White Zinfandel

Maybe, but those kits are made to balance out a certain way. If you want a dry white wine, make one that is designed to be dry next time instead of trying to modify one that is designed to be sweet.

Ray

I have family members that eliminate the sweetener pack in the Zinf and Piesporter kits they make, and they turn out just fine. I, myself, don't mind that little extra sweeteness.

Do they use the f-pack in the fermentation or do they just throw it away?

I assume they chuck it out. I __don't think__ it's a fermentable sweetener, so putting it in at the start would still leave the wine sweet.

I have no idea, but are you sure these are non-fermentable sweeteners? Could it be sugar with sorbate? (Like "wine conditioner") In that case, you definitely do not want to add it at the beginning.

You add sorbate at the same time you add the f-pack, they are in seperate packages. I just assumed the f-pack was the same juice used in the fermentation. If I do this, I will just discard the f-pack.

Thanks for the clarification. I have never made kits, so I have no idea. If it's just juice, then by all means, use it in the beginning.

Ferment the F-pack!! We have crafted some Gewürztraminers fermenting 3/4 of the f-pack and adding back the remaining 1/4 at bottling. Raises the alcohol so be prepared. Your white zin may not be too tasty w/o the sweetness. Also keep in mind that sweeter wines benefit from higher acid content- so the acid may have been "adjusted at the factory" to be higher than a dry wine. Never-the-less, I say ferment it. Have done it myself with excellent results!

-- Karl B

Sounds like maybe I will start with fermenting 1/2 and sweetening with the other 1/2.

sweeteners?