On Jan 18, 8:07*am, Doug > wrote:
> Tom -
> * * *This is a Limited Edition kit - about as good as they get from
> WinExpert. *I have a lot of respect for Jack Keller's winemaking
> skills, but his area of expertise is really fruits / vegetables /
> native grape varieties, not state-of-the-art kits. *The extended
> instructions originated with Ed Goist and were posted in 2000, based
> on Ed's experiences in prior years. *But state of the art in wine kits
> has changed a lot in the past years, even since the 1990's.
>
> I tend to agree with two aspects of the extended instructions. *First,
> once wine is under airlock, there isn't really any firm timetable for
> when various things have to happen. *Don't feel obliged to rush the
> wine into bottles by the end of week 6. *Second, everybody I've ever
> heard of who has used Stavin oak products has raved about them. *If
> you are into big oak in red wines, you might well want to add some
> Stavin cubes (or replace some of the kit oak "dust" with cubes). *On
> the other hand, I have read a lot of Tim Vandergrift's posts about all
> the research and testing that goes into the WE kits. *I won't say they
> can't be improved upon, but the WE folks go to a lot of trouble to
> make the results as good as can be, with a reasonable level of effort
> by the winemaker. *Your odds are slim (IMHO) of improving on their
> results by things like adding the bentonite after fermentation, or
> fermenting in a carboy instead of a bucket, or adding generic "grape
> tannin" or rehydrating the yeast the "proper" way instead of following
> the "sprinkle and walk away" instructions.
>
> I've done a number of WE Limited Edition kits, and I've been impressed
> with nearly all of them. *Some of the reds in particular don't really
> come into their own for 18 to 24 months, but when they do, they are
> fabulous. *Since this is your one chance to do this kit, I think your
> best bet is to follow the instructions reasonably closely. *That is my
> two cents -- as always, free advice is worth at least what you pay for
> it . . .
>
> Doug
Agree with Doug but would add one thing - make sure to fully ferment
the wine and ditch the sorbate package, it serves no good purpose in
dry wines.
Since Tim Vandergrift was mentioned, here's his take on extended kit
instructions, for reference:
http://winemakermag.com/feature/28.html
Pp