Too much dilution, do you think it can be salvaged?

[AUwiner]

I recently started a batch of muscadine wine. Previously I have added water and sugar per a recipe amount. This time I decided to mix to a specific gravity. I used 30-35# of fruit which in the past made 5 gallons of wine. After crushing fruit I added it to a mesh bag and squeezed out (did not press) about 2 gallons of juice. I then added water and sugar to make 5 gallons total volume with a sg of 1.085. I ended up having to remove about 80% of the skins and pulp from the bag in order for the fermenter to hold everything. After 4 days, I have removed the bag and pressed the pulp. Now, I have a total volume of about 5.5 gallons. Do you think my wine is now going to be too thin? When I go to bulk age, would it help to remove some of this wine and then make the volume back up to 5 gallons with a finished wine of a similar type? And I guess the last question for future use, when should I have measured the beginning sg?

 

[Tom]

Yes.
Adding 3 gallons of water will greatly reduce the alcohol. U need a bigger fermentor or 2 buckets. Did you add pectic enzyme?

 

[AUwiner]

Yes, I did add the enzyme. I didn't really think the alcohol would be too low since the starting solution had a correct sg for that volume. I am more worried that the wine will not have much favor or will just taste watered down. How should I have started it?

 

[Julie]

What kind of musqcadines did u use? Muscadine has a strong flavor. And actually needs to be diluted some. Are you planning on bracksweetening? If you are and you are concern with the wine being thin add some crown syrup when you go to backsweeten.

 

[AUwiner]

The muscadines were a mix of three unknown varieties, but most were a bronze type. Right now, about 6 days into the fermentation, the wine looks like a light rose. I have always had to backsweeten my muscadine wine in the past, but I'm not familar with the syrup you refer. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Sirs]

with me if I've got plenty of grapes(muscadines only) I'll use all the grapes I can get for the primary and ferment either to dry or close to it then if needed I'll add water but never plain always make a syrup with it.