Kenridge Classic Vieux Chateau Du Roi 30 Bottle

[iannowi]

ive just started a Kenridge Classic Vieux Chateau Du Roi 30 Bottle....Put it in carboy, and before adding the yeast I tested the SG...instructions says it should be 1080-1090...but mine is only 1050..is this normal? or possibly does it need a bloody good stir/shake

[cpfan]

ive just started a Kenridge Classic Vieux Chateau Du Roi 30 Bottle....Put it in carboy, and before adding the yeast I tested the SG...instructions says it should be 1080-1090...but mine is only 1050..is this normal? or possibly does it need a bloody good stir/shake

It probably needs a good stir. I haven't made this kit since 2007, but I made many of them before then (I ran a Ferment on Premises), and would expect an sg around 1.084.

When making a kit, especially a Vineco kit like this one, you should give the must a very vigourous stirring in the primary. This ensures that the bentonite is well mixed, the concentrate/juice and water are well mixed, and introduces air into the must that the yeast requires. The good stir also ensures an accurate sg reading.

BTW, you said you put the kit in a carboy. Are you starting this kit in a 23 litre (or 5 Imp gallon) carboy? If so, expect a mess as the fermentation causes the foam (and wine) to come out of the carboy into the air lock and beyond. Also, its difficult to stir the kit properly in a 23 litre carboy.

Steve

[Sasquatch]

I have just done one of these my SG was around 1090, just racked it off into a carboy last week, but 1050 does seem a bit low (

[iannowi]

tested it the following morning, although I had put the yeast in, and the sg was as it should be, around the 1090 mark...so all is good, and the wine is fermenting merrily...
have you had a taste of the wine yet, and if so what are your thoughts