Muscadine Wine - Please Help!

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kevinstan

kevinstan

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Started 10 gallons of muscadine wine 3 months ago. Followed a recipe from my trusted LHBS. Torwards the end of the last part of everything I tasted it once it cleared and it was tasting good! I did the final step of the recipe which was the wine stabilizer and then the conditioner. Let it sit for a couple more weeks then it was time to bottle. At bottling time I tasted it again and gross! I have no idea hat happened after the stabilizer and conditioner but I think it messed my wine up! Is this possible ? It's been about 2 weeks after bottling now and it still tastes nasty. Not sure if this is normal or not or if its time to dump it out but I hope to hear this is normal. Please help! It went from really good to really bad. Normal ?
 
kevinstan said:
Started 10 gallons of muscadine wine 3 months ago. Followed a recipe from my trusted LHBS. Torwards the end of the last part of everything I tasted it once it cleared and it was tasting good! I did the final step of the recipe which was the wine stabilizer and then the conditioner. Let it sit for a couple more weeks then it was time to bottle. At bottling time I tasted it again and gross! I have no idea hat happened after the stabilizer and conditioner but I think it messed my wine up! Is this possible ? It's been about 2 weeks after bottling now and it still tastes nasty. Not sure if this is normal or not or if its time to dump it out but I hope to hear this is normal. Please help! It went from really good to really bad. Normal ?
Click to expand...

Perhaps you added too much or the batch of conditioner/stabilizer was bad.

Was the carboy completely topped up after your last racking?

Here is how I finish my wine.

Once it is clear, I stabilize with 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite for dry wine.

If I back sweeten, I add 1/2 tsp per gallon of potassium sorbate. I do not use the conditioner to sweeten my wine, I make my own by mixing a solution of water and sugar 1:1.

As far as your wine goes, let it sit for a month, it may improve. If not, dump it.
 
Your right, it was not topped off. That means I was at around 4 gallons and added stabilizer and conditioner for 5 gallons. Would that ruin my wine this badly ? Will it balance out or is it doomed ?
 
kevinstan said:
Your right, it was not topped off. That means I was at around 4 gallons and added stabilizer and conditioner for 5 gallons. Would that ruin my wine this badly ? Will it balance out or is it doomed ?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you had 4 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy? Does it taste oxidized? It probably spoiled with that much head space.

Consider it a lesson learned.
 
No it wasn't oxidized. I racked the wine and lost some from racking. I didn't top it off but it still had to be producing c02 because it was still fermenting and bubbling for a while. Like I said, it tasted awesome a couple of weeks ago then bad right after the stabilizer and conditioner.
 
kevinstan said:
No it wasn't oxidized. I racked the wine and lost some from racking. I didn't top it off but it still had to be producing c02 because it was still fermenting and bubbling for a while. Like I said, it tasted awesome a couple of weeks ago then bad right after the stabilizer and conditioner.
Click to expand...

If it is going through MLF fermentation, the stabilizer will react creating off flavors.
 
I am not familiar with MLF fermentation ?? I hope that it comes around. It was tasting really good on my taste test until the stabilizer and conditioner.
 
What was the SG when you stabilized and added conditioner? Was it still kind of sweet when you stabilized/conditioned, and now that sweetness is gone, as in dry?

Trying to get better understanding of what you liked and what happened.

And by stabilizer...are you using k-meta/campden plus sorbate?

MLF is a secondary fermentation that can happen naturally with some fruits OR you can introduce a malolactic culture...with the idea that the malic acid is utilized. A way to help smooth out acids, and hopefully make some improvements. But MLF can be prevented by dosing appropriately with k-meta, among other things. May want to read about it one day.
 
I like it on the sweet side. SG was 1.070 when it started, and it almost finished out. Stabilizer was in a bag from my LHBS just labeled as that. Looked like thin pellets that broke up really easily. The wine was tasting excellent until after the stabilizer and conditioner. Now it taste like bitter grapes. No muscadine flavor anymore at all. Slight grape flavor but with a strange alcohol taste that's bitter almost. No good.
 
kevinstan said:
I like it on the sweet side. SG was 1.070 when it started, and it almost finished out. Stabilizer was in a bag from my LHBS just labeled as that. Looked like thin pellets that broke up really easily. The wine was tasting excellent until after the stabilizer and conditioner. Now it taste like bitter grapes. No muscadine flavor anymore at all. Slight grape flavor but with a strange alcohol taste that's bitter almost. No good.
Click to expand...

I suspect the stabilizer was simply sorbate, (need to call HBS and ask) which will not really do anything since it was still likely fermenting. The sugar in the conditioner was turned into more alcohol.It happens when SG is not at a standstill when stabilized. Complicated if there was no campden/k-meta as part of the stabilizing process. Which is why you need to find out what was in the stabilizing packet. So, now you simply have a dry muscadine wine. You can consider sweetening to taste in the glass, and see what you think.
 
Its not dry. I tried a glass with added sugar and the taste is still there. It taste nothing like dry wine. It's more of a strange residual flavor in the wine, take away all muscadine flavor. The good flavor is all gone and there is only this really odd stagnant taste left along with alcohol. I like dry wine and its for sure not dry. I also tried a glass with adding more conditioner to sweeten and that didn't work either. It's hard to explain the taste but it taste like something is wrong. I am guessing at this point that isn't normal. It tasted so good just 2 weeks ago before adding stabilizer and conditioner that I don't know what else it would be.
 
kevinstan said:
Its not dry. I tried a glass with added sugar and the taste is still there. It taste nothing like dry wine. It's more of a strange residual flavor in the wine, take away all muscadine flavor. The good flavor is all gone and there is only this really odd stagnant taste left along with alcohol. I like dry wine and its for sure not dry. I also tried a glass with adding more conditioner to sweeten and that didn't work either. It's hard to explain the taste but it taste like something is wrong. I am guessing at this point that isn't normal. It tasted so good just 2 weeks ago before adding stabilizer and conditioner that I don't know what else it would be.
Click to expand...

That leads me to believe there is something wrong with the conditioner.

Let it finish fermenting and clear. Rack, dose with potassium metabisulfite,and top off and let it sit for a month or two. See if it improves. You can back sweeten with sugar if needed and add metabisulfite and sorbate.
 
kevinstan said:
Its not dry. I tried a glass with added sugar and the taste is still there. It taste nothing like dry wine. It's more of a strange residual flavor in the wine, take away all muscadine flavor. The good flavor is all gone and there is only this really odd stagnant taste left along with alcohol. I like dry wine and its for sure not dry. I also tried a glass with adding more conditioner to sweeten and that didn't work either. It's hard to explain the taste but it taste like something is wrong. I am guessing at this point that isn't normal. It tasted so good just 2 weeks ago before adding stabilizer and conditioner that I don't know what else it would be.
Click to expand...

Kevin...can you take a SG reading on a sample? I do know that some feel conditioner can leave an odd taste. Though, if you never used k-meta/campden it is quite possible the wine underwent a spontaneous MLF, and sorbate added to a MLF wine typically will impart intense geranium odor (which some say can sometimes carry thru as an undescribable taste). Definitely let the bottles continue to age, try one in three months.

This is all bottled, right?
 
That is correct. This is all bottled up. Thank you for all the information and for the small hope that this might come out ok.
 
You are welcome. Try to keep them cool, because I am concerned you may have a risk for bottle fermentation which can cause bottle bombs, keywords: may, risk.
 
They are currently in my basement to age. Right around 65 degrees f.
 
Also they are all corked with plastic tasting corks. That is ok right ?
 
kevinstan said:
Also they are all corked with plastic tasting corks. That is ok right ?
Click to expand...

I personally would not use plastic tasting corks as a replacement for traditional corking method. With time that plastic cork will fail and they lose their elasticity and if not replaced your wine will oxidize at the very least. I have read on HBS sites not to use them in that scope, and I have read they can last up to six months.
 

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