muscadine recipe?

[Hippie]

Sure, just grow an extra large starter and use some for both.

[jackie]

okay we have fermentation going on. I was wondering if to stick to the s.g. (around 1.030) before pressing or if to go by the number of days the muscandines have been in there (to reduce chance of bitters from the seeds)?? I think I crushed one or two seeds when crushing (heard a "crunch") but hopefully out of 28 pounds that won't be a problem (if it is, it's too finicky for my limited skills). Jack Keller's site says to look for the s.g. but I noticed Hippie removed his when the fermentation hadn't started in 2-3 days. Even with a starter, mine took 2 days to get going.

[Hippie]

I have left the skins in until closer to SG 1.000. You don't have to rack as soon as you press. You can press anytime you want or feel like you need to and then rack later, especially if the ferment is a little warm or seems too vigorous at the time. I think I was just paranoid about the skins and pulp going bad that 1 time. Your must should have started fermenting sooner if it was going to at all, with a starter. I think maybe you just didn't notice fermentation for a couple days? What strain yeast did you end up using? I wouldn't worry about crushing just a few seeds, especially if you didn't add powdered grape tannin.

[jackie]

Yes it might have just started slow and I didn't notice. The top on loosely just to keep bugs out (with airlock covering the hole) and I didn't notice any foaming except a tiny bit when I pushed the skins down. It's going great now. No tannin added. I used the 71b yeast. Starting S.G. 1.095 acid 6 ppt

[Hippie]

Sounds good. Is that acid amount after adding or just what it ended up?

[jackie]

That's just what it was. That's about the same as my blueberry ended up after adding to it. I will be sweetening, hopefully about the same degree as the blueberry. In case I ever do this again, is there a trick to crushing these by hand? With my blueberry, blackberry just a light pressure with a potato masher was sufficient. But these are bigger and firmer. A potato masher didn't even phase it. It took me a relatively long time to crush. Jack Keller's site says to use a 4x4 which I didn't happen to have, but then I'd wonder about sanitizing the wood.

[Hippie]

Yea, and you hafta make sure the wood is not treated, etc. Had the muscadines been frozen? Usually after I thaw mine, I can mash them pretty good in a big pan or bucket with a tator masher. That .6% acid just goes to show that they are not too hard to make a good wine with. Amelioration. Cool word.

[jackie]

Yes they were frozen but maybe some didn't get thawed well enough. We'll see when I try to press the rest which are still in the freezer to sweeten it up later on. Amelioration huh--I had to look it up; big way of saying improvement (I love the first dictionary definition "the state of being ameliorated").

[jackie]

Well these muscadines turned out to have alot more juice than anticipated. I originally was making 4 gallons (enough to have plenty for topup and end up with atleast 3 gallons). I pressed today and ended up with 6 gallons. Normally I'd say more is better but in this case I'm wondering if that much diff will mess up the balance of the wine or make it too thin. I started out with 28 pounds (weighed twice) of muscadines, 10 pounds sugar, 3 gals water, 4 camden tablets, pectic enzyme and yeast. I was happy with the s.g. and acid. But 28 pounds of grapes for 6 gals of wine is less than 5 pounds per gallon. The s.g. today was 1.016, adjusted for temp and hydrometer calibration.

[Hippie]

Must have been some good ripe muscadines. Do you have a 5 or 6 gallon carboy? I think the wine will be just fine. Rejoice for the extra bounty!

[jackie]

I have several 5 gallon carboys and one 6 gallon so I'm fine there. My gallon is full of a kit wine that has cleared so it's ready to be freed up. I'm glad for the extra volume since my friend bought the muscadines, he'll get more wine for his investment. I'm going to start another batch of blueberry wine soon too. Everyone liked the last batch so much it's about gone and if for some reason the muscadine doesn't turn out, I'll still have a wine he likes. I don't want to sound pessimistic but the raspberry wine I made was awful and the blackberry isn't very good either (it's been in the bottle a year but has very little blackberry flavor even though I took 2 pounds of frozen blackberries, pressed the juice with sugar and some water to sweeten it up). I thought for sure it would have lots of flavor. Blueberry is the only fruit wine that has been good so far.

[Hippie]

Don't give up. I have made several bad batches that got better with age, and also a few that might never get any better. Just refreshen now and then with a good winemaking book or Jack Keller's winemaking homepage and these forums. You will get way more confident. You are doing great!

[jackie]

I tasted the wine yest and there's not much fruit flavor. Any idea how much muscadine juice I need to add to 6 gals to get that fruity flavor? This will be a sweet wine.

The color is a pretty cranberry, though my friend says it should be very dark, almost black in color. I took a little out to dissolve some metabisulfite and I noticed it did change the color. Never noticed that before but then I usually dissolve it in water.

[Hippie]

My black muscadine wine is never very dark, about like cranberry juice maybe or a little lighter. It is hard to say how much suss reserve it will take to sweeten your wine. You will have to rely on your own tastebuds for that. It is your wine. It will be very good. If it was mine, I would be sure the sorbate is fresh and use it first, then add the juice later, then be sure and bulk age a few months to be sure it is stable and clear before bottling. I know you know all this, I just like giving good people good advice. I am assuming you stabilized with sulphite and sorbate when the wine finished dry.

[jackie]

I already added sulfite and sorbate. But it definitely needs more fruitiness.