WineXpert Island Mist Question

[benjamin]

Hey everyone! I am new to brewing my own wine, and I am currently making an Island Mist Strawberry Merlot kit for my girlfriend. Yesterday I racked it to the secondary carboy, after a week in the primary, the SG was .996.

In the instructions, it says to leave for another 10 days until the wine reaches .996 SG. My question is, do I have to wait the 10 days, or can I go ahead and proceed to add the chemicals & de-gas the wine without waiting the 10 days (because my SG is at .996).

Thanks!

 

[ffemt128]

I would allow to to sit the remainder of the suugested time. This will ensure that fermentation has completed properly.

 

[Runningwolf]

Listen to Doug

 

[NSwiner]

Aren't suppose to take the SG reading a couple of days in a row to make sure it's done ? But i will have to admit if I took the reading 1 week & then took it the next week and it's the same I go ahead to stablize .

 

[benjamin]

Okay great thanks - better play it safe then.

 

[cpfan]

benjamin:

good chance that kit will settle down about .992. Patience is a virtue for winemakers.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

It doesnt have to be a few days in a row unless you really want to do something with it and since this is ahead of schedule which wine usually does this time of year due to higher temps. At that sg its most likely done but like said above a few more days is a good thing. Welcome to thei site and hope you hang around and shoot the $hit with us.

 

[Chateau Joe]

The first rule of making wine from kits is "Follow the directions!"

 

[jdeere5220]

Wel I have another question for you all that relates to this thread:

Why add the F-pack during clearing? Why not add it right before bottling?

The reason I ask is that you end up wasting about a bottle of wine by adding the F-pack during the clearing stage. You have to make room in your carboy for that addition, and it's at least a full bottle of wine. Why not just rack the carboy into your primary when you are ready to bottle, and stir in the F-pack at that time? That way you don't lose anything, and I noticed that this is EXACTLY what the Twisted Mist kit instructions tell you to do.

So anyone have a reason why the F-pack is added at the stabilize/clearing stage, and waiting until bottling would be a bad idea?

 

[ffemt128]

Wel I have another question for you all that relates to this thread:

Why add the F-pack during clearing? Why not add it right before bottling?

The reason I ask is that you end up wasting about a bottle of wine by adding the F-pack during the clearing stage. You have to make room in your carboy for that addition, and it's at least a full bottle of wine. Why not just rack the carboy into your primary when you are ready to bottle, and stir in the F-pack at that time? That way you don't lose anything, and I noticed that this is EXACTLY what the Twisted Mist kit instructions tell you to do.

So anyone have a reason why the F-pack is added at the stabilize/clearing stage, and waiting until bottling would be a bad idea?

Adding the fpac could cause the already clear wine to cloud up which is why they recommend adding when they do. I have taken the wine that was removed during addition of fpac and placed into separate container with small amount of fpac added then at bottling will add this back into carboy after X number of bottles have been filled.

 

[Dugger]

You could also expect some sediment to fall out after addition of the f-pack, which you wouldn't want in the bottle. I also keep the portion removed to add later for topping up.