Has anyone used AHS wine kits?

Specifically the Island Mist kits?
I buy pretty much all of my beer ingredients there already, so it would be convenient to say the least. But I really know very little (read nothing) about wine making. I am hoping for a kit that is stupid simple to just get my feet wet.

AHS does not make the kits, they just sell them.

The Island Mist kits are easy, just follow the directions.

Most wine kits are the same, primary ferment for 7 - 10 days, rack, secondary ferment for 14 - 21 days, rack and stabilize, sit 7 - 10 days, bottle. 30 - 42 days generally.

As you get used to it, you could then start experimenting (longer sitting times is the first thing to do, adding more flavorings comes next) but wait until after you have a few under your belt to "tweak".

I'm not a huge fan of those wines- but because they aren't good kits, just because I'm not one for sweeter wines. My best friend loves them, though, and she makes them several times a year. Her favorite is the Citrus Mango Symphony (or something like that) but the one I liked the best that she made was Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc.

They are easy, and following the directions is the only thing you have to do. You need siphoning gear, a corker (if corking), and a 6 gallon carboy in addition to an "ale pail".

I've done other kits from AHS- I ordered a wonderful Cellar Craft kit from. The great thing about wine kits is following the directions gives a great product!

I haven't done the Island Mist kits, but I have done two other winexpert kits now. Compared to beer, it's stupid easy. Plus, unlike many beer kits, the instructions are actually pretty good. If you do a wine that needs to be aged, I was told to add some more campden, k-meta, or sulfates, but I believe the Island Mist line is meant to be drunk quite young.

I've been pleasantly surprised by how good the wine kit wine is. I don't understand the economics of it, but even at just a couple months of age the wine I've made is already really quite decent.

I am getting pretty comfortable with partial mash beer and I have a ton of equipment. Plus my sister is getting into it a little with me and she said she has always wanted to make a strawberry wine. If the only real knock is the kits are sweeter than you prefer, then it will probably be right up her ally. I like the easy kit for a couple batches and then start mixing it up a bit. That's what I did with beer. At least that way I know my process is right.
I only have 5 gallon carboys, so could rack to a 5 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon growler? Or are there 5 gallon kits available?

you should be good. But it would be a LOT easier if you got a 7.5 gallon ale pale and a 6 gallon carboy. The first kit I did was a spagnols vino del vida Shiraz (about $60). I put it all in my 6.5 gallon ale pale and it was a little disturbing having bright red juice within an inch of the top...escpecially when it started fermenting. It worked but I got a 7.5 gallon pale for piece of mind on the next one. As far as the 5 gallon and 1 gallon goes, you are supposed to rack it from your ale pale to the 6 gallon carboy. When you do this you mix K meta and maybe sorbate with it and possibly some clearing agents and then degas the wine. So you would probably have to do all this into another bucket to get everything mixed well and the put it into the 5 gallon and 1 gallon. Or I guess you could eye ball and only put 5/6 and 1/6 of each ingredient per container. good luck. The Shiraz I did is still aging but tastes pretty good last time I tried it.

Oh I see. It is more than just raking. I'm not sure how much wine I'll do, so I don't want to buy any extra equipment just yet. Are all kits 6 gallon yields? Are there any 3 to 5 gallon kits out there?
Thanks.

cwaite37 said:

Oh I see. It is more than just raking. I'm not sure how much wine I'll do, so I don't want to buy any extra equipment just yet. Are all kits 6 gallon yields? Are there any 3 to 5 gallon kits out there?
Thanks.

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There are a couple of expensive "port" or "ice wine" kits that make three gallons. The rest of the kits are all 6 gallons. You can do a 5 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon jug, but it makes it very hard for degassing and adding finings.

A 6.5 gallon carboy is ok for primary, but you need a 6 gallon carboy for secondary really.

I know I'm just being difficult now. What about splitting one batch into 2 carboys? Both to ferment and then secondary? That would make the math for additions much easier to manage. Is headspace a problem? I have way too many 5 gallon carboys. I bought a guy out and unfortounatly he had all 5 gallons and no 6.5s.

Thanks for the help. (and putting up with questions like this)

How would you go about carbonating one of these? Same as beer? A sweeter, fruity wine with bubbles sounds great as a summer beverage.

Also, couldn't you always just use a smidge less water, to make 5.5 gallons? It would just make the wine a little more alcoholic, right?

I would have to cut more than a smidge to get it to fit into a 5 gallon carboy.

I just ordered one of the 7.9G fermenters when I ordered one of the island mist kits. My wife seems to enjoy the wine.

jbrookeiv said:

How would you go about carbonating one of these? Same as beer? A sweeter, fruity wine with bubbles sounds great as a summer beverage.

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You can't bottle carbonate these. It has sorbate added before the F-pack (sweetening pack) as to not cause bottle bombs.

You could force carbonate with a kegging set up of course.

cwaite37 said:

I know I'm just being difficult now. What about splitting one batch into 2 carboys? Both to ferment and then secondary? That would make the math for additions much easier to manage. Is headspace a problem? I have way too many 5 gallon carboys. I bought a guy out and unfortounatly he had all 5 gallons and no 6.5s.

Thanks for the help. (and putting up with questions like this)

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Yeah, if you have 2 3- gallon carboys you could do that.

You have to divide the packages evenly- both the stabilizing packages and the F-pack (the sweetening pack)- but if you have the wine split exactly in half it's not too difficult.

I'd just get a 6 gallon carboy, if it was me. You need a 6 gallon, not a 6.5 gallon carboy, for secondary.

On the kits - Island Mist, I happen to like the sweet wine, so these are ok to/for me. Again, if you don't like sweet don't do them if you do, give one a try.

Fermenting - I'd be nervous in a 6.5 gal carboy only because of rises, but if others say it works, that's great.

For taking out 1gallon of water - the kit is designed for 6 gal. If you go different you will not get what you bought. Higher sugar concentration changes how things ferment. The OG and FG's listed won't be right, etc, etc.

Using a 6.5 gal to secondary - isn't recomended because you want very little head space while clarifying. HOWEVER you could do what is called topping off. You take a wine that is similar (exact if you already made this kit) and put a bottle or two on top of the carboy to fill the space.

(Insert evil laugh) I found a one of the bottles that I put Apple Pie in. I thought I gave all of those away.....
Anyway it is about 1.1 gallons to the bottom of the neck. Using a scale to make the proper additions in the secondary (5/6 and 1/6) and using a 6.5 gallon Ale Pale for the primary (I know it's close, but people say it works) is there any other part of the process that you think may be problematic? After fermentation the entire volume would be homogeneous, correct? I wouldn't get a different product in the carboy as I would in the 1 gallon jug?

Seriously, thanks for everyone's input.

I'm sure what you end up with will be drinkable, but there may be differences in the tatse of each of each batch. But I tink you will have much more success if you went ahead and got you a 6 gallon carboy. When you see how easy wine is tom make your going to want to be making more of it for your lady. If your absolutely convinced the wine production is going to be low you can always nake six gallon batches of beer to justify your purchase.

Beer from a six gallon batch tastes good too!

One thing I would stress is that I would get one 6 gallon carboy. Better bottles are only $25.

But I understand not wanting to keep buying a bunch of stuff. If thats the case, I say go for it. You should be fine. After you add the finings and let it sit and clear, you usually rack again to a clean carboy. At this point, you could rack both 1g and 5 gal into the ale pale to get yourself a consistent flavor. Then, clean the carboys, and rack back into them.

A slightly different question now. I was reading about wine making last night. One thing that struck me was the instructions I was reading said to hold the end of the racking tubing up so the wine splashes while you rack. Is this right? Is O2 not an issue with wine?
I'm trying to find where I read that......

splash racking as they call it helps get the trapped CO2 out of the wine so that it is not carbonated. You also have to degas it or age it for a LONG time to get out the CO2. It doesn't really matter how you get the CO2 out, just that you do. When you add the Kmeta, I believe it helps protect it from O2. However O2 still can damage it, but I think you are ok as long as it is not exposed for a long time.

captainL said:

splash racking as they call it helps get the trapped CO2 out of the wine so that it is not carbonated. You also have to degas it or age it for a LONG time to get out the CO2. It doesn't really matter how you get the CO2 out, just that you do. When you add the Kmeta, I believe it helps protect it from O2. However O2 still can damage it, but I think you are ok as long as it is not exposed for a long time.

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So oxidation isn't the same problem in wine as it is beer? Neat, thanks for the info.

Also the 3 kits I did said 'rack at 1.005' and then 'fiddle* with more at about .990' (*=degas, add f-pack and a few other steps I've probably forgotten). So there is a bit more fermenting and possible O2 burning...

ChandlerBang said:

So oxidation isn't the same problem in wine as it is beer? Neat, thanks for the info.

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Its not the exact same problem, but still a problem.
I'm new at this so maybe someone else can chime in, but O2 is still something to avoid as much as possible. Either wine can stand up better against it, or the chems help, or beer people are over paranoid about a little O2. Go check out www.winemakingtalk.com for some more experienced wine advice than mine.

Why not buy a six gallon Better Bottle for less than thirty bucks. Once you see how easy wine is you'll probably want to make more. You could do your primary fermentation in a bucket, rack to the six gallon carboy for a couple months, then rack to a five gallon carboy for bulk aging. The left overs when racking to five gallon carboy could be bottled in 12 ounce beer bottles for testing and early enjoyment purposes.

But as for the ease of kits they are all drop-dead simple. Just follow the instructions and use reasonable sanitary practices and you should get great results.

I'm glad you brought this thread back up. I recently bought a bunch of random beer equipment off craigslist. It included a 6 gallon carboy.