Insprucegrove wrote:
<snip>
> If you can see clearly through the carboy,...
<snip>

Insprucegrove,

I know you're not recommending that one bottles based on looking clear,
but I thought I'd mention a more stringent test. I've often had a wine
that looked very clear, only to have it drop more sediment and get even
clearer. Here's a tip: shine a beam of light through the carboy, from
side to side . If you can see the beam when looking from the front, it's
not yet fully clear. A flashlight or, better yet, a laser pointer, works
well for this. Basically, the beam of light reflects off particles in
the wine to become visible. Even though it looks clear enough to, say,
read through, the wine will probably drop more sediment, which can be
annoying if you've already bottled.


Clarity in wine can be deceiving.
--


Mike MTM, Cokesbury, New Jersey, USA

Well, I decided to stick to the instructions. I stirred up all that
sediment and added the remaining packets. I recall reading somewhere
that in a kit, that sediment aids clearing the wine. Something about
it causes the other particles to cling to it and drop out.

This is the 3rd kit I've made and have stuck to the instructions for
each. I've been happy with the results so far.

Greg

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:01:14 GMT, MikeMTM > wrote:

>Insprucegrove wrote:
><snip>
>> If you can see clearly through the carboy,...
><snip>
>
>Insprucegrove,
>
>I know you're not recommending that one bottles based on looking clear,
>but I thought I'd mention a more stringent test. I've often had a wine
>that looked very clear, only to have it drop more sediment and get even
>clearer. Here's a tip: shine a beam of light through the carboy, from
>side to side . If you can see the beam when looking from the front, it's
>not yet fully clear. A flashlight or, better yet, a laser pointer, works
>well for this. Basically, the beam of light reflects off particles in
>the wine to become visible. Even though it looks clear enough to, say,
>read through, the wine will probably drop more sediment, which can be
>annoying if you've already bottled.
>
>
>Clarity in wine can be deceiving.
>--
>
>
>Mike MTM, Cokesbury, New Jersey, USA
>
>
>

> wrote in message
>
> This is the 3rd kit I've made and have stuck to the instructions for
> each. I've been happy with the results so far.
>
> Greg

I've made many kits. While I advocate following the instructions for most
operations, the deviation you should make is time. Add some time between
racking, do at least one more racking than called for, allow some bulk aging
time.

Doing this, I'd found my wines to be clearer and more mellow.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

>
> I've made many kits. While I advocate following the instructions for most
> operations, the deviation you should make is time. Add some time between
> racking, do at least one more racking than called for, allow some bulk
aging
> time.
>
> Doing this, I'd found my wines to be clearer and more mellow.
> Ed
>
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>
>

In general I would agree with you Ed. But the particular kit he is using
makes a low alcohol picnic type wine. It is mellow enough on it's own and
is not designed for long storage. In fact, when I have let this wine age
for a year it is TOO mellow. It is fine after 6 weeks and probably will not
improve after 3 months.

That is my experience with this wine anyway.

Ray

Exactly right Ray, this is a summer wine. I make country wines
regularly, and these are 1 gallon batches. For drinking while the
fruit wines are aging, I do these kits. I like a sweet wine, so I've
done some White Zinfandels. I stumbled onto these Island Mist kits
and they are great. My wife won't touch regular wine, but loves
these. It's really like a wine cooler, and is only about 7%.

If I do a regular kit, I will allow extra time to bulk age.

As reported, I stuck to the instructions and stirred up all that lees.
It was painful to dig up about 2 inches of the stuff, but I did it
last night. Today I got home from work and the top 4 inches or so is
pretty clear, it's settling out nicely.

I also just started a batch of homebrew. Any of you folks do beer
also?

Greg

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 15:39:22 GMT, "Ray" >
wrote:

>
>>
>> I've made many kits. While I advocate following the instructions for most
>> operations, the deviation you should make is time. Add some time between
>> racking, do at least one more racking than called for, allow some bulk
>aging
>> time.
>>
>> Doing this, I'd found my wines to be clearer and more mellow.
>> Ed
>>
>> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>>
>>
>
>In general I would agree with you Ed. But the particular kit he is using
>makes a low alcohol picnic type wine. It is mellow enough on it's own and
>is not designed for long storage. In fact, when I have let this wine age
>for a year it is TOO mellow. It is fine after 6 weeks and probably will not
>improve after 3 months.
>
>That is my experience with this wine anyway.
>
>Ray
>
>

wrote in message news:<40d77b32.868459@localhost>...
>
> I also just started a batch of homebrew. Any of you folks do beer
> also?
>
> Greg
>

Yes, I do.

Andy

I did my first batch of beer by myself yesterday. I've made it with
friends before, but never alone. Went pretty well. Only thing is
it's a Red and it's not very red. Oh well, as long as it tastes good.
I guess it could lighten up and the red hues could come thru.

Greg

On 22 Jun 2004 05:25:27 -0700, (JEP) wrote:

wrote in message news:<40d77b32.868459@localhost>...
>>
>> I also just started a batch of homebrew. Any of you folks do beer
>> also?
>>
>> Greg
>>
>
>Yes, I do.
>
>Andy

Me too!
Louise)

"JEP" > wrote in message
om...
> wrote in message
news:<40d77b32.868459@localhost>...
> >
> > I also just started a batch of homebrew. Any of you folks do beer
> > also?
> >
> > Greg
> >
>
> Yes, I do.
>
> Andy

Hi Greg,
You did the right thing. I've made many of these kits and ONCE decided to
rack first because it looked so clear. It was a mistake because the clearing
took much longer. As painful as it is you have to stir up the lees with
remaining packets, it clears really fast and after a week or so you can
filter and return to the carboy to further degas it for a couple of weeks or
you can also just bottle it, after all it's just a wine cooler!
Louise)

> wrote in message
news:40d63829.1607309@localhost...
> Well, I decided to stick to the instructions. I stirred up all that
> sediment and added the remaining packets. I recall reading somewhere
> that in a kit, that sediment aids clearing the wine. Something about
> it causes the other particles to cling to it and drop out.
>
> This is the 3rd kit I've made and have stuck to the instructions for
> each. I've been happy with the results so far.
>
> Greg
>
> On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:01:14 GMT, MikeMTM > wrote:
>
> >Insprucegrove wrote:
> ><snip>
> >> If you can see clearly through the carboy,...
> ><snip>
> >
> >Insprucegrove,
> >
> >I know you're not recommending that one bottles based on looking clear,
> >but I thought I'd mention a more stringent test. I've often had a wine
> >that looked very clear, only to have it drop more sediment and get even
> >clearer. Here's a tip: shine a beam of light through the carboy, from
> >side to side . If you can see the beam when looking from the front, it's
> >not yet fully clear. A flashlight or, better yet, a laser pointer, works
> >well for this. Basically, the beam of light reflects off particles in
> >the wine to become visible. Even though it looks clear enough to, say,
> >read through, the wine will probably drop more sediment, which can be
> >annoying if you've already bottled.
> >
> >
> >Clarity in wine can be deceiving.
> >--
> >
> >
> >Mike MTM, Cokesbury, New Jersey, USA
> >
> >
> >
>