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  1. Maynard123

    unconventional country wine style

    I was just reading that you made some Mead and didn’t really like it, I did a batch 17yrs ago and didn’t think it was very good. But I can’t seem to throw anything away so I put it away and forgot about it for about ten years and one day I was moving stuff around and tried a bottle. I thought...
  2. Maynard123

    Newbie wanna be grape grower in Houston - several questions

    I realize I’m late to this Thread but if you haven’t gotten your muscadine vines you might try Ison’s Nursery they have many different varieties. They also have how to video’s that are a great help. That’s where I got mine, I got six different types and they produced enough to make a batch of...
  3. Maynard123

    Straining Bags

    I also use the paint strainer bags, you can get them big enough to fit a five gallon bucket and they are very inexpensive. Like some others said I turn them inside out and rinse then throw in the washer. After a couple of uses I usually just replace them.
  4. Maynard123

    Very small backyard vineyard recommendations

    If you want to try Muscadines check out the Ison's Nursery website I got mine from them and haven't had any trouble with disease. Japanese beetles and birds have been my biggest problems. I live just across the border from Va Beach. As Raiz said Noble is used for wine and it's a dark grape. I...
  5. Maynard123

    Crushing muscadines

    I freeze mine in gallon freezer bags, I double bag them because they always get a hole in them. Then when I'm ready to make a batch I wash out and sanitize the plastic clothes basket and put them in it to thaw out. That way I can use any juice that gets out of the bags. I usually use 35-40lbs...
  6. Maynard123

    Many different opinions

    Thanks for posting the article I may try a batch next year
  7. Maynard123

    Grapes for sugar?

    I would like to add that taking a hydrometer reading you can see what the potential alcohol is and if you are using wild grapes they may not have enough sugar so you may need to add some. Which is probably why your recipe calls for it. I have found that I have to add sugar for most fruit wines...
  8. Maynard123

    Home made Degassing tool

    I've been using a degasser that has a metal shaft covered with plastic and the two plastic fingers with holes in them that fold up or down for about the last 8 years and it works great I don't remember what I paid for it but I thing about $10.00. One thing I do is spin it in forward and then...
  9. Maynard123

    Does yeast selection matter for aged reds?

    To weigh in on the yeast question one factor to consider is how dry you want the wine to be, some will ferment more of the sugars out for example Pasture Red VS a Champagne yeast. It depends on what you are trying to achieve.
  10. Maynard123

    Does yeast selection matter for aged reds?

    I have learned something this year about birds quite by accident. Last year I had quite a bit of trouble with them getting my grapes as they would ripen so. However this year my wife put up three bird feeders and kept them full each day and I didn't get any bird damage. I only have two rows...
  11. Maynard123

    fermentation temperature

    I too just let it do what it wants, meaning I don't have the ability to control the temp all that much if it's hot out my fermentation is on the hotter end. The benefit is it doesn't take as long, and if it's cold out it takes longer. I've even taken a heating pad in the winter to bring the...
  12. Maynard123

    Help - added yeast nutrient too early!

    If your airlock is bubbling you should be fine, I've added my yeast nutrient when I added my campden tablets and had no problems. It was early on in my wine making and I just made a mistake when I read my recipe. Also you don't have to rack on a tight schedule if your gravity hasn't gotten...
  13. Maynard123

    Muscadine Trellising

    I like it you should get good production from it, my vines have been growing a lot this year. I have mine on a single wire 15' apart and 5' high. I have 6 plants and I'm finding that if I kneel down under the grapes are easier to see and pick, I wish I had put them at 6'. So far we have gotten...
  14. Maynard123

    Flying by the he seat of my pants

    I'm a little confused if your hydrometer reading was .80 when you started it doesn't go up, could it have been 1.80? Your hydrometer has a potential alcohol scale that is easy to read, I must admit that I tend to use it. However your hydrometer should have come with instructions on how to use...
  15. Maynard123

    Flying by the he seat of my pants

    It doesn't matter if you use juice, the yeast doesn't care they will eat the sugar and turn it into alcohol, It depends on what kind of wine you're making, in most cases using juice of the grape you are using would be best. I don't think you need to do two yeast additions since they will...
  16. Maynard123

    Flying by the he seat of my pants

    You asked how long to leave the skins and pulp in the must, I don't know if any one answered but I like to leave it until the activity slows down or I get time to rack which is usually one week. Some one else suggested using a strainer bag from the paint store they work great, get one for a...
  17. Maynard123

    What grapes are you growing??

    I am growing six vines, all Muscadine, Big Red, Ison, Black Fry, Cowart, Noble, and Higgins. I am a hobbiest and wanted to make wine from our native grape, also since it is the most disease resistant for where I live. (Northeastern North Carolina) I have been making Muscadine wine now for...
  18. Maynard123

    13 pounds of Wild Grapes...what now?

    I know I'm entering this thread a bit late but is it possible that you live some where in the south? If you do your grapes could be muskadine grapes. As they grow wild and can be great to make wine with, I have been making wine with them for several years now. If you do a google search there...
  19. Maynard123

    Muscadine and sugar

    Up until now I have been getting my grapes from a vinyard and this spring they removed all of the vines and are no longer in business. I envy you, I have to find another source to make my wine now and all you will have to do is pick yours. I just tried to find the link for the recipe I've been...
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