WineXpert Port Kit Blues

[mountbaldy]

Hi all,
I'm looking for advice on a port kit. I own and operate a BOP / U-Vent homebrew shop in Montana. I recently did a port wine kit with a lady on premise. This was my very first port kit ever. I have made many Wine Expert kits in the past with little to no troubles.
First I have to preface this and say that whenever I make any of my wine kits, I follow the instructions and do not alter any steps (despitemy urge to do a yeast starter or to switch yeast to a liquidequivalent or to not add all of the additional water, ect.)
Everything for this kit started out beautifully. My juice had the appropriate starting gravity and volume. I pitched my yeast and stuck my fermenter in my fermentation chamber. I had the chamber set for 74 degrees F. I left it there for the duration the kit stated. This is where things went wrong. I took my gravity reading and was only slightly above what the kit stated where I needed to be for that stage in the process (1.019 instead of 1.018). I left the wine for another week and took the gravity again. It was the same at 1.019. I decided to add the dextrose to the kit despite the gravity reading. I left everything for the time I needed to according to the instructions. I checked my gravity and was at 1.020, which is way above where it needed to be. It wassupposedto read at <1.010 for that stage. This was several weeks ago.
I have read where folks have added the lees from another kit to try and get the gravity to fall. I tried that with no luck. I even tried adding some turbo yeast to it to try and see if I could get it to take off again with no luck. I added pure 02 to it directly each time I added more yeast too. I'm kind of stumped with this one.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks all!!!

 

[cpfan]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Have you contacted Winexpert (phone or email)? They are knowledgable about their kits, and are usually very helpful.


Steve

 

[Waldo]

I would contact them too but still think I would deviate from the norm and make a good starter and see if that wil kick er off

 

[fivebk]

I think I would just go ahead and finish the kit and see what I ended up with. You're not that far off what they state in the directions. Ports are sweet. Maybe your hydrometer is off a little, or you needed to do a temp adjustment along with the hydrometer reading. Just some things to think about!!!

BOB

 

[mountbaldy]

Thanks for the advice guys! I should probably call Wine Expert. I'll let you all know how things turn out.

 

[Wade E]

Im willing to bet this is the Raspberry Chocolate Port kit!!!!! Its notorious for this problem and I highly doubt they are going to help you further this kit. They might replace it for you and you might have better luck with the new one but this 1 is stuck right where it is. On that note it will still be a great kit just a little sweeter then its supposed to be so maybe dont use all the fpac. I see thuis exact problem every time they release this kit year after year and Ive been there twice with mine also and another went to where it was supposed to. They will probably tell you to warm it up and stir it good but once this stops it never starts again. It is a pretty high abv and the yeast has given up early.

 

[NoSnob]

Difficulties Contacting WineXpert

I wanted to weigh in about contacting WineXpert.

When I found a small, light, white, cottony, flocculation in 3 bottles of my WE SE Riesling, the recommendations from this board was to contact WineXpert. In the most recent issue of WineMaker magazine, Tim said he welcomes and encourages consumer queries but, strangely, did not tell you how to contact him. In that same issue, Alison Crowe gave WineXpert's email address and said concerns about WineXpert kits should be directed to Tim.

When I did that, I got no response whatever. Mmmmm
Suggestions or recommendations?

NS

 

[ibglowin]

I would try him on Facebook

 

[Wade E]

I would call the company as I bet he gets so many emails and the such. Customers service at W.E. would be a much faster way I bet.

 

[captainl]

I called them a year or so ago with a question. They called me back the next day. Good luck.

 

[rjb222]

Hi all,
I'm looking for advice on a port kit. I own and operate a BOP / U-Vent homebrew shop in Montana. I recently did a port wine kit with a lady on premise. This was my very first port kit ever. I have made many Wine Expert kits in the past with little to no troubles.
First I have to preface this and say that whenever I make any of my wine kits, I follow the instructions and do not alter any steps (despitemy urge to do a yeast starter or to switch yeast to a liquidequivalent or to not add all of the additional water, ect.)
Everything for this kit started out beautifully. My juice had the appropriate starting gravity and volume. I pitched my yeast and stuck my fermenter in my fermentation chamber. I had the chamber set for 74 degrees F. I left it there for the duration the kit stated. This is where things went wrong. I took my gravity reading and was only slightly above what the kit stated where I needed to be for that stage in the process (1.019 instead of 1.018). I left the wine for another week and took the gravity again. It was the same at 1.019. I decided to add the dextrose to the kit despite the gravity reading. I left everything for the time I needed to according to the instructions. I checked my gravity and was at 1.020, which is way above where it needed to be. It wassupposedto read at <1.010 for that stage. This was several weeks ago.
I have read where folks have added the lees from another kit to try and get the gravity to fall. I tried that with no luck. I even tried adding some turbo yeast to it to try and see if I could get it to take off again with no luck. I added pure 02 to it directly each time I added more yeast too. I'm kind of stumped with this one.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks all!!!

I have done a couple of these kits that were brought into my store. the 1 kit did this exactly as you describe. I called the 1-800- number on the instructions. WE replaced the kit. I did manage to restart the kit for the chapilization stage by adding some yeast energizer and then taking a live yeast bed and putting that into the stuck ferment. The live yeast bed came from a kit that is a eight week wine and is racked after six days or when the SG drops to 1.020. With the addition of the turbo yeast I do not know if this will help or not though as there is a lot of yeast nutrient and energizer in that mix.

 

[uavwmn]

Im willing to bet this is the Raspberry Chocolate Port kit!!!!! Its notorious for this problem and I highly doubt they are going to help you further this kit. They might replace it for you and you might have better luck with the new one but this 1 is stuck right where it is. On that note it will still be a great kit just a little sweeter then its supposed to be so maybe dont use all the fpac. I see thuis exact problem every time they release this kit year after year and Ive been there twice with mine also and another went to where it was supposed to. They will probably tell you to warm it up and stir it good but once this stops it never starts again. It is a pretty high abv and the yeast has given up early.

Wade, I have a port that has been in the fermenting bucket for 4 weeks. (I got really sick and didn't have the energy to do anything.
Now that I am well, do you think the port is ok? Do you think I can finish up the steps in the directions?

Kathie