Making wine from kits

[h22lude]

I'm not looking to get too much into wine making. I just want to try it with my brewing equipment for fun.

I think I'm just going to get one of the cheap Vintners Reserve kits (probably Cab Sauv). I'm not looking to make great $25 bottle at the store wine. I just want it to taste good enough to pass for one of the cheaper $5 bottles.

Will following the instructions be ok or is there anything else people would recommend?

 

[Dicky]

I've heard people say yes, I've head some people say no.

I say, they've come up with the instructions using a great deal of experience and know how.
If you're pretty new to it all, i would say follow the instructions.

Dicky!

 

[DoctorCAD]

Follow the recipe, just like cooking anything else that is factory packaged.

 

[Texron]

I have made quite a few kits and pretty much follow the instructions with the exception I bulk age in a better bottle for at least 8-10 months before I bottle it. I, and my friends, have been very happy with the results. The wine is good. One thing I have found is the more expensive the kit, or basically the better the grape juice in the kit the better your wine will be. I doesn't take any more work, and not a whole lot more money to make the better kits and the results are very much well worth it.

 

[strumke]

Texron, any recommendations on red kits to buy? I'm thinking something like a red zin

 

[Yooper]

For kits, following the directions exactly makes the best product. I've done more than a few of each prize range- from $50 kits up to $175 kits- and they have all given me exactly what was advertised.

The better kits have more juice, and less concentrate, and come with grape skins to ferment on. The less expensive wine kits (Winexpert) come with less juice and more concentrate, and give a decent table wine similar to a $5-7 bottle of commercial wine. It's not complex or anything, but it's very drinkable and good within about 60 days.

 

[kc_in_wv]

I have never done a kit. Just one thing I have never seen on here is water. If you add water to any drink the finished quality of the drink is based upon the quality of the water.

 

[h22lude]

For kits, following the directions exactly makes the best product. I've done more than a few of each prize range- from $50 kits up to $175 kits- and they have all given me exactly what was advertised.

The better kits have more juice, and less concentrate, and come with grape skins to ferment on. The less expensive wine kits (Winexpert) come with less juice and more concentrate, and give a decent table wine similar to a $5-7 bottle of commercial wine. It's not complex or anything, but it's very drinkable and good within about 60 days.

That's all I'm really looking for. I just want to try making wine so I'm not looking to make anything over $60 for the kit.

I'll most likely buy the Vintner Reserve Cab Sauv kit and try it out. I'm having a few people save bottles for me so I don't have to buy them. I'll be following the kit instructions pretty much exactly. I'll let them condition in the bottles for at least 2 months before I drink them but I'll also save some to try months down the road.

Just something fun to try. I'm by no means a wine expert. I do like a good wine but I don't hate a cheaper bottle either

 

[samc]

I doesn't take any more work, and not a whole lot more money to make the better kits and the results are very much well worth it.

100% agree. It really is night and day difference, and if you do the math it really makes no sense to spend $60 to make a $5 bottle when for $120 you can make a $25 bottle. In addition you can give some as gifts and feel good that you are giving a wine that people will truly be thankful for.

Whatever you do have fun!

 

[Yooper]

100% agree. It really is night and day difference, and if you do the math it really makes no sense to spend $60 to make a $5 bottle when for $120 you can make a $25 bottle. In addition you can give some as gifts and feel good that you are giving a wine that people will truly be thankful for.

Whatever you do have fun!

I do both- make cheap kits for everyday drinking and make good kits for nice dinners and for special occasions. One of the best wines I've ever had in my life was a kit wine- it was a special edition release of a tannat/merlot blend. It's about 4 years old now and is fantastic.

The Vintner's Reserve kits are pretty good, for what they are. I've made more than a few- all reds. My favorite was a shiraz but I really liked the valpollicella kit as well.

 

[h22lude]

I do both- make cheap kits for everyday drinking and make good kits for nice dinners and for special occasions. One of the best wines I've ever had in my life was a kit wine- it was a special edition release of a tannat/merlot blend. It's about 4 years old now and is fantastic.

The Vintner's Reserve kits are pretty good, for what they are. I've made more than a few- all reds. My favorite was a shiraz but I really liked the valpollicella kit as well.

I basically want a cheap drinkable dinner wine that I don't mind having a few glasses with dinner every couple of nights. I typically wouldn't buy a $15 or $20 bottle of wine for that kind of drinking. If I'm having a nice dinner I would. But usually I'll just buy a two buck chuck or barefoot 3 for $15 deal.

Yooper, can I use my beer bucket to make this kit. I would assume as long as I used oxiclean to clean after my last beer fermenation and then clean it after the wine is done I can reuse them for both beer and wine. Or is it better to keep them separate?

 

[billtzk]

I'm not looking to get too much into wine making. I just want to try it with my brewing equipment for fun.

ha ha ha. That's what I said. Not looking to get too much into wine making... Now after making more than a dozen kits so far, I've come to accept that I really like wine making almost as much as brewing.

I think I'm just going to get one of the cheap Vintners Reserve kits (probably Cab Sauv). I'm not looking to make great $25 bottle at the store wine. I just want it to taste good enough to pass for one of the cheaper $5 bottles.

Vintner's Reserve is the lowest quality level I'll do. It's a good place to start. The Vintner's Reserve Spanish Tempranillo is one of my favorite wines to drink, and it is excellent for cooking too. But in general, I much prefer the high end kits.

Will following the instructions be ok or is there anything else people would recommend?

Just following the instructions is fine, but bulk aging in a carboy for a few weeks longer before bottling will help drop out more sediment and yield clearer wine. If you decide you really like wine making (and drinking, especially), you might want to get a filter at some point. I knew I was hooked when I plunked down the cash for the Buon Vino Superjet filter pump.

2.5 years after bottling, my Wine Expert 2008 Castellina Supertuscan di Siena is a lovely and delicious full-bodied wine that is now drinking very nicely. I wish I'd have made two kits of that.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, can I use my beer bucket to make this kit. I would assume as long as I used oxiclean to clean after my last beer fermenation and then clean it after the wine is done I can reuse them for both beer and wine. Or is it better to keep them separate?

You can use your ale pail, no problem and also your bottling bucket and stuff. But you need a 6 gallon carboy for sure to do a wine kit.

 

[Texron]

Another suggestion. Once you get your first kit in the bottle go ahead and start another kit. You will be amazed how quickly thirty bottles can "disappear when you have it on hand. Since its cheaper you be more eager to drink it more often and there is just nothing more satisfying than drinking a glass of wine made by your own hands.

 

[insocova]

I've been reading this site a lot, preparing for my first all grain brew. So thanks for all the great information and advice. Anyways, I figured I would post under a topic that I have a decent background on. I've done several batches of wine but have never made beer. Many of my batches of wine have been from separate ingredients but I have recently been making wine from kits. There is a noticeable difference in the quality of the box kits. Although the final products are all enjoyable to the average wine consumer. First off, I consider myself an average wine consumer. I have never been too interested in the values and qualities that define a wine like the so called 'wine snobs'. With that being said, I have enjoyed drinking every batch of wine I have created. You will be happy with whatever kit you buy. I started making wine because I remember reading a long time ago that good wine was easier to make than good beer. I have accomplished making good wine so I am now here to make good beer. My favorite kit is made by California Connoisseur. I just bottled some Riesling two weeks ago and the initial taste at bottling told me that I have something really good to look forward to in the future. Good luck!

 

[h22lude]

ha ha ha. That's what I said. Not looking to get too much into wine making... Now after making more than a dozen kits so far, I've come to accept that I really like wine making almost as much as brewing.

LOL yeah I have a feeling that might happen but I'm ok with it. Hey if I find I like wine making more than brewing, so be it...I just don't think that will happen. I like beer more than wine. But you never know.

Vintner's Reserve is the lowest quality level I'll do. It's a good place to start. The Vintner's Reserve Spanish Tempranillo is one of my favorite wines to drink, and it is excellent for cooking too. But in general, I much prefer the high end kits.

I figured I would be safe and start with a cheaper priced kit just in case I'm not good at it. I would love to make a $150 kit but I also don't want to buy it and find out I'm not good at making wine. I figured a $60 kit will be a good starting point. If I find I enjoyed wine making and I made a decent wine, then I might go up in quality of kits.

Just following the instructions is fine, but bulk aging in a carboy for a few weeks longer before bottling will help drop out more sediment and yield clearer wine. If you decide you really like wine making (and drinking, especially), you might want to get a filter at some point. I knew I was hooked when I plunked down the cash for the Buon Vino Superjet filter pump.

Bulk in primary or secondary? THe kit instructions say rack to secondary. I know most homebrewers have gone away from secondary. Is secondary something still done in wine making or keep in primary just like brewing?

I love gadgets and buying stuff for brewing. I started with a simple brewing kit and after my first batch was done I got into kegging and got a 10 gallon pot with a burner. I really hope I don't like wine making as much as I do brewing or I am going to go broke hahaha As it is, I'm reading like 6 brewing books, I have back ordered BYO magazine that I still need to read, podcasts to watch and listen to...I don't need wine making books to add to my list lol I hope I can stay with the cheaper kits and be happy with that.

You can use your ale pail, no problem and also your bottling bucket and stuff. But you need a 6 gallon carboy for sure to do a wine kit.

My buckets are marked up to 5 gallons but they will hold 6 gallons easily. I believe if I filled them to the top it would be 7 gallons. Would that work or should I go bigger?

 

[Yooper]

For wine, you must use a secondary. And you must have a 6 gallon carboy. Not a bucket, not a 5 gallon carboy, not a bigger bucket, and not a 6.5 gallon carboy. But a 6 gallon carboy!

Wine kits are Betty Crocker simple. But you have to rack to secondary- always. And secondary MUST be a carboy with no headspace. Always.

 

[h22lude]

For wine, you must use a secondary. And you must have a 6 gallon carboy. Not a bucket, not a 5 gallon carboy, not a bigger bucket, and not a 6.5 gallon carboy. But a 6 gallon carboy!

Wine kits are Betty Crocker simple. But you have to rack to secondary- always. And secondary MUST be a carboy with no headspace. Always.

Ok twist my arm...I'll buy a 6 gallon carboy Good thing AHS has no shipping over $49 tomorrow

Is there anything else besides a corker, corks, bottles, and a 6 gallon carboy that I should be looking to buy?

How do I know what corks to buy? http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_356_291_295

 

[DoctorCAD]

I use #9 corks but some people have trouble getting them in the bottle, and then out of the bottle later. I know that I have pulled half a cork out of one or two bottles of my wine. #8's fit fine, though.

A wine whip is nice to have to degas, lots of tubing (you'd be surprised how much you can really go through) and campden tablets but you may already have those.

Oh, and go with a glass carboy. Its heavier but easier to move around without splashing.

 

[huesmann]

For wine, you must use a secondary. And you must have a 6 gallon carboy. Not a bucket, not a 5 gallon carboy, not a bigger bucket, and not a 6.5 gallon carboy. But a 6 gallon carboy!

Why a 6-gallon carboy? Shouldn't the size of carboy he uses be dependent on the size of the wine kit he makes?

 

[h22lude]

Why a 6-gallon carboy? Shouldn't the size of carboy he uses be dependent on the size of the wine kit he makes?

I assume most wine kits are 6 gallons where as most beer kits are 5 or a little over. It seems like for wine you want little to no head space so for a 6 gallon kit you need a 6 gallon carboy. But I haven't even bought a kit yet so I could have made that up lol

 

[h22lude]

I use #9 corks but some people have trouble getting them in the bottle, and then out of the bottle later. I know that I have pulled half a cork out of one or two bottles of my wine. #8's fit fine, though.

A wine whip is nice to have to degas, lots of tubing (you'd be surprised how much you can really go through) and campden tablets but you may already have those.

Oh, and go with a glass carboy. Its heavier but easier to move around without splashing.

Oh yes a wine whip. It seems like there is an awful lot of stirring without it.

When would I use the campden tablets? And is it 1 per gallon? I assume this is used to protect against bad yeast.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Oh yes a wine whip. It seems like there is an awful lot of stirring without it.

When would I use the campden tablets? And is it 1 per gallon? I assume this is used to protect against bad yeast.

The kit will come with enough to "make" the wine with, but you need extra for sterilizing and rinsing stuff with. Also, if you intend to do long-term storage, you would use around 3 per 6 gallons.

I keep a half-gallon bottle of heavy pre-mixed campden and water and a spray bottle for my sterilizing.

 

[h22lude]

The kit will come with enough to "make" the wine with, but you need extra for sterilizing and rinsing stuff with. Also, if you intend to do long-term storage, you would use around 3 per 6 gallons.

I keep a half-gallon bottle of heavy pre-mixed campden and water and a spray bottle for my sterilizing.

For sterilizing I use starsan.

 

[Biscuits]

I am in the middle of making the Vintner's Reserve Cab Sauv right now. Have you started yours yet?

 

[huesmann]

I assume most wine kits are 6 gallons where as most beer kits are 5 or a little over. It seems like for wine you want little to no head space so for a 6 gallon kit you need a 6 gallon carboy. But I haven't even bought a kit yet so I could have made that up lol

Shrug. What would I know? The only wine kits I've done so far have been 3-gallon kits.

 

[h22lude]

I am in the middle of making the Vintner's Reserve Cab Sauv right now. Have you started yours yet?

No I haven't even bought it yet lol

 

[Sudz]

I'm wanting to go up scale with a premium red kit. We've made a couple of dozen kits over the past three years or so. All were very drinkable and several were exceptional but at best about $10 wine.

What is the best high end red kit you've made?

 

[Yooper]

What is the best high end red kit you've made?

Who are you talking to? If it's me, then I'd say the best ones I've done have been these: http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/En-Primeur-c132.htm and these: http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/Cellar-Craft-International-c191.htm The absolute best was a 2005 or so tannat/merlot blend as a limited edition from Cellar Craft.

 

[joeybeer]

For wine, you must use a secondary. And you must have a 6 gallon carboy. Not a bucket, not a 5 gallon carboy, not a bigger bucket, and not a 6.5 gallon carboy. But a 6 gallon carboy!

Wine kits are Betty Crocker simple. But you have to rack to secondary- always. And secondary MUST be a carboy with no headspace. Always.

How about a 5 gallon and a 1 gallon for secondary ?

 

[joeybeer]

Don't answer that Yooper !!!!
(just saw in another thread the same question, and resulting discussion about splitting finings etc !

 

[cannew]

Completed a Winexpert Peach Apricot Char. and can't keep it. Wife loves it and so does everyone else.

I'm making only kits and just completed a Port kit. It is bulk aging and already taste great. Added brandy to it to up the alcohol.

 

[Sudz]

Who are you talking to? If it's me, then I'd say the best ones I've done have been these: http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/En-Primeur-c132.htm and these: http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/Cellar-Craft-International-c191.htm The absolute best was a 2005 or so tannat/merlot blend as a limited edition from Cellar Craft.

Actually I was asking anyone with some experience with high end kits. I'm wanting to make a top tier red of some sort but hate to stumble in cold. I looking for a kit that is recognize as a good step up in quality.

We've made a couple of dozen kits ranging from the bottom to the middle of the pack. They've all been drinkable table wines but not the $25/bottle some have referenced. I'm comfortable with our process and I'm ready to move forward with the quality.

I hope this post makes it. My first response didn't for some reason.

Cheers....

 

[Yooper]

Actually I was asking anyone with some experience with high end kits. I'm wanting to make a top tier red of some sort but hate to stumble in cold. I looking for a kit that is recognize as a good step up in quality.

We've made a couple of dozen kits ranging from the bottom to the middle of the pack. They've all been drinkable table wines but not the $25/bottle some have referenced. I'm comfortable with our process and I'm ready to move forward with the quality.

I hope this post makes it. My first response didn't for some reason.

Cheers....

Those "high end" kits really are worth it. I think they are around $160-$175 usually, so they aren't cheap. That's what? Up to about $6 per bottle. But oh, they are so much better than a $6 bottle of wine!

 

[Sudz]

Those "high end" kits really are worth it. I think they are around $160-$175 usually, so they aren't cheap. That's what? Up to about $6 per bottle. But oh, they are so much better than a $6 bottle of wine!

I think I'll go with the Cellar Craft Red Mountain Cabernet....

Thanks for the suggestions...