WineBuddy Sauvignon Blanc Kit - 30 bottles

[Chippy_Tea]

9 days, its down to 5 second as i type this so i guess it will finish in the next day or two.

 

[simmo3801]

Doh! We were all waiting too! Got my kit but whilst sterilizing my wine fermenter I found it was leaking from the tap seal and the locking nut inside won't tighten properly so it's going back tomorrow , I've only used it once. I thought it would be easier with a tap rather than having to siphon. Think I'll go back to buckets!!!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I use DJ and buckets I imagine not letting sediment through the tap would be difficult when racking.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Keep it simple. Bucket and chuck it!
I started one yesterday and added 3 litres of grape juice plus 1 litre of apple, reducing the sugar by 600 g. This effectively doubles the fruit content to 40%, similar to mid price kits but significantly cheaper. It is unlikely to affect the flavour, but give the wine more body and bite.

 

[simmo3801]

The tap worked fine last time leaving the sediment behind in the bottom. Picked up a longer threaded tap so started this at 5pm. Bubbling nicely at 5.20!! I was tempted to add the 2 litres of WGJ I had but thought I'd try it as is first.

 

[simmo3801]

Chuck it? Not sure I follow unless you mean to chuck everything in it?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

9 days, its down to 5 second as i type this so i guess it will finish in the next day or two.

Its finally down to 994 and i have started the next stage -

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49224

.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I said in an earlier post the wine made a break for freedom and entered my blow off tube, i noticed over the early days fermenting the top of the FV turned darker and today when i opened it i found this (see picture)

I have made a few white kits but have never had this brown colour in the FV, has anyone here who has made this seen the same? i have tasted it and it did not taste bad, in fact it did not taste of much at all as i had not added the two flavouring packs.

I had just degassed it so that is why its got a lot of froth on the surface.

 

[simmo3801]

I came home to find mine had the same ring around the top from the froth. I scraped it off with a plastic mixing spoon and splashed it with the wine to remove. It certainly gets active quickly and stays that way!

As an aside the Beaverdale Sauvignon Blanc I bottled yesterday is a very welcome change from wow wines I've made recently. It doesn't have the chill haze issue I was experiencing and feels thinner in the mouth. Hard to explain but I was finding the wows felt a bit too full in my mouth and after a few glasses played havoc with my taste buds. Maybe I'll try one without glycerine next. Sorry off topic!!!

 

[vicky]

I've got one of these kits that I've not started yet. I'm in the process of fermenting my second lot of the winebuddy chardonnay at the moment but was going to do a sauvignon next. I'll be interested to know how you get on with it.

 

[pookiehair]

What does 994 mean Chippy?
I made my kit in a big FV with about a 8 inch lid. Loads of room above wine and well below the airlock so nothing got in there.
I did have a brown line around top of wine that was left in FV after racking into clean FV. I thought it was yeast sediment. The wine was clear.

 

[FatCol]

I said in an earlier post the wine made a break for freedom and entered my blow off tube, i noticed over the early days fermenting the top of the FV turned darker and today when i opened it i found this (see picture)

I have made a few white kits but have never had this brown colour in the FV, has anyone here who has made this seen the same? i have tasted it and it did not taste bad, in fact it did not taste of much at all as i had not added the two flavouring packs.

I had just degassed it so that is why its got a lot of froth on the surface.

The WineBuddy Chardonnay I did threw up exactly the same dark brown ring in my FV - the wine was fine. I suspect it's the nutrients they put in the yeast mix to get the 6 day fermentation that does it.

FatCol

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Thanks to both of you that's what i was hoping the answer would be.

What does 994 mean Chippy?

.994 is the reading I got when I used my hydrometer, the instructions said it will be finished at .996 so mine is a little dryer.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Youngs have changed the yeast to a top fermenting type, hence the ring. Cantina kits use the same. It's the same stuff used for making bio fuel! It has the initial effect of raising the pH to 4.8, but it soon settles down to 3.3..
Adding the extra grape and apple juice doubles the fruit content and should therefore double the acidity, but this does not appear to be the case, which is odd, but convenient.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Full review now in the wine review A - Z thread here - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49224

 

[tonyhibbett]

My enhanced version is now complete, but at pH 3.7, it's rather low in acid, so I added 7 g tartaric acid plus 2 teaspoons of tannin to give it more bite. The pH is now 3.5, and I am very pleased with the result.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

We have had several glasses over the weekend and we are both impressed, we have ordered another kit to put on this weekend.


.

 

[BlackEcho]

I might just have to have a go now

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The kit said finished from .996 or below I stopped it at .994 it is a little sweet but not overly so, I will let it get get as close to .990 as It will go this time.

 

[pookiehair]

How do you get such accurate hydrometer readings? The lines are so close together or maybe Im looking at the wrong lines.
I have a hydrometer but dont really understand it yet. I have watched some Utube videos on how to use it.
All I know is on my wine the hydrometer reading was nearly at the top line and it floated very low.
I too would like it to have been a little less sweet.

The kit said finished from .996 or below I stopped it at .994 it is a little sweet but not overly so, I will let it get get as close to .990 as It will go this time.