Weak wine

[Fabiola]

I just finished 6 gallons of white zinfandel, it has been bulk aging for 7 weeks, I was going to bottle today but it tastes very weak to me, it looks very clear, and I am wondering if I should just bottle hoping it will improve with time, or maybe is the kit, I used one of those value vintners reserve wine kits of WineXpert (green box), and I am thinking probably the kit is not of a very good quality, but I decided to start with a cheap one, just in case things go wrong... Any thoughts?

 

[Rocky]

Fabiola, when you say "weak" do you mean thin tasting or no alcohol? My very first kit (after making wine from grapes and juice for many years) was a VR Sangiovese. It is very thin tasting, i.e. little texture and mouth, but the alcohol is okay at about 12%. It is too late to do now, but you could have added a box of white raisins in the primary and that would have given it more body.

 

[Fabiola]

Fabiola, when you say "weak" do you mean thin tasting or no alcohol? My very first kit (after making wine from grapes and juice for many years) was a VR Sangiovese. It is very thin tasting, i.e. little texture and mouth, but the alcohol is okay at about 12%. It is too late to do now, but you could have added a box of white raisins in the primary and that would have given it more body.

It looks to me like needs more flavor as well as more alcohol.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

What was your begining SG?

 

[Rocky]

Did you keep records of your initial and final SG? That will give you a good indication of the ABV. As far as the taste, that is a 10 liter kit requiring one to add 13 liters of water. They do tend to lack taste. There are ways to increase the taste but at the same time the sweetness would probably increase. I would not bottle it if you are not satisfied with the taste. Keep it in a carboy under airlock and work on improving it. There is a member of the board who's escellent at improving wine (joeswine) and you can see his posts under "when good wine goes bad" or words to that effect or you could PM him with a question.

 

[Fabiola]

Did you keep records of your initial and final SG? That will give you a good indication of the ABV. As far as the taste, that is a 10 liter kit requiring one to add 13 liters of water. They do tend to lack taste. There are ways to increase the taste but at the same time the sweetness would probably increase. I would not bottle it if you are not satisfied with the taste. Keep it in a carboy under airlock and work on improving it. There is a member of the board who's escellent at improving wine (joeswine) and you can see his posts under "when good wine goes bad" or words to that effect or you could PM him with a question.

Starting SG=1.090
Final SG=0.920
since it was a kit, I didnt make up anything just followed directions, and these number are withing the kit's ranges.

 

[Fabiola]

What was your begining SG?

Starting SG=1.090
Final SG=0.920

 

[Julie]

Since this was a kit and you followed the instructions I would think you have a young wine on your hands. The flavor should improve with time.

 

[cpfan]

Starting SG=1.090
Final SG=0.920

1.090 seems a bit high for this kit (I would have expected about 1.084), but still OK.

But 0.920 is WRONG. You mis-read the hydrometer. I'm sure that you meant 0.992. This means 13% roughly.

Sounds like this kit didn't come with an F-pack to sweeten the wine post-fermentation. I wonder if sweetening it slightly would give you the flavour that you think is missing.

Apparently this kit comes with an F-pack (just checked the 2009-2010 WE catalog). Did you include both in the primary? If you did, that would explain the slightly higher starting sg. If you had saved the smaller pack to add after stabilizing, the wine would probably seem more flavourful.

Steve

 

[Fabiola]

1.090 seems a bit high for this kit (I would have expected about 1.084), but still OK.

But 0.920 is WRONG. You mis-read the hydrometer. I'm sure that you meant 0.992. This means 13% roughly.

Sounds like this kit didn't come with an F-pack to sweeten the wine post-fermentation. I wonder if sweetening it slightly would give you the flavour that you think is missing.

Apparently this kit comes with an F-pack (just checked the 2009-2010 WE catalog). Did you include both in the primary? If you did, that would explain the slightly higher starting sg. If you had saved the smaller pack to add after stabilizing, the wine would probably seem more flavourful.

Steve

Hello Steve:
The kit came with an f-pack, which I added according to instructions, along with k-meta, sorbate and isinglass. Any ideas what can I use to add flavor?

 

[Rocky]

Fabiola, If you are sitting at SG 0.992, the wine should be fairly dry. White grape juice would add flavor but bench test anything that you contemplate adding to the entire batch. You say you have added sorbate, so the danger of re-fermentation should be minimal. Make sure this is the case before bottling.

 

[Godfather]

You have a light bodied wine. I make a wine I call Blackberry Blush. where I use a Blush wine kit (cheap kit), and when it's done I use 16oz of red grape concentrate (you can buy at the wine store) strain it then add it. Then add balckberry flavoring (also bought at wine store), then sweeten to taste. I sweeten it two ticks (one tick=2 cups sugar disolved in one cup water). Of course you have to add sorbate. It sounds sweeter than it is...I get more compliments on this wine than most others......My point is that I took a relatively light bodied wine and gave it some nice body, flavor and sweetness

 

[ibglowin]

What did you use to top off with? If you used water then that could be the problem. Even though the instructions say its OK to use everyone one who has followed that rule has been unhappy with the outcome (thin tasting wine) . Always use a similar inexpensive wine (Trader Joe's is a good place to go) and you will be much happier with the outcome. I would also recommend a larger kit for next time. At least 13L and 16L if you can swing it. You will be MUCH happier in the end. I see you are just down the road from me. Welcome aboard! Its nice to have another winemaker from the Land of Enchantment on MWT!

 

[Fabiola]

What did you use to top off with? If you used water then that could be the problem. Even though the instructions say its OK to use everyone one who has followed that rule has been unhappy with the outcome (thin tasting wine) . Always use a similar inexpensive wine (Trader Joe's is a good place to go) and you will be much happier with the outcome. I would also recommend a larger kit for next time. At least 13L and 16L if you can swing it. You will be MUCH happier in the end. I see you are just down the road from me. Welcome aboard! Its nice to have another winemaker from the Land of Enchantment on MWT!

Hello ibglowin:
Thank you for the welcome, I guess we are neighbors. I top it off with 2bottles of wine of the same kind, I have been reading this forum a lot and I always follow what other people do, this kit was 6 gallons I am not sure if they sell bigger kits. Anyway, I will use something to sweeten the wine and see what happens. Thank you for your help...

 

[Fabiola]

Fabiola, If you are sitting at SG 0.992, the wine should be fairly dry. White grape juice would add flavor but bench test anything that you contemplate adding to the entire batch. You say you have added sorbate, so the danger of re-fermentation should be minimal. Make sure this is the case before bottling.

I will, thank you for your response, very good as usual...

 

[Fabiola]

You have a light bodied wine. I make a wine I call Blackberry Blush. where I use a Blush wine kit (cheap kit), and when it's done I use 16oz of red grape concentrate (you can buy at the wine store) strain it then add it. Then add balckberry flavoring (also bought at wine store), then sweeten to taste. I sweeten it two ticks (one tick=2 cups sugar disolved in one cup water). Of course you have to add sorbate. It sounds sweeter than it is...I get more compliments on this wine than most others......My point is that I took a relatively light bodied wine and gave it some nice body, flavor and sweetness

OK, I will use a grape concentrate kit and see what happens, thanks a lot...