Has anyone done any of these MM Summer Breeze kits? I ordered the Wild Berry White Zin kit - sounded good and my wife should like this one. I may bump up the starting SG just a smidgen to bump up the abv just a bit, maybe to 9-10%
Mosti Mondiale Summer Breeze
- Thread starter Ceegar
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Is there a way one can tell when a kit like this was made? Here's the number that was on the box:
071 300220-2
This kit finished today and this wine is TERRIBLE!!! It tastes like it is old or something. It was suppose to be sweet and was more like semi-dry. It's supposed to be a wild berry white zin but I don't taste any hint at all of wild berries. Plus, the f-pac bag only had about 4 cups of flavoring in it for 6 gals of wine, but the bag was huge, like there was supposed to be way more in it than there was - and no it didn't have a leak. That's the first thing I check when I open a kit up, to see if there is anything leaking.
If this turned out normal I highly suggest don't waste your money on this kit. Seriously, I think this kit went bad. Is that even possible?
071 300220-2
This kit finished today and this wine is TERRIBLE!!! It tastes like it is old or something. It was suppose to be sweet and was more like semi-dry. It's supposed to be a wild berry white zin but I don't taste any hint at all of wild berries. Plus, the f-pac bag only had about 4 cups of flavoring in it for 6 gals of wine, but the bag was huge, like there was supposed to be way more in it than there was - and no it didn't have a leak. That's the first thing I check when I open a kit up, to see if there is anything leaking.
If this turned out normal I highly suggest don't waste your money on this kit. Seriously, I think this kit went bad. Is that even possible?
I was wonering if anyone even came her anymore. I contacted the place I bought it from and I think they're going to offer to replace the kit, but I already have 6 gals of wine here that I'm seriously thinking of dumping down the drain, and I'm soured now to these Summer Breeze kits and probably willnever try another one.
St Allie
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I've got a (Heron Bay) summer mist green apple riesling almost finished here. Will let you know how that one goes, if you feel like trying again.
...can you ask the retailer for a credit on a different product instead?
Allie
...can you ask the retailer for a credit on a different product instead?
Allie
As far as the date goes look here right on our forum but what you have is more likely the serial # and not the date code. Are there any other numbers? If not the Summer Breezes may be different from all the other Most kits.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3337
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3337
I did suggest I would be willing to purchase another Porto Corinto kit, which is pretty awesome just a few days into clearing, if he would apply that credit towards that. He emailed me asking some questions about what the SG was when I added the f-pac, what it was afterwards, etc.
He responded to me telling me I didn't follow the instructions and accused me of adding the f-pac to the wine before fermentation was done, allowing the yeast to convert the f-pac into alcohol, which is in no way true. I know better than that. This wine was supposed to have a sweet rating of 10, which means pretty sweet. It finished 9 days earlier than the instructions said it would at .996. After adding the f-pac it raised the FG to only 1.000 - THAT'S IT!! I had to add 4 more cups of sugar just to get it to 1.020. He said I shouldn't have added the f-pac until day 20 when the instructions said the wine would finish fermenting, but it finished 9 days early. He's saying I should have left that huge void in the carboy for 9 days, then add the f-pac on day 20. There was no way I was leaving all that head space in that carboy for 9 days just sitting there so I continued on to the next step because it had finished fermenting at exactly the number the instructions said it would be finished. The instructions just assume day 20 is the finish day and emphasized to be sure it is finished before continuing on to the next step.
He wants me to check the wine in 2 more weeks. He thinks the berry flavors that I don't have right now are going to magically appear and if I'm still not satisified he would contact Mosti about a refund. It's a mess. My first bad experience with a kit. I should have known better - 6 gals of wine for the same price as a 3 gal kit.
This is why I shop for most of my stuff at http://finevinewines.com/ as he backs his warranty 100% with no hassles.
Ummmm, I wasn't going to mention the place, but that's the place I bought it from. In his defense he did say he would issue a refund in 2 weeks if I'm still not satisified. I'm just miffed that he made stuff up to make it look like I did something wrong. Want a laugh? Here's the email trail.
Steve:
Hello,
I recently purchased this kit and it finished today. This kit tastes terrible, like it’s very old. The description says it is “significantly sweeter than traditional wines” but in fact it is more like semi-dry after adding the f-pac.
Speaking of the f-pac – this bag looked like it was supposed to hold 12 cups or so of flavoring but it only had about 4 cups in the bag, and no it didn’t have a leak. That is the first thing I check for when opening a kit. There was a lot of extra bag here. This is supposed to be a wild berry zin but it tastes so bad that there is no hint of any berries at all in this. Can you check this out for me please? Right now as it stands this stuff isn’t worth the bottle to put it in. I’m pretty disappointed with how this turned out, I think it was a bad kit, if there even is such a thing. Thanks.
George:
I have not had any problems with that kit, but there is always a first time for every kit. We just made the Green Apple Riesling. We served it a party and 20 people went through 4 bottles in no time.
I will be happy to replace the kit, but let me ask several questions:
1. When did you start the kit?
2. When did you add the flavor pack?
3. What was the s.g. when you added the pack and what is it now.
I think I know what happened and your answers will help me determine if I am correct.
Steve:
I started the kit on 7/16. It finished rather earlier than the 20 days the instructions said it would. The FG was .996 when I racked it yesterday and the airlock had no bubbles coming through. I then added the sorbate and k-meta, degassed the daylights out of it, then added the flavor pack and then the fining agents. I know the instructions say to degas for 24 hours, but I have one of those plastic stir rods I attach to my drill and degassed for almost an hour before adding the f-pac and it was pretty clear. Plus I didn’t want to leave that big void in the carboy for 24 hours to wait to add the f-pac. I didn’t take a reading after adding the f-pac. All I know is it was rather on the dry side and wasn’t anywhere near as sweet enough so I had to add some simple syrup to get it up to sweetness. Right now the SG is 1.020 after sweetening with nearly 4 cups of sugar. The description says it has a sweetness of 10 – or at least I thought it said that on the website. And I think the most disappointing thing was there is no berry flavoring to it, at least that I can taste anyway. I thought I followed everything to a T with the exception of waiting 24 hours to add the f-pac, only because of the headspace I had in the carboy.
George:
Based on what you have told me, the wine is less than 2 weeks old and I have never known a wine that you can evaluate at that point.
It appears you rushed the wine and did not follow the instructions. The instructions clearly state to add the flavoring pack on day 20, which would be August 5th. This delay is provided to allow the yeast to die. My guess is that you added the flavoring pack too early when you still had live yeast cells. This allowed the yeast to ferment the sugars in the F-Pack which is why your wine tasted dry. I make this determination based on your adding the 4 cups of sugar as that will raise your s.g by .02. Since your s.g. is now 1.020, all of the sugars in the flavoring pack have been converted to alcohol, thus the dry wine. In addition, the flavors can not develop in 2 weeks, they need time.
With that being said, I want you to wait 2 more weeks and try the wine then. If you are still not satisfied, I will contact Mosti about a refund.
Now where in my email did I say anything to suggest I added the f-pac while it was still fermenting?? The wine finished at .996. After adding the f-pac it only raised the FG to 1.000, that's it!! That's not anywhere near sweet, that's dry. I still say the f-pac bag was shorted volume somehow. There had to be some missing for it to only raise the SG by .004. Oh well, like I said, he did say he would honor it so we'll see. I just don't want a replacement kit of the same, that's all.
St Allie
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just a suggestion ..
Can you send an email to the mosti people direct and ask for the f-pac volume in that kit? The (HB) Green apple riesling I have, had about a litre of liquid in the f pac ( 4 cups) and the bag was full. If the F pack only raised the sugar level .004, it sounds like a manufacturing problem. I think it should have read higher than that.
Allie
Can you send an email to the mosti people direct and ask for the f-pac volume in that kit? The (HB) Green apple riesling I have, had about a litre of liquid in the f pac ( 4 cups) and the bag was full. If the F pack only raised the sugar level .004, it sounds like a manufacturing problem. I think it should have read higher than that.
Allie
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I asked George to open a kit and check to see how much was in the f-pac but he just wanted to get this behind him and issued me a refund. He was good about it and I've already spent it at his store. All is good.
Im am surprised that he has said that but I guaranty that he will replace it or I will have a talk with him myself about this as I moderate that forum also and have done so for a few years. He has always come through for me and anyone that had a problem. If you are not happy with this product and h doesnt resolve it in the time he said pm me please.
Yes, he was very good, even after I showed obvious signs of frustration toward him in emails. I later acknowledged to him that I felt bad about the whole thing and this really wasn't his fault either. I just didn't like what he was suggesting and where he was going with this. I never even asked to have it replaced, he came right out and offered it to me without asking for it, so I was pleased with that. I don't think just any dealer would have done that. Even if he didn't I've purchased a lot of stuff from him and would have continued to give him business - I like that store and his prices are good.
In answering St Allie's question, even though I already have a Rasp Choc port pre-ordered somewhere else I ordered another one from him and paid for the difference. I think because this is a hot kit their profit margin might be a little higher on this kit, so that's good for him too. I told him I'm hoping to give him a lot of business in the coming months to hopefully make up for some of this. I'll feel better about it if I know Mosti reimburses him so he's not out anything.
St Allie
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You will love that raspberry choc port kit. We don't have anything similar here commercially.. so it's not like you can go into the off-license and buy a bottle. It's something you'll just have to taste for yourself.
Am hoarding my bottles, was going to give it as xmas presents to family.. currently rethinking that idea.
Allie
Am hoarding my bottles, was going to give it as xmas presents to family.. currently rethinking that idea.
Allie
Yeah, I've heard a lot about this kit and everything I've heard is good. I like to share, but I have a feeling I'll be playing the greedy port miser with this kit. I might even be hoping my wife doesn't like it, heehee. I was going to try to make some choc rasp port with some of my grapes I have coming but now I'll have 6 gals of this kit so I will have to rethink what I'll do with the juice I was going to do that with.
St Allie
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I doubt your wife won't like it!! hehehhe
Just as well you have two kits. I have two orange muscat kits that will be ready in time for xmas..will part with bottles of that for xmas presents instead. ( unless they are super fabulous too.. in which case I will have to rethink xmas again)
Allie
Just as well you have two kits. I have two orange muscat kits that will be ready in time for xmas..will part with bottles of that for xmas presents instead. ( unless they are super fabulous too.. in which case I will have to rethink xmas again)
Allie
I have the Orange Chocolate Port also but the Raspberry blows its doors in if you ask me. I wouldnt make the OCP again but will surely do the CRP mant more times but dont have the money for it this year as I have too many plans for fruit wines like the peaches. Wish I had a contact like Tom does with $4 for 80 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!
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