First timer help

[cjgenever]

I'm an experienced brewer, but I've never made wine. I received a vino brand kit this Christmas but I really have little idea what to do with it. The instructions with it are on a single small sheet and are very vague. It mentions sugar additions with no numbers. It mentions og with a vague reference to the range of wine og's in general. It's all completely useless.

Is there a how to brew for wine? I'm not looking for any handholding, just need some comprehensive documents to learn from.

 

[Yooper]

I'm an experienced brewer, but I've never made wine. I received a vino brand kit this Christmas but I really have little idea what to do with it. The instructions with it are on a single small sheet and are very vague. It mentions sugar additions with no numbers. It mentions og with a vague reference to the range of wine og's in general. It's all completely useless.

Is there a how to brew for wine? I'm not looking for any handholding, just need some comprehensive documents to learn from.

Hmmm, not really a good "how to brew" for wine, since it really depends on the kit, but I love this site for basic winemaking (and later, advanced winemaking): http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/basics.asp

I'm not familiar with the vino kits, but if you type out what it says I'm sure I can help out.

 

[cjgenever]

I thought Yooper might pipe up here. You're always a help, thanks! The instructions are super vague and definitely not for a specific kit. I'm sure it is just something they put in every box they send out. I'll check out the link.

Fwiw... I did find a document called the winebook. It has some helpful info. I'll find the link and put it in the first post for future searchers.

 

[doink0662]

Howdy......would like details of what wine you're making.....yeast type? Type of juice? Sugar?

 

[bernardsmith]

I'm an experienced brewer, but I've never made wine. I received a vino brand kit this Christmas but I really have little idea what to do with it. The instructions with it are on a single small sheet and are very vague. It mentions sugar additions with no numbers. It mentions og with a vague reference to the range of wine og's in general. It's all completely useless.

Is there a how to brew for wine? I'm not looking for any handholding, just need some comprehensive documents to learn from.

Is this something like what the generic instructions look like?
http://www.piwine.com/media/product-manuals/Vino-Del-Vida-Wine-Kit-Instructions.pdf

Never made a kit before but I would assume that you don't add anything except what is in the kit and the starting gravity is determined by the kit manufacturers (and the wines are going to have an ABV of between about 9 and 12% )- so one varietal will be at a specified starting gravity and a different varietal will be at another. Your task is to shepherd the process until it reaches the various stages in the process where you need to act.
Again, never having made wine from a kit I cannot be certain but I would be a little skeptical that the manufacturer is asking you to add sugar at any point in the fermentation process (presumably grapes contain enough of their own sugars to make the wine appropriate for that varietal or blend, but sweetener may be added as what is called an f-pac (flavor pac) to back sweeten and increase the intensity of the flavor. But I believe f-pacs are already prepared if they are included.