Pondering my next project

Apr 05, 2007 6 Replies

I am pondering my next project - R.J Spagnoli Bolero - Italian Merlot.



This kit is just a tad different than the ones I have tried previously, in that I have in my possession a 23L bucket of sterilized must. I was reading through the instructions as I always do before I begin and found something different than in my previous kits: The wine is kept in the primary fermenter four 14 days, then racked into the secondary only when the sg reaches 0.998 one begins stabilizing and clearing the wine.



In the other kits I have tried, the wine is transferred to the secondary after the first week or so when the SG reaches 1.010 or less and secondary fermentation begins.



In essence, this kit omits the secondary fermentation altogether. What say you all on this particular method?



Abby


Abby, this is the new Spagnols instructions for all of their kits, not just the 23 litre Bolero kits. Feedback on the RJ Spagnols forum has been very positive on the new instructions.

BTW, I have heard good things about this Italian Merlot. Also, I would expect this kit to reach about .994, but it's a few years since I've made this exact kit in my store

Steve

I feel free to modify my own recipes, but I do fairly exactly what kits tell me.

The precision with which I follow the instructions is proportional to the price I paid for the kit :)

If my recent Crushendo kit had suggested I sing the polish national anthem whilst degassing I probably would not have dared omit it!

What a GREAT idea. Anything that makes degassing simpler!!!!!

Steve

I've been told that it only works if you are naked at the time. In colder climes, that could be a challenge ;-)

Abby

hmmm, this sounds like a different thread, something about me asking if the advice of the local wineshop to skip step two was valid (insert grin here)

my local wine shop recommended I do this with the wineexpert kit island mist that i am starting on. others here said "stick to the kits instructions. I did. this weekend i'll be stabilizing and clearing. samples have tasted spot on so I cannot complain.

Who ever suggested that has never seen a 60 year old man naked. Even wine will curdle!

Ray

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