WineXpert WE Private Reserve Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon

[Granee65]

I just started this kit and I'm excited to see how it turns out. I've seen many positive reviews on the forum regarding the results of the Eclipse version.

That said, does anyone recommend any tweaks to the instructions? My understanding is that they may have changed after re-branding from Eclipse to Private Reserve.

1. Should I remove the grape skins after 7 days or keep them in for 14 per the instructions?

2. Can I forgo adding the potassium sorbate/k-meta pack at day 14 and just add k-meta? I plan to bulk age for 3-6 months, so I assume that is fine.

3. How long should the oak cubes be kept in during aging? 6 weeks?

I've made several cheaper kits, but this is my first premium one - I appreciate any advice!

Thanks

 

[Johnd]

I just started this kit and I'm excited to see how it turns out. I've seen many positive reviews on the forum regarding the results of the Eclipse version.

That said, does anyone recommend any tweaks to the instructions? My understanding is that they may have changed after re-branding from Eclipse to Private Reserve.

1. Should I remove the grape skins after 7 days or keep them in for 14 per the instructions?

2. Can I forgo adding the potassium sorbate/k-meta pack at day 14 and just add k-meta? I plan to bulk age for 3-6 months, so I assume that is fine.

3. How long should the oak cubes be kept in during aging? 6 weeks?

I've made several cheaper kits, but this is my first premium one - I appreciate any advice!

Thanks

I'd suggest the following:

1. Leave the skins in until it's time to move from your fermenter into a carboy, around 1.000. Rack the wine into the carboy, press the skins and add that wine to the carboy, allow it to sit under airlock.to finish AF.

2. Yes, as long as your wine finishes up dry and you don't plan to add anything with sugar back into the wine.

3. Leave the oak in until you have enough oak for your taste, then go a little longer. The oak will fade a bit once you bottle and age your wine, so don't be afraid to be a touch heavy handed.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cmason1957]

I agree with everything John said, with one very minor exception and that's based on following instructions. If you clamp a lid down onto your fermenting bucket with an airlock at about 1.010 (+/-.010), then you can leave the skins in, until you rack to a carboy. and I believe the instruction indicate to perform the entire fermentation in a bucket with an airlock. either way will work out just fine in the end, so don't sweat about whichever way you go.

 

[Brian55]

I just started this kit and I'm excited to see how it turns out. I've seen many positive reviews on the forum regarding the results of the Eclipse version.

That said, does anyone recommend any tweaks to the instructions? My understanding is that they may have changed after re-branding from Eclipse to Private Reserve.

1. Should I remove the grape skins after 7 days or keep them in for 14 per the instructions?

2. Can I forgo adding the potassium sorbate/k-meta pack at day 14 and just add k-meta? I plan to bulk age for 3-6 months, so I assume that is fine.

3. How long should the oak cubes be kept in during aging? 6 weeks?

I've made several cheaper kits, but this is my first premium one - I appreciate any advice!

Thanks

1. I leave the skins in for about a month. It goes under airlock after fermentation starts to slow.

2. Yes, skip the sorbate. Just So2 for dry wines.

3. I keep the oak in for the entire first stage of bulk aging. Taste when racking, and ad more if necessary for the second stage.

 

[bfryman10]

I just received the same kit in the mail. Did yours come with EC-1118 yeast? I know it will get the job done, but I expected a premium kit to come with a more red wine focused yeast strain.

 

[Granee65]

Yes, it came with EC-1118 and it is working as expected. I've seen people on this forum sub in other yeast strains, but I can't recall which.

I just read through a long thread on extended maceration and I think I'm going to give that a go. I have a light cloth over the primary now and I'll put an airlock on once SG hits 1.010. I'm fermenting in a big mouth bubbler, so luckily I don't have a lot of head space. I'm going to shoot for 4-6 weeks in the primary with skins and then rack to my carboy.

I'll probably leave out the sorbate, chitosan and kieselsol as well. I'll just age it long enough for it to clear on its own.

 

[Granee65]

I racked into my carboy last night after 5 weeks of EM. It seems to have worked well and the wine is better than I would expect for how young it is.

However, there was a lot head space and I had to top up with 3/4 gallon of water. In hindsight, I should have topped up with another wine. I don't have a 5 gallon carboy (yet) that I could have moved to. Hopefully this doesn't impact the end result too much...

I'll let it sit for another week and add in the oak cubes for 4-6 weeks, then bulk age for 3-6 months. If any more topping up is required I'll be using another wine.

 

[Granee65]

Do people generally add finishing tannin in addition to oak cubes? My oak cubes have been in for 4 weeks. Is the tannin coming the from the cubes likely enough? I did not add tannin during primary, but I did add the oak chips.

Ideally, I'd be able to taste the wine and determine if more tannin would improve it, but I'm not that talented...

 

[Brian55]

After topping up with 3/4 of a gallon of water, it certainly wouldn't hurt. You're likely to have created Cabernet Lite* at this point, or 30 bottles of a decent base for Sangria.

Never top with water. Always use wine, or rack down as a second option.

 

[Granee65]

Live and learn I guess. Probably an expensive learning experiment....but it still tastes better than my RJS Merlot kit that I topped up with wine.

I'll taste in a few weeks and likely add some tannin. Would blending it with another bottle of Cabernet help at all?

 

[Old Corker]

I just received the same kit in the mail. Did yours come with EC-1118 yeast? I know it will get the job done, but I expected a premium kit to come with a more red wine focused yeast strain.

You would think, right? But that has not been my experience. I only got a different yeast in the kit twice to my recollection. Once with an WE Eclipse Shiraz last year and then in July with a WE Private Reserve Pinot Noir. Both came with RC212 but also had a pack of EC1118 included. Last year I didn't know any better and pitched both. This time I only used the RC212 and it worked fine. I don't think its a cost thing but more of a process thing. There are so many choices, if they try to guess what your preference is they will get it wrong too often for their comfort. I bought a 10 pack of BM4x4 to use with reds and just keep the EC1118 in the fridge.

 

[Brian55]

Live and learn I guess. Probably an expensive learning experiment....but it still tastes better than my RJS Merlot kit that I topped up with wine.

I'll taste in a few weeks and likely add some tannin. Would blending it with another bottle of Cabernet help at all?

If it tastes ok to you then enjoy it. Water or not, it should still get better with age, so don't blow through it too quickly. Blending a watered down wine with one that isn't will just create something in between the two.