At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them included
an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its purpose is
to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with these
added packs came out OK.
I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing game to
justify the higher price?

Denis
Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B

I've made a few wines with the F-packs, even cheap Overwaitea (Spagnols)
$25-$35 kits. It's just a bit of a sweetener that help you make your wine
taste more like the stuff made at the wineries. I forget which ones have had
the pack, I recall the white (blush) zinfandel. Piesporter may have had it
too. It's not neccessary to add it to your kits. If you prefer a dry,dry
wine as opposed to a very slightly sweetened one, then don't add it.

If you get into scratch wine making, you can buy it (AKA wine conditioner)
really cheap, so I can't see it as a marketing game to make the kit worth
more.


"Denis Marier" > wrote in message
...
> At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them included
> an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its purpose is
> to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with these
> added packs came out OK.
> I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing game
to
> justify the higher price?
>
> Denis
> Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B
>
>

In the better kits (e.g. Brew King's) the F-Pack usually contains some
unfermented juice appropriate to the style of wine. The Ice Wine kit
contains unfermented grape juice that tastes like it comes from grapes with
a long hang time and some raisining.

If you choose not to use it, it will probably result in an unbalanced wine
without the sweetness to balance acid or in the case of the ice wine, the
sugar.

Alastair

On 2004-03-16 15:55:37 -0500, "Daniel_B" > said:

> I've made a few wines with the F-packs, even cheap Overwaitea (Spagnols)
> $25-$35 kits. It's just a bit of a sweetener that help you make your wine
> taste more like the stuff made at the wineries. I forget which ones have
had
> the pack, I recall the white (blush) zinfandel. Piesporter may have had
it
> too. It's not neccessary to add it to your kits. If you prefer a dry,dry
> wine as opposed to a very slightly sweetened one, then don't add it.
>
> If you get into scratch wine making, you can buy it (AKA wine
conditioner)
> really cheap, so I can't see it as a marketing game to make the kit worth
> more.
>
>
> "Denis Marier" > wrote in message
> ...
> > At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them
included
> > an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its purpose
is
> > to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with these
> > added packs came out OK.
> > I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing
game
> to
> > justify the higher price?
> >
> > Denis
> > Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B
> >
> >
>
>
>
>


The Mad Kiwi Winemaker
(Remove nospam for e-mail)

where are there kits that cheap????
let me know
"Daniel_B" > wrote in message
...
> I've made a few wines with the F-packs, even cheap Overwaitea (Spagnols)
> $25-$35 kits. It's just a bit of a sweetener that help you make your wine
> taste more like the stuff made at the wineries. I forget which ones have
had
> the pack, I recall the white (blush) zinfandel. Piesporter may have had it
> too. It's not neccessary to add it to your kits. If you prefer a dry,dry
> wine as opposed to a very slightly sweetened one, then don't add it.
>
> If you get into scratch wine making, you can buy it (AKA wine conditioner)
> really cheap, so I can't see it as a marketing game to make the kit worth
> more.
>
>
> "Denis Marier" > wrote in message
> ...
> > At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them
included
> > an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its purpose
is
> > to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with these
> > added packs came out OK.
> > I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing
game
> to
> > justify the higher price?
> >
> > Denis
> > Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B
> >
> >
>
>
>

Overwaitea, which is a chain in BC. When they go on sale. Reds are generally
more $ than whites, and the various styles can differ in price. Their March
7-13 flyer shows selected varieties of 28-day Cellar Master (Spagnols)
whites at $34.99 and reds at $39.99. I remember regularly buying whites at
$28.88, and I recall having seen them even less. All varieties of 45-day
Western Classics (store brand) whites are $49.99 and reds are $59.99.

"Stephen" > wrote in message
news:vMN5c.27922$po.277225@attbi_s52...
> where are there kits that cheap????
> let me know
> "Daniel_B" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I've made a few wines with the F-packs, even cheap Overwaitea (Spagnols)
> > $25-$35 kits. It's just a bit of a sweetener that help you make your
wine
> > taste more like the stuff made at the wineries. I forget which ones have
> had
> > the pack, I recall the white (blush) zinfandel. Piesporter may have had
it
> > too. It's not neccessary to add it to your kits. If you prefer a dry,dry
> > wine as opposed to a very slightly sweetened one, then don't add it.
> >
> > If you get into scratch wine making, you can buy it (AKA wine
conditioner)
> > really cheap, so I can't see it as a marketing game to make the kit
worth
> > more.
> >
> >
> > "Denis Marier" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them
> included
> > > an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its
purpose
> is
> > > to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with
these
> > > added packs came out OK.
> > > I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing
> game
> > to
> > > justify the higher price?
> > >
> > > Denis
> > > Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

In the Maritimes the white and red go on sales at the Co-OP for about $29.00
CAD regular $39.00 CAD. Zellers are now offering kit at $39.00 CAD
The wine kits stores have, at time, sales for $38.00 - $42.00 CAD for kits
making 23 liters.
The high end stores are promoting their 23 liters kits for $70.00 - $80.00
CAD. One packaging company from Montreal are shipping their concentrate in
plastic bag inside a hard plastic bucket along with the ingredients.


"Daniel_B" > wrote in message
...
> Overwaitea, which is a chain in BC. When they go on sale. Reds are
generally
> more $ than whites, and the various styles can differ in price. Their
March
> 7-13 flyer shows selected varieties of 28-day Cellar Master (Spagnols)
> whites at $34.99 and reds at $39.99. I remember regularly buying whites at
> $28.88, and I recall having seen them even less. All varieties of 45-day
> Western Classics (store brand) whites are $49.99 and reds are $59.99.
>
> "Stephen" > wrote in message
> news:vMN5c.27922$po.277225@attbi_s52...
> > where are there kits that cheap????
> > let me know
> > "Daniel_B" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I've made a few wines with the F-packs, even cheap Overwaitea
(Spagnols)
> > > $25-$35 kits. It's just a bit of a sweetener that help you make your
> wine
> > > taste more like the stuff made at the wineries. I forget which ones
have
> > had
> > > the pack, I recall the white (blush) zinfandel. Piesporter may have
had
> it
> > > too. It's not neccessary to add it to your kits. If you prefer a
dry,dry
> > > wine as opposed to a very slightly sweetened one, then don't add it.
> > >
> > > If you get into scratch wine making, you can buy it (AKA wine
> conditioner)
> > > really cheap, so I can't see it as a marketing game to make the kit
> worth
> > > more.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Denis Marier" > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > > At time, I have made wine using higher priced kits. Many of them
> > included
> > > > an F - pack (finishing small foil pack). They claimed that its
> purpose
> > is
> > > > to provide an accurate authentic sweetness? The wine I made with
> these
> > > > added packs came out OK.
> > > > I wonder if this really contributed to style or its just a marketing
> > game
> > > to
> > > > justify the higher price?
> > > >
> > > > Denis
> > > > Sprucewood, Rothesay, N.B
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>