Mustang Grape Wine

A buddy of mine has mustang grapes that grow wild in his backyard. They have been destemmed and were frozen about 6 months ago? Is this something to be concerned with?

Three 1 gallon bags were filled. I’m hoping this adds up to 20 lbs. Are there any rough estimates as to how much a gallon of grapes will end up weighing?

hopsalot said:

A buddy of mine has mustang grapes that grow wild in his backyard. They have been destemmed and were frozen about 6 months ago? Is this something to be concerned with?

Three 1 gallon bags were filled. I’m hoping this adds up to 20 lbs. Are there any rough estimates as to how much a gallon of grapes will end up weighing?

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I think for most wild grapes I use about 10 pounds per gallon, but mustang grapes are sort of "musky" if I remember correctly, and very acidic (or am I thinking of muscadines?!?! ) so dilution and adding sugar would probably be best!

I'd weigh them, then toss them in big sanitized mesh bags in the primary. Add 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon (dissolved in water) and pour that over the grapes and let them sit 24 hours, then follow a recipe.

Here's some great info from Jack Keller on wild grapes: winemaking: Native North American Grapes and Wines

and a recipe to try (from here: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/nativew1.asp) :

MUSTANG GRAPE WINE (Dry, Red)
Makes 1 Gallon

6 lbs. black Mustang Grapes
1-1/2 lbs. granulated sugar
6 pints water
1 crushed Campden tablet
wine yeast and nutrient

Remove the stems and wash the grapes. While wearing rubber gloves, crush the grapes in a crock or polyethyline pail. Add all ingredients except yeast. Stir well and cover for 24 hours, then add yeast. The must will form a floating "cap" of skins and seeds which should be pushed under and stirred twice daily for 5 to 7 days. Strain and press pulp well to extract liquid. Measure acidity, then follow one of the methods below to reduce the acidity to 7 parts per thousand (p.p.t.) tartaric if necessary. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and let stand three weeks. Rack and top up, then rack again in three months and add fining. Bottle ten days after fining. May taste after one year, but improves remarkably with age (3-4 years). [Adapted from a traditional "wild grape" recipe.]

right on, we have an estimated 30 lbs of grapes. Thanks Yooper!

I easily get 6 pounds of Muscadine grapes in a 1 gallon bag but they could probably hold a pound or 2 more if stuffed full.

good to know shelly belly, thanks

after extracting the liquid. the wine has been in a carboy for two weeks. There about 4 inches of lees at the bottom, was going to rack to another vessel early but we would lose too much volume. Are there any side effects for the wine to sit on the lees for a month or longer?

hopsalot said:

after extracting the liquid. the wine has been in a carboy for two weeks. There about 4 inches of lees at the bottom, was going to rack to another vessel early but we would lose too much volume. Are there any side effects for the wine to sit on the lees for a month or longer?

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Well, you don't want to go more than 45-60 days with lees more than 1/4" thick or so. You'll lose some volume when you rack, that's just the way it is. You can top up with water, a similar commercial or homemade wine, or rack to a smaller carboy. For smaller amounts, you can use some glass marbles to take up some headspace. I just always top up, and so I rack to a smaller carboy if needed and put the extra wine in a wine bottle or jug and use the excess for topping up after every racking.

Some fruits like apples and grapes throw a TON of lees before they are done, you lose volume when that happens. I will often build that into my recipe and start with a slightly higher OG or a 6.5 gallon batch, to make up for the losses.

thanks yooper, this wine thing is new to me

going to rack off the lees today, is it necessary to top off or add marbles? Is the concern oxidation? Dont have any marbles what about topping off with a similar bottle of wine?

Also my SG was 14 brix, can I increase alchohol at this point? Adding sugar?

Yes, top up. You can use a commercial wine, water, marbles, etc, whatever it takes.

I don't understand what you mean about the OG of the wine, sorry!

yeah that made no sense, i think it was a typo. when making the must, after adding sugar, 14 brix. Lower than we wanted, but we were not thinking "clearly" that night so 14 brix is what it is. Last night after racking it was 5 brix. Hoping it will go down some, 14 brix was already too low.