WineXpert Use Lees/Skins from premium kit with IM kit?

[richmke]

I am making the Cellar Craft Showcase Collection - Château du Pays. It uses EC-1118, and has skins. The grapes in the kit are Syrah, Carignan and Grenache.

Immediately following, I will be making the Island Mist Blackberry Cabernet that also uses EC-1118. I was going to use the leftover skins in the BB Cabernet kit. Then it occurred to me:

Rack off the skins and lees. Then add the 6 gallons of IM Cabernet directly to the skins and lees, and skip the yeast. Kind of like Skeeter Pee style.

Any thoughts?

The Cabernet may pick up a little Syrah, Carigan, and Grenache, but the Blackberry will likely overwhelm that.

Otherwise, I would remove the skins, dump the lees, and then do the kit the normal way, with the addition of the skins.

Note: I also have some skins (in the freezer) leftover from a Cellar Classic Winery Series - Rosso Grande Excellente Wine Kit. Double up on the used skins?

Or, I could save the skins for the port kits I am making - Cru Select Orange Chocolate, et al.

 

[Spikedlemon]

I just did that same thing w a 7L Merlot kit that I started over the lees of an Amarone with raisins.
I'm hoping it adds some body to the Merlot.

 

[joeswine]

Not advisable, Island Mist kits are unto them selves.reusing skins,must is A very unsanitary why of making wine remember the things at the bottom of your carboy where elements you didn't want in the first place. Just my opinion.

 

[richmke]

So far, so good.

I left the slurry in the pail from a Chateau Du Pays kit, and mixed an IM Blackberry Cabernet kit to 5.5 gallons. Added 1/2 of the F-pack, and 2.5 pounds of sugar (brought the SG up to 1.075), and the used skins from the Cellar Craft showcase Chateau Du Pays and a Winery Series En Premier Italie Rosso grande Eccellente. I also tossed in 1.5 Tbs of FT Rouge Tannin, and a fist full of Light American Oak Chips.

After 12 hours, it was nicely fizzing. I am guessing it was done fermenting in 3 days, but I did not check the SG until day 4, when it was 0.992. I figured 4 days was long enough for the used skins, so I racked.

Seems to taste fine. I would not do it with a high-end kit. For an IM kit, it was worth experimenting.