Tweaking a fruity kit

[sockpuppet]

Hey guys and gals! I hope everyone is wining well!

I have a conundrum. We make the blueberry shiraz Breezin' kit for a friend of ours who thinks it's crack and is addicted. We always add a good dose of invert sugar to boost the alcohol level up to normal levels instead of the wine cooler levels of the kit alone.

I really like it too, but I'd like it so much better if it wasn't so dang sweet. My dream wine here is for it to be only slightly sweet and refreshing and have the blueberry flavor in there along with a higher alcohol content.

So to achieve this, would I add extra yeast to convert the sugars more fully to raise the alcohol level instead of adding invert sugar? Or just try to keep the yeasts alive longer so they eat up and convert the sugar in the kit, and that will boost the alcohol and make it less sweet? How do I keep them going? There's plenty of sugar in there for them to eat but the fermentation stops on its own while it's still soooooo sweet. If I add yeast nutrient, won't they eat that instead of the sugar?

I guess I don't understand this process at all, now that I think about it. Kits make it so easy to not know anything about wine making!

*sigh*

Any ideas out there in expert land? Thanks!

And hi to PWP and L'il PWP and all my shopping buddies!

 

[gaudet]

I am by no means an expert, but you could find another higher alcohol tolerant yeast to pitch to ferment to dryness, then backsweeten. If you split the batch, why not take a gallon out to experiment. If it works then you can follow that procedure for your half. I have never done a kit wine, just fruit wines so far and only 2, but I think it could be done.

 

[JimCook]

In the past, people that have made these kits have talked about not adding the entire F-Pack.There's a post here from PeterZ abouthow he makesone of these types of wines less sweet: http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5209&KW=pack&PID=70121#70121


- Jim

 

[Dean]

Here's what you do. Mix up the kit as the instuctions say to do. Add 1/2 the F-pack at this time and stir well. Take your SG reading, and add more invert sugar to boost it up to 1.095 or thereabouts for a 13.5% wine. You can go above this, but the yeast in that kit will stop at about 18%. RJS always uses EC-1118 yeast in all their kits.

When fermentation is finished, you add the rest of the F-pack as well as all the sorbate and the kit will not be as sweet, but will still be quite "off-dry". If you wish for less sweetness, next time, use 2/3s of the F-pack and so on, until you hit your desired level.

Keep the rest of the f-pack refridgerated until you stabilize.

 

[Wade E]

Putting in more yeast will do nothing as the yeasts used in kits are high abv tolerant. Do like Dean says as that is the only way to go to get what you are looking for from a kit.

 

[sockpuppet]

Thanks for all the responses! This forum is so awesome! I will take the advice and let you know how it comes out.

It's funny, even in big-time wine, it's either sweet or not, nothing in between except for blush wines. I want something red but just a little sweet. Gotta invent it myself, I guess!

 

[JimCook]

Sockpuppet,


Most wines made from the red Blaufrankish grape (also called Lemberger) are lightly sweet (Spatlese to Auslese). Let us know what you come up with on your own that you recommend.


- Jim

 

[grapeman]

Sockpuppet,


Most wines made from the red Blaufrankish grape (also called Lemberger) are lightly sweet (Spatlese to Auslese). Let us know what you come up with on your own that you recommend.


- Jim

Jim, why do you suppose that is? Is Lemberger acidic so it takes sugar to balance? It would benice to know since Lemberger is one of a few Vinifera we are able to grow here.

 

[smikes]

There is also rice syrup solids which raises alcohol without sweetness.