I need a little help with muscadine wine

[WinoDave]

I was asking only to know if you are familiar with backsweetening. Obviously you are. I’m not familiar with correcting pH and TA, but more sugar should help with tartness. Did you do bench trials?

I’ve tried adding a little water to 2 ounces of it that didn’t help then I tried adding the wine conditioner liquid from the wine store and that doesn’t seem to help either. Guess my last choice is to try adding straight sugar. Somebody suggested putting it in a 32 degree freezer and get it to form ice drops or crystals in the bottom of the carboy and then rack it. ???
I think I’m just stuck with a Tart Wine.

 

[hounddawg]

I’ve tried adding a little water to 2 ounces of it that didn’t help then I tried adding the wine conditioner liquid from the wine store and that doesn’t seem to help either. Guess my last choice is to try adding straight sugar. Somebody suggested putting it in a 32 degree freezer and get it to form ice drops or crystals in the bottom of the carboy and then rack it. ???
I think I’m just stuck with a Tart Wine.

do you have a PH meter? I do a lot of country wines, but never muscadines, but Robert told me how to manage my vines, and hope to, this coming year,
Dawg

 

[robert81650]

I did at first but now I know about how much muscadine syrup to add to get the sweetness I like. Usually about 1 and half cups per gallon or maybe a little less. Usually about 3 cups to a 3 gallon container. Just play with it and see what you like. But remember to take 2 cups of the dry wine and mix with 4 cups of sugar and bring to a boil and let cool. Use this to back sweeten you wine but remember to add half teaspoonful of Sorbate to each gallon of dry wine before adding the syrup. Also add Potassium Metabisulfite also with the sorbate.

 

[Kellcin]

Muscadine wine is my favorite and I make it almost every year. I also blend some with peach wine and bottle it together and it's my wifes favorite. I start with 30lbs of muscadines. I put about 30 grapes into a 1 gallon zip lock bag and smash them good with a metal potato smasher, then my wife takes them into an old collander juicer and works the juice out with the wooden pestle. It takes about an hour to do them all. Quality time.

 

[robert81650]

Sounds like a winner..................

 

[robert81650]

But if they are the red type, just crush them and at to your container. They need to ferment on the skins so that they will get to color from the skins. I ferment all my muscadines on the skins even the white ones. I add red rouge powder to the red ones to extract more color. The pH on all muscadine wines will be a little tart (low pH) but that's what I like.

 

[David W Huey]

But if they are the red type, just crush them and at to your container. They need to ferment on the skins so that they will get to color from the skins. I ferment all my muscadines on the skins even the white ones. I add red rouge powder to the red ones to extract more color. The pH on all muscadine wines will be a little tart (low pH) but that's what I like.

Newbie how long do you leave on the skins

 

[winemaker81]

Newbie how long do you leave on the skins

Time depends on the grape variety and what you want. If you want a blush wine, you might press literally within hours. For a heavier red, when the SG reaches 1.010 or below.

I press when the SG drops below 1.000, and some folks are doing extended maceration -- when the SG gets below 1.020, they seal the container and let the grapes rest 1 to 8 weeks.

If this is your first wine, press around 1.000.

 

[David W Huey]

Time depends on the grape variety and what you want. If you want a blush wine, you might press literally within hours. For a heavier red, when the SG reaches 1.010 or below.

I press when the SG drops below 1.000, and some folks are doing extended maceration -- when the SG gets below 1.020, they seal the container and let the grapes rest 1 to 8 weeks.

If this is your first wine, press around 1.000.

Kool man I appreciate the Wisdom! Thank youl first go around with muscadines goin use both methods test batches

 

[robert81650]

I put the red rouge in with the start of fermentation and leave it there until I transfer to glass Carnot.

 

[robert81650]

Carboy

 

[Kellcin]

Newbie how long do you leave on the skins

I leave my bag of pulp in until it reaches 1.03 then remove it and siphon over to the carboy. I always get a great color wine.

 

[David W Huey]

I leave my bag of pulp in until it reaches 1.03 then remove it and siphon over to the carboy. I always get a great color wine.

View attachment 79453

That's a Beautiful Bottle wine Brother! That presentation got Bottle Character!