[Review] Sadlers Reserve Merlot Shiraz 12 btl with equipment, geterbrewed

[Hefeman]

Maybe I can find a big 'brick' to reduce the volume in my 30L bucket...  I'm half joking, half serious here. Maybe I can find an airtight stainless steel container or food grade plastic for example and fill it with water. Seems a waste to buy something for just one fermentation as I'll go with the larger kit next time if this works out well.

[LordEoin]

save yourself the heartache and spend the fiver on a plastic bucket
http://www.alpack.ie/VC102_20_Litre_Bucket_Sold_Individually/Default.574.html

[Hefeman]

save yourself the heartache and spend the fiver on a plastic bucket
http://www.alpack.ie/VC102_20_Litre_Bucket_Sold_Individually/Default.574.html

@LordEoin,

Thanks for the suggestion but with shipping a 4 euro bucket becomes a 16 euro bucket!
Been thinking about this and figure my best bet is either 10L or 15L from HBC as shipping will be free when combined with an order.

The only question is whether the 12 btl kit will fit in a 10L bucket or if I should get the 15L? My guess is that 9L output plus trub would be a bit tight for 10L?

https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/10-litre-fermentation-vessel-p-1055.html
https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/15-litre-fermentation-vessel-p-1056.html

[LordEoin]

I'd probably go for the 15l bucket.
That's what I have and it worked fine

[Hefeman]

Probably going to start on this kit tomorrow. Guess I'll ferment in one of my 30L beer fermenter buckets then rack to my 15L bucket. For bottling should I pour it back into the larger bucket which is drilled for a tap or should I drill a hole in the 15L bucket for a tap?

[LordEoin]

I think i siphoned it back into the primary bucket to get it off the stuff the finings dropped out, then bottled from there.

[Hingo]

Just ordered a 30 bottle kit of this myself to have ready for Xmas, my dad is the wine buff so I'll let him be the judge come the day. He used to make wine himself back in the day but always ended up with vinegar (stupid flies always managed to find a way....) Hopefully when he tries this he might get inspired to give it another go.  It'll be my first wine venture (unless you count mead) and this thread is very comprehensive on the steps taken over the few weeks.

Great thread & review.

[Hefeman]

I'm at the 'Day 25 Final Polish' stage. I poured in the remaining Chitosan and 'stirred' using a whisk attached to a power drill. The instructions are very good but there are a few inconsistencies. At the Final Polish stage it says "The wine will quickly clear however the complete cleaning process can take a week or more", however this is 'Day 25' and bottling is titled 'Day 28' implying that 3 days is all that is required, not 'a week or more'. I would appreciate some advice on how long to leave it before bottling. I had a small taste and would equate it to LordEoin's sample at this point , similar to a cheap supermarket wine. I'm optimistic about this being well drinkable in a few months time.

Another inconsistency I noticed was a Fermentation Temp of 18C in the 'Specifications' but then in the middle it says fermentation temp is 18-24 and red wines are usually fermented at higher temps (mine is a Cabernet Savignon). I fermented at 20C using a RaspPi controller.

[Hefeman]

OK so I bottled the 12 btl Cab Savignon tonight. It tasted like plonk as expected, probably no point getting into tasting notes at this stage but what concerns me is that I racked from primary FV (33L) to secondary (15L) and today I racked to a bottling bucket, what was left behind at the bottom of the secondary looked just like what I syphoned into the bottles. I didn't see anything that looked to me like 'lees' at the bottom, from what I read I was expecting the finings to cause unsavoury bits to drop out making them visible on the bottom.

I thought i followed the instructions fairly closely but perhaps I missed something? Any thoughts appreciated. Meanwhile I'll keep them bottled for  few months and we'll see how it goes!

[Qs]

LordEoin I was wondering how these turned out in the end? Wanted to brew up a wine kit before summer to have for friends at BBQs and that. How did a bit of age work out for these bottles?

[LordEoin]

Age didn't seem to do much for them.
The wine is nice but a little thin.
It's very drinkable and goes well with food.
I mainly use it for sangria and cooking.

[Qs]

Right might try a different one so. I've just bottled a Kenridge Classic Shiraz myself and I'd say it has similar issues with thinness.

[molc]

Thinness is the same issue I have with the Cab from Sadlers. Still on the lookout for a kit that makes a more full bodied wine. I don't mind if it's more costly as long as the quality is there.

[Qs]

I was looking around and the more expensive kits seem to have a good bit more concentrate so logic would follow that they aren't as thin. I'm considering just grabbing one of the Sadlers kits and brewing it a bit short in the hopes of getting more body but less wine. Not sure I'm ready to fork out €100 on a wine kit yet.

[LukeH]

I made the 30 bottle version of this kit back in august - Thought it turned out very well but benefits from time in the bottle. I oaked a demijohn of it for 4 weeks and bottled it yesterday - found it to be an improvement on the unoaked bottles.

Also, lessons I learned were to buy a degasser wand and degas properly as some bottles had excess CO2 which affected the drinkability.

I will definitely make the kit again with the intention of keeping back 75% of the bottles for 2-3 years.