First wine kit

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PUGIDOGS
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First wine kit

Post by PUGIDOGS »

Got the wife a Fontana kit for French Chardonnay. Came with everything to complete a 6 gallon batch besides water. This is a first for me, I’ll let you know how it tastes in a month!!!
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: First wine kit

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Awesome! I quite enjoy the white kits and i’ll also do an occasional white juice bucket. Reds are all either frozen or fresh must for me. Red kits not so much but i did make a bunch of them in the past.

I know you’re excited to bottle and drink but i’ll average about 12-18 months in carboy racking off sediment, sulfiting, and topping up every three months. The one exception is for chardonnay which I may age on the fine lees for 6-12 months before starting clearing. Aka surlie method.

Cheers!
-j
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Demy
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Demy »

:lol: I make wine with grapes...I know well that in some parts of the world those kits are used and I respect it... only that I look at them with suspicion (as an Italian)... you never know exactly what they are made with.
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Stonecutter
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Stonecutter »

Demy wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:54 am :lol: I make wine with grapes...I know well that in some parts of the world those kits are used and I respect it... only that I look at them with suspicion (as an Italian)... you never know exactly what they are made with.
:lol:
My family is Italian and I understand this statement completely. :thumbup:
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Dougmatt
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Dougmatt »

I started with wine kits. The whites are good. The reds always had a funny taste to me. Called it “kit taste”. I’ve still got a lot of bottles of them that are years old. I made brandy out of a few of them.

I also recommend on the Chardonnay to leave it in the lees a little longer. You can’t do a malolactic fermentation on kit wine, so leaving on the lees and stirring every so often is a good way to improve the mouth feel and flavor. Look up sur lie aging if you are interested.

Edit: I see Jonny said the same thing :thumbup:
I just read an article about the dangers of drinking that scared the crap out of me.

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still_stirrin
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Re: First wine kit

Post by still_stirrin »

This thread caught my eye. I’ve made 1000s of gallons of beer, but never wine.

But a week ago, I was given 8 gallons of fruit juice (commercially packed) and expired, so it couldn’t be sold. I made up a quick yeast starter and put it into a couple of carboys. It’s fermenting away at the moment.

The juice is apple and cran-raspberry. Neither will make a very good wine, so I’m thinking of making a fortified wine with some additional fruit macerated spirit (sugar wash) and blending with the wine.

I know nothing about making wines, so this thread is my inspiration. Thanks all.
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Ben »

I too love white wine kits. The hard work is done, you get to focus on fermentation process and affinage.
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Demy
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Demy »

still_stirrin wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 9:14 am This thread caught my eye. I’ve made 1000s of gallons of beer, but never wine.

But a week ago, I was given 8 gallons of fruit juice (commercially packed) and expired, so it couldn’t be sold. I made up a quick yeast starter and put it into a couple of carboys. It’s fermenting away at the moment.

The juice is apple and cran-raspberry. Neither will make a very good wine, so I’m thinking of making a fortified wine with some additional fruit macerated spirit (sugar wash) and blending with the wine.

I know nothing about making wines, so this thread is my inspiration. Thanks all.
ss
Apple juice produces a good cider (or hard cider as it is called in those parts), if bottled sparkling it is very similar to a sparkling wine.
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Demy
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Demy »

Stonecutter wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:12 am
Demy wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:54 am :lol: I make wine with grapes...I know well that in some parts of the world those kits are used and I respect it... only that I look at them with suspicion (as an Italian)... you never know exactly what they are made with.
:lol:
My family is Italian and I understand this statement completely. :thumbup:
I understand.... I'm always afraid of offending someone with my comments but I understand those who use these kits... where I come from they say "you do what you can"
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Re: First wine kit

Post by Stonecutter »

Demy wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 12:11 pm
Stonecutter wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:12 am
Demy wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:54 am :lol: I make wine with grapes...I know well that in some parts of the world those kits are used and I respect it... only that I look at them with suspicion (as an Italian)... you never know exactly what they are made with.
:lol:
My family is Italian and I understand this statement completely. :thumbup:
I understand.... I'm always afraid of offending someone with my comments but I understand those who use these kits... where I come from they say "you do what you can"
Oh heck it ain’t nothing. Offending someone?!? Not me never. Of course I never lose my temper or get offended either :twisted:
You said it Demy. You do what you can.

I’ve used those wine kits a couple times myself. Purely for a cheater Brandy. I actually just pulled and proofed a gallon barrel and it’s buttery and delicious. A fine drop. Good on ya PUGIDOGS
Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
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PUGIDOGS
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Re: First wine kit

Post by PUGIDOGS »

First for me as well guys, I’ve made all grain beer and of course about anything that can come off a still but wine is a whole different beast. Wife is a wine drinker and thinks getting 5 or so gallons in one shot is awesome. Pretty sure this batch is not going to get any aging 😂. Maybe some future batches will.
Last edited by PUGIDOGS on Tue Dec 27, 2022 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: First wine kit

Post by jonnys_spirit »

PUGIDOGS wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 1:33 pm First for me as well guys, I’ve made all grain beer and of course about anything that can come off a still buy wine is a whole different beast. Wife is a wine drinker and thinks getting 5 or so gallons in one shot is awesome. Pretty sure this batch is not going to get any aging 😂. Maybe some future batches will.
I'm pretty sure they (we) say the same about the ever dwindling wine stock as we (they) do about the ever dwindling likker stock... Make more!

lol!

Cheers,
j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
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