I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to wine. I've brewed exactly one batch of mead, but no wine, so I thought I'd get the community's opinions on what would be a good, easy, and fail proof recipe for muscadine grapes (especially easy). I think I'll be able to pick some this Saturday. I may have to freeze them for awhile before I can get around to making wine, in case that makes any difference. I like the idea of using wild yeast, but the vineyard is close to a road, so I probably shouldn't. Thanks in advance.
Please recommend your favorite easy muscadine recipe for a beginner.
- Thread starter 4evrplan
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4 to 5 lbs. per gal. of muscadines, 1.5 to 2 lbs. sugar per gal., 1 tsp. yeast nutrient per gal. , 1 campden tablet per gal. , crushed and dissolved or 1/4 tsp metabisulphite per 6 gal. . Waite at least 12 hours then add 1/2 tsp per gal. of pectic enzyme. 24 hours after the metabisulphite, add your yeast. Starting the next day, push the fruit cap down each day. After 7 to 10 days, pull strainer bag out and rack wine into first secondary, filling to the neck of bottle or jug. Rack again after 5 weeks in the first secondary, to 2nd secondary, adding another dose of metabisulphite as a preservative and if you want to backsweeten, add 1/2 tsp per gal. of sorbate. Bottle when mature, 6 months old for a young, (10 to 11 %) or a year for a full, (12 to 14.5 %). I prefer to freeze and thaw any fruit I use beforehand. More fruit means more color, flavor and body, more sugar means more alcohol and dryness up to the yeast's alcohol tolerance. Most all the wine yeasts will do a good job with muscadines. My current preference for very dry is RC212 for dark and D47 for bronze.
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