Reserve du Chateau instruction question!

[Pete H]

Good Afternoon fellow brewers

I have recently purchased the pinot grigio kit from Amazon for £28 a couple of weeks ago, i have just opened the kit today to have a quick read through the instructions before i start and they seem rather long winded!

Day 1 getting started!
Day 5 secondary fermentation
Day 13-21 Degassing & Clearing
Day 22-28 filtration

At each of these stages you need to rack into another FV!

My question is have any of you done one of these kits and if so have you followed the instruction through out?

I was intending to keep it in primary FV until completely fermented approx 14 days, rack off leaving behind sediment/yeast, degassing and clearing as instructed. Leave for a further week or so in cooler temps, rack back into primary leaving behind any further sediment then bottle and leave for as long as i can hide it from the wife!!

Does this sound ok or am i better following the instructions?

:

 

[RobWalker]

I would do that, providing you're confident your racking will clear it out :thumb:

 

[Slate Miner]

Good Afternoon fellow brewers

I have recently purchased the pinot grigio kit from Amazon for £28 a couple of weeks ago, i have just opened the kit today to have a quick read through the instructions before i start and they seem rather long winded!

Day 1 getting started!
Day 5 secondary fermentation
Day 13-21 Degassing & Clearing
Day 22-28 filtration

At each of these stages you need to rack into another FV!

My question is have any of you done one of these kits and if so have you followed the instruction through out?

I was intending to keep it in primary FV until completely fermented approx 14 days, rack off leaving behind sediment/yeast, degassing and clearing as instructed. Leave for a further week or so in cooler temps, rack back into primary leaving behind any further sediment then bottle and leave for as long as i can hide it from the wife!!

Does this sound ok or am i better following the instructions?

:

I made up the Reserve du Chateau Cabernet Sauvignon back at the beginning of May and according to my notes I racked just twice, doing what I think you suggest. :thumb: I also put a crushed campden tablet into the fresh FV each time I racked.

Started on 8/5/12 SG 1090.
Secondary Fermentation - racked 24/5/12 SG 1000.
Degassed & cleared - racked 31/5/12 SG 1000.
Bottled 4/6/12.

According to the instructions I should have racked for a third time just before bottling, but to be honest I really couldn't be bothered :rofl: Anyway I must have done something right as the wine tuned out really well. :thumb:

Good luck with your pinot grigio, £28 was a good deal. :

 

[bobsbeer]

If you have one, use your hydrometer. Rack after about 2 weeks or about, 1.010, and then leave to complete fermentation. Then rack and degas as normal. Leave to clear which should take about a week, then rack if you can into another container and leave to mature in bulk, or bottle and leave it alone for 4-6 months.

 

[Pete H]

Thanks for the reply lads

Im going to start it when i have the kids in bed so i can get some peace and quiet and start to enjoy my recent coopers cerveza which has now been in bottles for 6 weeks and tastes good :drink: .

Am i right that when i rack for the first time after fermentation has complete, i degass wait a couple of days then and finings to clear and leave for a week or do i add finings when i rack for the 2nd time back into my primary?
Sorry for being so fussy just dont want to mess this up.

:

Pete

 

[patesy]

I have this wine maturing in demi johns and plan to bottle soon my question is the corks supplied are the type thats like little pieces of cork glued and pressed together under pressure, do you soak them? it dosen't say in the instructions any ideas anyone.

 

[Pearlfisher]

I have this wine maturing in demi johns and plan to bottle soon my question is the corks supplied are the type thats like little pieces of cork glued and pressed together under pressure, do you soak them? it dosen't say in the instructions any ideas anyone.

I started this kit off last week and was wondering the same thing.

 

[Slate Miner]

I didn't soak the corks that came with this kit, just used my twin handled corker in the usual way, they went in fine. :thumb:

 

[Pearlfisher]

Thanks SM

 

[tonyhibbett]

The reason for the first racking is to avoid any taint from the large amount of dead yeast and also serves as an initial de-gassing. The small amount of dead yeast from the secondary fermentation actually enhances the flavour. I would advise against filtering if the fining produces a clear wine, as it is slow, adds to the cost and takes some of the character out. I've made the Australian semillon/chardonnay and it was ready to drink after just a week, but does improve over time.

 

[Pete H]

Morning Brewers

After 2 weeks in the Primary i syphoned over last night, degassed, stabalised and fined everything smells and taste ok so far. Going to leave this for a week to clear a little then syphon back into my primary as it has a tap, leave it for a further week then bottle.

If anyone has any other suggestions i would gladly listen to them

:

Pete

 

[Pearlfisher]

Bottled this kit a fortnight ago and it's already quite drinkable , it came out medium dry . Not as good as the World reserve or Beaverdale kits but then again at £28 it was only a fraction of their price.
Definitely not worth paying the full price of £58 for though.

 

[tonyhibbett]

I have done a fair number of these kits and at the bargain prices from Amazon, they are great value and excellent quality. I omit the secondary fermentation, filtering and bottling, using a polypin. The polypin is very useful anyway, but particularly with the reds, because you can never be sure if the wine has cleared. If it turns out not to be cleared, it will settle out in the polypin anyway and you can draw it off without disturbing the remaining sediment. I am currently enjoying their Chilian merlot, which as a wine is not as good as cabernet sauvignon, but perfectly drinkable.