Hi all:

Fairly new to the craft here. My first batch of wine was a Vinters Reserve
savignon blanc. Being a regular white wine drinker, I was very pleased with
it. I decided to try something different with the next batch, and got a
black raspberry merlot Island Mist kit. Why'd I do something different when
I liked the first batch? I dunno.

Well, it's been sitting to clear on the basement floor for about the past
week. I took a small glass to look at clarity and taste tonight. Overall,
I'm sort of disappointed. OK, maybe I didn't have a good idea of what I was
in for. But it's a lot sweeter than I had hoped for, and still a lot of
sediment floating around, even taking a sample off the top half of the
carboy with my thief.

On the cloudy question, time will probably help. But do I need to give it a
good stirring to whip the chitosan up to get it clearing better? Or am I
better off to just leave it be for anther week?

Next question is, what can I do to save it in the flavour department? I'm
thinking I could leave it in the carboy for now, would it be bad if I were
to leave it in the carboy for the next month while making something to save
it? Maybe if I were to make another savingnon blanc and cut it half and half
with the merlot while bottling, it would make something acceptable to my
palate.

Help please! I also bought a strawberry merlot at the same time (darned
impulsive nature!), and I'm afraid I'm going to end up with more of this
mildly alcoholic Kool-Aid.

KD

Island Mist kit are supposed to be sweet and fruity with about 7% alcohol.
Maybe the shopkeeper will let you exchange it for a partial credit on a
different kit.

Island Mist kit are supposed to be sweet and fruity with about 7% alcohol.
Maybe the shopkeeper will let you exchange it for a partial credit on a
different kit.

These kits are easily modified to increase the alcohol content and
extend shelf life. I generally add sugar to my Niagra Mist kits to
bring the SG up to about 1.085 - 1.090 and extend the time period and
extra month or two. Have been very please with the results. My wife
loves the Peach and Tropical Fruit.

I have also heard of people adding half of the sweet reserve at the
start and half at the end. This still gives the flavor of the wine but
reduces the sweetness.

enjoy
JD

These kits are easily modified to increase the alcohol content and
extend shelf life. I generally add sugar to my Niagra Mist kits to
bring the SG up to about 1.085 - 1.090 and extend the time period and
extra month or two. Have been very please with the results. My wife
loves the Peach and Tropical Fruit.

I have also heard of people adding half of the sweet reserve at the
start and half at the end. This still gives the flavor of the wine but
reduces the sweetness.

enjoy
JD

"KD" > wrote in message >...

> On the cloudy question, time will probably help. But do I need to give it a
> good stirring to whip the chitosan up to get it clearing better? Or am I
> better off to just leave it be for anther week?

Has it only been clearing for a week? The problem with kit wines is
that they put "WINE IN JUST 28 DAYS!!!" all over the box, when it
really takes much longer to get some decent results. I leave my kits
clearing for 6 months in the carbouys, racking at least twice during
that period, three times if it's dropping lots of sediment.

Don't bother stirring the wine. Just let it sit. You should see the
wine clear from the top down over time.

> Next question is, what can I do to save it in the flavour department? I'm
> thinking I could leave it in the carboy for now, would it be bad if I were
> to leave it in the carboy for the next month while making something to save
> it? Maybe if I were to make another savingnon blanc and cut it half and half
> with the merlot while bottling, it would make something acceptable to my
> palate.

My first batch of wine was a peach kit wine, and I got a result like
you are describing. It's been in a bottle for 8 months now, and is
slowly mellowing out, but will never be any better than a novelty.

Don't try mixing more wine in to make it better. Well, go for it if
you want to , but the best advice I got when I asked a similar
question here was "do you really want to risk ruining two batches of
wine?"

Cheers,
Harry

"KD" > wrote in message >...

> On the cloudy question, time will probably help. But do I need to give it a
> good stirring to whip the chitosan up to get it clearing better? Or am I
> better off to just leave it be for anther week?

Has it only been clearing for a week? The problem with kit wines is
that they put "WINE IN JUST 28 DAYS!!!" all over the box, when it
really takes much longer to get some decent results. I leave my kits
clearing for 6 months in the carbouys, racking at least twice during
that period, three times if it's dropping lots of sediment.

Don't bother stirring the wine. Just let it sit. You should see the
wine clear from the top down over time.

> Next question is, what can I do to save it in the flavour department? I'm
> thinking I could leave it in the carboy for now, would it be bad if I were
> to leave it in the carboy for the next month while making something to save
> it? Maybe if I were to make another savingnon blanc and cut it half and half
> with the merlot while bottling, it would make something acceptable to my
> palate.

My first batch of wine was a peach kit wine, and I got a result like
you are describing. It's been in a bottle for 8 months now, and is
slowly mellowing out, but will never be any better than a novelty.

Don't try mixing more wine in to make it better. Well, go for it if
you want to , but the best advice I got when I asked a similar
question here was "do you really want to risk ruining two batches of
wine?"

Cheers,
Harry

I have not made the particular kit that you did but I think you just made
something where you did not really know what to expect. Thier kits are what
I would call Picknick Wines. They are good when it is hot or you just want
to drink a lot rather than savor a good wine. Non wine lovers love these
wines.

The Peach/Apricot Chardonay is good as soon as it finishes clearing. I made
the Blackberry Merlot and did not care for it when it first finished but it
improved a lot over the next 4 months.

Give it time. I would suggest 3 months in bulk aging and then bottle and
leave it for another month or two. Then when guests are over who say they
don't really care for wine, bring out a bottle of it. I bet they will think
you are a genious.

Ray

"KD" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all:
>
> Fairly new to the craft here. My first batch of wine was a Vinters Reserve
> savignon blanc. Being a regular white wine drinker, I was very pleased
> with
> it. I decided to try something different with the next batch, and got a
> black raspberry merlot Island Mist kit. Why'd I do something different
> when
> I liked the first batch? I dunno.
>
> Well, it's been sitting to clear on the basement floor for about the past
> week. I took a small glass to look at clarity and taste tonight. Overall,
> I'm sort of disappointed. OK, maybe I didn't have a good idea of what I
> was
> in for. But it's a lot sweeter than I had hoped for, and still a lot of
> sediment floating around, even taking a sample off the top half of the
> carboy with my thief.
>
> On the cloudy question, time will probably help. But do I need to give it
> a
> good stirring to whip the chitosan up to get it clearing better? Or am I
> better off to just leave it be for anther week?
>
> Next question is, what can I do to save it in the flavour department? I'm
> thinking I could leave it in the carboy for now, would it be bad if I were
> to leave it in the carboy for the next month while making something to
> save
> it? Maybe if I were to make another savingnon blanc and cut it half and
> half
> with the merlot while bottling, it would make something acceptable to my
> palate.
>
> Help please! I also bought a strawberry merlot at the same time (darned
> impulsive nature!), and I'm afraid I'm going to end up with more of this
> mildly alcoholic Kool-Aid.
>
> KD
>
>

I have not made the particular kit that you did but I think you just made
something where you did not really know what to expect. Thier kits are what
I would call Picknick Wines. They are good when it is hot or you just want
to drink a lot rather than savor a good wine. Non wine lovers love these
wines.

The Peach/Apricot Chardonay is good as soon as it finishes clearing. I made
the Blackberry Merlot and did not care for it when it first finished but it
improved a lot over the next 4 months.

Give it time. I would suggest 3 months in bulk aging and then bottle and
leave it for another month or two. Then when guests are over who say they
don't really care for wine, bring out a bottle of it. I bet they will think
you are a genious.

Ray

"KD" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all:
>
> Fairly new to the craft here. My first batch of wine was a Vinters Reserve
> savignon blanc. Being a regular white wine drinker, I was very pleased
> with
> it. I decided to try something different with the next batch, and got a
> black raspberry merlot Island Mist kit. Why'd I do something different
> when
> I liked the first batch? I dunno.
>
> Well, it's been sitting to clear on the basement floor for about the past
> week. I took a small glass to look at clarity and taste tonight. Overall,
> I'm sort of disappointed. OK, maybe I didn't have a good idea of what I
> was
> in for. But it's a lot sweeter than I had hoped for, and still a lot of
> sediment floating around, even taking a sample off the top half of the
> carboy with my thief.
>
> On the cloudy question, time will probably help. But do I need to give it
> a
> good stirring to whip the chitosan up to get it clearing better? Or am I
> better off to just leave it be for anther week?
>
> Next question is, what can I do to save it in the flavour department? I'm
> thinking I could leave it in the carboy for now, would it be bad if I were
> to leave it in the carboy for the next month while making something to
> save
> it? Maybe if I were to make another savingnon blanc and cut it half and
> half
> with the merlot while bottling, it would make something acceptable to my
> palate.
>
> Help please! I also bought a strawberry merlot at the same time (darned
> impulsive nature!), and I'm afraid I'm going to end up with more of this
> mildly alcoholic Kool-Aid.
>
> KD
>
>