# Crushing Muscadines



## CSIJon (Aug 20, 2010)

I am looking to make my first batch of wine from real grapes and not a kit with bag of juice. I have heard that without a crusher or press (dont really know the difference between the two anyways  ) muscadines can be a little bit of work. Does anyone have any tips of suggestions on doing this at home. I am looking to make 5 gallons so I will be somewhere around the 40-50lb range of grapes. Also, once crushed and/or pressed, do you suggest to use a mesh bag?


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## GTS (Aug 22, 2010)

I know of a fellow that throws a good sized handful into a gallon ziploc type bag, seals it, then uses a rolling pin to crush them. He then pours the crushed grapes into a straining bag in his primary, catching the pulp and skins and letting the juice run through. Depending on the size you plan to make, it is a little bit of work, but without a press, it seems like a pretty effective way of crushing them and capturing all of the juice.

A friend on mine used to crush them in an extra primary bucket with a piece of 4x4 post. I think he had coated the end with parrafin. He would then transfer to a straining bag in his primary.

Good luck.


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## jeepingchick (Aug 22, 2010)

why not make a press... it cant be TO hard ...take a bucket dril tons of tiny holes ...place in larger bucket.... put grapes in strainer bucket...use solid bucket inside strainer bucket to push weight against grapes and squeeze out juice.......im sure u can fine tune that so it wud be easier......im just saying is all 



Ya...Im a redneck I know it


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## Old Philosopher (Aug 22, 2010)

jeepingchick said:


> why not make a press... it cant be TO hard ...take a bucket dril tons of tiny holes ...place in larger bucket.... put grapes in strainer bucket...use solid bucket inside strainer bucket to push weight against grapes and squeeze out juice.......im sure u can fine tune that so it wud be easier......im just saying is all
> 
> 
> 
> Ya...Im a redneck I know it


Nuthin' redneck about it! Luc has the plans for a pressing bucket on his blog. (You'll have to click on the message to get there)

[url]http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/03/bouw-een-emmerzeef-building-bucket.html[/URL]


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## Danny (Aug 22, 2010)

Made a press from a kit I got on the internet this summer just so I could press my first batch of muscadines. Still probably a couple of months before I have all the grapes harvested, but ready to give the press a try.


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## Wade E (Aug 22, 2010)

Yeah, for the amount of work it would take to use the Ziplock method I would sacrifice a bucket and do that.


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## jeepingchick (Aug 22, 2010)

OH HEY!!! im so outta the corner i had a good idea!!! gonna have to go view lucs blog now LOL!


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## pwrose (Aug 22, 2010)

Just because you are out of the corner doesn't make you any less of a redneck. Rednecks have come up with alot of inventions that went on to become great ideas, just not many of them got the credit for them because they were rednecks.

ps: sorry for jumping off topic, but from your avatar it looks like you have more than a redneck, that hair looks a little firey,,, hehe.

BACK TO THE GRAPES AND PRESSING NOW................


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## mala54 (Aug 22, 2010)

I do mine in a food processor. Just a quick bump on the "pulse" cycle will do the job!


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## Wade E (Aug 22, 2010)

Are there seeds in Muscadines? You surely dont want to break the seeds.


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## pwrose (Aug 22, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Are there seeds in Muscadines? You surely dont want to break the seeds.



Yes and if you get the real big ones the seeds are like peach pits, well it seems like that when you bite one, LOL.


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 22, 2010)

I think for 5 gallons you may want to bump up the pounds of grapes per gallon.

I like to do 16-18 #'s per gallon - but not sure about the amount for Muscadines.

Wade is right - the processor might break the seeds.

I made a had crusher before i purchased a real one.

Just used a 2x4 - put screws thru the bottom so the points were coming out - screwed a handle to it - and then tamped the grapes.

Then i just strained the juice.

But if you get the $$ i would invest in a press and crusher if you are doing grapes.


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## CSIJon (Aug 23, 2010)

Thanks for the good ideas. Im sure I can come up with something. I did see the ziplock bag method, and was leaning to that way, but wanted to get some possible quicker methods.


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 23, 2010)

CSIJon said:


> Thanks for the good ideas. Im sure I can come up with something. I did see the ziplock bag method, and was leaning to that way, but wanted to get some possible quicker methods.



You could always old school it - put the grapes in a bin and stomp with your feet .


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## jeepingchick (Aug 23, 2010)

(the red head is a dye job, wud be much cheaper if it was real LOL)

and 

if your gonna do the stomp method , first EWWWWWWWWWWW second, clean them feet REALLY SUPPER good LOL!


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 23, 2010)

jeepingchick said:


> (the red head is a dye job, wud be much cheaper if it was real LOL)
> 
> and
> 
> if your gonna do the stomp method , first EWWWWWWWWWWW second, clean them feet REALLY SUPPER good LOL!




Yeah - that's why i referred to it as "Old School"


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## Sirs (Aug 23, 2010)

one thing if you do (old school) beware muscadines have a very strong feel about them and will irratate most people's skin lol


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## CSIJon (Aug 23, 2010)

Yeah, I did have a friend that stommped them with bare feet while she was prego and that did not go over very well. She had a bad reaction.


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