muscadine -- first timer

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cecilias9

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I just processed my frozen muscadine grapes that were thawed. I have about 3 1/2 gallons of juice and then the skins took up about 6 knee high panty hose. Seems like more skins than juice. Is that about right??? I just added the campden tablets and will let it sit now for 12-18 hours as on Waldo's video. Just want to make sure that the juice/skins ratio is about right. Thanks, Cecilia
 
You are fine on the ratio. What size batch are you doing? Make sure that once fermentation begins that you punch down thos panty hose filled strainer bags twice a day. I would suggest using a largesanitized stainless spoon and and press the strainer bagsgently against the sides of the fermenter each time you you punch them down.I would lso recommend that after day 4 you remove the strainer bags. Squeeze them GENTLY and then remove them.
 
Hi,


Are you from the south? I would love to get some muscadine grapes, did you buy them or do you grow them?
 
We live in Tennessee. We have 5 acres and it is cross-fenced. All along the fences, I don't know how many yards, there are muscadine vines. Dear husband likes the way they look.
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For years I have made jam and let the birds and bees have what neighbors didn't want, and so few want to come and pick. Finally, I thought wine would be a fun way to put them to use instead of waste. So to make a short answer -- we grow our own :) It was a lot harder processing the grapes than I thought it would be. Took all day.
 
Well, I hope to do a five gallon batch. But we didn't weigh the grapes before we started crushing/pressing them, so I don't know what it will yield.
 
Hey there cecilias9, I use the steamed juice from the muscadines, and I try to use about 10 quarts of juice for a 6 gallon batch. I started growing mine last year, so I hope to be in full swing of grape production in another year or two. You can expect about 60#'s per 20 foot of vines. Sounds like you have an abundance of grapes and will have no problems making as much wine as you want. You might consider getting a press or a steam juicer if you don't already have one. Waldo is the guru of muscadines and I am still his apprentice.

Welcome aboard to you and to Julie

Julie, you can check out http://www.pickyourown.org to find growers in your area of fruit and veggies. Happy wining
 
OK Waldo, on your video you mention adding calcium carbonate. I don't that in my kit... what is it. Do I have to get it from a wine shop?
 
Hi Cecilias9,














Calcium carbonate reduces acid. Do you have an acid test kit? If not you should get one and check the acid in your must. It is fairly easy to do, instructions that come with the kit are pretty understanding.
 
I don't have an acid test kit. We just got the average wine kit, I guess. My SG when I started was 1.06, but I broke my hydrometer so I do have to go tothe wine shop tomorrow. So I will get another hydrometer, some calcium carbonate and an acid test. Is there anything else I am going to need because it is a really good drive to the wine shop in Nashville, close to an hour away from us. Will my juice wait til tomorrow for the next ingredients? All it has so far is the campden tablets.
 
LOL, buy more than one hydrometer, I broke three within the last year. Also, make sure you have a good supply of campden or k-meta and sorbate. Also, pick up a handful of yeast. Once you get started in making wine you will try to ferment everything in site. Trust me, you will, so one of the things I realize is everytime I want to start a wine, I am out of yeast.




I started making wine in the same fashion that you are doing. We have concord grapes growing that I always make jelly with but no one eats the jelly anymore so I started to make wine.
 
I would get some Bentonite, pectic enzyme and maybe some Super-Kleer or other fining agent. The bentonite will aid in clearing and getting rid of haze. The pectic enzyme helps break down the cell structure of the skins, etc and the fining agents are for clearing the wine. None of these are expensive and will make your job easier, qicker and more complete.
 
Thank you Julie and appleman for your good advice. I really appreciate it. I have yeast, a whole jar of it, but as for the fining agents, I don't think so. I will add them to my list along with several additional hydrometers :)
 
BTW -- Will my juice be o.k. till tomorrow? Should I add more campden? I should be able to make it to Nashville and back by 10:30 a.m. or so. But I started my juice yesterday around 4:00 p.m.
 
As Julie said, your juice will be fine. You said you have a whole jar of yeast. What kind of "whole jar" of yeast do you have" Is it wine making yeast or cooking yeast. If it's the latter I would say pick you up an assortment of wine making yeasts and keep them refrigrated until you get ready to use them. I always pull mine out of the fridge the day before I am going to use them and let it get to room temp.
 
Waldo said:
As Julie said, your juice will be fine. You said you have a whole jar of yeast. What kind of "whole jar" of yeast do you have" Is it wine making yeast or cooking yeast. If it's the latter I would say pick you up an assortment of wine making yeasts and keep them refrigrated until you get ready to use them. I always pull mine out of the fridge the day before I am going to use them and let it get to room temp.

Agreed, some varieties to pick up are Cots D'Blanc, Montrachet, Lalvin K1V-1116, Lalvin EC-1118, Lalvin ICV D-47 to name a few. Please don't use the bread yeast unless you are making the Joe's Ancient Orange Mead recipe.
 
Picked up Montrachet and 71B-1122, along with all the other stuff. So my acid tested at .7% and SG at 1.062. I added the calcium carbonate, the pectic enzyme and the yeast nutrient... stirred well and covered.
 
I would add more sugar to bring that sg up to around 1.080 - 1.090. 1.062 is going to give you a very low alcohol
 
I haven't added any sugar yet, just the calcium carbonate, pectic enzyme, and yeast nutrient. I think I add the sugar tomorrow. I am following Waldo's video :) - plus tips you all give me here... Thank you, Julie.
 

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