Many wine kits start with 6 gallons and you end up with about 5.5 by the time you bottle. I happen to have 5 gallon carboys. What happens if I ferment at 5.5 gallons, then I have about the right amount for my carboy.
Thanks Crhoff
Probably not too much will happen, but the balance may be just a little off. The kits are perfectly tuned for 6 gallons, and are even designed to top up with a quart of water in the end. Give it a try. It will still be drinkable, and possibly could be really good. But if anything goes wrong, you've essentially voided your kit warranty because you altered the intended directions.
Van
Yes, I agree with Van. I've done 6 six gallon kits so far, and sometimes I've added up to 8 cups of water to "top off", and the wine is great. vinometer still estimates 13%+ alcohol, so I'm not making watered down wine, and the taste is still better than store bought. That said, when I make recipes NOT from kits, I would use your technique. The kits are very specific and if you decide to do your own thing, you could end up with cloudy or worse. I made Peach Mango wine and started with enough for a 3 gallon, 1 gallon and 750ml. That way , as I rack, I can add "like wine".
DAve p.s. Just bottled my cranberry w> Probably not too much will happen, but the balance may be just a little off.
Thanks for the info, guess I'm just going to have to get a 6 gallon carboy. Really don't want to mess up a 6 gal kit. I didn't know the kits carry a warranty.
I've done about 7 six gallon kits and I've never really messed one up. The first red that I made was a little "fizzy," I guess because I didn't drive enough of the CO2 off. But it was drinkable and all I had to do was decant it a little before serving. Other than that, only great experiences.
Dave Ward
Crhoff wrote:
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