1. Home
  2. Winemaking Craft Forum
  3. Island Mists White Zinfandel/Whites in genearl

Island Mists White Zinfandel/Whites in genearl

Ok, this will probalby be the first(well, second, I guess) of many questions from me in here.

Anyway, this saturday I started an Island Mist Exotic Fruits White Zinfandel kit. For those who don't know, this is a pretty standard 7.5L/6 gallon kit, which has two juice packets, the main packet is just supposed to be white zinfandel, and the second packet is, I guess, the "exotic fruits" part. Anyway, I've noticed that the juice from the White zinfandel packet is noticably red/dark. It's nothing like the Merlot kit I will be bottling this, but it's definiteiliy not near what a finished White Zinfandel kit looks like.

This is the first white kit I've done(only second in general, just started all this the first of this month, though as usual, ahve gone overboard, and have 19 gallons in 9 different batches going right now), and I was curious as to whether the darkness of this juice is just due to the grapes being used(as obviously Zinfandel is normally used as a red), and if it'll clear up to the light pink color I'm used to in White Zinfandels, or whether the darker color is a peculiarity of this particular kit,a nd it'll jsut be a darker "white".

And yes, I'm aware of the fact that red's gain their color not from the juice, but from bering fermented with the skin. Rather fond of White merlots. :)

The color of course will not keep me from getting this kit again, I just had a lot of curiosity as to why the color presented this way,a nd if it would stay this color or lighten up.

Thanks much Joel

Reply to
Joel Sprague
Loading thread data ...

As you note, white zin is actually a blush, and usually darker than white merlot. Because a 7.5 L kit is going to be almost all concentrate, the colour is also concentrated. I think you'll find that once diluted to volume, the must is an appropriately pink colour. The only other probable cause of darkening would be oxidation; unlikely, but possible. If there are brownish tones to the diluted must, or if it has a sherry-like smell, do contact the seller.

Leslie Gadallah

Reply to
Leslie Gadallah

I think the Winexpert White Zin kits tend to run darker. I've got a batch in the carboy right now, (the 15L selection kit), and it's really dark, but when bottled, it lightens up quite a bit. But, it's probably the darkest White Zin I've ever seen.

With regard to the Island Mist kit, to make it more like a traditional wine, you can chapitalize (add sugar) to bring the SG up to about 1.090. To do this, you would add 5 lbs of sugar to the must before or during fermenation. This will boost the alcohol level to about 12%. I've heard this doesn't alter the balance too much, but it still tastes the same as the wine cooler/picnic beverage that was intended, but with the higher alcohol content.

Regards, Van

Reply to
Van DeWald

Thanks for the input. :)

Mine's sitting in Carboy now too, will add last few packets tonight and let it sit two weeks to make sure it clearsly nicely. But I might consider the sugar next time around. Going to see what I think of this with the normal recipe first.

Joel

Reply to
<jsprague5

For anyone curious, I got around to bottling this batch(yes, I did the minimum 28 days on this bathc and the one before, and probably on next two too. Trying to get enough of a stock here of drinkable homemade wine that I can start lengthening the aging times and continually improve the product).

But anyway, pulled a bit to check that it had cleared first, and while it's not a white white, it's a definite pink color, as white zinfandels or white merlots often are. So I suspect the color I initiially saw was a combination of bubbles, the various matter that later settled, and just not being used to seeing a wine liek this in a 6 gallon carboy, rather than in a

750ml bottle(which obviously lets more light through, as it passes through less wine). Tasted the bit I pulled out to check clearness too, ended up tasting great, jus twhat I like, a light white, a bit sweet. In other words, what's generally a simple, cheap white wine, but hey, in white's, that's what I like, at least a lot of the time.

Thanks again for all the input on this thread.

Joel

Reply to
<jsprague5

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.