Munton's Premium Cellar Shiraz

[Moley]

Now look, I don't make kit wines, but when I saw one of these half price in Wilkinson's recently and did the maths, I thought I would give one a try.

It's a 6.8kg kit which doesn't require the addition of sugar, just pour their jerry can of grape concentrate and glucose/fructose syrup into your FV, add water and pitch the yeast, it really doesn't get any easier.

The instructions are clear and concise, but this kit is aimed at those who have some previous home wine making experience and appreciate that making a better quality product isn't something you can rush in a week. They tell you to leave the fermenter alone for 10 days and then a full week for the clearing stage. They do claim you can make 30 bottles of wine in 3 weeks but that "it will improve considerably if stored in a cool dark place and allowed to mature for several months".

I have previously tried a couple of 6-bottle Beaverdales and they were ok but seemed a bit thin, so I mixed this kit slightly short. I also used 3 litres of supermarket red grape juice as a water substitute.

Started on 11th June at just under 21 litres this gave me an OG of 1.100

I racked it on June 30th, de-gassed and added the stabiliser and finings sachets as directed, then returned it to one 15 litre and one 5 litre PETs. FG was 1.095 giving 14% abv.

I've just bottled the 5 litre and had a quick quality control taster. I would consider that it's already drinkable. It's smooth, full bodied and very fruity.

This is just 6 weeks young, and it's only going to get better, but even now I'm seriously impressed :thumb:

I'm going to get 26 bottles out of this kit at a unit price of just 80p, but I will definitely be looking out for more special offers and may even consider paying full price for this. In a previous life when we bought commercial wines, if I had received this from Laithwaite's for £8 a bottle I would not have sent it back.

 

[matjam]

Hi Moley,

This is very reassuring - I bought the Shiraz and the Cab Sav during the sale.

I've not had a chance to put either on yet as was doing a 'sale' Wherry and then Elderflower Champagne!
Plus this heat doesn't make things easy.

When I come to make mine, I think I'll just keep to the kit ingredients but may come short on it by a litre or two like you.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[jorvik]

ithis is my first ever homebrew kit and i followed moleys recipe
and added 3litres of red grape juice and followed the muntons directions to the letter.
temp is between 19-23c
started last saturday 6th of august at 10am
started bubbling through the airlock about 8pm and everything was going fine until last night and now it only releases a bubble every 5minutes.
thats only 4 days. do i need to check with a hydrometer
any advice?
thanks

 

[oldbloke]

1 every 5 minutes is still "bubbles happening"
Leave it alone
Give it the time the kit says, at least - a little too long doesn't hurt, too soon can.

 

[Joelcsharp]

I've just picked this up in the EPIC Wilkonsons sale for the princely sum of £9.25.

My father in law has started other ones but this is my first.

Cheers,
Joel

 

[user 1290]

Good to know the Shiraz will be OK. I've just bought Shiraz x 1, Cabernet Sauvignon x 1, Merlot x 4 and Chardonnay x 3 all £9.25 each at Wilkos.

 

[Ken L]

I had a couple of Merlots when they halved the price and they're currently going like stink.
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who hit the store hard when they halved the price again to £9.25.
Sadly, I didn't bag the Chardonnay or the Cab Servignion but I'm sure I'm get by.

 

[user 1290]

I forgot to mention that I got my 9 kits in 2 hits, 6 yesterday and 3 today, both times buying all they had out on display, so it might be worth re-checking, or possibly even better, asking at customer services if they have any left in the storeroom.

OH thinks I'm being excessive and has told me not to buy any more, so I might have to go shopping by myself and pay cash. This has got to be one of the best deals of all time and don't expect anything like this to come along for a very long time indeed.


P.S. Thanks for the review Moley, it's re-assured me that I've done the right thing getting loads of these kits.

 

[CJR]

I bought a Merlot recently and I'm glad this looks like it was a tenner well spent. :)

 

[MattN]

Hi folks

My OH got me one of these a couple of weeks ago (20 quid) and I am going to start it tonight. Unfortunately I can't get any additional grape juice before then. With this in mind, would it be better to make less than the 23 litres suggested?

Regards
Matt

 

[CJR]

Hi folks

My OH got me one of these a couple of weeks ago (20 quid) and I am going to start it tonight. Unfortunately I can't get any additional grape juice before then. With this in mind, would it be better to make less than the 23 litres suggested?

Regards
Matt

I thought it came with no extra grape juice or sugar needed? I got one and inside was a gallon container of concentrated grape juice. Wouldn't have thought you would need more.

 

[MattN]

That is correct. The original poster added more grape juice....., so I have just made this up to 22 litres.

I am sure that it will be fine.

Regards

Matt

 

[Scots_Pagan]

I'm pretty sure you're going to hate me, but I was in Wilkos today, and looked at their home-brew section, as I do, and nothing cooking..

Saw a "reduced goods" trolley. Nothing there, and just as I was walking past, glimpsed underneath, whole load of these kits...mixture of the red shiraz, and the white sauvignon blancs..all marked at £9.32.

Missus is unsure of me brewing 25L batches, but given they're usually £37, said it's a bargain, and I could have ONE.
Got to the checkout, to be told "hmm, it's coming up at £5. Fair enough."
I ran back and got another, so I now have a Shiraz, and a Sauvignon Blanc kit, for a grand total of £10.

I know there are those of you that would have gotten all of them (about 10 kits in total I think), but a) I'm skint, and b) I honestly doubt I could drink/store/give away more than 30 bottles, and I now have 60 bottles worth. No idea how I'm going to brew, store and drink all of this but for a fiver each I couldn't let it go...even my penny-watching missus agreed it was necessary to get at least two..

So, if you're in West Scotland, get down to Greenock, pronto. Doubt there will be any left come the weekend.

 

[MattN]

I'm pretty sure you're going to hate me, but I was in Wilkos today, and looked at their home-brew section, as I do, and nothing cooking..

Saw a "reduced goods" trolley. Nothing there, and just as I was walking past, glimpsed underneath, whole load of these kits...mixture of the red shiraz, and the white sauvignon blancs..all marked at £9.32.

Missus is unsure of me brewing 25L batches, but given they're usually £37, said it's a bargain, and I could have ONE.
Got to the checkout, to be told "hmm, it's coming up at £5. Fair enough."
I ran back and got another, so I now have a Shiraz, and a Sauvignon Blanc kit, for a grand total of £10.

I know there are those of you that would have gotten all of them (about 10 kits in total I think), but a) I'm skint, and b) I honestly doubt I could drink/store/give away more than 30 bottles, and I now have 60 bottles worth. No idea how I'm going to brew, store and drink all of this but for a fiver each I couldn't let it go...even my penny-watching missus agreed it was necessary to get at least two..

So, if you're in West Scotland, get down to Greenock, pronto. Doubt there will be any left come the weekend.

I don't hate you, I love a bargain! I missed a couple of bargains in Wilko's because they were on the trolleys you mentioned, it does seem strange that they would put them elsewhere!

Anyway I took a gravity reading tonight and drank the sample.... pretty good... I am sure you and your Mrs will be quite pleased with your bargain.

Matt

 

[tenorbrew]

Intrigued by this thread, I ran down to my local Wilko's today.
All they had was their own brand of 6 bottle kits at full price.
Their website only mentions their own brand wine kits.
Did I totally miss this sale, and have they discontinued the Muntons stock?

 

[MattN]

Intrigued by this thread, I ran down to my local Wilko's today.
All they had was their own brand of 6 bottle kits at full price.
Their website only mentions their own brand wine kits.
Did I totally miss this sale, and have they discontinued the Muntons stock?

I think (and I don't know this for a fact) that they have stopped selling the Munton's range. After I bought this kit, I bought a further 5 kits from a couple of different stores (Muntons Mondego range) at a heavily reduced price and haven't seen them in Wilko's since.

I thought that I read somewhere that the Wilko's range is a re-badged Muntons kit, again I am not 100% sure on this.

Regards

Matt

 

[MattN]

Phew, I just bottle this tonight. It took rather longer than anticipated due to me attempting to filter it with a Vinbrite kit. The wine looked pretty clear, but clearly not clear enough as had to change the filter (mistake) do to clogging!

Anyway I am still pleased with the result, I have 13 litres of filtered and 5 unfiltered (but still non-cloudy) Shiraz for around 75p a bottle including the filters.

The room that I bottled it in however, looks like Dexter Morgan is due to pay a visit.

I will be up early tomorrow cleaning!

Matt

 

[Scots_Pagan]

Intrigued by this thread, I ran down to my local Wilko's today.
All they had was their own brand of 6 bottle kits at full price.
Their website only mentions their own brand wine kits.
Did I totally miss this sale, and have they discontinued the Muntons stock?

I think (and I don't know this for a fact) that they have stopped selling the Munton's range. After I bought this kit, I bought a further 5 kits from a couple of different stores (Muntons Mondego range) at a heavily reduced price and haven't seen them in Wilko's since.

I thought that I read somewhere that the Wilko's range is a re-badged Muntons kit, again I am not 100% sure on this.

Regards

Matt

they certainly don't have any munton's left in their Greenock store here in Scotland.
All gone, and only their own-brand 30-bottle kits. So glad I got those two for a fiver each...

 

[Kiwigardener]

I found the Muntons Cab Sav version in my local Wilkies for a fiver... And as I was completely new to home brewing didn't know how much of a bargain I was getting! That night I googled Muntons and found the original price... So went back to Wilkies for another 2 packs! (Yes the OH accuses me of being excessive too!) so I bottled my CabSav Saturday night after following the directions in the pack and it was most definitely drinkable- we did have that warmer weather during the initial fermenting which probably helped it along?
23 bottles within 3 weeks for £5 = Happy days!
I now have the Shiraz ready to siphon off and add finings (is this what you call racking?) is it ok to leave it a bit longer? (Not enough hours in the day)