Wine kits recommendations

[Scrattajack]

Winexpert Malbec is pretty good, it's a regular with us.

The Beaverdale Pinot Grigio is decent too.

 

[Stu]

I started the thread in 2013 and approximately 4 years later supermarkets stopped selling white grape juice you'll notice the recipes switch to red grape juice which in my opinion makes a better wine.

Some members say they can still get it but it must be like finding hens teeth, you can get white grape concentrate but its expensive.


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It was your thread I think that brought me in here!

 

[Ale House Rock]

Thanks for the advice.

Looking through a lot of reviews on red wine kits, a lot of people advocate brewing them short / thicker to achieve the body. With the wine expert malbec kits (Classic or Reserve?) do you find there is any need for doing this?

No, I've never brewed the Reserve kits short. The Classic kits I've made were more 'lightweight'. Hence for me, the Reserve range is more to my taste in terms of body. If you brew a kit short, you might have a bit more in terms of body but I think you will also have more in terms of ABV which may, or may not, be particularly rewarding! In my brewing journey, I had made lots of beer and cider kits quite happily but had been put off doing wine as there are some posts suggesting that it's difficult to get a decent red out of a kit. That has not been my experience so far but of course, what tastes great to me might taste like cheesy feet juice to someone else. Enjoy your wine when it's ready and don't rush making it. Patience is your best friend.

 

[clyne]

I concur on the reserve kits - find them excellent and well worth the extra money. I don’t drink white normally so have brewed their Sauvignon blanc for the wife which I thought tasted okay but she wasn’t all that impressed. Not had a bad red reserve yet, find them far better than supermarket reds especially if you let them mature a bit. I’ve also bought dried grape skins and try to use these whenever I make a red as find it adds more body and depth of flavour.

 

[Siscokid85]

Thanks again for all the recommendations. So I pulled the trigger and got a 6 bottle kit of the wine expert classic chilean merlot and pinot grigio, based largely on what was available and closest to the styles that me and the mrs tend to drink.

I set the Pinot Grigio going first and it has had just over two weeks fermenting.

The next step on the instructions is to transfer to demijohn add certain sachets and de-gas..... to de-gas the instruction says to add a solid bung and shake, then remove to release the pressure, and repeat until no gas given off.

Question - my understanding is we need to degas to remove the absorbed CO2 produced during fermentation(?), however does the process of degassing not introduce oxygen and potentially oxidise your wine?

Other question - my plan is to step up to a 30 bottle kit once we are sure we like the style and know it doesn't taste like swill. What do people find is the best way of degassing a larger volume in a bucket? With a demijohn in the above method when you release the bung you will know the pressure has been released and and to do it again, then eventually you would release the bung and wouldn't get any pressure released, so you know you've fully degassed at that point. How would you be sure you have fully degassed a larger batch where maybe you are just vigorously stirring a large bucket?

Thanks again, so far I am liking the simplicity of making a wine kit, and not having to spend 6+ hours on a AG brew day!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You need to degas as it aids clearing the best method if you have a cordless drill is to buy or make a debasing wand this makes it a one minute job and saves a lot of effort, you can̈ot shake a 23 litre fermenting vessel.
Don't worry about adding oxygen you don't do it long enough for it to be an issue.

 

[Dazzelknight]

I’d get a degassing wand or make one.. these fit to a drill and stir vigorously but do not introduce oxygen.. I’d really stay away from shaking the demijohn,, like u mention introducing oxygen is not cool . This is what I made , old curtain blind rod with some zip ties,, works a treat

 

[old dog new tricks]

yep made something similar forma coat hanger and cables ties slim enough to fit in a DJ and works a treat.

Degassing makes difference with wine as said it settles quicker and lose that home brew smell and taste soi much I now do it with cider

 

[Siscokid85]

Thanks all for the explanation, I hadn't realised about the clearing benefit.

So, as long as you don't do it for too long and don't splash it, it shouldn't introduce oxygen?

Are there any visual indications that you have done enough degassing? or is there a rule of thumb of how long when using a whip based on quantity of wine? e.g 1 min-ish for a demijohn full / 2 min for a 23l batch?

I have some 10mm oak dowel in stock that I could use to make one, my cable ties are all black though, would those two materials be suitable / foodsafe?

 

[old dog new tricks]

Thanks all for the explanation, I hadn't realised about the clearing benefit.

So, as long as you don't do it for too long and don't splash it, it shouldn't introduce oxygen?

Are there any visual indications that you have done enough degassing? or is there a rule of thumb of how long when using a whip based on quantity of wine? e.g 1 min-ish for a demijohn full / 2 min for a 23l batch?

I have some 10mm oak dowel in stock that I could use to make one, my cable ties are all black though, would those two materials be suitable / foodsafe?

A plastic coat hanger is the easiest way and dead simple just heat and bend the plastic, only issue with wood is will absorb the wine and hard to get it all out.

If using a wand with a drill short busts a few seconds then the opposite way, it will foam up let it settle go again, you will see the foaming becomes less after a few times you get a feel when its ready as very few if any foaming.

other way is to do this leave it to settle and repeat you may get some more if using fining check some 2 part say add at this point, it really mixes it up the add the 2nd part and fold in dont beat it.

That 2 part fining cant say about others

I do recommend degassing tho it does work

 

[Ale House Rock]

I just use a mixing paddle. One of the ones with a flat blade with holes in it. It's a bit laborious and a wand would be faster I suppose. But it works for me.

 

[old dog new tricks]

Yes can use either a homemade wand is quicker

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I just use a mixing paddle. One of the ones with a flat blade with holes in it. It's a bit laborious and a wand would be faster I suppose. But it works for me.

They dont fit through a demijohn neck ;}

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Here is an old thread showing how to make one -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...-a-home-made-degassing-wand.48971/post-453191

 

[Siscokid85]

So I spent some time in the brew garage tinkering! Found a cheap white plastic coat hanger, using a lighter to heat it up and a pair of side cutters to cut it to length,

It is kind of ugly Chile’s of a wine wand as per @Chippy_Tea and @Dazzelknight’s above.

Just need a way of centralising it on the demijohn due to the off set, won’t be such an issue when I jump to a 23l batch and a fermenting bucket.

Worst come to worst it sorts me out for this batch that I need to sort this weekend.

Any comments or improvement suggestions welcome.

Thanks for the help!

 

[old dog new tricks]

not too different to mine only suggestion be maybe try some more cable ties so reach from top to bottom than just the bottom?

 

[Ale House Rock]

They dont fit through a demijohn neck ;}

I didn't think of that cos my wine will be in a Fermonster with its wide neck at this stage.

 

[Dazzelknight]

So I spent some time in the brew garage tinkering! Found a cheap white plastic coat hanger, using a lighter to heat it up and a pair of side cutters to cut it to length,

It is kind of ugly Chile’s of a wine wand as per @Chippy_Tea and @Dazzelknight’s above.

Just need a way of centralising it on the demijohn due to the off set, won’t be such an issue when I jump to a 23l batch and a fermenting bucket.

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Worst come to worst it sorts me out for this batch that I need to sort this weekend.

Any comments or improvement suggestions welcome.

Thanks for the help!

Looks spot on !.. You can also use it to create a whirlpool in ur brew kettle for your heavily hopped brew

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just need a way of centralising it on the demijohn due to the off set, won’t be such an issue when I jump to a 23l batch and a fermenting bucket.

Cut the kinked bit off you dont need to go to the the bottom of the DJ or FV i tend to keep it half way to stop it hitting the bottom and also causing a vortex.