Other Tweeking Cheap Kits
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What I find interesting is that a number of these wine kits all come out of Canada. Many of their instructions are identical. Wonder if they buy in bulk from the same company or if there is a "parent' company?
Also: have you ever bought the expensive labels to put on your cheap kits? Some do not come with any labels and when I order from FWK or others, I order different older labels to put on my wines I am making and tweaking.
BTW: enjoying reading the Other Tweaking Cheap Kits from back in 2015 onward. have learned a lot and am beginning to realize that tweaking occurs all the time.
joeswine
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With it a doubt , cheap kits are Co Op vineyards .
Kit names . Buy in bulk it’s fine globally.
Thanks for following my threads .
Tweaking is a matter of process , adjusting ph , ta, etc.
It’s apart of wine making .
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joeswine
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Most cheap kits come with labels and yes I’ve made them and bought them from FWK and Noontime
To anyone: I bought the dual Cab wine kit from Costco. This weekend I am thinking that I will start then both but with separate add ins. On One, I was thinking about adding table grape skins purchased from local grocery. Crushed and juice drained. Then add the skins in a bag to the slurry. About how many pounds of grapes? or just a big clamshell/bag? maybe some added tannin?
On the second one, use raspberries or blackberries (or a mix?) cooked down with some of the slurry.
The kit comes with 2 bags of oak chips. I am thinking of adding one when fermenting and the other after in the carboy or months later. Which fermenter should I add to first? Skins or the fruits? Or add my French oak to one and American oak to another?
Plus should I add additional sugar to bring both up to what #.
Plus when does one add glycerin? in the carboy after aging a few months or when first in the carboy? Yes. Questions, ?, ?, ?
On the second one, use raspberries or blackberries (or a mix?) cooked down with some of the slurry.
The kit comes with 2 bags of oak chips. I am thinking of adding one when fermenting and the other after in the carboy or months later. Which fermenter should I add to first? Skins or the fruits? Or add my French oak to one and American oak to another?
Plus should I add additional sugar to bring both up to what #.
Plus when does one add glycerin? in the carboy after aging a few months or when first in the carboy? Yes. Questions, ?, ?, ?
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My answer to your questions is a question: What do you want?
Adding grape skins, raisins, or Zante currants will add body. Adding fruit will alter flavor and probably add body. Doing both is a good experiment. Indulge yourself.
I am NOT a fan of cooking fruit for winemaking, as it alters the flavor. Your call on that.
You're making a CS? Add chips prior to fermentation to provide sacrificial tannin (preserves grape tannin) and stabilizes color. Buy oak cubes to add for aging oak, 1 to 1.5 oz per batch.
Bulk age at least 6 months, and leave the oak cubes in the full duration.
Chaptalization? That depends on what you want. Yeah, I'm good at saying that, right? But it's correct. *I* like heavy CS, so I'd bump the OG to 1.100. For a lighter red I want an OG of 1.085 to 1.095. There's no right or wrong, it's what you like.
I add glycerin at bottling time.
Yes. making a Costco CS. Suppose to make 60 bottles with two bags. Got it cheap on sale for $59.99 US.
#1. So, add 4-8 OZ of glycerin to the carboy. stir it, let it sit overnight or so and then bottle?
#2. The kits I have made so far are a little weak IMHO. So will do a 5-5.5 gal ferment and bump up the OG to 1.100. and add the chips.
# 3. plan on aging for a min of 6-9 months. I assume add k-Met every 3 months?
BTW. Thanks for the reply
Ohio Bob
Senior Member
Not necessary, you can bottle immediately.
Folks short the water on kits to bump up body and ABV, but it also increases acid levels. Reconstitute to the stated level (23 liters) and for body add raisins or Zante currants, for ABV add sugar.
Yes, K-meta every 3 months
Tnx
joeswine
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Have you read the ( Tweaking C heap Wine kits ).
It tells you what you need to know .
yes. as I stated, I read from 2012 onward. you make great points.
@Christopher Anderson
Whatever oak comes in a kit I double it and add a tablespoon of tannin to the fermentor. If it's a Cab or other heavy wine I'll add an oak spiral to the 4 month bulk aging carboy. You have to try to get too much oak.
Whatever oak comes in a kit I double it and add a tablespoon of tannin to the fermentor. If it's a Cab or other heavy wine I'll add an oak spiral to the 4 month bulk aging carboy. You have to try to get too much oak.
joeswine
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All subjective to one’s taste level ,cool
@winemaker81 are you crushing out the juice from those raisins/Currants when going to clearing? Or, just screen them out and toss? I’m going to start an Island Mist Exotic Fruit and want to improve it by adding something to the must.
The last batch was ‘meh’ but at the 1.5 year mark it turned out surprisingly good. My guests cleaned me out.
I'd press out as much liquid as I could. Waste not, want not!
Thanks. And I did mean press and not crush. You caught that.
joeswine
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I have a question : has anyone who’s squeezed out the the access juices , taste the product they’d just squeeze ??
Tastes the bitterness ?
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