Muscadine sweetening question

[LCW]

I'm about ready to rack for the second time And before I'm finished and ready to bottle I'm pretty sure I'll need to add sugar.After adding the sugar I'll add the p sorbate then do I have to stabilize the wine.As you can tell I'm pretty new to thisThanks LCW

 

[Julie]

add k-meta and sorbate BEFORE you add the sugar. Also, add the sugar slowly, like add so much, taste to see that is where you want it and if not add more. Once you are at the level that is pleasing to you, then take a hydrometer reading so you know what sweet level that you like.

 

[LCW]

Thanks I'm still concerned about the cold stabilizing should vI do it or not.LCW

 

[Julie]

I have never cold stabilized by muscadine wine and never had any diamonds but I do age my wines in a basement that is roughly 55 degrees in the winter.

 

[LCW]

My basement stays around 55-60

 

[Julie]

Then I say you are safe, age in carboys for at least four months, I usually do 6 months

 

[LCW]

It shall be done LCW

 

[LCW]

ARE you adding a solution or just sugar.LCW

 

[donaltman3]

I've always back sweetened with regular sugar added to enough grape juice to top off... if it doesn't need to be "topped off" I usually catch some when transfering to the other 2ndary in a seperate container. I use just enough wine or juice to easily liquify the sugar. Then add it back to the rest of the wine and very slowly mix it in.

I make 10 or 15 gallons of muscadine wine each year for as long as I can remember.. I've always done it that way and always had good results. I don't backsweeten until its sat and cleared completly usually around 3 months or so...Then I let it sit 3 more months before it gets bottled.

 

[Julie]

Like donaltman3, I take some of the wine, warm that up and dissolve the sugar in that wine then add it back to the rest.

 

[LCW]

Sorry to be so long to respond but it is turkey season in Tn.Thanks for the advice How much sorbate to you generally add.LCW

 

[donaltman3]

In my muscadine wines I haven't ever used it.....my grandfather whom taught me wine making didn't use it. And didn't hear about it until I had already made hundreds of bottles of wine.. so I figured why start now.

I let my wine go comepletely dry and filter really well with paper cone style filters (very fine.) I then let it sit a good while before and after I backsweeten...

 

[Julie]

Sorry to be so long to respond but it is turkey season in Tn.Thanks for the advice How much sorbate to you generally add.LCW

LOL, yea turkey season is not here yet but soon and my husband will be spending all his time hunting.

I believe it is 1/4 tsp per gallon, look on the bottle it will tell you how much to use.

In my muscadine wines I haven't ever used it.....my grandfather whom taught me wine making didn't use it. And didn't hear about it until I had already made hundreds of bottles of wine.. so I figured why start now.

I let my wine go comepletely dry and filter really well with paper cone style filters (very fine.) I then let it sit a good while before and after I backsweeten...

That is still risky, while I understand you are making sure that there is no yeast in the wine, what is to stop wild yeast from getting into your wine and starting to ferment? Yeast is in the air and if you are adding sugar back into a wine, I would be concern with it starting to ferment again.

 

[donaltman3]

I guess I've just been lucky ?!? My family tended to drink their wine very young and made more often... I wanted to store mine longer (2 years before drinking) So I use campden after it gets backsweetened and before I bottle it. I've never used sorbate. If you think about it people didn't have access to sorbate until pretty recently as far as wine making goes.

I've never cold stabilized my muscadine wine either.. I live in south Georgia.. where 100 plus days are very common... I do keep it cool and dark.
but usually around 72 ish.

 

[Julie]

I guess I've just been lucky ?!? My family tended to drink their wine very young and made more often... I wanted to store mine longer (2 years before drinking) So I use campden after it gets backsweetened and before I bottle it. I've never used sorbate. If you think about it people didn't have access to sorbate until pretty recently as far as wine making goes.

I've never cold stabilized my muscadine wine either.. I live in south Georgia.. where 100 plus days are very common... I do keep it cool and dark.
but usually around 72 ish.

If you plan on aging for at least 2 years I really think you need to have the sorbate. Yes I agree sorbate wasn't always accessible but like you said the wine was drank at an early age. I'm quite sure there were years where the wine just did not come out quite right.

 

[LCW]

Thanks again all for the info my wine racked up very well looks like I'll probably need it we just had a frost that did a lot of damage.LCW

 

[donaltman3]

I've aged my wine alot longer than 2 years without any problems without using sorbate. Like I said maybe I've been lucky over the years. If you feel you have to use it or should use it.... then by all means... I however do not. How did you finish it LCW ?!?

 

[LCW]

I have'nt yet this is my second racking I'm going to bulk age it a while longerLCW

 

[LCW]

Racked my muscadine yesterday and its looking good also racked my chambourcin.LCW

 

[WindyCoastWine]

I upped the pounds of muscadines per gallon this past year and the wine tasted very acidic. I cold stabilized and it made a world of difference. My suggestion would be to use your own taste to determine weather to cold stab. and how much sugar to add. The more sugar, the better it will mask the high acid. Just my 2 cents.