Wilkinson Black Cherry kit

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Atyeastitried

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I recently bought the Cherry wine kit at full price. followed the instructions and it blew through the airlock after adding the remaining water. It seems to be best if the initial 3 days are at around 25 degrees celsius. In this way the tumultuous fermentation takes place with plenty of space. It's all in the temp. Racked it off into clean and rinsed DJ added the stabiliser, and then a day later the Cherry flavouring and finnings. Allowed to clear for 15 days. It's bloody aweful. No flavour, and all i can smell is sulphides. I also did a Rose' kit a while after which at least has flavour and smelt good when i racked it off. It seems to me the stabiliser ruins it. It must be metabisulphate or similar. Is it really necessary to use this. Frankly , i am not impressed at nearly £9 a pop for something that just tastes chemically is not what i was looking for. Everything was streralized and rinsed 3 times.
 
I recently bought the Cherry wine kit at full price. followed the instructions and it blew through the airlock after adding the remaining water. It seems to be best if the initial 3 days are at around 25 degrees celsius. In this way the tumultuous fermentation takes place with plenty of space. It's all in the temp. Racked it off into clean and rinsed DJ added the stabiliser, and then a day later the Cherry flavouring and finnings. Allowed to clear for 15 days. It's bloody aweful. No flavour, and all i can smell is sulphides. I also did a Rose' kit a while after which at least has flavour and smelt good when i racked it off. It seems to me the stabiliser ruins it. It must be metabisulphate or similar. Is it really necessary to use this. Frankly , i am not impressed at nearly £9 a pop for something that just tastes chemically is not what i was looking for. Everything was streralized and rinsed 3 times.

Ok , I hate these cheap kits but, have you left it in the bottle or fv for a decent period of time? At least give it a chance to get rid of the sulphides etc then try. Bottle and leave for minimum 4 weeks but 3 months better. Just a suggestion. If still **** then dispose of as you will and try something decent.

Edit - even save some effort and do not bottle. Is it a 6 bottle kit? Leave in DJ and try later.
 
Hi Chippy, this is what I was trying to describe in my post a few days ago. The Wilko stabiliser seems to be overpowering. I am going to stop using it. I've got a Wilko Chardonnay fermenting and when it comes to bottling I will add a crushed campden tablet to my 1 gallon DJ.
 
Hi Chippy, this is what I was trying to describe in my post a few days ago. The Wilko stabiliser seems to be overpowering. I am going to stop using it. I've got a Wilko Chardonnay fermenting and when it comes to bottling I will add a crushed campden tablet to my 1 gallon DJ.



What Campden Tablets Don’t Do?
Many winemakers believe campden tablets can instantaneously stop a wine fermentation dead in its tracks. While it is true that Campden tablets can bring a fermentation to its knees for a period of time, it is also true that these fermentations will usually gather themselves back up and eventually overcome the effects of the tablets. The result is a continued fermentation – sometimes after the wine has been bottled.

Truth is, Campden tablets are not designed to stop a fermentation and never have been. Using them for that purpose can get you into all kinds of trouble. There is really no ingredient that can be safely used by itself to assuredly stop a fermentation.
 
I use the Wilko stabiliser but now just half a small tsp, seems to work fine and no nasty chemical taste.
 
What Campden Tablets Don’t Do?
Many winemakers believe campden tablets can instantaneously stop a wine fermentation dead in its tracks. While it is true that Campden tablets can bring a fermentation to its knees for a period of time, it is also true that these fermentations will usually gather themselves back up and eventually overcome the effects of the tablets. The result is a continued fermentation – sometimes after the wine has been bottled.

Truth is, Campden tablets are not designed to stop a fermentation and never have been. Using them for that purpose can get you into all kinds of trouble. There is really no ingredient that can be safely used by itself to assuredly stop a fermentation.
What Campden Tablets Don’t Do?
Many winemakers believe campden tablets can instantaneously stop a wine fermentation dead in its tracks. While it is true that Campden tablets can bring a fermentation to its knees for a period of time, it is also true that these fermentations will usually gather themselves back up and eventually overcome the effects of the tablets. The result is a continued fermentation – sometimes after the wine has been bottled.

Truth is, Campden tablets are not designed to stop a fermentation and never have been. Using them for that purpose can get you into all kinds of trouble. There is really no ingredient that can be safely used by itself to assuredly stop a fermentation.
 
I've let the wine ferment out, it is almost fully cleared after adding finings last weekend. I was hoping to rack it onto a crushed campden tablet and then bottle. Do you think this will be ok? or would you still add a small amount of stabiliser too?
 
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