Here we go!

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Redtrk

Winemaking dysfunctional
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
782
Reaction score
8
I've been on this forum and reading since July. I didn't want to start a batch of wine right away not having ever made any plus we were leaving on a cruise in September and I didn't want to start something that might need attention while we were gone.
So here we are ready to rock & roll our first batch of wine out. I sent a few PM's today asking some questions but decided to open it up to the forum.
I think for our first batch and it was suggested that we start with a kit. So I called one of our local suppliers here in Cincinnati ( http://www.listermann.com/Store ) to see what they have. My wife likes sweet and not dry wines. I was looking for a catawba, a sweet red, or even a nice White zin. They guy told me that any wine kit could be made sweeter by adding suger. Question #1 Is this true?
We have another local place where supplies can be obtained called Jungle Jim's, http://www.junglejims.com who carries some supplies for wine maiking but no kits.
Question #2 Should I stick with the kit or go to Jungle Jims and follow the recipes that were furnished with my Vintners Deluxe wine making kit?
 
Well Redtrk for your first question the answer is yes any wine can be sweetened by adding sugar after fermentation and clearing is done. You can add sugar to sweeten to taste. For your second queston that depends on what you want to do. I suggest you start with a kit (it gives you a little hands on knowledge of making wines) Then you can move on to recipes with fruits and grapes. But that is totally up to you and this is just my opinion. By the way what kind of equipment do you have? Do you have a hydrometer, carboys etc??
 
q1: It depends when the sugar is added. Sugar during or before fermentation is likely to become alcohol. Sugar after stabilization sulphite AND sorbate) should sweeten the wine.

q2: I'm a kit guy. I vote a kit. My favourite sweet red...Orchard Breezin Blackberry Merlot. Sweet, low alcohol, very fruity. But we're now diabetic, so can't have that one any more. Plus it makes GREAT wine jelly.

Point 3 - IMO, pm's are nice for Personal Mesages, but I don't like to receive pm's containing questions that are better asked in the forum.

Steve
 
Thanks for the help and comments so far. She and I have been discussing it and we want to make a sweet blush similar to the one we get up in Northwest Ohio at http://www.stoneyridgewinery.com/winelist.asp called BARN DANCE BLUSH - Sweet and pleasant. A light Rose`.

I will stop in Cincy tomorrow and see what they have unless any of you know of a kit to order similar to the one I posted here?
 
Well we have made our pick and purchase of out first kit. We chose Selection brand White Zinfandel to make. Hopefully all will go as planned but if not I will be looking for help here. :D Wish us luck and feel free to offer pointers on making Zin ASAP!
 
Good luck and the best advice I can give you with kits is to follow the instructions.. Let us know how it is progressing..
 
I bought my SIL a beer kit. This sunday he will be tasting his first home made beer. But the addiction has already sunk in. I have his 2nd kit here.

Kits for beer and wine are a wonderful learning tool. Ingredients are in precise measurements and aside from equipment, you have what you need. Try a few, explore then if you like you can delve into the world of juices or fruit.

Like Pringles, Once you pop you can not stop.
 
I bought my SIL a beer kit. This sunday he will be tasting his first home made beer. But the addiction has already sunk in. I have his 2nd kit here.

Kits for beer and wine are a wonderful learning tool. Ingredients are in precise measurements and aside from equipment, you have what you need. Try a few, explore then if you like you can delve into the world of juices or fruit.

Like Pringles, Once you pop you can not stop.

Isn't that the truth. I just started and my wife thought my habit of buying cases of wine was bad. I am just randomly buying kits and she is like WTF.
 
Isn't that the truth. I just started and my wife thought my habit of buying cases of wine was bad. I am just randomly buying kits and she is like WTF.

Mine likes to drink it and wants me to make it as long as it's something she likes. Me on the other hand would rather be making beer which I will be making a batch of that too real soon.
 
That looks like a decent first wine. Its always a hit with the ladies to have a light semi sweet blush on hand. Actually its time for me to start another one of the blushes.
 
That looks like a decent first wine. Its always a hit with the ladies to have a light semi sweet blush on hand. Actually its time for me to start another one of the blushes.

Yes it is and it's also one of her favs! When we're out and they don't have what she wants this is always her back up wine.
 
Well I must have started if off correctly. I have fermentation going! :r
 
I added boysenberries to a pinot gris once.. great colour and wine was very nice after cellaring a year.

Allie
 
And today we are at step 3 with our wine kit. It says the specific gravity should be at .996 or less for two consecutive days. We are at 1.011 on our hydrometer. (Which i'm really not too sure if i'm reading it right)
Here is a pic of my hydrometer and my step 3 instructions. I put the bung back in the carboy and the airlock back on top. How long should we wait to try it again? Are we reading the hydrometer correctly and on the right side?
I'm guessing we should invest in a testing tube to put the hydrometer in when we test.
Some comments and suggetsions to answer our questions would be great.

Hydrometer.jpg

Step 3.jpg
 
That sounds like you are reading the hydrometer correctly. Most folks would say 1.111 which is way at the other end of the instrument.

I have never done a kit so if it tells you to have this in a craboy do so. I ferment my wines dry in a bucket with a loose lid on top. Once it's below 1.000 I'll watch carefully and usually 2 -3 days later it's thru.

Rack and degass, add sulfite, fining agent and let it clear.

I'm sure there are others on here who have done this kit who can help. Hang in there.
 
That sounds like you are reading the hydrometer correctly. Most folks would say 1.111 which is way at the other end of the instrument.

I have never done a kit so if it tells you to have this in a craboy do so. I ferment my wines dry in a bucket with a loose lid on top. Once it's below 1.000 I'll watch carefully and usually 2 -3 days later it's thru.

Rack and degass, add sulfite, fining agent and let it clear.

I'm sure there are others on here who have done this kit who can help. Hang in there.

Thanks for the info Steve. Hopefully someone has done this kit and can help out.
It also says to stir before adding the adding the fining agent and don't remove the sediment at this point. I assume that is correct as well?
 
I can't help you with a kit. There are so many variations and it seems many people are so confused with them. Wish they would come up with better instructions.

Once mine are fermented, I'll splash rack to a carboy leaving gross lees behind, add sulfite and sparkolloid (fining) and stir vigorously to degass. @ a minute or less. Put an airlock on it and let it clear 4-6 weeks.

Next I'll rack to another carboy, maybe oak and add a pinch of sulfite and age 6 months for fruits and whites, 1 year for reds. I know kits don't require that much time.

Key is is to be patient.
 
I bought my SIL a beer kit. This sunday he will be tasting his first home made beer. But the addiction has already sunk in. I have his 2nd kit here.

My son's a beer freak. Been making it for a year now. He usually has 3-4 batches going at once. It's fun to see what he makes. He spends tons of time looking at his beer-making magazines for recipe ideas.
 
Thanks for the info Steve. Hopefully someone has done this kit and can help out.
It also says to stir before adding the adding the fining agent and don't remove the sediment at this point. I assume that is correct as well?

Yes this is correct follow the instructions and you will be good to go. This kits are almost fool proof.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top