RJ Spagnols New kit advise

[Wild Duk]

Just picked up a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and have a few questions...




What temp should I ferment it at????


With my reds, I was told to leave the top off for the 1st 48 hours, I put a nylon mesh top on it to keep out bugs and stuff.....Is this a good idea for this white????


What happens if I just let it ferment out completely in the primarybucket, or transfer later than 1.020.....


Anyone try this kit yet?


Thanks

 

[Wade E]

Whites are more fragile then reds! Do not ferment out in the bucket or your wine will probably turn brown. If anything with a white ferment on the cooler side of the range given and rack at the time given or a tiny bit earlier. Cooler ferments with fruits and white wines will retain more of the fruity esters.

 

[cpfan]

Ummm...have you considered following the instructions?


Personally I ferment all my kits (red or white) at about 74F I use a large fermenter (12 US gal) and just put the lid on top.


Steve

 

[Dean]

The instructions call for between 70 and 80F. Those would be the ideal temps. There was an article in Winemaker about temps when it comes to kits. Conventional wisdom says to ferment whites low and slow to preserve fruity esters. However, in kits, the juice is processed such that fruity esters are locked in, so the only thing you are doing fermenting at a lower temperature is slowing the fermentation, which can cause a stuck fermentation or allow a bacterial infection the time it needs to take hold.

Ferment between 70 and 80 like the instructions call for, and you will get the best possible product.

 

[Wild Duk]

cpfan,
Just getting opinions from people on here who have a lot more experience than I, and possibly you do.....

 

[Dean]

Wild Duk, cpfan used to run a Brew on Premise store for a large number of years. I would imagine he's done kits in the 1000s. I think when it comes to experience, along with all the pitfalls, he'd rank in the top 10 of any site.

 

[vcasey]

WD,
Its hard to mess up a kit. If you are working on your first few kits just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Once you've done a couple then experiment with a bit. For now just follow the instructions and you'll be enjoying your wine in no time.
VC

 

[Wild Duk]

So, if by accident, I filled my primary up a little too high with water , is it going to affect my wine.....


It was only by maybe 1/4 gallon or so, and the S.G was still at 1.094....

 

[vcasey]

You should be fine.
VC

 

[Wild Duk]

When taking gravity readings in the primary, is there anything wrong just throwing the hydrometer right in the bucket and getting a reading that way.......

 

[ibglowin]

George shows taking readings in the primary I think in one of his videos.

Just make sure nothing is sticking (like oak or grape pack) to the Hygrometer.

Give it a spin. More accurate readings will always be given by using a wine thief or volumetric flask.

 

[Wild Duk]

Clearing question....


Am I correct in the fact that the En Primeur kits don't require the sediment from fermentation to help with the clearing.....I've only done WE kits, and they say to add the stab. and clarif. without racking first....


This kit says to rack off the sediment, then add the chemicals....


Duk

 

[vcasey]

I've never made any of the En Primeur kits but I think WE & RJ use different clearing agents so I would follow the instructions. But don't worry if you get some sediment when you rack, after all you do want to get all the wine.
VC

 

[Dean]

They don't require a little sediment to work, however, I agressively rack and don't care about getting a little sediment in there. I just don't like to top up too much.