My first wine kit - Thanks joeswine !!

[vacuumpumpman]

Steve -

Before you finish up, a few questions.

How much raisin did you add to your primary?

It was just a good hand full

Did you do anything to prep the raisins (a little mashing perhaps to get more out of them), or just pour them into the bucket?

Just put them in the fermenter

As far as the extra oak and tannin - what kind and how much of each?

Tannin - I believe about a tablespoon ?

I did not add any additional oak that was provided until I cold stabilized which I used heavy American Oak - 2 full handfuls

I've got the Forza in a Carboy on French medium toast oak (somewhere around 75g) and tannin riche (6g). I'm thinking of picking up one of these from my LHBS and giving it the Joeswine treatment. Then comparing the two side by side in a year or so.

I wish I could of given you more detailed info - but that is how I roll -

 

[jgmann67]

I wish I could of given you more detailed info - but that is how I roll -

You're a "more art than science" kind of guy. LoL.

 

[jgmann67]

I just bought one of these kits. Been itching for an Amarone for a year now. It will show up shortly, thanks to our friends at LP. I'm going to follow the prep in this thread, with the minor tweaks of added raisins and tannin.

This may be directed at JoesWine: Is there a downside to me giving the raisins a bit of a mash to break the skins and maybe extract a little more body from them?

 

[joeswine]

J9gmann67

No, you don't have to do anything to them the process will extract what is required at the time make sure you Sun Maid Brand or equivalent.

 

[TheWinoandIknow]

I started a WE Pinot noir kit yesterday. Would adding raisins at this point improve the taste of my kit as well? I haven't tasted it or anything just curious.

This is my first kit and and first time to make wine.
Do you have to add the dextrose on the first day of fermentation?

I'm sure these are probably dumb questions but any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I started a WE Pinot noir kit yesterday. Would adding raisins at this point improve the taste of my kit as well? I haven't tasted it or anything just curious.

This is my first kit and and first time to make wine.
Do you have to add the dextrose on the first day of fermentation?

I'm sure these are probably dumb questions but any advice is greatly appreciated.

From what I recall - raisins is more for red wines -but Joe would know best.

Follow the directions on adding the additional dextrose - I did not do it till the recommended hydrometer readings according the the kit manufacture.

 

[cmason1957]

I started a WE Pinot noir kit yesterday. Would adding raisins at this point improve the taste of my kit as well? I haven't tasted it or anything just curious.

This is my first kit and and first time to make wine.
Do you have to add the dextrose on the first day of fermentation?

I'm sure these are probably dumb questions but any advice is greatly appreciated.

This is your first kit. Follow the directions of the kit. Once you know the basics of how to make wine, then you can decide how and what deviations to make.

 

[sour_grapes]

I started a WE Pinot noir kit yesterday. Would adding raisins at this point improve the taste of my kit as well? I haven't tasted it or anything just curious.

This is my first kit and and first time to make wine.
Do you have to add the dextrose on the first day of fermentation?

I'm sure these are probably dumb questions but any advice is greatly appreciated.

I am just curious: Exactly which WE kit is this? I am very surprised that they would chaptalize a Pinot Noir kit....

 

[jgmann67]

I am just curious: Exactly which WE kit is this? I am very surprised that they would chaptalize a Pinot Noir kit....

Same here.

If it's a Pinot, I think something went BONK at the Winexpert factory. =)

What kit so you have and what came in the box?

 

[joeswine]

Why would you be surprised? Most of the time the wine has a low ABV ,if you take notice all the higher end kits the ABV. Is set to the European standard, minimum 12% or higher. They make wine with balance, it's not Hard to do.yes to the newbies until you understand the basic flow and chemical flow usage follow the mFG. Instructions. If it called for the addition of dextrose add it to water 2cups and install in the primary.

 

[TheWinoandIknow]

The kit didn't come with dextrose. I was just wondering if I should add some to increase the ABV. OG was 1.095 so potential ABV was 13%.

It's the eclipse kit. It didn't come with an fpack .

I have been reading this thread and it seemed like all the deviations were minor so I figured why not try it on my kit.

That being said, it seems the general consensus is to follow the kit on your first go. So that's what I'll do.

 

[joeswine]

That's correct, keep us in the loop, yours joeswine

 

[sour_grapes]

Why would you be surprised? ... They make wine with balance,

Since I am the only one that said he was surprised, I assume this comment was directed at me.

As you point out, the kitmakers strive for balance. I don't think Pinots particularly stand up to high ABVs. Whether it is easy or not is beside the point.

The kit didn't come with dextrose.

Oh, I see, the kitmakers agree with me.

 

[joeswine]

And how did they agree with you? And the statement wasn't directed at anyone just in general any winemaker worth his or her salt always tries to think outside the box so that the wine making rules are always apply but are always flexible.

 

[Johnd]

Well........ I'd be surprised too, mostly because the Pinot Noir varietal is a lighter bodied, more delicate wine. We understand that it's more difficult to balance out a lower bodied wine with elevated ABV's. Sure, you can do it, by adding something to increase the body in the wine, raisins were suggested in this case. It would probably work out OK.

Here's my issue, would it exhibit the lighter, fruity characteristic of a Pinot Noir if you did those things??? Not for me, but that's my opinion. If you're going to spend Eclipse type dollars on a wine, chap it up and add raisins to increase the body, why not just start with a heavier bodied varietal that has a higher ABV. Why invent a machine to turn an orange into an apple, when you can just buy an apple?

 

[TheWinoandIknow]

John D as previously stated this my first kit. Not knowing much at all about how the process works and in effort to make the best wine I can, I posed a general question, asking if certain deviations form the instructions would make my wine better. I have no intention of inventing an apple making machine. You will have to excuse my over zealousness and naievte, I'm just really jazzed up about making some wine!

 

[barbiek]

The eclipse lign is of a better kit. I would go by the instructions and not deviate from them up until aging. I would age in carboy for about a year then bottle age for at least a year, well that's my plan anyway. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Johnd]

John D as previously stated this my first kit. Not knowing much at all about how the process works and in effort to make the best wine I can, I posed a general question, asking if certain deviations form the instructions would make my wine better. I have no intention of inventing an apple making machine. You will have to excuse my over zealousness and naievte, I'm just really jazzed up about making some wine!

@TheWinoandIKnow:

I apologize if my post seemed directed at you on a personal level, I do recognize you are a new winemaker, and share your winemaking infection. Please chalk it up to my pontification on the subject, merely sharing my opinions.

Joe's tweaks are purposeful, with a goal in mind before he starts. He excels at improving lower end kits, with lower ABV, through his various methods of increasing the body with things like raisins, currants, tannins, oak, etc. The increased body allows him to up the ABV, so the wine remains balanced.

Tweaking can be fun and rewarding, perhaps a few kits by the book would be good practice before getting your tweak on.

I assume you like Pinots and want a Pinot, since that's what you bought. My only point, was to try to assist you in staying true to the varietal you're making, unless you just don't want to. In which case, you're the winemaker and can do anything you want.

 

[josfe]

@TheWinoandIKnow:

Tweaking can be fun and rewarding, perhaps a few kits by the book would be good practice before getting your tweak on.

I agree. I think it's easy to get discouraged if you try and tweak too early and it ruins your batch. That said, it's worth making a few mistakes in order to learn and improve.

 

[joeswine]

vacummepumpman

sorry for hijacking your thread ,,,