Thin wine

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Winerebel

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Tried my mustang grape wine while racking and seems real thin. Any ideas . What can I do to give this more body. Didn't really have enough grapes I think
 
Need wayyyyyyy more information.

Made from grapes or a kit?
If made from grapes, how many used for how many gallons of wine?
If made from kit, how many liters of juice?
Ferment on the skins or straight juice?
Tannin used?
 
Made from mustang grapes that I picked. Figured 5 gallons of grapes for five gallons of wine.
 
Fermented on the mashed mustang grapes, strained after seven days into carboy. Racked after 14 days. Been in carboy another 30
 
If you didn't add any water, what were the numbers at picking? Did it rain shortly before you picked?
 
nominally takes 12-15lbs of grapes for one gallon. Did you use a 5 gallon bucket of grapes, if so that at most would be 20-25lbs of grapes. why short of 60-75 lbs required.
 
Tried my mustang grape wine while racking and seems real thin. Any ideas . What can I do to give this more body. Didn't really have enough grapes I think

I doubt that you took a SG when you started, so we don't know where the wine is at right now. You didn't mention adding sugar, so the ABV is likely low...mustang grapes are not very sweet to start with...so, I'm betting you have five gallons of very thin tart grape juice.

You got two choices now. 1. Leave it alone, easy, you're almost done...just let it sit six months and bottle....it will be what it is, a thin wine.

2. You can tweak the heck out of it! You can buy a can of concentrate wine making juice. You can chop up and throw in a box of rasins or currants. Add sugar...we have no idea how much, but if you did not add any to start with, you could a couple of pounds now...make a simple syrup 2 part sugar, one part water and boil until clear, cool, and add it. You can dump in cans of frozen juices grape, apple, whatever as long as it is preservative free...you could add a couple of cans per gallon....where did I get that number? I just figure it'll work...we don't know where we started, we don't know where at now, so it's either a crap shoot or a work of art in progress! Short story...add more stuff to restart the fermentation and keep on trucking.

I WOULD TWEAK IT! It may never be a great wine. But, it can be a wine you learn a lot from. Good luck!
 
I used jack kellermans recipe to the t with the exception of the amount of grapes. I screwed that up. I didn't have a hydrometer at the time to take the sg but I have all the proper equipment now and have three kits I'll be bottling on the 14th if they are clear. I got in a hurry on the Mustangs , learned my lesson. I'm gonna tweak with some organic raisins and see what happens. Great site to find and thanks for all the help
 
According to directions I was about 5 pounds shy of grapes . Do I just put the raisins in while its aging , chop em? App how many cups of raisins
 
Last year I had a full 5 gallon bucket of petit verdot grapes right off the vine. I didn't weigh it, but it netted a little over 1 gallon of wine.

Im not familiar with mustang grapes, but if you look at my pic, I think I would like them :). It could be it is a very thin skin, plump, juicy table grape that would need some blending to add extra flavor, tannin, body to give it some structure; think petite syrah, petit verdot, malbec
 
Beautiful car btw. Mustang grapes grow wild all over south east texas and are not vinis vinifera by any means. Basically non edible due to high acid content . Unlike wine grapes you have to add sugar. I didn't judge my pound per gallon just right, off by five pounds . Doesn't taste bad was just trying to give more body
 
Although maybe not ideal, look at adding some sort of concentrate to it. That may give it more body. Not sure what type of concentrate to mix with them as I am not familiar with the Mustang grape.

As an FYI, in the future, if you use Jack Keller's site, up the poundage on the fruit called for. A lot of his recipes run light on the fruit.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I have some Merlot concentrate . I have racked and added the sulfites already to the mustang . Will it hurt to restart fermentation after I add the merlot?
 
Did you add sorbate as well as the sulfites? If you did, you will probably have a time trying to get it to restart. The sulfites will air out, might have to splash rack it, but they will disapate. The sorbate probably won't leave and it is a birth control for the yeast. Makes it hard for them to operate. Might try mixing a little of the merlot concentrate with a glass of the mustang. Might give you a little idea how much you want to add. Arne.
 
No sir, just the tablets. Was thinking about halfing the mustang into two five gallon carboys and halfing the Merlot concentrate, check my sg then add yeast nutrient and yeast. Probably drop some raisins for good measure.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I have some Merlot concentrate . I have racked and added the sulfites already to the mustang . Will it hurt to restart fermentation after I add the merlot?

I'll tell you what I don't like about adding the Merlot....you may wind with the best wine you'll ever make and then can't ever do it again....that would drive me nuts!:h:h
 
I don't mind experimenting. Think you're right I'm gonna have to try it. Next year I'll just pick a lot more grapes and do it right.
 

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