Cellar 7 Wine Kit Instructions

Cellar 7 kits need no added sugar — all the fermentable sugar comes from the grape concentrate itself, and they ferment noticeably faster than our added-sugar wine kits. If you have a WineBuddy kit, those need added sugar — see our WineBuddy 30 Bottle or WineBuddy 6 Bottle instructions. If you have a Solomon Grundy kit, see Solomon Grundy Wine Kit Instructions. If you have a Cantina kit, see our separate Cantina Wine Kit Instructions page — similar process, different pack quantities.

What's Included

  • Grape juice concentrate
  • Wine yeast/nutrient sachet (Pack A)
  • Stabiliser (Pack C) and finings sachets (Packs E & F)

Equipment Needed (not included)

Do not add any sugar — this kit is balanced to work from the grape concentrate alone.

All equipment must be sterilised before use. Please read all instructions before beginning.

Day 1

  1. Empty the grape juice into your fermenting vessel. Top up with lukewarm water (20–25°C) to 22.5 litres.
  2. Sprinkle in Pack A (wine yeast/nutrient) and mix well.
  3. Fit the airlock/bung, half-filled with water. Place the fermenter somewhere warm (20–25°C) with minimal risk of damage if fermentation froths or leaks. Fermentation should start within 24 hours — you'll see CO2 bubbles in the airlock and a frothy layer on the surface.

Day 5

  1. Fermentation should be complete — no more bubbles passing through the airlock. Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity: if it's 1.000 or below, move to the next stage. Alternatively, taste the wine — if it's still sweet, leave it a couple more days before proceeding.
  2. Syphon/rack the wine into another sterilised fermenter, leaving all sediment behind. Stir well for 1 minute to release CO2, repeating 2–3 times with a few minutes' gap between — this helps the wine clear.
  3. Add Pack C (stabiliser) and mix thoroughly.
  4. After 3 hours, add Pack E (finings 1), mix well, and leave for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour, add Pack F (finings 2) and mix well. Leave the wine to clear — stand the fermenter at table height so it's ready for transfer once clear. Your wine should clear within the next 48 hours; don't proceed until it's thoroughly clear.

Day 7

  1. Syphon the wine into bottles or a suitable storage container and seal, taking care not to disturb any residual sediment at the bottom of the fermenter. The wine is ready to drink now, but improves if left in a cool, dry place for a few weeks.

Troubleshooting

  • Froth on the surface but no airlock bubbles: usually a small air leak somewhere — fermentation will still work, but it becomes harder to judge when it's finished. Replace the leaking seal when you can.
  • Wine still tastes sweet at Day 5: don't rush — wait and re-check in a day or two rather than adding stabiliser to a wine that hasn't finished fermenting.
  • Won't clear after 48 hours: make sure the wine was properly degassed at the racking stage (step 5) — trapped CO2 is the most common reason finings don't work properly.
  • Accidentally added sugar: stop before stabilising — the extra sugar means fermentation isn't actually finished yet, even if the gravity briefly looked right. Let it run its course and re-check.

Please note: some of the information in these instructions is not owned by BrewCo, and is obtained from suppliers of the kits.