Sweetening Wines

[byurod]

This is my first time making wine and I'm ready to bottle my first batch. It is made from muscadine grapes and it tastes a little bitter. My wife and I prefer dry wines but I think we may need to sweeten this a little. I'm aware that I need to stalize the mixture to prevent a secondary fermentation, but I have no idea how much sugar I should add. Are there any rules of thumb as to how much sugar should be added for each gallon of wine?

 

[smurfe]

You make a mixture of 2 part sugar to one part water and boil. I am no expert at this though. I am sure as soon as Waldo sees this post he will give you ample directions. He is our resident Muscadine Wine expert. You may have to deal with the acidity as well. He will take good care of you. I am heading out the door now to a local nursery that I saw this morning has muscadine vines and they are on sale. I am going to see what they have and hopefully in a couple yearsI will have a few of my own to play with.


Smurfe

Edited by: smurfe

 

[bj4271]

Smurfe,


Let me know how the trip to the nursery went. I haven't found any nurseries in La that carry muscadine vines. I've been getting mine from Missouri & Georgia & most of them haven't made it.

 

[Waldo]

byurod, give me a little background info as to the recipe you used on your Muscadine. I have made a lot of Muscadine and I have never had one turn out bitter. The tartness I always have to adjust before fermentation and as a rule of thumb I use 1oz Calcium Carbonate per 5 gallon initially and then add more if needed. The one oz normally suffices for me. The only thing I could think of that might possibly cause a bitterness is if the fruit was not fully ripened and it would not take much of it not being ripe to impart a bitter whang. Edited by: Waldo

 

[byurod]

Waldo,


Thanks for the quick reply. I used the recipe from Fine Vine Wines website for muscadine grapes. I hand picked the grapes over a period of time to let them get as ripe as possible before picking and froze them, I still have enough grapes in the freezer for a few more batches.


You said you adjust the tartness before fermentation. Are you doing this by tasting the must prior to adding the yeast?


Do you have a better recipe? I plan on starting another batch this weekend.

 

[Waldo]

I adjust the tartness by taste byurod. and yes I adjust before I pitch the yeast to it...May want to look at this tutorial I did recently and hopefully it will help you.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFjgvRa1SmQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFjgvRa1SmQ[/ame]Edited by: Waldo

 

[Cracked Cork]

That was Nuts Waldo! Crackedcork

 

[Bill B]

Rod, Smurfe and Waldo are correct, however since you are ready to bottle I would just make a simple syrup as smurfe indicated and slowly add till you get the desired sweetness. Then take a SG reading and mark it down for future reference. Next batch I would followwhat Waldo has recommended
<DIV SuperAdBlocker_DIV_Elements="0" SuperAdBlocker_OnMove_Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker__Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker_DIV_FirstLook="0">Bill

 

[byurod]

Waldo,


I may be mistaking bitterness for tartness. Since I've already completed fermentation on 2 batches of wine is it to late to adjust the tartness with the calcium carbonate?


I watched the video and took notes. It appears that the differences between your directions and the ones from Fine Vine Wines is Calcium Carbonate in the must (which we've already discussed) and the additional 5 Campden tablets and 2 1/2 teaspoons of sorbate after fermentation is complete. What does the latter do for the wine?

 

[Wade E]

It stabilizes it!

 

[grapeman]

You could add calcium carbonate at this point using no more than 2 oz per 6 gallons(but probably less-start with one ounce and if more is needed repeat). Follow the directions and stir it very well. Make sure you add it to some wine in a separate container with a gallon or so in it. It will fizz a lot. Making sure you have extra room, pour the mixture in and stir. It will fizz some more. After done, top up the carboy again and leave it in a cool area for a couple weeks for the crystals to fall back out to the bottom. They will probably form around the bottom of the carboy.


I won't get into it but another option would be malolactic fermentation since the Muscadine is high in Malic acid. This isn't an option with this batch since you already sulfited and added sorbate.




An easier option would be to resweeten the wine that is done-after stabilizing with the sorbate and K-Meta(which you have done). Request some more help and Waldo will give you more help I'm sure.

 

[houstongrits]

This is my first time making wine and I'm ready to bottle my first batch. It is made from muscadine grapes and it tastes a little bitter. My wife and I prefer dry wines but I think we may need to sweeten this a little. I'm aware that I need to stalize the mixture to prevent a secondary fermentation, but I have no idea how much sugar I should add. Are there any rules of thumb as to how much sugar should be added for each gallon of wine?

I know what you mean by bitterness. I thought it might have something to do with the seeds because I thought that was the taste that I was picking up. But having read further .... I am wondering if some of my fruit is not ripe enough. My dad is the picker and it is darned hard to get him to leave them on the vine longer! He told me if I don't like the way he picks to pick em myself! There are a lot to pick so I keep quiet! This year I will make sure they are riper before freezing them. Watched the Video and I think I am doing everything else right. Thanks for the vid. I knew YouTube was good for something other than crap!

 

[smurfe]

One thing I have found with Muscadine as well is if you chill it well, it really enhances the flavors and sweetness. I bought a commercial bottle of Muscadine here a while back that I just didn't care for. I drank it at room temperature like the normal red wine. I then threw the bottle in my chiller and chilled it to like 45 degrees. It was fantastic. The "foxy" flavor vastly diminished, the flavor enhanced and the sweetness seemed to increase a bit. It was a very good wine.


I say all of this as if you sweeten it and then chill it, it may come out tasting a bit sweeter than you originally planned. Go easy and sample often while adding sugar.




Smurfe

 

[Wade E]

Smurf, do you remember the name of the commercial muscadine. I would like to try it!

 

[smurfe]

Smurf, do you remember the name of the commercial muscadine. I would like to try it!

Wade, it was made by a local winery. I believe you order it though. It was produced by Feliciana Cellars and is called Tunica. It is made from Isons Muscadines. Here is a link to the commercial wines produced around where I live.


http://www.louisianawines.com/explore.cfm/wines/


Almost all of these wineries are within an hour of where I live. I noticed my favorite local wine isn't listed. Landry Vineyards makes a killer Norton/Cynthiana wine. For the Muscadine wines I prefer the Feliciana Cellar wines although the Casa De Sue wines are pretty good as well.


Smurfe

 

[Wade E]

Thanks, Ill give it a try in a month.

 

[byurod]

Smurfe,


Youdon't livetoo far from me. My main house is in Madisonville, La. but my muscadines come from a weekend (hurricane getaway) house in Wilmer, La. I was going to call my wine Wines of Wilmer but since I'm using Waldo's recipe now maybe I'll need to call it Waldo's Wines of Wimer?

 

[PolishWineP]

How about Wines of Wimer a la Waldo?