Ericphotoart
Senior Member
No f-pack came with Black Currant but 2 bags of conditioner.
Finer Wine Kit New Fruttas!!
- Thread starter She’sgonnakillme
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
The big difference between Frutta and fruit flavored kits from other vendors is the Frutta are not fruit flavored -- they're fruit. An Island Mist kit is a low-end wine with added fruit flavoring.
Ericphotoart
Senior Member
I started Frutta Black Current per instruction but I boosted SG to 1.108. The kit comes with a pack Y, bentonite but it is never mentioned when and how to use it and I got the detailed instruction.
She’sgonnakillme
Senior Member
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@winemaker81, I am not so sure about that..,I know from chatting with Matteo that they use grape blends in there. Perhaps some fruit and "fruit flavoring" or concentrate as well. Point being that they are for sure not 100% fruit concentrate.
Thanks for the correction. That explains the color on the Strawberry.
Regardless of what's in there, I'm please with the result of the Blackberry and Strawberry.
Looks like grape juice with flavorings - no juice at all.
I've made Island Mist and similar kits -- the Frutta are head-and-shoulders above that.
The aroma is rich strawberry, the color is surprisingly dark, and the body matches the color. I've made strawberry a few times, and had those made by others. This is far better. If it's a grape wine with strawberry, I'm ok with that, as the result is spectacular.
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Oh, I believe you. I started a cherry a couple of days ago, very nice aroma. I ordered a black currant yesterday before the sale went off. I expect great things out of it also.
Ericphotoart
Senior Member
Black Currant has an amazing aroma as well. Pitched yeast yesterday. It’s already fermenting
Do me a favor and keep us posted on the black currant. I placed an order with LP yesterday but it did NOT include the black currant which was on sale and now I'm kicking myself a little this morning. Your kit came with two conditioners and I wonder what your thoughts will be on the wine at back sweetening time. I used 2 ⅓ conditioners on the blackberry but we like the wines a little sweeter.
Ericphotoart
Senior Member
Absolutely. Can’t wait to taste it. I have high hopes but I never used the prepacked sweetener so it’s going to be interesting.
AFAIK, it's sugar syrup with a small amount of sorbate. I don't normally use 'em, but they came with the kits. I'm enjoying the Strawberry, so it did its intended job.
I don't know about the others, but you need plenty of headspace for the Cherry, especially on the day you toss the yeast nutrients. I was using my emergency 10 gal fermenter and I'm glad I did. Think I'll rename the emergency fermenter to the Fruitta fermenter. It's coming along nicely, plenty of activity.
Ericphotoart
Senior Member
If I only read your post an hour earlier. I added the 2nd pack of nutrients and the bucket overflowed. I lost only maybe 10oz but I was in a panic mode. The instruction should warn us about it.
Did you "dump" the nutrient in? If so, next time sprinkle it gently, stopping if the wine foams up too much, then resume when it subsides. I've had it happen in other wines, so any time I'm adding anything to an active fermentation, I go gentle.
Assuming the Fruttas in general are early drinkers? Have not made one although I always need something slightly sweeter for summertime evenings on the dock at the cabin. Normally Skeeter Pee but thinking of trying something new and worried a bit late for this year if I go for a minimum 6 month aging.
It's generally when I stir it up after the addition. I'm a fan of stirring, I'm not excessive, but I do stir through about day 4.
Ericphotoart
Senior Member
I did dumped it all and then it was too late. It’s not the first time I was adding nutrients to active fermentation but never to a kit and it never reacted the way it did
