Muscadine Wine

[Hippie]

Just make sure all is sanitized well and you will be fine. I do it all the time. Strain your SG sample through a piece of sanitized cloth into the hydrometer jar and you will get a lots more accurate reading.

 

[peterCooper]

So where do you get the grapes for Muscadine?

I'm about 3 hours south of Dallas and I would have no clue how to transport
them.

 

[Hippie]

Muscadine and Scuppernong growers are few and far between I think in your part of the world. They are plentiful in most parts of the Southeast. I think Texas lacks the humidity they lovein most parts, but some grow them there. Mustang grapes are a big deal in Texas. You might ask your County Extension office if they know of anyone growing them.

 

[Waldo]

Thanks for the straining tip Hippie. That could account for some of my high readings as I know there was pulp present when I took my readings

 

[Hippie]

It won't usually throw it off by very much and you don't need to get clear must or wine to test, but a very coarse straining will be more accurate, especially toward the end of the ferment.

 

[Waldo]

It is finished Hippie. It fermented to totally dry. I took two SG readings at 2am this morning and both were the same, off the scale of the hydrometer.I also checked the PH with my new test strips I got from George yesterday and the ph was 3.4. Dont know if this good or bad but I am going to research it. Anyway, I racked it to a carboy, added 3 campden tablets and sorbate. Stirred the heck out of it and put an airlock on her. Had a beautiful,richruby color to it and a definate odor of muscadines. Will get a pic of it this evening and post it.


My "Mad Scientist" kit continues to grow !!

 

[MedPretzel]

You got the vinbrite filter!

That is wonderful!!! I have one too! I must warn you, though, the wines should be pretty clear before you filter them, otherwise it takes a few hours for a 5 gallon carboy.

 

[Waldo]

Thanks Martina..Found this one on eBay. It was used twice he said but I got it for 12.00 and it still has 4 of the filters for it. I gotta check with George and see if he has the filters for them.

 

[Hippie]

3.4 is great! Should be well balanced if you decide to sweeten a tad. How does it taste? Good job!

 

[MedPretzel]

Yes, George has the filters for it.





It's good for the beginner!





(I still use it)

 

[Waldo]

Thanks Hippie...It tasted really good to me and I don't particularly care for real dry wines or at least I used to not care for them. Perhaps my taste preference is changing. We had a bottle of Chateau Gane Bordeaux 1993 Vintage Monday and I really enjoyed it. Anyway, it had a hint of muscadine in the taste but not nearly as strong as I had anticipated given the strong muscadine boquet it had. Boquet my butt..It smelled like muscadines...THERE

Should I oak it?

Oh yes. When I racked it to the carboy I had almost a 750ml bottle left soI sanitized a bottle and filled it with the remnants, put an airlock on it and going to see how it does with no stabilizing or sorbate. Edited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

Looks good. Is it a little thin? Oak is your preference. Soak some oak cubes of your choice in it for a few weeks if you like oak. I like a medium oak profile in muscadine and a huge oak character in blackberry. Post Familie's red muscadine wine has no oak at all and it is the best.

 

[Waldo]

It looks a lot thiner now than when I first racked it but I still think it is going to be a pretty decent wine. Hoping for that anway.

 

[Hippie]

I racked the '04 Scuppernong just now. It is very good already and ready for filtering. Very clear also. Camera is kaputt so can't post pics. Gonna go now and bottle my blackberry liqueur!

 

[Waldo]

I stopped by a liquor store this evening and bought a bottle of the Post Family red muscadine. Twofold purpose. 1st is to give me a benchmark tocompare how my wine is doing and second if it lasts,I will use it for topping off later.


I also need to know Hippie if when I next rack it, can I rack it into 3 gallon jugs. I need to free up my 3 gallon carboy for a Port kit I got from George.

Edited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

Has it been stabilized?

 

[Waldo]

Yes it has. Used 3 Campden tablets and 1-1/2 Tsp Sorbate

 

[Hippie]

Iwill say it is ok to rack to 3 - gallon jugs.

 

[Waldo]

Great..Thanks Hippie.

 

[Waldo]

Racked my Muscadine this morning to gallon jugs.

The aroma was more intense since the last racking which wasn't that long ago. I liked what I tasted and think this one is going to be good. Will have to get Hippies address, send him a sample and let him critique it for me

Topped them off with some Posts Red Muscadine and now ready to rack my Port into the 3 gallon carboy this weekend