Recent content by MuskyDine

I believe I can prevent more fruit flies from getting into the must, but I'm curious about the risk from those that might already be in there.

I'm into day four of primary fermentation of five gallons of muscadine wine. Fermentation is very active. Today as I was about to punch down my cap I noticed a fruit fly hovering around the fermenter and realized there was a small gap berween lid and bucket. Is this cause for alarm? I know fruit...

I have found Cowarts to be one of my favorite varieties. This year it was the first to ripen and was a heavy producer. The taste is much like our native muscadine, but sweeter and with a more tender skin. In a few days I will start a five gallon batch of wine using cowarts only.

I would leave at least two shoots, trying to choose two running in opposite directions. Keep in mind that I have never renovated old vines. I do know that there are several videos available online dealing with pruning and renovating vines. Also check out the website for Ison's Nursery.

Muscadines only produce fruit on the current year's growth. That's why we prune every year. Here in North Louisiana I prune in late January.

I think the bees may be exploiting lacerations in the skin made by birds. The empty skins are left after the bees finish. Maybe my best option is to install bird netting. I have read that bees do not have the mouth parts necessary to pierce the skin. Not sure that's true of carpenter bees...

I have thirty muscadine vines of various varieties. This year, for the first time, bees are eating all the purple/black varieties except for the Noble. These bees have the appearance of small bumblebees, not honeybees. Carpenter bees, maybe? Already a large percentage of the...

I understood that sorbate is a stabilizer. I have read on this site that it can hamper clearing if used too early, but I had already added it when I learned that.

I added sorbate in accordance with the wine recipe and instructions that I obtained online. The recipe was from Waldo James in a You Tube video. I followed same procedure before with excellent results. The wine cleared just fine.

Eight days ago the SG on my 5 gallon batch of muscadine wine was at 0.994 so I racked to carboy, added campden tabs and sorbate, topped off with a finished wine, added air lock and put away to start clearing. Tonight I notice fine bubbles making their way up through the wine and forming a ring...

I used them on 12 new vines that were set out last winter and could not see any improvement over the previous 24 vines that had not used them.

Thanks for the advice. This will be my first time using a press of any type.

I have a #30 ratcheting wine press arriving tomorrow and was wondering what to put in the hopper to contain and strain the seeds and bits of pulp. Do I just line it with cheese cloth?

The fermentation took place in an area normally kept between 73 and 76 degrees. Is that too high? What would be the problem with the initial SG at 1.102? Thanks, MuskyDine

Hello everyone. This is my first post and first serious try at winemaking. I have a 3 gallon batch of muscadine wine started and invite your comments. Please view the attached wine log and recipe. The fermentation seems to have stopped much sooner than I anticipated, but the SG suggests that...