I'm using a Vineco Kendall Ridge Classic kit to make a sherry. The previous time I used the same kit I found the sherry too sweet. The kit contains a sherry reserve bag (looks like about a litre) which is added after degassing. I assume that this is basically a syrup. The directions say that this give a sweetness of about 8. Would it be wise to leave this out completely or just add half or some other portions. Any suggestions....thanks.
Jim
Saskee, Check the the reserve bagged liquid, it may be the fortifier, and if so I would not leave it out altogether. I have not done a sherry, but did one port kit just over a year ago. The only Vineco Kit I have used was a Kendall Ridge Chile Chardonnay. My Wine making supply shop dropped the line because patrons were not happy with inconsistant results and the life span of the wine once bottled.
I have no complaints It was over two years ago and I find the wine is still very good.
Listen to what others more experienced than I have to say.
Bob Patrick
I am currently making a Brew King Sherry kit, and it comes with the F-pack which I assume is similar to your reserve bag. The Brew King product lets you make both a sweet and dry style, with the dry foregoing the F Pack (and no adding corn sugar either). The man at the store I bought it from advises he regularly makes the dry style according to the instructions and enjoys drinking it on a regular basis! This will be my 3rd fortified Brew King product, but the first 2 were Port wines so they did need the F pack, but the sherry I am going to try without
I found a PDF file showing the instructions for all the Brew King fortified wines--read the sherry part and decide if you want to do that.
Heres a link to the file
I received this response from Vineco:
Hi Jim,
Yes, you can leave some out but be sure to add the Sherry Essence because that is what gives the wine its sherry style.
Regards,
Vince Rines Customer Service Representative, Vineco International Products
1-877-855-9355 Ext.222Thanks to all who resp> I am currently making a Brew King Sherry kit, and it comes with the F-pack
If you ever visit a winery you will be amazed. Fruit flies everywhere and EVERYTHING goes into the hopper. Wasp nests, bird nests, etc.
Just be clean. Store things dry. Avoid mold.
Winemaking is a very forgiving hobby. Wine itself is an excellent sanitizer and there are no known pathogens that will live in wine.
The biggest cause of wine going bad is not lack of cleanliness nor fruit, it is oxidation. After the fermentation slows down, after a week or so, you must protect it from contact with air. That is what ruins wine.
Don't obsess over anything in wine making, just enjoy.
Ray
Just out of interst, are there then 3 main ingredients--the concentate, a reverve bag and "an essence" pack?
That is correct -- the "essence" is a small (about 50 ml) bottle.
Jim
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