SG Wines Country Wine Kits

Are SG Wines Country kits suitable for vegans or vegetarians?

Unfortunately no. All SG Country Wines kits currently include crustaceans in the finings (Chitosan) which means they are not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. 

How can it take just 7 days to make the Country Wine Kit?

All SG Wines Country kits include specially selected yeast nutrients which speed up the yeast’s performance during fermentation. When at the right temperature (20-25°C, 25°C being optimal), fermentation should finish in just 5 days. 

The dual-stage wine finings included take 1-2 days to clear the wine as long as it was previously thoroughly degassed – this is a very important step so ensure it’s done properly!

If all goes well your wine will be ready to bottle and drink after 7 days, but it will significantly improve after 3-4 weeks and will continue to improve beyond this if stored in a cool, dark place. 

Why hasn't my Country wine cleared after adding the Finings?

Your wine should be clear within 1-2 days of adding the last finings sachet. If it takes longer then it’s likely the wine was not fully de-gassed (see instructions) or the wine had not finished fermenting in the bucket (yeast doesn’t drop out if sugars are still around). Be patient, it will eventually clear but could take up to two weeks.

How do I know when the Country Wine kits has finished Fermentation?

You can check the gravity of your wine using a hydrometer. Gravity is an indication of how much sugar is suspended in a solution, and as yeast consumes the sugars in your wine to produce alcohol and CO2, the gravity reading goes down.

After 5 days of fermentation, take a sample of your wine and to check the gravity. If the reading is equal to or less than the number stated in your instructions, fermentation is complete. To be absolutely sure, you can take another reading 24 hours later to ensure the gravity is stable. 

If you don’t have a hydrometer, you can taste the wine to check it’s completely dry, however, this isn’t as accurate as using a hydrometer.

Why doesn't my Country wine appear to be fermenting?

There are a few reasons why your fermentation might not have started, but the most common reason is temperature control. Ensure your fermenter is kept at a constant temperature as indicated in your instructions and check the temperature at the start and end of each day. Fermentation will take a lot longer below 20°C.

If your kit is close to or after its Best Before End date (found on the back of the carton) then the yeast’s performance will have declined dramatically and may not work at all.

My Country kit is missing a sachet, what can I do?

The kits are carefully hand-packed at Bevie manufacturing facility, however, this can mean a sachet is missed on the rare occasion. We know how frustrating this is and we apologise for the mistake. Let us know what’s missing and we’ll send the missing sachet out to you asap.

Please include the kit’s batch number so we can report back to Bevie