What is Life After Kit Wine?

[thrion]

So I love my kits so far, but I think I am ready to move beyond the kit and try something more experimental. What's the best place to start?

I've seen lots of amazing reviews of the Skeeter Pee and Dragon's Blood, but in terms of grape wines, what, in your opinions, would be the best next wine step after a kit? Is it ordering frozen must? Buying concentrates?

Thanks in advance for your expertise!

 

[kribus]

I have just started brewing kits like 6-7 months (1-2 kits a month) ago and after a while found the desire to try to different things or experiment much like you did.
Since then I have tried to make Hard Cider, I have looked around my community to find people who grow grapes who are willing to exchange them for a couple bottles of wine after I finish and even a lady, two towns away, who grows grapes and sells the juices.
So I would look around you community you might find resources you didn’t know existed.

(Also want to try experiments like ferment Welches Grape juice see what I can get)

Kribus

 

[olusteebus]

I started making wine about a year and a half ago. I got two cheap kits and made them. They both turned out good but it took 6 months. I have a friend who only makes fruit wine or muscadine wine, so I was interested in making a semi dry fruit wine. I made strawberry. I then made skeeter pee with blackberry. Then peach.

I now have made muscadine. I seem to enjoy making wine from fresh fruit more than kits. I like the challenge I guess.

I got so many great compliments on my skeeter pee, I cannot wait to make some other blends.

 

[geek]

How difficult is to make strawberry wine and that skeeter pee I hear about?

Never tasted either wine before, I wonder how good they are compared to wine made from grape juice??

..

 

[olusteebus]

The strawberry needs to be cut up, frozen and allowed to juice with pectic enzyme. After that, it is just like a kit except you need to have your own additives. The recipe section will help you. If you have questions about timing, ask about that on this site.

I only made one Skeeter pee. It is very easy as you don't really have to juice anything. You make it with two or three bottles of realemon ( I used 2 32 ounce), 4 pounds of frozen blackberries and 2 pounds of frozen peach. I love it. I will be making more for sure. One lady told me it was the best wine she had ever had.

Keep in mind that it is made with lemons and has a tartness but not near as much as you would expect. I made my SP semi sweet, about 1.005 or 1.01. I highly recommend it. Use any fruit for flavor you would like. It is not necessary to add a fruit for flavor but I think most people do.