Wine Expert Island mist peach/apricot

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Donatelo

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I just received this wine kit via UPS. Does anyone have experience with this kit. The kit weighs 18 lbs. and includes a f-pack of peach/ apricot. The instructions state that the wine should start at SG of 1.048 / 1,060 and end at <.996. This would only yield an ABV of 6.83 to 8.40%. I'm afraid that would be a little light for my taste. I generally drink wines around 12% to 15%. Do these cheaper kits turn out better with a higher starting SG?

Semper Fi , troops. Smoke em if you got em!
 
They do turn out somewhat better, I wouldn't go much about 12% with them, the alcohol overwhelms the taste, I think. I often add about 4 lbs of sugar to these things, gets it to about 10 1/2 - 11% ABV, and add about two bottles of white (or red) 100% grape juice from a local grocery store for some extra body. Some cut back the water to about 5 or 5.5 gallons to start. Some add extra tannins for body and some add part or most of the f-pack to the beginning. All these things void your warranty.
 
Well, I'm not real big on warranty for a cheap wine kit.
I think what I'm going to do is add sugar syrup to it to bring the Sg up to 1.075/ 1.080 or so. 10.5 or 11% seems like a good ABV to shoot for. I've several days left before I plan to start this kit. I'm not in a hurry about my wines any more. Got too many ageing in the cellar.
 
I did this kit before SG @1.09 ,by adding one quart of simple syrup,but in the primary I made a Fpac of fresh apricots,if you go to making an fpac you'll see the prcproc it creater a better body and balances of the higher ABV.
 
These little kits are fun to play with while you're aging your really good wines. I always add half the fpack up front in the fermentor. I save the rest for the end when I Back sweeten and finish. It's too sweet for me and more of a wine cooler if you don't. I also add 5 cups of sugar to up the Achihole content up front. After I rack the first time I add all kinds of fun stuff. I just added some cloves and Apple extract to an apple kit. These are fun and tasteful
 
You can add anything to these after they ferment for flavor.. Have fun with it
 
I'll be happy just to get a full bodied apricot wine with a decent ABV. Thanks for all of y'alls replies.
 
I understand that the kit came with a Fpac if you want more body then add a fresh fruit fpac in the primary, then you can add what ever you want in the end.It creates a smooth texture with out distorting the overall finish.
 
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This was my fist Mist kit. I added white grape concentrate and 1/2 the fpac up front for 11-12% ABV and improved body.

If I did this one again, I think I'd try a fresh peach fpac in the primary like Joe suggests.
 
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I understand that the kit came with a Fpac if you want more body then add a fresh fruit fpac in the primary, then you can add what ever you want in the end.It creates a smooth texture with out distorting the overall finish.
 
When you add the fresh fpac to the primary the mix becomes a partnership,if you add to the fpac to the secondary the flavor profile then becomes a background flavoring.Over doing of the ABV. Can cause a problem ( 1 06/08) not a problem with the overall taste, remember these are party wine's. I posted a thead tittled the partnership between adding to the primary or the secondary . everyone makes wine the way they want to and that's ok. But it's also a sience to a certain extent,this defines balance, structure as well as flavor.Adding flavoring has been around for centuries, trial and error with a touch of hands on.,
 
I haven't started this yet , but When I do, I'll probably follow pretty close to the original instructions, but raise the starting SG to 1.080 or so.
 
I racked this off the lees today. Had to have a little glass of it. I said Well, if that ain't just peachy. Turned ot pretty nice. When I bottle it I have the name.
 

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