Chaptalization and DAP in kit wine

I don't think the issue is getting a stuck fermentation - although I haven't tried what you're doing. The issue is that the acids, tannins, etc. are balanced with the alcohol level that the kit is produced to yield. I think it's also nice to have some lower alcohol wines available as commercial wines creap up to 15% ABV.

Ed

At these levels of sugar, there is no danger of sticking if you follow standard procedures. The sg seems low for a high-end Cab kit, so add away.

Wine kits have all the nutrients added in as far as I know, so I wouldn't add anything. I've one this once by mistake in a Viognier kit and the wine ended up tasting yeasty and salty - I blame the added nutrient.

Pp

Where do =you= live? I've never seen a commercial wine, unfortified, over about 13.25%!

Time to get out of the $5-10 aisles, I think. ;-)

Brian

Oh oh. I added the 5 g DAP. The primary is into day 2 now and seems to be going nicely. But the yeasty salty comment has me nervous. Nothing to do now but follow through and wait and see.

The kit is a Kendall Ridge 6 week french cab sauv. I've worked with Kendall Ridge often and I like them. I did a wedding wine with several Kendall Ridges and everyone raved. But most kits, even the high end ones seem to come out light. I've never seen a kit sg higher than 1.085; even a high-end kit. From what I understand, it's a deliberate design feature to ensure early drinking and soft edges. That's what I've read.

Jeff

juice/concentrate

I live on a small island in a resort area. There is only one store on the island of any size at all, Food-A-Rama (motto: You can't beat our meat!) and their selection is pretty good for such a small store. I must confess it has been some time since I have actually purchased good wine. I tend to drink my own almost exclusively.

-- "I can't stand water because of the things fish do in it. Once, whilst traversing the Himalayas, we lost our corkscrew, and were compelled to live on food and water... for several days."

-W C Fields-

This must depend on the brand. I started 2 high-end Chardonnays from Spagnol's in the spring - one was at 1.097 and the other 1.095. I would think there must be red kits out there that are starting around

Pp

There are a lot out there above 13.5% now, since the winemakers have been pushing for more and more ripe fruit. They work the fruity-ness of the flavors to balance out the heat of the alcohol. Nonetheless, I've had a bottle of wine with dinner at 15.5% alcohol; good taste, except for the whole spitting blue alcohol flames thing. Too much for me. Give me 10-12% any time, unless its a port.

Rob

I did look carefully at the wines yesterday when I went shopping, and I was very pleasantly surprized to find them as high as 14.75%. I thought I was the only one who liked wine that strong!

In message , Bob writes

:)) Certainly not! In bought wine, I like a good full-bodied red that can support a strong alcohol content, and tend to think of anything under 13% as a bit wussy and lightweight (1)(2). Most of my home-made wines are sloe, wild plum, damson or blackberry, again very full-bodied, and I'll aim for 14, 15, even 16%. Mmmm.

That said, this year, I've made a few batches of grape and elderflower that are a lot lighter; hopefully they'll come out OK. Last year I took one batch of light-bodied wine - greengage and plum, I think, to a high alcohol content. It was a gorgeous salmon-pink colour, but it tasted grim...

cheers, robin (1) Yes, I know... (2) But I did recently try a bottle of french Syrah which was done in a very New World style, with lots of body. If only I could remember its name. It was 'only' 12%, but it was very nicely balanced, and seemed to lack nothing. Apart from being in a bigger bottle ;).

I made mead once that was 16.6% and I swear it was as delicious as anything ever was, not even a hint of spurting flames out of your mouth, or its possible uses as paint thinner.....

I had some crazy idea that 12% was what all good winemakers =alwaysshot for. I live on a little island in the middle of nowhere and there are no other winemakers here, and the nearest shop is on the mainland and in the next state. I've been the Lone Ranger of wines here for 17 years.