Other Juice buckets vs premium wine kits

[SouthernChemist]

I really though that juice buckets had a water ratio added to them, even my local HBS guy said that the buckets could be a 50/50 juice/water.
Then I asked his main supplier (M&M) and the guy there told me that the buckets are 100% juice....which I kind of doubt at a price of around $52/bucket.

This one from California is "Collina del Sol".

So, do these buckets have water and what ratio? Nothing about it on the bucket itself.

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Some are actually composed of juice from pressed grapes, but not all. If it is straight juice without manipulation, it will probably have a shorter shelf life and higher price. There are definitely some juice buckets that are actually made from concentrate. It's '100% juice' in the technical sense. It really depends on the supplier.

 

[tonyt]

Mosti's Alljuice buckets are like regular kits, with all the same types of additives and packets of stuff. The only difference is you add no water to it - the instructions have you stir in the bentonite, add the included yeast (which you could substitute if you wanted), take your S.G. reading, and you're off to the races. Mosti's Chilean juice buckets (Chile Fresco) are frozen juice that comes pre-inoculated os it would be tough to change the yeast on them, but should be theoretically possible. Once they defrost, they immediately start fermenting.

Bart and anyone who did the Chile Fresco last year - any early comments. Step by step what do you have to do the the FC different from regular kits? Are they a logical next step if I can get one to the coast from George quick enough. They ship in Spring?

 

[ou8amaus]

I beleive the Chile fresco is only offered earlier in the year... Right now mm is selling their regular fresco kits. Frozen/refridgerated fresh juice. I just picked up 2 this week, a cab and a petit syrah. Almost did not make it home as they were bubbling away in my car! They are still bubbling away like mad, but as these are my first foray into fresh juice I too am interested in guidance....

 

[geek]

Some are actually composed of juice from pressed grapes, but not all. If it is straight juice without manipulation, it will probably have a shorter shelf life and higher price. There are definitely some juice buckets that are actually made from concentrate. It's '100% juice' in the technical sense. It really depends on the supplier.

That is part of the wondering, because I see some Mosti Mondali buckets being sold as "100% juice" and their prices is way more than a normal $52, more like $100 or so.

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[Bartman]

Bart and anyone who did the Chile Fresco last year - any early comments. Step by step what do you have to do the the FC different from regular kits? Are they a logical next step if I can get one to the coast from George quick enough. They ship in Spring?

This year I didn't do the Chile Fresco for the first time in 3-4 years, b/c all my carboys were full of last fall's fresh grapes (I could have gotten more carboys, but I am running out of room!). Each year, there are 3 CF reds and 3 whites - the same 3 each year, as far as I know - Cab. Sauv., Merlot, and Carmenere (idk about the whites, I haven't made them)
2010 - CF Carmenere - I liked it a lot- it's all gone, and I don't remember many details, except I was convinced to do Chile Fresco again!
2011 - CF Cabernet Sauvignon - delivered in May 2011, bottled in Nov./Dec. 2011 - pretty good Cab., not quite as good as the Red Mt., but still a very solid, all-around good wine - smooth with ok mouthfeel, a bit thinner than I would like, not too fruity, could have used a little more oak

2012 - CF Carmenere - delivered in May, bottled in Dec. 2012 -my best Carmenere so far. Had a bottle yesterday and it continues to improve. Fruity but not a 'fruit bomb'. Very smooth, almost silky (may get to that point in another 3-6 months). Great with food or on its own. I would offer this to any wine snob with confidence. The only negative to the CF is that they can be a little thin, because they don't capture enough dissolved solids (my theory) and it doesn't come with a grape pack or raisins. I tweaked it with some raisins in the primary fermentation and an extra oak spiral (can't remember if it comes with oak from FVW or not, don't think it does). Very pleased with this wine - I might add a half dose of tannin to the next one, just to be on the safe side.

These kits come pre-inoculated with EC1118 yeast. Some might suggest using a yeast with a different profile, but the bucket is usually just starting to ferment by the time I get it home. I would be very hesitant to try to shock it and substitute with RC212, only because I think the EC1118 could well overwhelm it anyway, and then you don't know what you have in there.

 

[geek]

Bart, how much oak tannin do you usually put into a batch?

 

[Pumpkinman]

Varis, the Mosti mondiale "All Juice" buckets are kits, from what I was told by a major distributor, a very much low end kit.

 

[Bartman]

Bart, how much oak tannin do you usually put into a batch?

Less than the recommended dosage, on the mildly irrational basis that, despite the instructions of how much to use, it might still be too much and it's a lot easier to add some more later than to take it out.
For red wine, I think the instructions call for 1/3 teaspoon per gallon, but I would probably do 1 teaspoon for 6 gallons initially. The CF buckets are 6 gallons of juice.

 

[geek]

that is shy from what joe uses in secondary which I think it is 4 teaspoons for a 6gal batch. But that is in secondary which may not affect that much in that stage...?

 

[Bartman]

Yes, the same amount of tannin added after fermentation has a reduced effect compared to tannin added during/at the beginning of fermentation. Scott Labs has a FAQ page on tannins and the various types they make/sell: http://www.scottlab.com/products-106.aspx, if you want some further info. One of the main benefits of extra tannin with fresh red wine grapes is the improved color extraction, which is not really an issue for kits and CF buckets, but is worth knowing if you are considering fresh grapes this fall.

I also hold back on the principle that I don't want to add more non-grape stuff to my wine than absolutely necessary. A little part of me sees using tannin as 'cheating', not really sure *who* I am cheating, but it seems sorta like I'm using a performance-enhancing drug.

 

[pjd]

that is shy from what joe uses in secondary which I think it is 4 teaspoons for a 6gal batch. But that is in secondary which may not affect that much in that stage...?

Geek, Joe actually used 4 tablespoons of tannin in his Sangiovese kit. Seemed like too much for me but I did try it on some Carmenere I had running. It is some of the best wine I've made to date!

 

[roger80465]

Hey, if 'performance enhancing drugs' was good enough for Barry Bonds, who am I to argue, right?

 

[jpsmithny]

I started making wine just last year and started with juice buckets. IMO it is some of the best wine I have ever tasted but wdik?

The wine snobs that I know have compared them to $15.00 wines and sometimes even higher.

 

[JGottshall]

Good to hear

 

[SpecificGravity]

Thanks Boatboy. Who knew. A brew shop in Columbia, MD is pushing Vino Superiore. Expensive as high end kit. Anybody know about this product.

I buy those grapes all the time and absolutely love the wine I make with them.


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