Muscadines Again

GTS · Oct 6, 2010

Greetings All,

I am new to the forum, so please excuse my questions if they have already been asked.

I am new to the forum, but not completely new to wine making, having taken it up again after a long hiatus. Many years ago, I used to help my granddad make wine, and currently have a good variety of fruit wines at various stages of fermentation, as well as my second batch of Skeeter Pee, and a couple of RJS kit wines, which were quite arevelationfor me. Who'd a thunk it, wine in the bottle in 4-6 weeks!

But back to my real question. I have looked through this forum and others searching for recipes for muscadine wine. Most seem to use around 6-7 lbs of muscadines per gallon. I have 58-60 lbs of Noble muscadines in the freezer just waiting to be pressed. These grapes are from Post Wineries here in Arkansas and were hand picked at the peak of ripeness. My intention was to use all 60 lbs for a single 5 gal batch. But having researched the various recipes, I am wondering if I should split them into 2 - 5 gal batches using about 30 lbs for each one. Your thoughts on this dilema would be appreciated. I don't know if it will factor in to your opinions, but I will be pressing the grapes with an old (1878)cider mill / press that I acquired back in the summer, so I should be getting just about all of the juice they have to offer.

Thanks.

GTS · Oct 19, 2010

Wow, I have apparently come to the wrong place to get advise.

Thanks!

grapeman · Oct 19, 2010

GTS07 sorry nobody has gotten back to you with an answer. There are limited folks here that have experience with Muscadines. Waldo is one of them. He has been tied up a great deal lately with work and tending to his wife who had an operation. I'm sure he would love to help you. He is also from Arkansas and is one of the friendliest guys you could ever meet.

Even with no experience, I would probably split it into two batches, being Noble Muscadines. They will be high in acid, so some dilution would work great. Try a search on Muscadines and Waldo. Put in any date. I'm sure you will get some results.

Welcome here, even if nobody offered up help yet. Sorry about that.

Runningwolf · Oct 19, 2010

GTSS07 welcome aboard! Again I also apologize no one got back to you. I don't have any experience with making wine starting from grapes. My experience is mostly kits and juice buckets.

GTS · Oct 19, 2010

I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease. lol
Thank you for the replies. I have read several of Waldo's posts and am curious to learn what he has to say about it. I am in Little Rock and just a few minutes up the road from him.

Thanks again.

grapeman · Oct 19, 2010

It isn't really a squeaky wheel. A lot of us monitor the active topic list. I personally read your first post, but had no good answer and figured Waldo or gaudet would help you out. They have been offline most of the time lately so didn't answer you, so it didn't show up again on the active list. My fault, I should check regular posts more often.

gaudet · Oct 20, 2010

Sorry GTS07,

Been away for a while since I went to working the night shift. I personally have used the rule of 5-6 pounds of fruit per gallon of wine. I however don't have a press so I use a steam juicer. I think that you have more than enough fruit to make two 5 gallon batches. You would just really need to check the acidity of your must and adjust it accordingly. Muscadines as you are probably well aware of are highly acidic. I have no experience with the darker variery of muscadines (yet). I've used Carlos variety with some success, it makes an excellent white sweet to semi sweet. I will be making some with Ison next season (hopefully enough to make at least a 3 gallon batch). It will be the third year I have vines and they are at 20+ feet already this second season

But on to the recipe. I used about 2 gallons of steamed juice and diluted with water and adjusted with table sugar to get my desired ABV. You would need to get a TA Acid kit or pH meter and test your acid and either use calcium carbonate to lower the TA or acid blend to raise it depending on the direction you need

Here is my recipe from a batch of carlos I made

<!--[if gte mso 9]><>
<w:Word>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:Trackatting/>
<w

unctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfInvalid>false</w:SaveIfInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w

onotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplex>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplex>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w

ontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndark/>
<w

ontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w

ontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w

ontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m

athPr>
<m

athFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m :br

kBin m:val="before"/>
<m :br

kBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m :sm

allFrac m:val="off"/>
<m

ispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m

Margin m:val="0"/>
<m

efJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m

rapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m

ntLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m

aryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m

athPr></w:Word>
</><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination

idow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font

inor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font

inor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font

inor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font

inor-bidi;}

<![endif]-->

2 gallons of Carlos Juice (mixed with 2 cans 100% Welches
Niagra grape juice)

3 tsp wine tannin ¼
tsp k-meta

2 tbs yeast nutrient 1
tbs yeast energizer

5 tbs acid blend 1
tbs pectic enzyme

Water to 5 gallon mark Simple
syrup to bring SG up to 1.090

2-27-09 TA
.60% Temp 80 F SG 1.090

pitched 10 grams Lalvin 71B-1122 (Good to
18% ABV)

Hope it helps guide you............

Sorry I don't remember how much sugar I used, but this was a 6 gallon batch I used 1/2 gallon of water to dissolve (probably 5#'s of table sugar)

PPBart · Oct 20, 2010

GTS07 said:
...I have looked through this forum and others searching for recipes for muscadine wine. Most seem to use around 6-7 lbs of muscadines per gallon. I have 58-60 lbs of Noble muscadines in the freezer just waiting to be pressed. These grapes are from Post Wineries here in Arkansas and were hand picked at the peak of ripeness. My intention was to use all 60 lbs for a single 5 gal batch. But having researched the various recipes, I am wondering if I should split them into 2 - 5 gal batches using about 30 lbs for each one...

Hello, and like others, sorry for the slow reply...

I make muscadine wine every year, generally following this recipe:

Ingredients for 3-gallon batch:
<?

amespace prefix = o ns = "urn

chemas-microsoft-com

ffice

ffice" />
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" =disc>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>20-22 lbs ripe Muscadine Grapes </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>5-6 lbs granulated sugar </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>8-9 qts water </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>3 tsp pectic enzyme </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>3 tsp yeast nutrient </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>3 crushed Campden tablet </LI>
<LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" =Msonormal>1 packet Montrachet wine yeast</LI>[/list]
Ø Boil the water and dissolve the sugar in it.
Ø While sugar-water is cooling, wash, destem and crush the grapes. Pour crushed grapes into primary. Pour water over grapes, add crushed Campden tablets and yeast nutrient and cover primary securely. After 12 hours add pectic enzyme.
Ø Wait additional 12 hours and measure both specific gravity and acid. SG should be 1.090 or higher; total acidity no higher than 0.75%. Correct SG if required by adding additional sugar. If acid is low, add acid blend as required. If acid is high, use appropriate reduction method.
Ø Add activated yeast, recover primary, and punch down the cap twice daily (about 5-9 days) until SG drops to or below 1.020.
Ø Strain off pulp and press in fruit or grape press to extract liquid. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and ferment to dryness (S.G. at 0.990).
Ø Rack and top up, then rack again in 2 months and again after additional 2 months. If wine has cleared, bottle. If not, wait until wine clears, rack again and bottle.
Ø This wine may be sweetened before bottling by stabilizing, waiting 10-12 hours, then adding 2 to 3 cups sugar-water (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water).
Ø This wine is drinkable immediately but improves remarkably with age (1-3 years).

I also havea 3-gallon batch of muscadine port in the carboy, soaking up some oak; have high hopes for that!

GTS · Oct 21, 2010

gaudet & PPBart,

I appreciate your input and recipes. While I was trying to decide what to do with the nobles, I used Waldo's Youtube video method of crushing/pressing the muscadinesfor 19 lbs of locally picked scuppernongs and muscadines. I now have that 3 gallon batch in the secondary looking like it will have a nice blush coloring when finished. I had a fairly even mix of the two grape varieties, and I used a recipe that is very close to yours PPBart. Starting SG was 1.092 and TA of 0.65%, and I had enough for an extra1/2 jug to top up with later.

I am leaning towards making 2 five gallon batches with the nobles, but I think I'll wait to make that call until I press the grapes and see how much juice I end up with.

Thanks again

gaudet · Oct 21, 2010

Sounds like a good plan. Keep us posted. And pictures if you like..... We do!

GTS · Jan 3, 2011

Time for an update. The first 3 gal mixed variety batch is clearing nicely and will probably be ready to bottle around the end of February. Taste is great.

With our local weather warming up a bit this past Friday, I decided to thaw out the nobles and press them. That was quite an educational experience, but well worth it. The first and possibly the most important lesson, get some help at pressing time. I only had 65 lbs of muscadines to press, but just moving the old press around was enough tire a man a little. I was able to get just over 3 1/2 gallons of the sweetest, darkest purple juice I have ever seen from muscadines. I had hoped for a little more juice than that,but with what I learned, I think I will get more next time. It was plenty to get two five gallon batches started, which I promptly did. I will try to get some pictures posted soon.

This is the old press I traded for earlier this year. Circa 1880 by The Surperior Drill CO. of Springfield, OH. This old press stayed in the same little community in the Arkansas Grand Prairie for more than 100 years and is responsible for a lot of cider and wine during those years. It looks a lot better since it's been cleaned up some. Works as well now as it did in 1880. It's pretty cool to be able to use a piece of history like this press. I can just imagine conversations and sampling that went on at pressing time.

Muscadines Again

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

GTS

Senior Member

GTS

Senior Member

grapeman

Administrator

Runningwolf

Senior Member

GTS

Senior Member

grapeman

Administrator

gaudet

Senior Member

PPBart

Senior Member

GTS

Senior Member

gaudet

Senior Member

GTS

Senior Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Muscadines Again

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

Senior Member

Senior Member

Administrator

Senior Member

Senior Member

Administrator

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!