Merlot at 1.082 SG- Should I add Sugar?

[pookee]

Yesterday I bought a crate (36 Lbs.)of Merlot Grapes.
I destemmed them by hand and crushed them with a potato masher and made the must.
I took a SG reading and it was 1.082 at 58 Deg. that should give me about 11% Alcohol. Should I add a sugar solution to bring it up to 13%?
I was also thinking of going to the local supermarket and getting some Thompson Seedless and crushing them and adding them to the Merlot Must. I think they are high in sugar.
BTW I added some yeast yesterday (after the SG reading).
Thanks for reading.

 

[Dean]

Table grapes never even get close to the sugar levels in wine grapes, so thompson seedless will not do much for you.

I've never added sugar to must before, but Merlot should be closer to 13%, so I'd add a little sugar to bring you up to the proper range. You also should really test the acid and PH levels in your must. Make sure you add pectic enzyme to help break down the walls of the grapes.

 

[grapeman]

I agree with Dean. The seedless grapes don't generally have as much sugar in them as the wine grapes. They seem sweeter because they lack the proper acid for making a good wine. Just adjust the sugar level up to about 1.095 by adding a cup or two at a time and stirring really well. If you can get some clear juice out, you could slightly heat that and add the sugar to it first and then add back in until you hit the right reading. It would be nice to test for TA and pH, but they are likely to be OK since your brix is on the low side(grapes aren't over ripe). The pectic enzyme will make it easier to squeeze out the juice when time, if you don't have a press. Make sure to punch down the cap a few times a day until it quits rising as fermentaion begins to subside(aids in color extraction). Squeeze or press then.

 

[dfwwino]

36 lbs ought to produce about 2-3 gallons of wine. If you add one pound of sugar to one gallon of wine, it raises the gravity by 1.042. It may be hard for you to determine the amount of juice with the skins in the must, but when making your adjustment, do a little at a time to reach 12-13% alcohol. For example, if you had 3 gallons juice, adding one pound of sugar would raise your gravity by about 14 points, or in your case, take it from 1.083 to 1.097. Therefore, you may want to start with a 1/2 pound of sugar, and add quarter-pound increments of sugar until you reach your desired SG.