First Wine Kit

[mashdar]

I'm embarking on a first wine kit. edit: it's a VineCo "Signature Series Merlot"

It came with a bunch of additives.

• Bentonite - on the fence. Does it have yeast nutrients?
• Chitosan - Not really keen on using.
• Kieselsol - Less averse than chitosan, but leaning toward not using.
• sulfite/sorbate mix - thinking I'll add my own sulfite, skip sorbate
• oak - per instructions
• skins - per recipe

Let me know if any of this is dumb. I'm thinking:

1. Starsan etc per beer SOP
2. Pitch/top off with oak chips and bentonite into sealed fermenter
3. Possibly shake to punch down skins? Or open and poke with poker.
4. Maybe add whirlfloc after a while?? On fence.
5. Wait for terminal, add sulfites, closed transfer to sealed purged keg with oak cubes
6. Wait a while, closed transfer to empty sealed purged keg
7. Refrigerated for a few weeks
8. Transfer to sealed purged keg, keep refrigerated
9. Purge headspace periodically with N2 to naturally degass(?), store refrigerated for a few months
10. transfer one last time, let warm, add sulfites and bottle
11. Age in bottle for a few more months at room temp

One bonus question: Instructions say to "press juice out of skins". They'll be in a muslin sock. Weighing options. Tumbler in a pot?

I'm assuming some of this is terrible, lol

 

[DuncB]

I use starsan to sanitise.

Bentonite is clay. I find sanitised pet bottle say a litre, half full warm water then half bentonite via funnel.
Lid and shake until well mixed. Add to the juice and water in fermenter and stir. Repeat for rest.
Oak chips as instructed.
Skins as instructed.
No need for whirlfloc at all.
Finish ferment and decant off lees.
Add sulphite and stir no degas. No need N2.
I use the kieselol as instructed and chitosan, otherwise wait for it to clear if not using.
Bottle it with or without sulphite as per your choice.
Keep time is your choice.

 

[mashdar]

Add sulphite and stir no degas. No need N2.

Do you mean no-stir?

If I have it in a keg with CO2 in headspace, I was thinking ideal CO2 levels might be below solubility at 1ATM, particularly if I'm refrigerating it. But I have no idea.

 

[whoaru99]

I have not used Bentonite in any of my (four??) batches so far.

At the end I used the K/C as instructed for clearing. Every batch complete thus far has been crystal clear.

I added k meta and k sorbate after I transferred off lees to secondary where it will sit for a while. Then I will degas and add the K/C finings for final clarifiying before kegging and bottling. I use N2 in the keg for positive pressure, but next time around I may get argon tank instead.

 

[DuncB]

Do you mean no-stir?

If I have it in a keg with CO2 in headspace, I was thinking ideal CO2 levels might be below solubility at 1ATM, particularly if I'm refrigerating it. But I have no idea.

That was a typo,
Should have said
"Add sulphite and stir TO degas. No need N2."

 

[mashdar]

I mixed up the kit and included bentonite. Problems thus far:

• Included sock for skins did not fit well into all rounder. Messy.
• I left floating dip tube loose after last cleaning. Fell off while shaking. Oops! Hopefully Trong's grabber tool will save me tomorrow.

 

[DuncB]

Will note your ( skins ) issue if I have these in any kits.

 

[mashdar]

Will note your ( skins ) issue if I have these in any kits.

I'm thinking I may try to use the all-rounder threaded ring over top of the sock next time, so the sock is already in as I fill it. Slight risk it will work loose or something, but seems like it should work if the threads can handle the gap.

 

[DuncB]

You could use 2 bags with less in!
Clean up the one from this kit and save for the next.

 

[mashdar]

It occurs to me that ferm gas purge is much more complicated with wine if opening to punch down skins...

 

[BRbarfanTimmy]

While this is not true of every kit, the instructions can be followed with the exception of time which varies by conditions. I've made dozens of wines from kits and generally follow their process. Yes to Starsan for all sanitizing. Bentonite, grape juice, oak(if included), skins (if included), and yeast into primary. No need to punch down skins. I generally leave in primary for four weeks or more. Tongs work pretty well for pressing the skins and I use a fine mesh colander over the primary bucket. All sanitized. Rack to secondary (carboys) and add clarifiers and sulfites and de-gas with drill tool. No need to refrigerate not sure where that is coming from. Bottle when clear and occasionally rack again if there is a lot of sediment. I also turn the carboys each week gently to allow sediment from the sides to fall to the bottom. Secondary total 4-8 weeks then bottle. As for aging I like to try one bottle right away and then leave to age. I'm not this patient, but most advice I've seen has reds aging for 12 months or more.

 

[mashdar]

Refrigeration would essentially be lagering in lieu of time and/or clarifiers. 3 months at 38F does wonders to beer, anyway.

Re punching down skins, isn't the concern that they could mold?

 

[BRbarfanTimmy]

Refrigeration would essentially be lagering in lieu of time and/or clarifiers. 3 months at 38F does wonders to beer, anyway.

Re punching down skins, isn't the concern that they could mold?

I have never heard of wine being matured at that low of a temperature but who knows. Someone with more experience would need to chime in on any postive or negative affects. I know whites mature better at cellar temps and reds a bit warmer, but most people I speak with just go with the flow/seasons. My basement is generally in the high 60s and I only make wine and ales, not lagers. My gut tells me that at very low temperatures the maturation process will just take a lot longer. I have always used the included clarifiers so I can't speak to maturing without them.
As for the skins, They should be in a sterile pouch when you get the kit. I soak the bag in starsan and sanitize the pouch and scissors and then add to the bucket. When I move to secondary the skins are usually submerged. If you are sanitizing religiously you will minimize mold potential.

 

[mashdar]

Re the skins, right now the yeast and oak "chips" (aka splinters) are kraussening so hard I can't see the skins bag. So I guess I'll leave it another day. It'll probably have dumped a few hundred liters of CO2 through the keg by then!

 

[mashdar]

Oh, a couple more goofs/findings:

• I took "6 gallons" at it's word. OG 1.081. ~11% ABV. Oops. Wish I had measured SG at 5 gallons. 12.5-13% would have been nice.
• I should have pre-chilled the concentrate. With ~ 2qt heated for the bentonite, pitch was probably 85F to 90F.
• I used the included EC-1118, but will likely branch out next time.
• Secondary gets oak cubes. Mulling how to purge that keg. Maybe after filling I'll run CO2 through the head space. The ferm gas keg will be tertiary, for aging, degassing, and further settling.

Also, FWIW, the kraussen dropped an hour after I mentioned it. The oak floated for a day or two, but the yeast raft was probably only 12 hours. Skins bag seems to slowly bloat and float. I'll keep punching it out of paranoia. I'm using Trong's HOOKit tubing grabber through the threaded ball lock port on the all rounder. Might be too short for a 5 gallon batch, but reaches 6 gallons.

 

[DuncB]

If you transfer off the yeast into secondary and then degas it the CO2 is there for you, so no need to purge the headspace.

 

[mashdar]

If you transfer off the yeast into secondary and then degas it the CO2 is there for you, so no need to purge the headspace.

Yeah, that's where I'm leaning.

 

[mashdar]

Minor update in case it ever is useful to anyone.

At day 10, wine gravity was down from 1.081 to 1.001.
At day 12, wine gravity was down to 0.995.

Looks like I need to go past 14 days to observe FG.

 

[mashdar]

Day 14 still 0.995. Strong green pepper notes. Google says it's pyrazines. Will this age out? Hopefully it's like beer, and I can't judge it before it's even left the fermenter.

(I don't care for some NZ Sauvignon blancs that go overboard on this flavor. The kit is a merlot.)