Mosti Mondiale New Kit Started

[admiral]

I started a new kit yesterday, a Vinfera NobleSauvignon Blanc. The set up went very smooth. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Getting the concentrate out of the bag went much better due to the addition of a new tool. (See below.) I am looking forward to this one as my first kit (Alljuice Pinot Noir)probably won't be ready until this time next year and I want to taste the fruits of my labor. Here are a few pictures.

New Tool...Works Great!!

Before adding water.

After adding water.

 

[grapeman]

Great job with the pictures - quite admiral-able........ sorry I have been wanting to work that in somewhere.


Should make a great early drinker for you this summer.

 

[admiral]

The only confusing thing about this kit, so far, is the instruction on adding water. "add 3.17 U.S. Gallons..."I had no way to measure .17 gallons so I just filled to the six gallon markon the fermenter. This was a bit more than 3 gallons.

 

[grapeman]

The only confusing thing about this kit, so far, is the instruction on adding water. "add 3.17 U.S. Gallons..."I had no way to measure .17 gallons so I just filled to the six gallon markon the fermenter. This was a bit more than 3 gallons.

Well where is your .17 gallon measuring cup. Everybody has one of those!

 

[admiral]

Just checked the fermenter. Wow! This kit really puts out a big cap! It looks like bread riising and smells alot like that but sweeter.

Sort of looks like oatmeal.

Big bubbles in there!

 

[admiral]

The only confusing thing about this kit, so far, is the instruction on adding water. "add 3.17 U.S. Gallons..."I had no way to measure .17 gallons so I just filled to the six gallon markon the fermenter. This was a bit more than 3 gallons.

Well where is your .17 gallon measuring cup. Everybody has one of those!

Yeah! I looked everywhere. Perhaps they are only issued to moderators!

There was another measurement option "406 oz"

Thanks for the compliment. I hope folks enjoy pictures as much as I do.

 

[gaudet]

Very nice Admiral. I salute you sir!!!

Raise Glasses now

 

[admiral]

Very nice Admiral. I salute you sir!!!

Raise Glasses now

Thanks for the kind words. This is a fun hobby/obsession isn't it?

 

[grapeman]

Hobby = 2 or 3 kits going and less than 4 carboys


Obsession = 4-10 kits going, 5 or more carboys, 12 carboys bulk aging, 1000 bottles in cellar


Funny how the obsession starts out as a hobby

 

[gaudet]

Wait til you make one from scratch, its a really cool thing too. I haven't made a kit wine yet, I will do it this year, but <strike>most</strike>, all my wines so far have been from fresh fruit or juices. The exceptions have been the four meads that I have attempted. All of them are too young to taste yet. But I have high hopes.

 

[gaudet]

Hobby = 2 or 3 kits going and less than 4 carboys


Obsession = 4-10 kits going, 5 or more carboys, 12 carboys bulk aging, 1000 bottles in cellar


Funny how the obsession starts out as a hobby

I have exactly 4 carboys (3 six gallon, 1 five gallon) and all are full at the moment. 6 gallons Orange Blossom Mead, 6 Gallons Carlos Muscadine (oaked today), 6 gallons cranberry. 5 gallons cranberry muscadine.

I have 3 one gallon jugs with peach wine, JAO mead, and a JAO variant a la smurfe (kumquat)

Can't imagine if I had the space to do a good size like you or even Wade......

Guess I am walking the fine line of hobby / obsession

 

[admiral]

Yeah, I can see the progresssion. I look forward to trying one from scratch. I am working on techniques right now. You know, cleaning and sanitizing, and racking, and and making sure you have everything on hand when you need it. It is a lot like cooking or driving or boating. There are certain basic things that once you have done them a few times, it becomes second nature. It seemed to me that kits would be the place to start as the outcome would be fairly predictable and would help determine if my techniques were solid.


What is your suggestion for a fairly easy "scratch" wine?

 

[admiral]

Hobby = 2 or 3 kits going and less than 4 carboys


Obsession = 4-10 kits going, 5 or more carboys, 12 carboys bulk aging, 1000 bottles in cellar


Funny how the obsession starts out as a hobby

I am a "hobbyist" that is becoming obsessed.

 

[gaudet]

What kind of fruit do you like? I have found recipes for all the local fruits we get down here. We have a lot of wild (read free) and pick your own farms (next best to free) down here in South Louisiana. My very first wine (still aging but only 11 bottles left from 30, damn evaporation) blackberry was pretty easy to do. It will be easier this year since I got a steam juicer. In retrospect, I think I would have still started from scratch wines.

Most of the ones I have made are recipes from the hip but modeled after other ones I've found on the web and tweaked according to the advice of sages on this website.

 

[gaudet]

Yeah, I can see the progresssion. I look forward to trying one from scratch. I am working on techniques right now. You know, cleaning and sanitizing, and racking, and and making sure you have everything on hand when you need it. It is a lot like cooking or driving or boating. There are certain basic things that once you have done them a few times, it becomes second nature. It seemed to me that kits would be the place to start as the outcome would be fairly predictable and would help determine if my techniques were solid.


What is your suggestion for a fairly easy "scratch" wine?

I guess the easiest scratch would be from juices or concentrates, pick your favorite flavor (about 1 quart per gallon), get your gravity right, and the other ingredients, pitch yeast and let er rip.

 

[TyTheGuy]

I think the easiest by far is just using the frozen apple juice concentrates you can get at your local grocery store. My favorite is 2 cans of apple and one half a can of lemonade, 4lbs of sugar. Makes one gallon. Hard to mess this one up. You can add more juice and less sugar for more body.

 

[TyTheGuy]

You can find hundreds and hundreds of recipes on the internet, and many books on home wine making pretty cheap too. They are alot of help because they will also teach you the proper steps and methods.

 

[Wade E]

That is a great kit and I see you fooled my direction with the "Channel Locks" what a great tool!

 

[Waldo]

It's full speed ahead fom here admiral...great job !!

 

[admiral]

Thanks guys! Lots of fun. Boy, that kit is bubbling away tonight. Great big bubbles. Lots of work going on in there.