Help - 1 Gallon Sweet Muscadine Wine

[kevinstan]

I have seen so many recipes it has my head spinning. I am looking for the easiest and most straight forward way to make some 1 gallon batches of muscadine wine. My grandfather always made it but I never got the recipe before he passed. He never used a hydrometer, and never relied on anything hi-tech, yet his muscadine wine was immaculate each and every time.

Someone help me with a 1 gallon batch of sweet muscadine wine. I would love to re-produce this for myself and my family.

Please - only some bare minimum recipes and instructions.

Thanks in advance!

 

[novalou]

I have seen so many recipes it has my head spinning. I am looking for the easiest and most straight forward way to make some 1 gallon batches of muscadine wine. My grandfather always made it but I never got the recipe before he passed. He never used a hydrometer, and never relied on anything hi-tech, yet his muscadine wine was immaculate each and every time.

Someone help me with a 1 gallon batch of sweet muscadine wine. I would love to re-produce this for myself and my family.

Please - only some bare minimum recipes and instructions.

Thanks in advance!

Check out Jack Keller's website, there should be a recipe there.

 

[Spinward]

I'm in the same boat, My grandfather just passed and he made amazing muscadine wine in his backyard. My dad said he used to pack sugar around the grapes, I'm guessing he used natural yeast but when I tried it, It smelled "flowery", That's the only way to describe it. So I would love to know also.

 

[kevinstan]

Spinward: I just found something close to what I was looking for. It's a minimal very simple muscadine wine recipe. Done like a country wine. I think I'm going to try this. Do a google search for Kirk's Muscadine Wine.

Anyone ever tried this before ? Or done a minimal muscadine wine ?

 

[MzAnnie]

My family recipe: No more than 5 cups of sugar per gallon of juice, and yeast. I add a third at a time, in syrup form (four cups of sugar dissolved in one pint of boiling distilled water) that I keep in fridge, then heat up to a little above room temp. The first third, I pour boiling hot over the fruit and let it sit overnight. Then add my yeast. I use champagne yeast. Stir it really good then cover. I use a balloon with a pin prick in it. I spash rack once a week, the first time I use a mesh paint strainer to strain off the large particulates, then add the next third of the syrup (warmed to about 70 degrees), cover and wait a week and repeat using a folded flour sack to strain the lees, then add the remainder of the syrup. but I never use more than the 5 cups per gallon ratio. After two rackings, I let it sit and check on it periodically. Sometimes I will rack it again, because I don't like it to sit on the lees for very long. When it starts to clear, or I get thirsty, I use a siphon hose and bottle it. Experienced vinters will find a lot of flaws with this recipe, but it has worked in my family for years. This wine is meant to be drank young, and I have never kept a bottle long enough to see how the excessive rackings would affect the longevity of the shelf life. Also, fresh fruit always has wild yeasts on it. I do not know if they are all killed by pouring the boiling sugar syrup over your fruit, during the first step. I have never had a problem, but I don't let my wine age. Good luck.