New Member making wines from home grown muscadines and blueberries

[Shellintx]

Hi All, We own a small farm north of Houston, and this year is our entry into wine-making just for our consumption. I need some suggestions on a couple of issues. I'm hoping to find help here.

One, we made muscadine wine and added oak chips to half our batch. The wine tastes great, but after bottling, only the wine that had oak chips added (for a week) has a white residue in the bottom that I think is tartrate crystals on the bottom. Added a picture. The wine tastes fine, but I hesitate to give any as gifts because I don't want criticism. I shook one of the bottles, and the white clumps came loose and look gross. I seriously thought about uncorking, straining, and rebottling, but it seems like a lot of work for something that is cosmetic. Or can these crystals cause problems later? I would love your thoughts.

The second issue has to do with blueberry winemaking. I racked five gallons of blueberry wine to a 6 gallon carboy. I was nervous about growing bacteria and I topped it off with spring water. I know it was a mistake now. The wine tastes weak to me now. Is there a way of saving it? I considered adding more blueberries and going through a second fermentation. It isn't terrible, but I don't prefer the taste. I would also love your ideas.

 

[BigDaveK]

I don't do grapes so no comment there.

There's really no need to rack from the primary fermenting vessel to the secondary fermenting vessel. I'm assuming that's what you did by going to the 6 gallon carboy. I usually filter through a brew bag to get rid of most of the pulp. Also, head space isn't extremely important in the secondary vessel if the ferment is still going. CO2 will fill the space. After fermentation is done we're concerned about headspace.

I won't comment on using water to top up other than to say when I read that I said, "AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!"

Six gallons is a considerable amount and if you "don't prefer the taste" you probably won't drink it. I think the goal would be to attempt a rescue and at least make something you'll drink, hopefully even like! Personally I would add more fruit. And with the addition of water who knows where your sugar and acid are. May need to add more. Possibly even yeast. If you had SG and pH measurements just before adding the water that would be an incredibly big help.

On a brighter note, think how much you've learned! Next time you'll do better.
Good luck!

 

[winemaker81]

Tartrate crystals are a cosmetic problem. They are unsightly and crunchy, but not a real problem. I have a few wines that have dropped crystals after a couple of years. Search the forum for cold stabilization, there is a lot of discussion on this topic.

As you've realized, topping with water, waters down the wine. You can backsweeten with frozen concentrate, or purchase flavorings for wine. Labelpeelers.com sells them.

 

[hounddawg]

Hi All, We own a small farm north of Houston, and this year is our entry into wine-making just for our consumption. I need some suggestions on a couple of issues. I'm hoping to find help here.

One, we made muscadine wine and added oak chips to half our batch. The wine tastes great, but after bottling, only the wine that had oak chips added (for a week) has a white residue in the bottom that I think is tartrate crystals on the bottom. Added a picture. The wine tastes fine, but I hesitate to give any as gifts because I don't want criticism. I shook one of the bottles, and the white clumps came loose and look gross. I seriously thought about uncorking, straining, and rebottling, but it seems like a lot of work for something that is cosmetic. Or can these crystals cause problems later? I would love your thoughts.

The second issue has to do with blueberry winemaking. I racked five gallons of blueberry wine to a 6 gallon carboy. I was nervous about growing bacteria and I topped it off with spring water. I know it was a mistake now. The wine tastes weak to me now. Is there a way of saving it? I considered adding more blueberries and going through a second fermentation. It isn't terrible, but I don't prefer the taste. I would also love your ideas.

for muscadine I'D ask @robert81650 , I've tasted his red muscadine wine and it is really good,
For your blueberry wine, add blueberry concentrate, it will have to bulk age awhile after, www.colomafrozen.com
good luck,,,
Welcome to WMT.
Dawg

 

[Shellintx]

for muscadine I'D ask @robert81650 , I've tasted his red muscadine wine and it is really good,
For your blueberry wine, add blueberry concentrate, it will have to bulk age awhile after, www.colomafrozen.com
good luck,,,
Welcome to WMT.
Dawg

Thank you. I will check it out.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Howdy, interesting to see someone from Conroe.

There are a lot different ways to make wine, or a cider which means below8% ABV. My normal is to rack off a primary and top off with juice from the freezer not water. Racking at thirty days I might also use freezer juice BUT not later.
If I had just one carboy I would rack off the lees into a pail and then back into the carboy.

I will put wine in contests so my style is to keep the fruit solids/ flavor high. Work in Houston always calculated cost of goods. Yup water was cheap but never won contest.

 

[Terryfirma]

I know you know it wasn’t the best choice, but also Spring Water isn’t Purified water.
It could add contaminants to your wine.
(As others have said: I might quick ferment some concentrated blueberry and replace some of what you’ve got with that.
*fruit , sugar, fresh lemon juice fixes most things in my world.
And, Time changes wine.. it might age better than you think?.

 

[hounddawg]

I know you know it wasn’t the best choice, but also Spring Water isn’t Purified water.
It could add contaminants to your wine.
(As others have said: I might quick ferment some concentrated blueberry and replace some of what you’ve got with that.
*fruit , sugar, fresh lemon juice fixes most things in my world.
And, Time changes wine.. it might age better than you think?.

I've used well water from about 250 foot deep through limestone for decades,, ,zero problems, yet iron or other contaminates would be a whole number of problems altogether,,,,,
Dawg

 

[TechAdmin]

One, we made muscadine wine and added oak chips to half our batch. The wine tastes great, but after bottling, only the wine that had oak chips added (for a week) has a white residue in the bottom that I think is tartrate crystals on the bottom. Added a picture. The wine tastes fine, but I hesitate to give any as gifts because I don't want criticism. I shook one of the bottles, and the white clumps came loose and look gross. I seriously thought about uncorking, straining, and rebottling, but it seems like a lot of work for something that is cosmetic. Or can these crystals cause problems later? I would love your thoughts.

The second issue has to do with blueberry winemaking. I racked five gallons of blueberry wine to a 6 gallon carboy. I was nervous about growing bacteria and I topped it off with spring water. I know it was a mistake now. The wine tastes weak to me now. Is there a way of saving it? I considered adding more blueberries and going through a second fermentation. It isn't terrible, but I don't prefer the taste. I would also love your ideas.

Hey, did you get these figured out? I'm just curious about what you ended up doing with the wines.

 

[robert81650]

Using different size secondary containers make a big difference. I never add water to my wines. Thanks Dawg......