s.arkvinomaker
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Wade suggested I share this experiment with everyone because he thought it might be helpful to others. My goal in this recipe is to achieve the most fruit forward Muscadine wineI can come up with. I have three separate batches of White Muscadine which are actually "bronze". As to the actual name of the variety I don't know but I could find out though. All three are made from the same variety. I bought them at a vinyard in Altus AR . The winery is Post Winery. They make the best Muscadine wine in the world in my opinion. Their Muscadine wine is what I want mine to grow up to be!
I bought a flat of grapes which ended weighing 80#'s.
My first wine is a five gal. batch of pure juice which I pressed myself.
Hereare my recipes
(experimental) White Muscadine #1 Pure Juice
started 9-14-2007 SG 1.096 PA 13% 5 gal. batch
**I don't test acid. I go by taste.
4.75 Gal. Musacadine Juice from 65# grapes (15.1 brix before sweeting)
1 qt. Spring Water
5 tsp Yeast nutrient
1 Mantrachet Red Yeast
2 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1# Raisins (white)
7 1/2# sugar
5/8 tsp Potasium Metabisulfite
1 1/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate
Put juice in primary bucket dissolved yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme in cup of water. Added combination to juice. Brought remainig water to a boil
and added sugar to dissolve. Added to primary. Added Potassium Metabisulfite to primary. Covered and let set 24 hours. Pitched yeast by sprinkling on top. Must has an intense Muscadine flavor at this point.
**I did not add any grape skins from the Muscadines. I added raisins expecting to get the tannins from them. Also seeing how this will effect color and clarity.
racked & moved to secondary - 9-27-2007 SG 1.01
At this time 11-27-2007 very little sediment about 1/8". One advantage of using pure juice. Wine has a nice straw color and rather clear already. I will bulk age one year racking every so often.
(experimental) White Muscadine #2
started 9-14-2007 SG 1.085 PA 11% 3 gal batch No acid test
15# Muscadines (crushed) and skins
3 gal Spring water
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
9# sugar
2 tspPotassium bicarbonate (to reduce acid)
2 cans Welches Frozen Niagra concentrate
3/8 tsp Potassium metabisulfite
3/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate
1Mantrachet yeast
poured 2 1/2 gal. water in primary. Poured muscadines in straining bag and added to primary. Dissolved yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme and potassium bicarbonate in cup of water. Added to must. Brought remaining water to boil and dissolved sugar. Added to must. Added Niagra concentrate. Covered and let set 24 hours. Pitched yeast by sprinkling on top. muscadine flavor is there but not quite as intense as first. Color a light straw.
*** I added potassium bicarbonate because I used the skins and I suspect will be more acidic.
racked and moved to secondary 9-27-2007 sg 1.015
At this time 11-27-2007 there is about 1/2" of sediment and the wine has turned a bronze color but pretty clear.
(experimental) White Muscadine #3 steamed
started 11-12-2007 SG 1.09 PA 12% 1 gal. batch no acid test
5# Muscadines (extracted 8 cups juice steaming)
skins from 2# of muscadines
1/2 gal spring water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
2 3/4# sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1/8 tsp Potassium Metabisulfite
1/2 packet Mantrachet yeast
4 oz. Welches Frozen Niagra concentrate
Added 2c. water to pressure cooker and steamed crushed fruit. Combined
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme in a cup of water. Added to primary.
Dissolved sugar in boiling water and added to primary. Added meta and
Welches concentrate. Place grape skins in nylon straining bag and added to must.
** Flavor and smell almost as intense as the all juice batch. Very pleased so far of the results of steaming.
racked and moved to secondary 11-20-2007 SG 1.01
At this time 11-27-2007 the must has about 3/8" sediment and is cloudy.
Because of some of the variations of the recipes there will be some differences in the end results. I was trying to anticipate the finished product and changed the recipe to adjust for the skins in wine# 2 and #3. In wine #2 I added the bicarbonate to adjust some of the acid I suspect
will come from the skins. This will have more tannins also. In wine 3 I cut back on the % of skins in relation to the total amount of actual grapes used trying another way to reduce acid and tannins. I may be wrong about my ideas about the acid but hey this is how I learn. Trial and error.
I will keep you posted.
My first wine is a five gal. batch of pure juice which I pressed myself.
Hereare my recipes
(experimental) White Muscadine #1 Pure Juice
started 9-14-2007 SG 1.096 PA 13% 5 gal. batch
**I don't test acid. I go by taste.
4.75 Gal. Musacadine Juice from 65# grapes (15.1 brix before sweeting)
1 qt. Spring Water
5 tsp Yeast nutrient
1 Mantrachet Red Yeast
2 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1# Raisins (white)
7 1/2# sugar
5/8 tsp Potasium Metabisulfite
1 1/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate
Put juice in primary bucket dissolved yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme in cup of water. Added combination to juice. Brought remainig water to a boil
and added sugar to dissolve. Added to primary. Added Potassium Metabisulfite to primary. Covered and let set 24 hours. Pitched yeast by sprinkling on top. Must has an intense Muscadine flavor at this point.
**I did not add any grape skins from the Muscadines. I added raisins expecting to get the tannins from them. Also seeing how this will effect color and clarity.
racked & moved to secondary - 9-27-2007 SG 1.01
At this time 11-27-2007 very little sediment about 1/8". One advantage of using pure juice. Wine has a nice straw color and rather clear already. I will bulk age one year racking every so often.
(experimental) White Muscadine #2
started 9-14-2007 SG 1.085 PA 11% 3 gal batch No acid test
15# Muscadines (crushed) and skins
3 gal Spring water
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
9# sugar
2 tspPotassium bicarbonate (to reduce acid)
2 cans Welches Frozen Niagra concentrate
3/8 tsp Potassium metabisulfite
3/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate
1Mantrachet yeast
poured 2 1/2 gal. water in primary. Poured muscadines in straining bag and added to primary. Dissolved yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme and potassium bicarbonate in cup of water. Added to must. Brought remaining water to boil and dissolved sugar. Added to must. Added Niagra concentrate. Covered and let set 24 hours. Pitched yeast by sprinkling on top. muscadine flavor is there but not quite as intense as first. Color a light straw.
*** I added potassium bicarbonate because I used the skins and I suspect will be more acidic.
racked and moved to secondary 9-27-2007 sg 1.015
At this time 11-27-2007 there is about 1/2" of sediment and the wine has turned a bronze color but pretty clear.
(experimental) White Muscadine #3 steamed
started 11-12-2007 SG 1.09 PA 12% 1 gal. batch no acid test
5# Muscadines (extracted 8 cups juice steaming)
skins from 2# of muscadines
1/2 gal spring water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
2 3/4# sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1/8 tsp Potassium Metabisulfite
1/2 packet Mantrachet yeast
4 oz. Welches Frozen Niagra concentrate
Added 2c. water to pressure cooker and steamed crushed fruit. Combined
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme in a cup of water. Added to primary.
Dissolved sugar in boiling water and added to primary. Added meta and
Welches concentrate. Place grape skins in nylon straining bag and added to must.
** Flavor and smell almost as intense as the all juice batch. Very pleased so far of the results of steaming.
racked and moved to secondary 11-20-2007 SG 1.01
At this time 11-27-2007 the must has about 3/8" sediment and is cloudy.
Because of some of the variations of the recipes there will be some differences in the end results. I was trying to anticipate the finished product and changed the recipe to adjust for the skins in wine# 2 and #3. In wine #2 I added the bicarbonate to adjust some of the acid I suspect
will come from the skins. This will have more tannins also. In wine 3 I cut back on the % of skins in relation to the total amount of actual grapes used trying another way to reduce acid and tannins. I may be wrong about my ideas about the acid but hey this is how I learn. Trial and error.
I will keep you posted.