Saving grape skins for a kit

[Wild Duk]

I'm about to press 5 gallons of Cab Sav grapes. I was thinking of vacuum sealing then freezing a few pounds to put in a kit wine...
Anyone tried it?

Good idea or bad?

 

[Rocky]

Wild Duk, I have not tried it but I have been thinking about doing something similar because grape skins for kits and buckets are so hard to find. I like to add extra skins even to kits that come with them for more body. I was going to do something a little different. I planned to crush the grapes and then boil off most of the water before vacuum sealing and/or freezing. I have not tried it yet and I may have missed the window for this season.

The concern I would have with what you are planning is that those skins have been immersed in wine (alcohol) and I am not sure how that will affect anything. I am not saying that it will harm them, just that I don't know. I do know that at home long ago, we used to make what was called "second wine" by taking the unpressed skins from a batch, putting them back into a fermenting barrel and adding water and sugar. The wine was not the quality of the "first wine" but, I suppose, "any port in a storm."

 

[pjd]

I think its a great idea!

 

[Pumpkinman]

M&M Grape stocks grape skins/packs, and at a decent price, I believe $20.00. I spoke with them last week, and although they were currently out, they normally carry them from Mosti Mondiale.
Tom

 

[Rocky]

Thanks for the info, Tom. I used to see them on eBay from a place in Canada, but the listing is no longer there. They were also $20 and there were 3 or 4 varities to consider.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I have a listing for another brew shop in CT I believe that has them listed on their website, only thing is that the last time I tried to order it, they were out of stock. Here is a link Click me
I work at the LHBS on Tuesday, let me see if the owner can get them, I'll keep ya posted.
Anyone else interested in them if I can get them at a reasonable price?
Let me know, I'm sure that if I present it as an order for a half dozen or so, it might make a better case to order them.
Tom

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Is there an update on this thread. I would love to purchase some.

 

[pjd]

I have a listing for another brew shop in CT I believe that has them listed on their website, only thing is that the last time I tried to order it, they were out of stock. Here is a link Click me
I work at the LHBS on Tuesday, let me see if the owner can get them, I'll keep ya posted.
Anyone else interested in them if I can get them at a reasonable price?
Let me know, I'm sure that if I present it as an order for a half dozen or so, it might make a better case to order them.
Tom

I would be interested!

 

[Pumpkinman]

Ok, here is an update:
I spoke to a home brew shop, the grape packs that we are all locking for a Fior D'uva grape packs, Mosti Mondiali manufactures them.
The biggest issue in trying to convince some of these HBS owners to carry it is that apparently, they want these shops to buy multiple cases, and from what I was told, Mosti mondiali could not guarantee that these were fresh, they told them that they could be several yrs old since they don't sell fast.....I have no way of telling if this is factual or just another line of BS in order to not have to order product that the local home brew shops do not think will sell....
I'll keep on calling around.
Tom

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Thanks for the update.. I am sure plenty people here would purchase them on a frequent basis, in order to make it worth while.