WineXpert Green Apple Reisling

[freqflyer]

I'm getting ready to start a Wine Expert Island Mist Green Apple Riesling. I have a few questions.

It says to check specific gravity. It should be between 1.048-1.052. That's about 6 1/2% alcohol. I would like it stronger and know many people here recommend making it stronger. What opinions are there as to how strong you can go without it becoming detrimental to the wine? I would like 10%-11%. Is that a good number to shoot for?


It says to make sure the must is between 72-75 degrees. With it being summer time, 75-80 is more the norm in my house. Will this cause a problem?

They say if your primary uses an airlock to install it? Mine does, but when I made DB I just covered the primary with a towel. What should I do with this one? They also don't mention stirring it daily as I was instructed to do with the DB. Should I stir it?

 

[richmke]

I have made 3 batches of Island Mist, the Green Apple being the most recent. Here is what I do:

I add 3 pounds of sugar. The wife says it is very potent, but no complaints. I dissolve it in warm water that you would be adding in the beginning. I think it takes it up to 1.10.

Isn't the 72-75 degrees for pitching the yeast? This is a "low end" kit, wine cooler level, not big red, early drinker, etc. I don't think 75-80 degrees is going to ruin it.

I followed the instructions for my first kit. Since then, I just loosely put the lid on during primary, and stir once or twice a day to release CO2 (pretty much the DB instructions). I think either way is fine. Just make sure you sanitize before each stir. At one wine demo, the guy said to shake the bucket every time you walk by (put the lid on tight) - he was talking about a high end kit. That works too.

That said, I would leave off the airlock during primary. O2 is needed for fermentation, so is not a bad thing. Then again, it is entertaining to watch it bubble quickly during primary.

 

[freqflyer]

I ended up adding 4 pounds of sugar. I may have a made a mistake.

The specific gravity of the kit was 1.052. After adding four pounds of sugar I measured it to be 1.075. Which would give me 9.9% alcohol. A wine caclulator I found online said that it should take a little less than three pounds to get to 1.075 and the four pounds I put in would take it to 1.085 or 11.3% alcohol.

I'm guessing I didn't get it mixed well enough. I just poured it in while stirring it with a drill stirrer.

Will this be to strong?

 

[Tom_S]

I think about 10% would make a decent wine for a white. I've found that whites tend to be a bit unbalanced at 12 or 13% but reds seem to be OK up there. I've made some whites which accidentally turned out around 12-13% and it seems like they're too harsh. From now on I plan to make my white wines at about 9-10%, definitely no greater than 11%.

It's possible that the sugar didn't get completely dissolved before you took your reading, which would result in a higher potential alcohol content. I use plain table sugar but I give it plenty of time to dissolve completely before taking a reading. Of course, it all depends on what the SG of the juice to begin with is and the online wine calculator may be off.

 

[Chilled]

freqflyer

I make a lot of the Island Mist kits, 13 last winter. I dissolve 3-1/2 pounds of sugar in water on the stove. Just good warm water, not boiling and stir until the solution is completely clear. I add this to the primary right after the kit concentrate and stir thoroughly. You will be fine with 4 pounds of sugar.

For primary ferment I follow the kit instructions. Sprinkle the yeast on top, seal the lid and place the airlock. No stirring. Four and a half to five days later at a room temperature of 71 -72 Fahrenheit I check the SG and it is always below 1.010 so I rack to a carboy.

Adding sugar to increase the ABV improves these kits as far as I am concerned. But it takes them a little longer to mellow or smooth out. We usually start drinking them at about 5 or 6 months. Try a bottle at 3, 4 and 5 months so you will realize what I mean. This is from the day you pitched the yeast.

Good Luck,
Dave

I also use the extended schedule recommended by Tim Vandergrift including about 2 months of bulk aging. Tim’s extended schedule - 5-20-40-90. The last 50 days are bulk aging.

 

[richmke]

I checked, and when I add 3# of sugar, the SG has been 1.076.

 

[dangerdave]

That's what I shoot for in mine (the wife loves this kit). SG = 1.075. Since it's an easy drinker, I don't want to overdo the ABV. Well balanced. Suitable for mass consumption.

 

[freqflyer]

It looks as though I may come out a percent or two higher. Do you think it will still taste good early?

 

[Dhaynes]

We've made about a dozen IM kits. We always add 2 lbs of sugar. That's enough of a ABV boost for us. We use corn sugar if we have it. Otherwise we use table sugar. We seal the primary and use an airlock. These kits ferment just fine without stirring. My theory is that every time you take the lid off of the primary and stick anything in it to stir it you increase the risk of accidentally contaminating the wine. You'll probably get away with it 99.9% of the time but why do anything that increases your odds of wrecking your wine.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[freqflyer]

UPDATE At bottling time this stuff had a very artificial apple taste. I put the bottles in the basement. A few months later, I opened a bottle. This stuff tastes great. Women especially like it.

 

[richmke]

Something about apples is irresistible to women - jk

It's my wife's favorite IM kit. The only I'm kit I've run out of so far.