1st time

[Demus]

Hi,
I'm sorry if this has been asked 1000 times already but there's no sticky or beginners section on here like other forums. I'm an experienced beer brewer and looking to try a wine kit. My wife and I enjoy Malbecs. Anyone care to walk me through the process and point me toward a decent kit that won't break the bank?
Thanks!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Demus,
What you need to look for in a kit is the amount of must (grape juice) in liters, the more must, the less water you'll have to add, for example, most kits are designed to make 23 liters of finished product, the lower end kits will have 10 liters or so of must, you will have to add more than half of the volume in water to bring it to the correct amount.
The lower end kits are usually just that...low end, flabby, weak wine, you can buy a mid range kit and make a better product. Just be ready to age the wine much longer than the kit instructions say to, you can bottle a wine after 4 weeks, but it will taste young,acidic, possible bitter and so on, like most reds, you need to age it 6 months to a year at the least, plus, I can taste the funky kit taste in every kit wine that I've tasted, I've made several of the top of the line Eclipse kits, although others have said that they are ok, I just can't get past the kit taste, even after 2 years of aging.

If I could make a suggestion, I'd purchase a Malbec juice bucket and make a better wine, it is a bit more work, kits are balanced by the manufacturer, they come with a step by step instruction with everything you'll need to add included, with the juice buckets, you will decide what you'll add, and when; this is a great step towards making wine from fresh grapes, and to be honest, the cost isn't too far apart, I purchased enough Malbec grapes to make a 6 gal carboy and spent $129.00, the high end Eclipse kits cost over $150.00 -$175.00.
I'd be happy to walk you through the process.
Tom

 

[DoctorCAD]

Williams Brewing makes a great Malbec kit. It only comes with the most basic stuff (including instructions) but it is easy and makes good wine.

If you brew beer, you already know of Williams and you probably have the 5 gallon carboy needed for their kits. Oh, and they are about half the cost of any other "good" kit.

 

[Demus]

Thanks guys. Can you walk me through a "brew day"?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Absolutely, I'd be happy to help, let me know when you plan on starting the wine and which type (Kit, juice bucket or fresh grapes) that you have decided on.
Shoot me a PM if you want to.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Typical brew day is clean equipment...sanitize equipment...mix must...pitch yeast.

Anything more detailed will have to wait until you decide on a type of wine.

P.S. Wine is soooooooooo much easier than beer.

 

[fuelish]

P.S. Wine is soooooooooo much easier than beer.

Other than the inevitable long wait to declare it ready to drink Not a winemaker here, but a meadmaker, close enough- same deal....I figure there are so many great beers readily available nowadays, I 'll just buy what I'm in the mood for...meads are my thang

 

[Texconsinite]

I have never tried a wine kit, but I learned the process by making Skeeter Pee, after just brewing beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[PJoyce85]

Demus,
What you need to look for in a kit is the amount of must (grape juice) in liters, the more must, the less water you'll have to add, for example, most kits are designed to make 23 liters of finished product, the lower end kits will have 10 liters or so of must, you will have to add more than half of the volume in water to bring it to the correct amount.
The lower end kits are usually just that...low end, flabby, weak wine, you can buy a mid range kit and make a better product. Just be ready to age the wine much longer than the kit instructions say to, you can bottle a wine after 4 weeks, but it will taste young,acidic, possible bitter and so on, like most reds, you need to age it 6 months to a year at the least, plus, I can taste the funky kit taste in every kit wine that I've tasted, I've made several of the top of the line Eclipse kits, although others have said that they are ok, I just can't get past the kit taste, even after 2 years of aging.

If I could make a suggestion, I'd purchase a Malbec juice bucket and make a better wine, it is a bit more work, kits are balanced by the manufacturer, they come with a step by step instruction with everything you'll need to add included, with the juice buckets, you will decide what you'll add, and when; this is a great step towards making wine from fresh grapes, and to be honest, the cost isn't too far apart, I purchased enough Malbec grapes to make a 6 gal carboy and spent $129.00, the high end Eclipse kits cost over $150.00 -$175.00.
I'd be happy to walk you through the process.
Tom

I'm in the same boat, too. I want to try a wine kit but have a question. What would produce a better wine? A kit with 12 liters of juice with a grape skin pack or a kit with 16 liters of juice with no grape skins?

 

[Cyclman]

I'm in the same boat, too. I want to try a wine kit but have a question. What would produce a better wine? A kit with 12 liters of juice with a grape skin pack or a kit with 16 liters of juice with no grape skins?

I always try to get kits with skins, the ones I have made thus far with skins have all been fantastic.

 

[Demus]

Who makes a good Malbec kit with skins? How hard is the de-gassing step?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[firstime]

Demus,
What you need to look for in a kit is the amount of must (grape juice) in liters, the more must, the less water you'll have to add, for example, most kits are designed to make 23 liters of finished product, the lower end kits will have 10 liters or so of must, you will have to add more than half of the volume in water to bring it to the correct amount.
The lower end kits are usually just that...low end, flabby, weak wine, you can buy a mid range kit and make a better product. Just be ready to age the wine much longer than the kit instructions say to, you can bottle a wine after 4 weeks, but it will taste young,acidic, possible bitter and so on, like most reds, you need to age it 6 months to a year at the least, plus, I can taste the funky kit taste in every kit wine that I've tasted, I've made several of the top of the line Eclipse kits, although others have said that they are ok, I just can't get past the kit taste, even after 2 years of aging.

If I could make a suggestion, I'd purchase a Malbec juice bucket and make a better wine, it is a bit more work, kits are balanced by the manufacturer, they come with a step by step instruction with everything you'll need to add included, with the juice buckets, you will decide what you'll add, and when; this is a great step towards making wine from fresh grapes, and to be honest, the cost isn't too far apart, I purchased enough Malbec grapes to make a 6 gal carboy and spent $129.00, the high end Eclipse kits cost over $150.00 -$175.00.
I'd be happy to walk you through the process.
Tom

Tom. I'm making my second kit and going to start my third. Each high end En Primeur and eclipse reds. I am definitely interested in making the wine from a bucket. How do we figure out the formula. Where can we get great grapes. Etc.