Vintners Reserve Wine Kit
· Please read all instructions.
· Note that this kit may contain a smaller foil bag (F-Pack)
for Stage 3. If so, store it in a cool dry place until
needed.
· Clean all of your equipment with an unscented
winemaking detergent (Brew King’s Sparkle Brite, or
equivalent product) and rinse thoroughly with hot water
to remove any residue.
· Sanitize you equipment by rinsing it with a solution of
metabisulfite. Dissolve two ounces (eight teaspoons) of
metabisulfite powder in one gallon of cool water. Dip or
spray your equipment with this solution, and rinse
thoroughly. Every piece of equipment must be treated
with sulfite. Leftover solution can be stored tightly
sealed for two months.
· Use good quality drinking water with this kit.
· Please remove the code number sticker from the box top
and attach it to these instructions, or to your
winemaking record book. Your retailer will require the
information from this sticker should you have any
questions or comments. Write down the type of wine and
the date started as well.
PRIMARY FERMENTATION
Ensure that your primary fermenter is at least 8 gallons in
volume. Clean and sanitize primary fermenter and lid, spoon,
thermometer, hydrometer and test jar, and wine thief.
Rinse well.
1. Add one-half gallon of hot water to the bottom of your
sanitized primary fermenter. Stir the water vigorously
and slowly sprinkle the contents of package #1
(bentonite) onto the surface. Stir for 30 seconds to
ensure even dispersal, and to break up any clumps.
2. Carefully remove the cap from the large foil bag and
empty the contents into the primary fermenter with the
bentonite solution. Add 1 gallon of warm water to the
bag to rinse out any remaining juice, and add it to the
fermenter.
3. If your wine kit contains oak or elder flowers, tear open
the packages and sprinkle them into the primary
fermenter now. If your kit has more than one package of
oak, add them all.
4. Top up fermenter to the 6-gallon mark with cool water.
Stir vigorously for 30 seconds.
NOTE: Making the kit to a full 6-gallons is crucial to the
functioning of the fining agents and stability of the
finished wine. If you make it to any other volume, it will
not turn out correctly, and any problems you may
experience may not be solvable.
5. Check specific gravity. It should read between 1.070 and
1.080 (1.090—1.095 for Mezza Luna Red or White).
6. Ensure that the temperature of the juice is between 65–
75°F. Open your package of yeast and sprinkle it onto
the surface of the juice. Do not stir.
7. Cover the primary fermenter and place in an area with a
temperature of 65–75°F. Fermentation should start
within 24–48 hours.
SECONDARY FERMENTATION
After 5–7 days check the specific gravity. It should be
1.010 or less. You must rack (transfer) the wine into a 6-
gallon carboy at this time. (Note: the lower your fermenting
temperature, the longer it will take to reach this stage.) If
your gravity is not at or below this level, wait until it is.
Clean and sanitize siphon rod and hose, hydrometer and test
jar, wine thief, carboy, bung and airlock. Rinse well.
1. Put the primary fermenter up at least three feet on a
sturdy table.
2. Use the siphon rod and hose to carefully siphon wine into
a clean, sanitized 6-gallon carboy. Leave most of the
sediment behind. This will leave a space at the top of the
carboy. Do not top up at this stage.The space at the
top of the carboy is required for stirring and
additions during stabilizing (below).
3. Attach airlock and bung to carboy. Remember to fill
airlock halfway with water.
4. Leave carboy in fermentation area for a further 10 days.
STABILIZING
After 10 days, check your specific gravity. It should be
0.996 or less. Verify a stable gravity by checking again the
next day. If the gravity has changed, leave the wine until
the reading is stable on two consecutive days. If you do not
verify this reading, your wine may not clear properly!
Clean and sanitize hydrometer, test jar, wine thief and
spoon. Rinse well.
NOTES
A) Do not rack the carboy before stabilizing and fining. To
function effectively Brew King finings require the yeast
mass to be stirred back into suspension. Racking the wine
off of the sediment prior to fining will permanently prevent
clearing.
B) Multiple vigorous stirrings are called for in this section.
Without violent stirring, dissolved gas in the wine will
prevent it from clearing. At each stirring, whip the wine
until it stops foaming. Drill-mounted stirring devices (see
your retailer) can save labor.
1. Dissolve contents of package #2 (metabisulphite) and
package #3 (sorbate) in ½ cup of cool water. Add to
carboy and stir very vigorously for 2 minutes to disperse
the stabilizers and drive off CO2. Be sure to stir up the
yeast sediment from the bottom of the carboy.
IF YOUR KIT CONTAINS A SMALLER FOIL BAG (FPACK)
I. To ensure room in your carboy for the contents of
the pack, remove two cups of wine. Reserve this to
top up carboy in Step 3.
II. Shake the foil bag, carefully remove the cap, and
pour contents into the carboy. Stir vigorously for 60
seconds. Your gravity will now read between 0.998
and 1.007 depending on the style of the kit.
2. Shake contents of package #4 (chitosan or isinglass).
Carefully cut open the corner of pouch and pour
contents into carboy. Stir vigorously for 2 minutes to
drive off CO2 gas. (See note above: your wine may not
clear if this stirring is not vigorous enough.)
3. Top up carboy to within 2 inches of the bottom of the
bung. Use cool water, or reserved wine from F-Pack
addition, if available. Ensure airlock is filled halfway with
water and reattach bung and airlock. Allow your wine 8
days to clear.
CLARIFICATION & BOTTLING
Clean and sanitize 30 wine bottles, siphon rod, hose and siphon
filler. Rinse well.
1. After 8 days check your wine for clarity. Draw a small
sample into a wineglass and examine it in good light. If it
is not completely clear, leave the carboy for another 7
days. Do not bottle cloudy wine: it will not clear in the
bottle.
2. If you wish to filter your wine, please contact your local
retailer for instructions.
Note: Brew King kits contain a low level of sulfite
when compared to commercial wines. If you will be
aging your wine for more than 6 months, you will
need to add extra metabisulphite powder to it to
prevent oxidation. Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of potassium
metabisulphite powder in ½ cup cool water and
gently stir into wine before bottling.
3. Siphon your wine into clean, sanitized bottles and seal
with a good quality cork. Be sure to leave two fingerwidths
of space beneath the bottom of the cork in each
bottle.
4. Leave bottles upright for three days before lying them
on their sides for aging. Store bottles in a dark, cool,
temperature-stable place.
Your wine will benefit greatly from three months bottle age.
Enjoy!
