# Frozen muscadines



## cajuncampfire (Dec 9, 2013)

I have frozen muscadines from harvest this year. Will they make good wine?


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 9, 2013)

yes...have you made wine before.


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## Julie (Dec 9, 2013)

yes they will make a good wine. What kind are they?


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## cajuncampfire (Dec 9, 2013)

Yes but not with frozen. Anything different to be done?


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## cajuncampfire (Dec 9, 2013)

Noble and Carlos


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## Julie (Dec 9, 2013)

actually, freezing them helps them to break down better. I have some going right now, it is a red muscadine and I think I got better color extraction out of them because they were frozen.


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 9, 2013)

just let them thaw out to room temp, before you add yeast..at least i do..
yeast doesnt tolerate frozen anything.


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## cajuncampfire (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks for the info


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2013)

Also, muscadines have a tough skin, I put mine in a 2 gallon bucket 3 or 4 cups at a time and mash them with a clean and sanitized wine bottle using the bottom,


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## Julie (Dec 9, 2013)

James, I had no idea that you made muscadine.

You need to crush the grapes once they are thawed. Can you check acid level? Muscadines are strong enough in flavor that you can add water to dilute the acid. Acid is usually high in muscadines, add some pectic enzyme to help them break down. And I ferment on skins until sg is 1.000. 

Noble and Carlos are my two favorites.


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2013)

I got 18.5 gallons of noble in final stages right now. Love the smell of them more than anything else I've made yet.


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## Julie (Dec 9, 2013)

dralarms said:


> I got 18.5 gallons of noble in final stages right now. Love the smell of them more than anything else I've made yet.


 
I know, I think that is what heaven smells like


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2013)

Lol. I spilled some the other day. Told my wife "at least it smells good"


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## reefman (Dec 10, 2013)

Love Muscadine wine. Still have no source for the grapes, so I'm forced to visit the local wine and spirits shop. Growing my own, and hope to have a crop in another 2 years.
Just ordered a case from Duplin in NC during their Cyber Monday sale. They have my favorite Muscadine wines.
Cracked open a bottle last night.


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## Fabiola (Dec 10, 2013)

Julie said:


> I know, I think that is what heaven smells like



You guys talk too much about muscadine wine that I need to make some, will this work for the "muscadine impaired"? 
https://www.hymanvineyards.com/products/view/37


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 10, 2013)

julie , i make muscadine and wild mustang grape wines...
both are readily available here and free...the wild muscadines are sweet as sugar and a very dark black...excellent.
i only got like 50 lbs of muscadines last year but about 300 mustang grapes..
at present I have a 5 gallon of each going, since may, the old way.
no yeast added, no pectin, nothing but sugar..they should be done this may.


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## Julie (Dec 10, 2013)

Fabiola said:


> You guys talk too much about muscadine wine that I need to make some, will this work for the "muscadine impaired"?
> https://www.hymanvineyards.com/products/view/37


 
It would but boy that will be an expensive wine.


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## dralarms (Dec 10, 2013)

reefman said:


> Love Muscadine wine. Still have no source for the grapes, so I'm forced to visit the local wine and spirits shop. Growing my own, and hope to have a crop in another 2 years.
> Just ordered a case from Duplin in NC during their Cyber Monday sale. They have my favorite Muscadine wines.
> Cracked open a bottle last night.




Duplin's muscadine is pretty good. Mine is better.


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## reefman (Dec 10, 2013)

Hmmm, Duplin is pretty hard to beat. Reds are my favorites. Whites are good too, but really sweet. 
Maybe we need to get a Muscadine Competition going.....Julie, James, what do you think? 
I'll be the head judge!


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## dralarms (Dec 10, 2013)

reefman said:


> Hmmm, Duplin is pretty hard to beat. Reds are my favorites. Whites are good too, but really sweet.
> Maybe we need to get a Muscadine Competition going.....Julie, James, what do you think?
> I'll be the head judge!



I'm hording all mine. I got 12 bottles from last year left. But got 18.5 gallons in carboys


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## jpike01 (Dec 10, 2013)

I bookmarked these folks the others day but I know nothing more than what Google told me. It is the only place I have found that has 5 gallon pails of juice. I just saved the info in case I am ever on a road trip in that direction.

http://www.benjaminvineyards.com/5.html


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 10, 2013)

as i said before...i only got 50lbs this year, and its still clearing...
i hope to get lots more this year, with watering and fertilzer.
mine are wild...not a cultivated variety.


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## Fabiola (Dec 10, 2013)

Julie said:


> It would but boy that will be an expensive wine.



Yea very expensive, but if this juice is OK, I start shopping for prices somewhere else...


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## Julie (Dec 10, 2013)

Fabiola said:


> Yea very expensive, but if this juice is OK, I start shopping for prices somewhere else...



Yes that juice would work, don't add any water just use straight juice


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## reefman (Dec 10, 2013)

that's a standard wine bottle size. 750ml = 2.36oz. I wonder how much will be lost during fermentation...any ideas?


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## reefman (Dec 10, 2013)

jpike01 said:


> I bookmarked these folks the others day but I know nothing more than what Google told me. It is the only place I have found that has 5 gallon pails of juice. I just saved the info in case I am ever on a road trip in that direction.
> 
> http://www.benjaminvineyards.com/5.html


That place is about 2 hours from my daughters house. I'm gonna give them a call.
Thanks for the link


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## Ernest T Bass (Dec 11, 2013)

Julie, how much water can you add to the muscadine juice after pressing and still retain the smell and taste. After pressing and measuring the juice add the water and add the hulls back in the must.
Thanks
Semper Fi


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## Julie (Dec 11, 2013)

Ernest T Bass said:


> Julie, how much water can you add to the muscadine juice after pressing and still retain the smell and taste. After pressing and measuring the juice add the water and add the hulls back in the must.
> Thanks
> Semper Fi



Hi Bud,

Haven't seen you on here much. I'm not sure how much water, my last 
batch I added about a gallon to make a three gallon batch. I add enough water to bring my acid down to .80% - .85%. Also ferment on skins until sg is down to 1.000


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## Ernest T Bass (Dec 12, 2013)

I've been making one gallon batches of muscadine wine, trying to make one that smells and taste like muscadines. Made one that was really good, kept good records and followed them, but can't repeat it. I've made most of em with just juice. Even made one with just juice and after it fermented I added a gallon of crushed muscadines and let that set for a week and still no flavor or smell of muscadines. I'm about to run out of muscadines and need help, anybody got any ideas?
Semper Fi


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 12, 2013)

i will chime in.
i made a wild muscadine wine last year with 50 lbs of muscadines.
I made it the old way.
add sugar, to the crushed muscadines and after 10 days strained.
and put in 3 1 gallon carboys..
it has now been 7 months...its clearing and taste like a muscadine you just picked.


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## Julie (Dec 12, 2013)

Bid, 
I really believe muscadine need to ferment on the skins to get a good flavor, have you tried fermenting on the skins?


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## Ernest T Bass (Dec 13, 2013)

James, how did you know how much sugar to add? Did you just assume the SpGr was about 1.040 and that is should make 3 gallons? 
Semper Fi


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## reefman (Dec 13, 2013)

Depends on the alcohol content you want in your wine. Most bring SpG to about 1.080. 
Keep adding sugar till you get there. Grapes vary in sugar content (brix), so the amount of sugar added depends on the starting point. "your mileage may vary"


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