Shiraz kit......

[Rosewine Lover]

I don't drink red.......but sis has had me to make some shiraz........got me thinking. I could make her some for xmas.......make it now and bottle ready to age for xmas!!!!!

So can anyone who loves shiraz recommend a good kit to make, that tastes good too!!!!

[lockwood1956]

So can anyone who loves shiraz recommend a good kit to make, that tastes good too!!!!

1 gallon or 5 gallon?

[lockwood1956]

and your budget?

[mcblades]

Hi

I have made the kenridge classic shiraz a couple of times and it is (I think) v.good. Also done the beaverdale which is a bit cheaper but still v.drinkable.

Bob, has a few tweaks that can get the best of out the mid range kits and I will be having a go when my stock is exhausted.

I just found a bottle of the kenridge that was made last summer and it is far better than the other 20 odd bottles that were drunk within 3 months of it being made. Patience never was my strong point. This shouldn't be a problem for you as you are not a red drinker Therefore, if you make it now it will have improved quite a bit by xmas, and your sister will be v.impressed.

good luck

Mark

[lockwood1956]

The Beaverdale range (in my opinion) offers great value for money, and they can be improved massively quite easily......


a simple changing of the yeast will produce much much better results, switch the yeast that comes with the kit for a lalvin K1V-1116 this will make a huge difference.

With some of the beaverdale kits, the addition of raisins or sultanas can improive things, but with the Shiraz kit, I dont think you want that "thickness" that the extra fruit adds, so a simple switching of the yeast will make very good wine

dont get me wrong though, the kit without modifications will make very drinkable wine

regards
bob

[Rosewine Lover]

Cheers for quick replys peeps.........will look into all that you hav mentioned.

Prob do a 6 bottle kit for xmas......if she likes it do her 30 bottles for her bday....LOL

[mcblades]

If I were you I'd do a 30 bottle kit now. Giver her 6 for xmas and then the rest for b'day when they will be even better.

cheers

mark

[Rosewine Lover]

If I were you I'd do a 30 bottle kit now. Giver her 6 for xmas and then the rest for b'day when they will be even better.

cheers

mark

Oh what a brill idea, mark......

[Rich]

If you can track one down, this years Winexpert limited range has a Shiraz/Viogner which aged properly should be fantastic.

I made a Kenridge version a couple of years back, and only have a couple of bottles left. It's superb.

[mcblades]

thanks for the heads up Rich.

Rosewinelover, I expect we'll see an update in your signature soon

You may even convert yourself to reds!!

cheers

Mark

[Rosewine Lover]

thanks for the heads up Rich.

Rosewinelover, I expect we'll see an update in your signature soon

You may even convert yourself to reds!!

cheers

Mark

I use to always drink red wine but once i had my daughter not so keen and drink rose or white now........don't mind the odd glass like!!!!
Off to HB shop today/tomorrow so hopefully get her soemthing there!!!!

Thanks again peeps

[robwrx]

I use to always drink red wine but once i had my daughter not so keen and drink rose or white now........don't mind the odd glass like!!!!

My other half will not drink red wine now for a similar reason. When she was pregnant with our first child, just the smell of a glass of red wine was enough to make her feel sick and six years on, she still can't stand the smell. Strange!

[Rosewine Lover]

We are a strange breed us women....lol

[owlwithoutfeathers]

I use to always drink red wine but once i had my daughter not so keen and drink rose or white now........don't mind the odd glass like!!!!
Off to HB shop today/tomorrow so hopefully get her soemthing there!!!!

Thanks again peeps

i second the Beaverdale Shiraz kit. Its a great slurping wine - even after 6 months. but the longer the better.

In addition, you can get a second "rose" wine out of the kit. If you take the fermented Shiraz off of the lees (before stopping the wine), and add purple grape juice (i've used Welches on a 1 gallon kit, or Aldi's own for a 5 gallon kit) and nutrient, sugar and pectolase, it will ferment out again. so you buy one get one free!

The recipe was found on this site: but here it is:

after secondary fermentation of the beaverdale shiraz kit had done i racked it. Then i filled up the demijohns containing the slurry with supermarket grape juice (mine was from tesco, purple grape juice i think it was called. 77p/litre, carton had piccies of big round purple grapes on it). It was proper juice with no artificial additives etc. I also added 100g of sugar per litre i think. Anyway what ever it was the OG was 1095. FG was 998. Also added 1 tspn citric acid, nutrient, pectolase. It was clear as a bell and stabilised after about 7 weeks having been racked a couple of times along the way.

[bigwings]

The Beaverdale range (in my opinion) offers great value for money, and they can be improved massively quite easily......


a simple changing of the yeast will produce much much better results, switch the yeast that comes with the kit for a lalvin K1V-1116 this will make a huge difference.





regards
bob

So why dont Beaverdale change the yeast to a K1V-1116?
Would seem to be a good thing to improve sales as well as quality.