RJ Spagnols Enclosed Instructions

[Sheepdog]

Greetings,
I have been making wine at home for one year.
All of the kits I have made have been Winexpert. In making those kits, I followed the modified instructions by Tim Vandergrift.
Now, I ordered, via my local wine shop, Two Classic Winery Series kits: CArmenere and Super Tuscan.

My question is as follows:
The instructions on the website (.pdf) seem to be only a couple of steps, and not as detailed as the instructions for Winexpert.

What do any of you with more RJS experience do for your instructions. If you have any better source for instructions and details, can you please share.

Thank you for your time.

TJ

 

[robie]

RJS does things a little differently than WE.

For one, RJS sometimes has you ferment to dry right in the fermenter bucket, which I like to do if it includes a grape pack.
For another, WE will have you rack over lots of sediment after secondary. Others don't specifically ask you to do this.
The WE kits I have done have a single step clarifier, while others provide a two step clarifier (two packets).

I would simply follow the instructions that come with the RJS kits.

 

[Putterrr]

Just follow what they have and you will be fine

I myself use Tim's modified instructions for both WE and RJS and have had no issuses. Of course if I have a problem its on me for not following the written guide

cheers

 

[Dugger]

Interestingly, the online instructions have changed from the written instructions included with the last Winery Series kit I made around Christmas. Those instructions were very similar to the Winexpert ones with primary for a week, secondary for about 3 weeks and then stabilize, etc. I wonder which version your new kit will have when it arrives.
Spagnols seem to be having a problem standardizing their instructions, especially for their various types of kits with grapeskins packs.

 

[Putterrr]

Dugger

I just looked at my winery series super tuscan that will be started in a couple weeks and it says to transfer to secondary at day 6-8 and stabilize at day 28. So I guess that makes it more like the WE instructions

I know you did this one last year. Did you add both packages of sorabte?

thx

 

[rjb222]

Wine kit instructions are always being updated. I have found particularly with the winery series kits that I like to get a full 14 days of skin exposure so I clear after the 14 day and push the skins under every day. The degassing is easier, taste is fuller and I also find they clear better. I look over the instructions on every kit series when I put a new one on to look for the changes. I keep my process up to date and current. There are of course exceptions to a rule and with the winery series this is the exception I personally make.

 

[Dugger]

Putterrr - yes, I added both packets of sorbate to the super Tuscan (and the amarone and Rossi grande); I had stopped using sorbate on my kits some time ago, but being new with the winery series, I decided to more or less follow the instructions.
rjb - I also do a 14 day primary ferment for the reasons you state. This is what the online instructions have now switched to for these kits.

Please excuse the upper/lower case typing - this ipad is intuitive and purports To know what I am doing; not even I know what I am doing!!

 

[rjb222]

With skin kits the sorbate is very important. The mold inhibiting properties are what important. When I went to the meetings in Niagara last fall I asked the head vintner for RJS why there was two packs in the winery series she stated that particularly with wet skins molds can get hold and add off flavors so they add sorbate. I never did get an answer as to why two packages in the winery series.

 

[Putterrr]

Thanks for the info on the sorbate.

cheers