flavor it would taste like having strawberry and coconut, not just coconut flavor alone?

 

[FABulousWines]

FYI, I think the 1.6 gallons refers to the kit size (or concentrate provided). 1.6 gallons is about 6 liters. They make 6 gallons of wine.

 

[Sammyk]

Never was any good at metrics so you may be right, FABulousWines. No, we did not try mixing them because they were bottled at different times and I did not want to un-bottle to try mixing them. But I bet they would be good. Will open both at the same time and mix them in a glass and see what happens. You might be on to something with strawberry and coconut.

I actually thought about adding some chocolate on a gallon or two of the coconut when they went into secondary, but didn't. Maybe next time we will experiment more.

 

[GaDawg]

Sammyk, boiling water drives the 02 out, so you may want to add your sugar to hot water instead of boiling water.

 

[Sammyk]

What are the consequences? I don't know, I am just asking.

 

[GaDawg]

All living cells need energy for cellular processes such as pumping molecules into or out of the cell ( making alcohol ) or synthesizing needed molecules. ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) is a special molecule which provides energy in a form that cells can use for cellular processes. Each yeast cell can use the energy stored in organic molecules in food to make ATP. When O2 is available, cells use aerobic cellular respiration to transfer energy from the organic molecules in food to ATP. Aerobic cellular respiration is a complex process that begins with glycolysis, followed by the Krebs cycle (co2) and the electron transport chain. Aerobic cellular respiration can make up to 29 molecules of ATP per molecule of glucose. Most of this ATP is produced by the electron transport chain which can only function if O2 is available.

 

[Sammyk]

We have no idea what you just said but it works for us. After filling with luke warm water and checking the OG we immediately pitch the yeast and it has never failed for us.

 

[geek]

No, we did not try mixing them because they were bottled at different times and I did not want to un-bottle to try mixing them. But I bet they would be good. Will open both at the same time and mix them in a glass and see what happens. You might be on to something with strawberry and coconut.

I was actually talking about mixing up front in primary, like if you bought 2 of the kits and do the mixing of both up front.

For the coconut, what exact color is the final wine?
Do you have pics of a bottle?

 

[wineforfun]

Ok, help me out here. I think the answer is obvious but have to ask anyway. I notice the Merlot, Zin, etc. are around $40 for a 6 gallon kit of this brand of kit. Then why is the RJ CC WS Merlot kit $140?
I guess what makes the high end kits more expensive and the lower end kits less expensive?

 

[cmason1957]

Ok, help me out here. I think the answer is obvious but have to ask anyway. I notice the Merlot, Zin, etc. are around $40 for a 6 gallon kit of this brand of kit. Then why is the RJ CC WS Merlot kit $140?
I guess what makes the high end kits more expensive and the lower end kits less expensive?

The amount of juice you start with or said another way, how much water you add. For the cheaper kits you add usually 4 gallons of water. For the more expensive, maybe 2. More juice, higher cost.

 

[Sammyk]

cmason1957 We do not think the cost is a factor. They are what they are.

The coconut is a golden light yellow.

I have no idea why they are less expensive except they are made in Canada? I have made some Island Mist and Ocean Breezin that we did not like.

I have in secondary from IM
Blueberry Pinot Noir
Exotic Fruit Zinfandel

From Ocean Breezin
Black Cherry Pinot Noit

Early tasting is not much to our liking on the 3 kits above - time will tell because as I said they are still in secondaries.

But to each their own taste.

Watermelon
White Cranberry are both still in secondaries and we do not have an opinion of the them yet.

 

[wineforfun]

The amount of nice you start with our said another way, how much water you add. For the cheaper kits you add usually 4 gallons of water. For the more expensive, maybe 2. More juice, higher cost.

I don't know what that means "The amount of nice you start with our said another way".

Ok, getting more juice, which I assume equates to more flavor makes sense. Also, I assume you are adding sugar to some of the cheaper kits whereas not the higher end ones?

 

[Sammyk]

We decided the fair way to evaluate the kits is to make by themselves. The next batches we will do some blending.
Mix some of the strawberry with the coconut maybe add some chocolate. Because the ABV is bumped up they will last a longer time. One I forgot in secondary for 4 months because we were busy. The pear kiwi is over a year old now and is still as good as it ever was. We did not bottle until it was 3 months old. Hard to tell if there was any improvement. Also the Pear Kiwi was not our favorite and not one we would make again.

If you do not like the Strawberry Merlot and the Coconut Frascati, I will pay shipping to send them to us!

 

[Sammyk]

I really wanted to try fresh watermelon but was scared off by the reviews and the number of folks who dumped it. I will trade a Watermelon wine for a Watermelon White Merlot (that is red) if anyone is interested. The kit is from Orchard Breezin' and it does look promising. Will bottle some time next week and then evaluate.

 

[Sammyk]

I did look at the date on the bottom of the boxes. They are not coded so are easy to read. The oldest was 12/12 and the newest were 1/13 so I don't think that they are that old as kits go. I have bought much older kits (a year old) and they did just fine. Did not have to even change out the yeast but had a back up yeast if needed.

 

[FABulousWines]

I really wanted to try fresh watermelon but was scared off by the reviews and the number of folks who dumped it. I will trade a Watermelon wine for a Watermelon White Merlot (that is red) if anyone is interested. The kit is from Orchard Breezin' and it does look promising. Will bottle some time next week and then evaluate.

We are already about half way through that batch of Watermelon White Merlot. My daughter came over and spent a few days with us during the 4th and I couldn't keep her and the Mrs. away from it. I have already been told to have some to take to the beach in Sept. so I have another kit on order. I will be interested to hear your comments.

BTW, we also opened our first bottle of Peach Chardonnay a couple of nights ago. It is still a bit young but is also quite good.

 

[chrisjw]

I swore that I was done making any more wine for the rest of the year after making 6 kits so far this year plus 11 gallons of skeeter pee. But Sammy, your enthusiasm and our love for coconut convinced me to order the Coconut Frascati. And at $.04 for the kit, how could I refuse (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Sammyk]

chrisjw Let us know what you think, please!

 

[derunner]

Sammy,

I see the Coconut Frescati kit comes from Wiseup Electronics. Have you ordered from them before? That just seems like an odd name for a company selling wine kits.