WineXpert White Cranberry

[Runningwolf]

WOW!! I have made many of the island mist kits but I think this is one of the best yet. Actually I say that after making most of them. I added half the f-pack and four pounds of sugar in the primary. Then I added the other half as instructed. It wasn't too sweet and had a nice flavor after just three days of bottling.

 

[unaFORDable]

I've got a question for you, seeing as how you've made a lot of the sweet wine kits..... I'm going to be making a red, a white and probably a blush, all in the "sweet" type, for my daughters wedding next spring. (I will have a few bottles of dry types of wine but my experience with people's tastes so far has been that they say they like dry but they drink the sweet!!) So question: of the sweet wines that you've made, which ones seemed to be the one's that were drank the most (liked the best) by your friends.
thanks, TinaLouise

 

[Runningwolf]

Tinalouise,
I took the white cranberry to a dinner party last night and it was a huge hit. I think the other two that I made that were also just as big of a hit was the Blackberry and the peach apricot (both Island Mist). I usually add about five pounds of sugar to the primary to boost the Alcohol content but after reading so many posts this last time I added half the f-pack and about four pounds of sugar. This made the wine a little less sweet and I think a wider selection of people enjoyed it. Going forward I will do this to all of the Island Mists. For every high quality kit I make I have to make two island mist kits so I have something to drink now so we don't dip into the other ones before their time,LOL.

 

[Wade E]

Wow, 4 lbs and 1/2 the f-pac. What was the starting sg on that?

 

[Runningwolf]

Wade,


Starting sg was about 1.08. Although it turned out really great I still have have lots to learn from reading here. When I racked I had a lot of sugar left on the bottom of the carboy. Next time I will boil my water first before adding sugar then add it to the primary when its cooled down. Is this not a better way?

 

[Bert]

This would be a better way to dissolve the sugar....But adding 1/2 the F-pack and 4lbs of sugar, you may find your SG a little higher than 1.080....I think check your SG as you add simple syrup....Good Luck

 

[Tom]

YES!

You need to dissolve the sugar and the only way to make sure is to boil water ad sugar and bring back to a boil using a whisk.

 

[Wade E]

You would have had an sg somewhere around 1.100 Im thinking but not sure as Ive never used the f-pac in primary but I used 3 1/4 lbs of sugar on my last batch and it came out around 1.082 so yours surely would have beentoo high anyway.

 

[chevyguy65]

After a long Hiatus we are" back in the saddle".


Mrs Chevy decided on this one for our newest batch. We started a 5 gallon batch instead of the normal 6 gallon and added 2 1/2 cups sugar for a starting SG of 1.068. Added the yeast 2 days ago and now its roaring away. We'll keep ya posted on the progress.

 

[Wade E]

I must say that the Blueberry Pinot Noir was the most liked of all the Mist kits Ive made followed by the Peach Apricot and then the Watermelon White Merlot!

 

[Runningwolf]

Watermelon White Merlot, sounds great. Who makes it, I have not seen that? I agree with you on the other two being awesome.

 

[KG233]

The Watermelon White Merlot is a RJ Spagnols Orchard Breezin kit. It is one of my favorites. I have a second kit of it ready to go - this time I plan on adding extra sugar to it.


The only issue I have had with the Orchard Breezin kits is getting them to clear. It seems like it takes a lot longer than what is listed in the directions. You will probably find some comments about this issue on this forum as well as the Spagnols one. I just let it sit in the carboy an extra month to month and a half to make sure everything falls out.