Conditioning wine

[Brewster]

I bottled my first kit the other day and the manager at the location where I purchased it told me to add conditioner to the final gallon before I bottled it. He told me that this will make the wine more “drinkable” in a shorter amount of time. What exactly does this wine conditioner do? (It came in a bottle which seemed to be made up of mostly sugars.) What long/short term affects does this have?

Also, why is it recommended to only bulk age the wine a month or so with some of these kits? Is it okay to extend this? I know, follow the directions. But I was assuming that this was for the individuals who were more concerned more with quick turnaround over taste.

[Hippie]

All that 'wine conditioner' contains is invert sugar and sorbate, sometimes also sulphite. It is a waste of money and shipping charges. You can sweeten yourself with sugar, grape concentrate, reserved juice, etc., after the wine has been stabilized with sulphite and sorbate.

[P cuthbert]

Brewster;

Wine conditioner is aded to wine with the purpose of sweetening it, and adding a little more mouthfeel. It is NOT required unless the wine is too dry for you.

Bulk aging of kits wines is not needed. If you wish to increase the oak component of a wine, then you will have to do so during an extended aging.

Bulk aging kit wine does two things: All the wine ages at the same rate, and it keeps you from drinking it.

Pat

[lockwood1956]

I have started to age my kits in the carbuoy for longer but that purely to stop me drinking them till they are old enough, they will age just as well in the bottle.

A lot of kits say you can drink them after a short period of time but aging to 6 or 12 months makes a BIG difference.

And finally I have disposed of my carbuoy straw

lol

[Mamgiowl]

Good Boy!

[lockwood1956]

Well thats not quite true

Curt made one out of oak for me,( a work of art) and JeffD sent it across the pond but its for decoration only now.

[Hippie]

What would we do without friends?

[jcnoren]

All that 'wine conditioner' contains is invert sugar and sorbate, sometimes also sulphite. It is a waste of money and shipping charges. You can sweeten yourself with sugar, grape concentrate, reserved juice, etc., after the wine has been stabilized with sulphite and sorbate.

After looking at Curts Summer Sipper recipe I was wondering if one could add frozen grape concentrate at a (flavor-pak)...to a cheapo wine kit. Would you need to add additional metabisulfate &/or sorbate then???

JC

[Hippie]

No need to add any additional. You add the correct amount when the wine is finished fermenting. If bulk aging, you might need to add additional sulphite, but no more sorbate.

[jcnoren]

Why would bulk aging require additional suplhite, but if it is bottled instead not? Curious
JC

[P cuthbert]

You would need to add a bit more suplhite to extend the aging potential of the wine. The additional sulphite would generate more SO2 to protect the wine from oxygen and bacterial invasion.

Pat