Sometime back, Gene posted a question about the subject kit. It turns
out that I got that very same kit as a gift back at Christmas time. I'm just
now getting ready to start it off.

How is your wine coming along, Gene? did you get your S02 question
resolved? I found a good article on the subject at
http://winemakermag.com/feature/21.html.
I am one of the new kids on the block with this wine making hobby.
Therefore, my plan is, at least for the moment, to religiously follow the
instructions in the kit -- trusting that the pundits who put the kit
together gave me all the right stuff for the task. I'm only interested in
the specific gravity and total acid for academic reasons at this point.

--
Regards,

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer
and Photographer

Casey:

My understanding is that standard acid testing does not work with
kits. Due to the the way there are made, some of the acidity is
'bound' and cannot be measured (at least taht's the way I remember
what was said).

BTW, thats one of the Limited Editions for this year. So far, I don't
recall hearing anything about it. You might get some answers asking
the question in the kit section at
http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php

Steve

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:01:24 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
wrote:

> Sometime back, Gene posted a question about the subject kit. It turns
>out that I got that very same kit as a gift back at Christmas time. I'm just
>now getting ready to start it off.
>
> How is your wine coming along, Gene? did you get your S02 question
>resolved? I found a good article on the subject at
>http://winemakermag.com/feature/21.html.
> I am one of the new kids on the block with this wine making hobby.
>Therefore, my plan is, at least for the moment, to religiously follow the
>instructions in the kit -- trusting that the pundits who put the kit
>together gave me all the right stuff for the task. I'm only interested in
>the specific gravity and total acid for academic reasons at this point.

"Casey Wilson" > wrote in message
newsWQAh.1726$yg7.805@trnddc08...

> together gave me all the right stuff for the task. I'm only interested in
> the specific gravity and total acid for academic reasons at this point.

If you're making a kit you really need to be able to measure
the specific gravity so a hydrometer is a necessity.
The good news is that they are reasonable priced.
You should be able to get one for $5.00 or so.

Steve:

That's the case before fermentation. The side effect of fermentation
is the acids get released from the binding, so you can measure the
correct value after as in wines made from scratch. The main practical
danger is in measuring TA at the beginning and adding acid to the kit
based on that and overcorrecting as a result.

In general, kits, especially the higher end, should be already
balanced by the producer, so there should be no need to add acid. As
Casey said, it can be a good idea to measure the acid anw, to match
the value against the taste as a learning tool.

Pp

On Feb 14, 10:16 pm, Steve > wrote:
> Casey:
>
> My understanding is that standard acid testing does not work with
> kits. Due to the the way there are made, some of the acidity is
> 'bound' and cannot be measured (at least taht's the way I remember
> what was said).
>
>
> Steve
>
> On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:01:24 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
> wrote:
>