# Looking for an Orange Muscat recipe



## Asparky (Sep 15, 2009)

Hi Im Looking for an Orange Muscat recipe.... My wife and daughter tasted a bottle at a local wineary (SE Washington State Wine Country) and although they aren't real found of good wine really liked it... I thought it was made with oranges and Muscat grapes but found it actually is an obscure grape variaty.... I have located a small grower that sells to home wine makers so I would like to make some for my "girls"

If nothing else anyone making a kit could tell me if there are extra ingrediants, type of acid etc etc and I maybe could get an apx amount of grapes to buy for a 5 gal batch... grape are just about ripe here!!

Thanks
RON


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## Wade E (Sep 18, 2009)

If you can get these grapes then I would ask the grower what #'s these have like PH, Brix, and TA. You shouldnt really need anything other then yeast and some nutrient and some k-meta. You will most likely have to cold stabilize this batch cause the acids will probably be high. You could also use Potassium carbonate to lower the acidity afterwards.


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## Asparky (Sep 19, 2009)

This is the info the grower gave me

The data for Orange Muscat brix 24 pH 3.5 date taken 9/15

he will crush and destem if I want him to... Im not sure if I get just juice or juice grape combo or?? but would want to do a second running of it so guess I need more info there from the grower

Was hoping to find a recipe as I have only made wine from juice and had recipes for them

The wine that my daughter tried was sweet with just a hint of orange.. my wife said she didnt taste any orange so dont know if it was just a citrus taste or not? They both thought it was great though

seems to be not many recipes out there for it

RON


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## Wade E (Sep 19, 2009)

There is no recipe as when using grapes like these theres nothing to add but nutrient and sulfite and the yeast. Those #'s given are pretty decent. I would let him crush and destem those for you and just give you the bucket of must. You will need a press right there to get 2nd run as whites wines do not ferment on the skins cause it will get very tannic.


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## Racer (Sep 19, 2009)

Asparky said:


> Was hoping to find a recipe as I have only made wine from juice and had recipes for them
> 
> 
> 
> RON



The reason you haven't found a recipe for making that wine is simple because its really only guidelines for making wine from grapes. Even then stylistic changes by the wine maker can have different out comes. Even on the same grapes from the same vineyard.

If you can start with juice only from the grower, try that this year. The reason for that is to get you thru your first time with grapes as trouble free as possible. The numbers you posted look real good. You could just pitch yeast on the batch you get from the grower if he has crushed, pressed, and settled out the juice for you.Then the only thing you need to do is follow how the fermentation is going. Rack the wine to secondary fermentor when it gets to around 1.010. Rack again when fermentation is complete, so2 and sorbate at this racking will help stabilize the wine. Once the wine is clear either by clearing on its own,fining and or filtering you can then back sweeten the wine to taste and bottle after that. Thats some general guidelines for you. I hope you do take the plunge into grape wine making. As you get more experience you can try all kinds of different things to help improve the end product.


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## Asparky (Sep 20, 2009)

OK, thanks... So when they crush and destem the Orange Muscat, does that mean you just get juice from them or juice and skin combo that I would have to press for just juice... If I understand you right you dont pitch on white/ green grape skins, but can on red skins IE no second runnings on the Orange Muscat crushed skins? But OK on a Gewurztraminer 

So would that not apply to a Gewurztraminer second running?

So is the yeast and acid just an experiment or is there a guideline for the varity?

These are the 2 grape wines I want to try this year

RON


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## Wade E (Sep 20, 2009)

The Brix you listed is a good number and so is the PH(a little highbut that may be adjusted some by upping the acidity. Did he give you a TA# on that grape? Upping the acid will usually lower the PH. You are at the high end of this range but possibly right were it should be as this is a high acid grape. 3.1 - 3.5 is the proper range for wines and like I said it all depends on what wine we are talking about and your wine should be on the higher range. 
As far as skins go you do not ferment on white skins. With whites you do the crush and ant free run juice is the best stuff and then press immediately for the second run and usualy kept seperate. Withe reds you crush and then ferment on the skins and then press afterwwards.


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## Racer (Sep 20, 2009)

You should see that both types of grapes are pressed off the skins.Since both make a white wine they should see limited skin contact time.Since your buying from a commercial grower ask them if they did do a short cold soak on the skins or not. A short cold soak can get more flavors and aromas out of the grapes. But as Wade pointed out before, if done too long bitterness from tannins can also get into the juice(too much of a good thing).

As far as yeast goes first time out use a good alround dependable fermentor that has neutral characteristics like ec-1118. That way you can see what the grapes give for flavors and aromas on their own. Next time you can then experiment with some other types of yeasts that can enhance the aroma and flavor too. A good source of yeasts can be bought and read about at more wines website. http://morewinemaking.com/search/103215/beerwinecoffee/coffeewinebeer/Wine_Yeast For both the muscat and gewurz. you can look at using a yeast they recommend for terpene rich varietals.

The acid you should be using for all grape wine making is tartaric acid. It's the dominate type of acid in grapes. If an acid addition is needed that is the prefered type to use.


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## Wade E (Sep 20, 2009)

We also have a great article on yeast right here.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3554


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## Asparky (Sep 20, 2009)

Thanks so much for your time. I really want to get this right as my wife isn't much of a wine drinker unless you count wine coolers.... A good friend of ours gave her a glass of about a $75 a bottle wine and she took a taste and asked for the 7-up... I laughed so hard I thought I was going to ...you know what to myself!! The shocked look on his face was a kodak moment!! but she did like the orange muscat she drank... I found out it was a sweet wine about 4% Resd. sugar... Im sure they have the equipment to test for that but I guess I would have to guess a bit to stop thr firment at the right place...or possibly use the hydrometer if I knew where to stop it. the one Orange Muscat I have seen here locally is 4% to 5 %.. about 12.5 % alc... and the yeast was VL1 strain.. and Im not sure I can get that locally. I thought about doing several small batches with different yeasts to see the differences. if I cant get the VL1.. the yeast you mention is available here along with about 5 more of the favortites1116, D47, 1122, 1118, RC212 and the 5 or so red star brand the primier cuvee would be the neutral one wouldn't it

No I didnt get the TA# but Im sure they probably have it.. the brix & PH was also taken the 15th... I was ready to go get grapes but had a death in the family and just buried yesterday

I have to sort out this crushing situation but will call the grower tomorrow morning and see just what he will do.. I have to bring my own containers so have to get that all in order and sanitized etc... I will also get the grape specs so You can give me maybe right amounts on acid, additives etc etc... I really appreciate the patience on my first grape experience

Sorry about the Gewurztraminer, I had seen pictures of it and assumed it was a red wine... I didnt know it was classified a white wine.. a good lesson learned.

Do you think the 50#s each will do a 5 gallon batch on the Orange Muscat and Gewurztraminer or should I get more to do a 5gal primary and whatever second crush?

regards
RON


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## Wade E (Sep 20, 2009)

Whites might require about 12 lbs per gallon but each varietal is different as the size of the grape is different amongst varietals and even years so thats hard to tell. Ask the grower but Im sure Im very close. Id probably go with Red Star Champagne yeast. You will not need any acid on either of these as they are both high acid varietals. You should use nutrient and sulfite them to stun the wild yeast and thats about it. Rack these early like around 1.025 and get into glass as white wines are easily oxidized. Some ascorbic acid would be a good preventative added before fermentation to help prevent browning.


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## Racer (Sep 21, 2009)

Regarding trying to make a sweet wine. The best course of action you can take is to let the wine finish fermenting all the way then after the wine is clear and stabilized is the time to back sweeten the wine.


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