Waldo’s Muscadine/Grape Wine

[Waldo]

I am going to try a Muscadine/Grape wine and have formulated the following recipe by taking a recipe for a gallon ofMuscadine and doubling all the required ingrediantsand doing the same, except increasing all the ingrediants required 4 fold for the Grape concentrate recipe.. If I am amiss I need feedback on what I need to change/adjust. It will be a 6 gallon batch and my recipe is as follows:


12 lbs. Muscadines


8 cans Welch's 100% Frozen Concentrate


9.5 lbs. Sugar


8 tsp. Acid Blend


6 tsp. Pectic Enzyme


6 tsp. Yeast Nutrient


2 Crushed Campden Tablets


1 Package Montrachet Yeast


Step 1. Crush/Smush Muscdines and add to strainer bag. Place in Primary Fermenter. Add thawed Grape concentrate.


Step 2. Boil 3 quarts water, dissolve sugar in water and add to primary. Let cool then add crushedCampden tablets, Pectic Enzyme and Acid Blend. Stir well, then stir some more. Add water to 6 gallons and let sit for 24 hours.


Step 3. Check and adjust SG if necessary to 1.095 and pitch yeast.


Step 4. Stirring Must twice daily, Ferment to 1.030 then rack to carboy, topping up as required.


Step 5. Ferment to dry, racking/topping upas required. Stabalize with Campden tablets and Sorbate and continue racking as neededuntil wine clears.


Step 6. Bottle Wine

 

[masta]

Hippie can handle this one but I would say you don't need 6 tsp of yeast nutrientand pectic enzyme....maybe 3 of each.

 

[Waldo]

I will go ahead and start with that number then Masta and add the additional later if Hippie so advises.

 

[Waldo]

Pictures of step 1.

Muscadines were frozen for about 3 weeks

Rinsed and put back in zip loc bags( A good double handful per bag)





Tried something different here Hippie and it worked great. Instead of mashing muscadinesin the bag with my hands, I used a rolling pin.

All ingrediants except yeast added to must and stirred in really well with myFizz X

Will check and adjust SG tomorrow evening and then pitch yeastEdited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

The recipe looks good, Waldo, but I am biased against the concord concentrate and have yet to see a good wine made from it. I am not saying this to discourage you, just my personal opinion. I would have made a 3 gallon batch of muscadine wine instead. It at least looks great! Good idea with the rolling pin. Please explain your reason for using the Montrachet yeast.

 

[Waldo]

Not being schooled sufficiently in the different strains of yeast and their enhancements or disadvantages over another strain in making a particular type of wine,I am still leaning on what was used by others in a similiar wine. 3 out of 4 recipes I looked at for Muscadine specifically listed the Montrachet and the 4th simply listed a champagne yeast. I am open to suggestion for use of a different type of yeast.


I checked the SG and TA on the must this morning at a Must temperature of 74 degrees. The TA was around 3.6 and the SG was at 1.130Edited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

3.6 is actually the ph, right? The montrachet will probably poop out before it ferments all that sugar to dry. Lalvin 71B-1122 is a very good yeast for native grapes. Rotundifolia and Labrusca are both native grapes.

 

[peterCooper]

Got to agree. 1.13 SG is a bit over 17 1/2% alcohol if fermented to dry.
Montrachet will not go much beyond 13%

The notes on montrachet say it will not tolerate sugar much above 23.5%
which equates to an SG of 1.095 I'm not sure if will poop out before
fermenting to dry or simply not start.

 

[Waldo]

That is correct Hippie..PH not TA

Now Ihave a dilema..I have on hand for yeast the following choices:


Montcharet of course...which is no longer under consideration


EC-1118


KI-V1116


Premier Cuvee


I am going to begin a starter with the EC-1118 which I believe will give me the best chance for a good fermentation and use it instead of just pitching the yeast


Edited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

Either the 1118 or the 1116 are good choices for high sugar musts. Did you mistakenly get the must too sweet?

 

[peterCooper]

Did you recheck the SG and TA?

 

[Waldo]

HIPPIE and Peter...


I actually used 1/2 lb less sugar than I had in my recipe and the SG was still that high so what I ended up doing, I siphoned off 1 gallon into another, smaller fermenter. I then added back a gallon of water to my primary and stirred well. It brought the SG down to 1.120 and I went ahead and pitched my starter which I had made from the EC 1118 and then made a starter with the K V1116 and added it to the gallon batch. As of late this evening both were fermenting good. The PH was still showing to be around 3.6 with the test strips. I guess technically now I have 6 gallon of Muscadine/Grape and One gallon of just Concord Grape fermenting.


Muscadine Grape Fermenting in Primary

Muscadine Grape in Small Fermenter

Muscadine Grape fermenting in small fermenter

Edited by: Waldo

 

[Hippie]

Waldo, are you sure on the SG reading? It started out as 1.030, then you replaced a gallon of must with 1 gallon of water and it only brought it down to 1.020? Also, the ph should be higher now. I am confused.

 

[Waldo]

The beginning reading was 1.130 Hippie and the reading now is 1.120. The color on the strip did not change that much that I could tell any noticeable difference in the PH. I am sure it had to have changed it though.

 

[masta]

According to my calculations adding a gallon of water to 5 gallons of must at 1.130 SG should lower it by .02 and that would give you 1.110.


The pH is tricky since the dilution is with water which is neutral pH ~7.0 and I agree the change is not enough to notice with pH strips.


With the dilution of water I am sure the TA of the must was changed enough to see a noticeable difference if tested.

 

[Waldo]

May have been a cup or two shy of a full gallon that I added back to it. I know the reading was right on 1.120 right before I added my starter to it. She is still bubbling fine though and the odor is heavenly. I wish I had some oak cubes to throw in on it.

 

[Hippie]

Gotta plan ahead, friend!

 

[Waldo]

I know Hippie. Or should I say, "I am learning"

 

[Hippie]

Yes, you are.

 

[Waldo]

SG this morning on the gallon batch was 1.010 at a Must temp of 74 degrees. SG on the 6 gallon batch was at 1.018 at a Must temp of 72 degrees. The fermentation is still going strong. Stirred must well and gave muscadines a good squeezing. Put lid on tight and attached airlock.