Newbie Question

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Griff1963

Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:17 am

Hi

Just ordered my first wine kit and the ad for it says 'just add sugar and water'. What is the best type of sugar to use for winemaking?

Cheers

scotsloon
Piss Artist
Posts: 204
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:59 pm
Location: Kemnay, Aberdeenshire

Re: Newbie Question

Post by scotsloon » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:47 am

Just use domestic Tate and Lyle, its cheap, 100% convertible to alcohol and CO2. There are many others all of which tend to be expensive compared to T&L and do the same basic job.

A word of warning, many instructions sets for wine kits are poorly written, possibly because they were written when home brewing was in its infancy. Its important to take a reading of the specific gravity (using your Hydrometer) at the start of making the wine and also at the end when fermentation is finished. The difference between these figures will give you an indication of how strong (ABV) the wine is and the finishing SG will indicate if the wine has stopped fermenting. This is important so you don't bottle to early and crate bottle bombs

Griff1963

Re: Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:10 pm

scotsloon wrote:Just use domestic Tate and Lyle, its cheap, 100% convertible to alcohol and CO2. There are many others all of which tend to be expensive compared to T&L and do the same basic job.

A word of warning, many instructions sets for wine kits are poorly written, possibly because they were written when home brewing was in its infancy. Its important to take a reading of the specific gravity (using your Hydrometer) at the start of making the wine and also at the end when fermentation is finished. The difference between these figures will give you an indication of how strong (ABV) the wine is and the finishing SG will indicate if the wine has stopped fermenting. This is important so you don't bottle to early and crate bottle bombs
Thanks scotsloon.
How much sugar would I add for a 30 bottle brew?

bquiggerz

Re: Newbie Question

Post by bquiggerz » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:12 pm

Can you link the kit that you have bought? That way we can advise better?

Griff1963

Re: Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:16 pm

bquiggerz wrote:Can you link the kit that you have bought? That way we can advise better?
Its a Solomon Grundy Zinfandel Rose kit.

oldbloke
Under the Table
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Location: Todmorden, Wet Yorks

Re: Newbie Question

Post by oldbloke » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:17 pm

It should tell you how much to add.

Re dodgy instructions: they tend to claim it'll be ready sooner than it really will be.

Griff1963

Re: Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:20 pm

oldbloke wrote:It should tell you how much to add.

Re dodgy instructions: they tend to claim it'll be ready sooner than it really will be.
Its says its a 7 day kit. I bought it so it would be ready for xmas.

bquiggerz

Re: Newbie Question

Post by bquiggerz » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:21 pm

I believe it will be 4 kg of sugar needed for the kit.

Happy Brewing,

Ben.

Griff1963

Re: Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 2:27 pm

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

bquiggerz

Re: Newbie Question

Post by bquiggerz » Fri Dec 04, 2015 3:34 pm

It's not a problem. :)

winelover6

Re: Newbie Question

Post by winelover6 » Mon Dec 07, 2015 11:33 am

I have brewed this kit before with dextrose and with supermarket sugar. i must say, the dextrose sugar seemed to ferment a bit more calmly than the granulated sugar, the granulated sugar made it taste a bit too sweet for me personally so i tend to stick to dextrose :D

Griff1963

Re: Newbie Question

Post by Griff1963 » Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:32 pm

winelover6 wrote:I have brewed this kit before with dextrose and with supermarket sugar. i must say, the dextrose sugar seemed to ferment a bit more calmly than the granulated sugar, the granulated sugar made it taste a bit too sweet for me personally so i tend to stick to dextrose :D
Thanks, how much did you use? I'm gonna have to use supermarket sugar as brewing sugar will work out quite expensive.

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