First go at Wine kits - But I did make some alterations.

[Benfleet Brewery]

Having had two attempts at making Rose wine from supermarket fruit juice as explained elsewhere on this forum, my Son bought me a Wine Buddy Cabernet Sauvignon kit for Father’s Day. However, as I prefer White wine to red, I went through the Amazon returns process to try to swap it. To cut a long story short, I eventually got sent a White wine kit, but told to keep the Red.
So, this weekend I made both but made some additions as I remembered reading elsewhere here that wine kits don’t contain a lot of real juice.

Wine Buddy Cabernet Sauvignon was made as per the instructions but I also added 1L of Lidl Grape juice instead of a litre of the water and reduced the sugar addition by 160g (the grape juice sugar content)

Soloman Grundy Sauvignon Blanc was made as per the instructions but I added 1L ASDA Pure Apple Juice instead of a litre of the water and reduced the sugar addition by 100g (the Apple juice sugar content).

Both in the brew fridge chugging away at 21 degrees. I’ll leave them for two weeks instead of the quoted 7 days before moving on o the next stage.

I‘ll let you know how they come out.

 

[Dutto]

A mate of mine (a first time brewer of anything) apparently told his wife “I don’t need that much sugar!” and promptly made rhubarb wine with only half of the recommended sugar!

It was so astringent that, after a single mouthful, his wife made him drink every drop of the finished product by himself.

I’m sure that your own modifications are much better, so keep us posted!

 

[The Baron]

Sounds good to be Benfleet. The white will be as you expect a white to be but the red will be a cross between a Rose and Red in taste as I have done many reds and have yet to find what I class as a full red but it will be well drinkable it just tricks the mind with the reds as they are thinner in taste but still pleasant especially at that price-FREE ( Yorkshire folk like those prices)

 

[user 44889]

Look forward to hearing how the additions made a differance. Hope they turn out very good.

 

[Bubbleyjugs]

How did you get on with the kits?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Thanks for the nudge. Ok, so I was really pleased with the White. I’m not an expert but it was very crisp and refreshing. In fact, all 6 bottles were made available for people at a BBQ/drinks we had at ours with about 45 friends and family and they were all drunk!

Im not as impressed with the Red. It is very sweet. I never checked any gravity before or after fermentation but assumed, as this was a 7 day kit, that it would have fermented out fully after the 2 weeks I left it.

 

[Bubbleyjugs]

Glad it went well, the red could go towards Xmas presents lol. Or save it to add to your next brew when topping up for the 2nd ferment. Just a thought.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I don’t think I’ll do another Red so Christmas presents it is