Making multiple kits at once

[toneill]

Has anyone every combined 5 of the same kits at once to produce one larger batch? Example, 5 Exclipse Lodi cabs in one tank? If so, did you simply just use all the ingredients X 5, water, the 5 yeast packs, clarifiers, etc.? Curious. Winexpert would not comment as they have never tested that volume. I'd like to make it in 30 gallon batches vs just 6.

Thanks.

 

[cmason1957]

I am getting ready to do a X2 Cellar Craft Amarone in exactly that manner. It is exactly what I plan to do double everything at the start, rack and then as I rack later, take some from each carboy to achieve everything tasting the same at the end.

 

[salcoco]

yes it should work. to increase your success, I would hydrate the yeast with go-ferm and add yeast nutrient Fermaid-K once fermentation has started.

 

[Rocky]

I have never done 5 kits but I have done 4 at one time in 30 gallon Brute. I did use 5x the water but I cut down on the yeast. I think I used 3 in a 4x batch and I know that I have used 2 in a 3x batch. As for the clarifiers, I did them in two steps. One at the end of secondary and one about 6 months later (a red wine).

 

[toneill]

Interesting Rocky, might I ask why you backed off on the yeast quantity?

 

[salcoco]

the normal yest dosage is one gram per gallon. the 5 gram packet is appropriate for one kit. if you reduce the amount of yeast it will take longer for the yeast to reach the colony size to insure a good fermentation. this delay can cause bacterial contamination as there isn't any co2 blanket on the wine during this lag period. yeast is cheap no reason to risk a good fermentation for a packet cost ofless than a dollar