The rewards and frustrations of home winemaking

Racing Cab Sauv Kit and Starting Riesling Reserve Kit

cab sauv kit racking

It was time to rack off the cabernet sauvignon kit into a carboy.  I noticed a distinct aroma of bananas, just like we smelled when the cabernet sauvignon grapes were fermenting.  The color is great, this is going to be a pretty decent wine for the money.

Next I set up to start the Alsatian rielsing reserve kit from Winexpert.  This rielsing should be quite a contrast to the “old vines” Canadian Riesling from last year, as this style of Riesling does not have an added “sweetness pack”, but instead should give a very light, dry, crisp Riesling.  As I was pouring the juice out of the bag, though, I noticed a dark brown precipitate at the bottom of the bag.

riesling bag

I debated what to do, and opted to not pour out the last bit of dregs that included this dark substance.  It was maybe about a cup of juice left in the bag, so I figured it would not make a substantial impact if it didn’t go in.  The starting SG was at 1.088, the low end of the recommended SG range, but still in range.