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tjbechtel

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I have been brewing beer now for a little over a year. Started with extract kits and upgraded to all-grain. I upgraded my equipment and now have the equipment to start doing wine. I have yet to attempt my first batch of wine. I am looking for something my wife can enjoy as much as I enjoy my beer. She really likes a riesling or white zin. I am looking for a good (economical) first batch of wine to get her hooked and interested in my newest hobby. I need some advice on where and what to start with.
 
For the ease of use I recommend starting with a wine kit that has at least 15 liters of juice. I have found that the cost difference between an average and a top of the line kit amounts to about a dollar or two a bottle, so you still end up paying about 4 bucks a bottle, which is cheaper than anything you can buy that is drinkable--except maybe Two Buck Chuck (which I see is more than 2 bucks nowadays)

You are going to put the same amount of time into a cheap kit as you do a premium kit, so for the price I go for it. There are some top notch blended whites available with the juice from premier wine growing regions. I just bottled a chardonnay/semillion/savaugion blanc with grapes from Washington, California and Australia.

Getting into grape crushing and the whole bit must wait until harvest, but making fruit wines with whatever is in season can be fun too.
 
Thanks Robert! I pay anywhere from $10-$15 a bottle for her now. So maybe if I show her the savings I can get her on board even more! Especially if I can make wine better than what she is getting at the store :D
 
Thanks Robert! I pay anywhere from $10-$15 a bottle for her now. So maybe if I show her the savings I can get her on board even more! Especially if I can make wine better than what she is getting at the store :D

I started making wine when I figured out I was spending $3000 a year keeping my dear wife supplied with wine that met her exacting standards! She is very impressed with the quality we get from a good wine kit.

She also thinks it's fun to help make it, bottle it, sample it, etc.
 
You already know how to make beer, which means you know how to keep things clean, know yeast are alive and know how to rack and bottle. Dont be hesitant to jump right in and get the best kit you can, you already have enough skills to do it very well. I suggest getting the Dec 2012 Winemaker mag (Cant find my copy to give you a list) or go to http://www.winemakermag.com/ webpage and looking up their top 100 kit list and starting there, it gives a wine range of possibilities.

WVMJ

I have been brewing beer now for a little over a year. Started with extract kits and upgraded to all-grain. I upgraded my equipment and now have the equipment to start doing wine. I have yet to attempt my first batch of wine. I am looking for something my wife can enjoy as much as I enjoy my beer. She really likes a riesling or white zin. I am looking for a good (economical) first batch of wine to get her hooked and interested in my newest hobby. I need some advice on where and what to start with.
 
Good advice...I am going to get a kit and start next week!!

The kits I use make 23 L so be prepared for that.

Unlike the instructions on beer kits, which I enjoy violating, I've found that the closer I follow wine kit instructions the better I do. One exception: I like to give the wines 3 to 6 months to age whereas the kits say you can do it in 8 weeks. You can, but bulk aging in a big carboy (24.5 L) is an improvement in my opinion.
 
The kits I use make 23 L so be prepared for that.

Unlike the instructions on beer kits, which I enjoy violating, I've found that the closer I follow wine kit instructions the better I do. One exception: I like to give the wines 3 to 6 months to age whereas the kits say you can do it in 8 weeks. You can, but bulk aging in a big carboy (24.5 L) is an improvement in my opinion.

Yep, follow the instructions as close as you can except don't bottle for 6 months. That solves a whole lot of issues that beginners have (gas, sediment, "kit taste" etc.).
 
If you guys dont follow the beermaking instructions carefully why are you so compulsive with wine kits? Do follow the basic instructions, but I always like to add something extra, otherwise you are just making what everyone else is making. Some dried elderberries or black currant raisins, a bottle of Lonza peach nectar, anything to add a little something extra that makes it yours instead of just another batch of the same wine everyone else can make. WVMJ
 
If you guys dont follow the beermaking instructions carefully why are you so compulsive with wine kits? Do follow the basic instructions, but I always like to add something extra, otherwise you are just making what everyone else is making. Some dried elderberries or black currant raisins, a bottle of Lonza peach nectar, anything to add a little something extra that makes it yours instead of just another batch of the same wine everyone else can make. WVMJ

I like to experiement around with the beer kits because I find that their flavor can be uninteresting and one-dimensional. I usually add steeped grains, or a micro-mash, additional DME, flavor hops, or maybe some spices. The point for me with the beer kit is to get the brewing done in an hour or less.

With the wine kits, particularly the top end ones, the juice is typically flavor balanced, acid balanced and sugar balanced very well right out of the package. And at $140 or so a batch, I'm less inclined to be experimental. The prep time is already less than 20 minutes.

I do make 1 to 3 gallon batches of fruit wines, ciders, meads, etc. where I can get creative, although those can get expensive too depending on the ingredients (like $16 a pound for heather honey)
 
Put my first batch on tonight! I added 5 lbs of sugar due to the low level of ABV! Made the wife help me! Hopefully once she tries it she will be hooked :) thanks for the insight!
 
tjbechtel said:
Put my first batch on tonight! I added 5 lbs of sugar due to the low level of ABV! Made the wife help me! Hopefully once she tries it she will be hooked :) thanks for the insight!

Where was the ABV before you added sugar?
 
What kind of wine kit did you use? Because the ones I am familiar with use no added sugar. If you add the correct amount of water to white wine kits they should come in at about 18-20 brix (OG 72 - 80)

What did the instructions say about how much water to add?
 
It was a island mist kit and it said to fill up the remainder of the 6 gallons with water didn't give a specific measurement
 
It was a island mist kit and it said to fill up the remainder of the 6 gallons with water didn't give a specific measurement

So an Island Mist kit contains 7.5 L of juice. The instructions say put 2 L of hot water in the primary and stir in the bentonite. Then you pour in the 7.5 L, put 4 L of warm water in the bag, rinse it out and pour that into the fermenter. So now you have 13.5 L of water and juice in the fermenter. The kit makes 23 L so you must add another 9.5 L of water to top up the fermenter to 23 L.

If you did that, you should have had a starting gravity of 48 to 52 points at 72-75 F. If it finishes slightly below 00 the way the instructions say, that would give you an ABV of 6.7%. In other words, it's kind of like a wine cooler.

Adding 5 pounds of sugar should give you an OG around 57 and an ABV of around 7.6%. If that's what you wanted, I'd give it plenty of time to age. Having never done the Island Mist kits I can't say how they age out, but it might be a bit "hot" alcohol-wise.
 
RobertRGeorge said:
So an Island Mist kit contains 7.5 L of juice. The instructions say put 2 L of hot water in the primary and stir in the bentonite. Then you pour in the 7.5 L, put 4 L of warm water in the bag, rinse it out and pour that into the fermenter. So now you have 13.5 L of water and juice in the fermenter. The kit makes 23 L so you must add another 9.5 L of water to top up the fermenter to 23 L.

If you did that, you should have had a starting gravity of 48 to 52 points at 72-75 F. If it finishes slightly below 00 the way the instructions say, that would give you an ABV of 6.7%. In other words, it's kind of like a wine cooler.

Adding 5 pounds of sugar should give you an OG around 57 and an ABV of around 7.6%. If that's what you wanted, I'd give it plenty of time to age. Having never done the Island Mist kits I can't say how they age out, but it might be a bit "hot" alcohol-wise.

I have nothing but time with this, I will monitor with my hydrometer and hope for the best :)
 
OK, I hope your wife is patient too. I'm just guessing, but I reckon your wine will be at its best some time around Earth Day! An auspicious indulgence! Time to get a batch going for Memorial Day weekend?
 
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