Cornucopia/Island Mist Kits

[CowboyPhil]

I like the Island Mist/Cornucopia wine kits, the question is, is there a way to use these kits and still make the wine a little more dry? I love the flavor but I don't want them so sweet. Could I follow the procedure up until the last step and then at the F-Pak stage instead of adding the Potassium Sorbate right then could I let it renew the fermentation for a few days to drop the sugar level then add the Potassium Sorbate when the SG dropped and kill of the fermentation. It seems like it would work I am just worried that the f-pak may have yeast killing stuff in it.

Any suggestions.

 

[cpfan]

Yes the F-pack has sorbate in the bag, but probably not enough to stop the fermentation. Slow it down, mess it up, maybe. Stop it, no.

The real problem is that adding the kit's sorbate after fermentation renews is probably not going to stop the renewed fermentation. I know from experience that adding an F pack will re-start the fermentation (I think I accidentally did it with a Niagara Mist a few years ago).

I would add part of the F-pack in the primary. You can probably add it before pitching the yeast, but I believe that some people wait a couple of days until the fermetation is defiitely active. [Please note I haven't tried this, but lot's of folks have.]

Steve

 

[CowboyPhil]

Well, I am not worried about stopping it come time to stopping. I can always add additional sorbate and campden to stop and kill all active fermentation, or at least it should. I guess I could also let the batch go all the way dry by adding the f-pak after the first week of fermentation. Then if I wanted to backsweeten I could at the very end. but would I lose the apple flavor in the process?

 

[CowboyPhil]

Oh forgot to mention I am making a Green Apple Pinto Bianco. So that is why I want this to be a little dry. I made a Strawberry White Merlot and I wish so much that I would have made it dry, but I don't know how. Maybe writing the company would help.

 

[cpfan]

Well, I am not worried about stopping it come time to stopping. I can always add additional sorbate and campden to stop and kill all active fermentation, or at least it should.

People think that it should. But it doesn't.

The best is to ferment to dry, add the K-meta and sorbate, and then sweeten.

Steve

 

[CowboyPhil]

OK so the K-meta is going to stop the fermentation and the Sorbate is going to prevent oxidation correct?

 

[Boatboy24]

OK so the K-meta is going to stop the fermentation and the Sorbate is going to prevent oxidation correct?

I believe it's the other way around. From what I've read, the sorbate prevents the yeast from multiplying. Kmeta is the anti-oxidation.

 

[Tyroneshoolace]

You are right, sorbate stops yeast from reproducing, and k-meta Will protect you from oxidization.

I would urge you to try what was suggested above and add only half of the f-pack at the start of fermentation. Wait until it goes dry. Sorbate, add kmeta, then add the rest of the f pack.

My concern is that if you add the whole f pack up front you are going to loose a lot of the flavour. I have only done this a few times but I did like the results better.

 

[derunner]

The other tweak people talk about is raising the sugar level before pitching the yeast to get a higher alcohol content. I did a mist kit and it started at SG of 1.050. From what people say you can add a home sugar syrup of water and sugar and add that to bring it up to at most 1.080. Higher levels would throw off the balance of the kit. I'm planning to make the Island Mist green apple reisling this way.

 

[CowboyPhil]

I did add the additional sugar so the ABV Pot. Would be 9% (1.070 SG) as it would have only been about 5% (1.040 SG)if I left the kit as it stood. Once fermentation is strong I will add 1/2 the f-pak. Let the whole thing go dry. Add the Sorbate and K-Meta and then f-pak it as the instructions have it doing. The kit didn't come with K-Meta and the question is why would I add it. I mean if I am letting it all go dry and then only adding 1/2 the f-pak back why would it be any different than if I had just made it according to the kit. I know that if it thing were aged I would need to add K-Meta to prevent oxidation, I don't have any K-Meta but I do have Ascorbic Acid on hand from what I have read they do the same thing. Is there a reason to use K-Meta vs. Ascorbic Acid?

 

[CowboyPhil]

Nevermind I have K Meta on hand. I just realized (by reading) that K-Meta is the exact same thing as Potassium Metabisulfite. The K being Potassium. Duh.

 

[Boatboy24]

Nevermind I have K Meta on hand. I just realized (by reading) that K-Meta is the exact same thing as Potassium Metabisulfite. The K being Potassium. Duh.

Took me a while to make that connection too. I've also seen it referred to as "Pot-meta".

 

[CowboyPhil]

Thank you to everyone that posted, I added 1/2 the f-pak and fermentation didn't even slow, so onward and upward I go, I will let you know how the final product ends up. I am so looking forward to this wine.

 

[CowboyPhil]

So far so good, it is now in the secondary and fermntation started back up. I am at 1.050 if it gets to 1.000 i will be really happy.

 

[Tyroneshoolace]

Glad to hear it's working out for you.

I find that if you can keep the temperature up and steady during secondary it really helps the yeaties do their job finishing up.

 

[CowboyPhil]

The house is pretty regulated at 70ish degrees, but the closet they are in is a little lower at about 68. I need to invest in a brew belt, but I haven't done it yet.

 

[rickswine]

Brew Belt would be perfect to keep the temp up. My finished basement is pretty much at 68* and the belt takes it up to 72* which has made it perfect during fermentation.

The carboys that are aging go over to the unfinished laundry room which stays about 65 with the damper shut. Wife gets a little upset because she has to do laundry with a coat on but it's a small price.

Let us know how the kit comes out adding half the f-pack up front. I just did a Pomegranate Zin and added the whole f-pack at the end and it seems a bit too sweet. I did add 2lbs of corn sugar at the beginning to get the SG up to 1.070 at the start.

 

[GaDawg]

I am making a MM Green Apple Riesling. I added 4 lbs of sugar in a simple syrup to the primary.(sg=1.080) I am following the directions until the last step (adding the F pack). At that step I plan to add the F pack to taste. Then I will have an idea of how much to add for my taste.
If anyone has a suggestion and/or bricks to throw, they will be welcome

 

[Sammyk]

I did the red zif blackberry and added sugar to primary to bring up the sg to 1.080 too. The added the entire fpack. We liked it so much I have another already going (before we even drank all of the first go around) Great stuff!
Just move the peach/apricot chardonnay to secondary a couple of days ago and that too looks to be very promising.