Sugar content of Muscadine Wine

[SCguy]

Hi all,

Just started my second batch of wine and have a quick question. I mushed around 31 lbs of muscadine grapes, added a can of welchs grape concentrate, and 12 lbs of sugar. Also 3.5 teaspoons of yeast nutrient and 4 teaspoons of pectin enzyme. After everything was added I checked my sugar with the hydrometer and it read SG 1.11 which equated to 15% alcohol. To me that seems really high, I was aiming for somewhere around 11-13%. This wine batch is going to be used for my wedding next fall so I want it to be a hit! Is it best to dilute the batch or roll with it?

 

[shelly_belly]

I make 5 gallon batches using 30 lbs of muscadines, 11.25 lbs of sugar and 3.75 gallons of water. I use water to reduce the acid as muscadine grapes are very acidic. Even then I'll have to add calcium carbonate to lower the acidity some more. The wine is decent in 1 year but is best somewhere between years 3-7. Save a bottle or 2 for latter!

 

[Gidget]

We make muscadine wine frequently and it's okay that your SG is starting that high, just keep track of the finished SG and you can make your finished alcohol what ever you want. Keep tasting it to get the taste you want and then stabilize it. I'm not sure if you can still adjust you acidity or not after it has been fermenting but if you can you should try. Just remember that muscadine is better with age.

 

[jonereb]

I recently added a tsp of Potassium Bicarbonate to a gallon of muscadine wine -- even after two years of aging. It's a test. The wine was too tart for my liking, so I thought why not give it a try. I also added 1/2 cup sugar (was at 1.000 on hydrometer so it needed more sugar). I haven't tasted it yet because it's in the fridge allowing acid crystals to fall. Also watching to see if lees fall. I hope not.

What prompted this insanity? A month ago, I opened a 750ml bottle of this same wine and wasn't happy. At the time, all I had was calcium carbonate, so I added less than 1/4 tsp to the open bottle, put it in the fridge, and waited. After a few weeks, it actually tasted better. I added 1 tablespoon of sugar to the bottle and waited a few days. Again, it tasted even better. The reduction in acid combined with the sweetener helped recover the fruity bouquet and fruity flavor. I'm actually hopeful about the 1 gallon batch that's still in the fridge.

 

[Gidget]

Our first time making muscadine wine my husband thought it should be a dry wine! So of course it was not meant to be dry and after talking to a wine judge we decided to empty all the bottles and back sweetened it then rebottled. So much better!! We did adjust the acidity when first making it so that was not the problem. Lesson learned Muscadine is NOT a dry wine, but gets better with age.

 

[jonereb]

I agree that muscadine wine should not be dry. I intentionally made mine dry, but muscadines are too tart. Some sugar is necessary to help with the acidity, and adding something like calcium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate is necessary along with cold crashing.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I have not used calcium carbonate or any other acid adjustment on my black muscadine wines. I stabilize then back sweeten. Everyone who tries them is amazed at how good they are, how fruity. I atribute that to using reserved must for the back sweetening. It really kicks up the fruit profile.

I have heard that some people don't like that much additional fruit taste, but I love it. Doing this kind of back sweeten does not give you a juice + alcohol taste, but rather what I call a "adult muscadine" thing. The finished product is just a little less sweet than a vine ripened berry.

If one wanted a less intense berry finish, more wine-like, I suggest using some reserved must like a homemade F-pack in the secondary. I think that would do it. I would use about 2 cups of must per gallon.

 

[jonereb]

Gene, exactly what is "reserved must"? My mind goes to the must in my original fermentation pot.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

Gene, exactly what is "reserved must"? My mind goes to the must in my original fermentation pot.

I draw off 2 cups of the original wine must, from primary ferment bucket, before it starts fermenting.

 

[jonereb]

Do you let the sediment drop before bottling? Or if you make jelly, maybe strain more juice for jelly making than is needed and reserve this pure juice for back sweetening wine?

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

Yes I let the sediment drop and the wine to clear. Takes 3 months or so, but worth the wait

 

[jonereb]

Gene, I think you're on to something. What do you think about this? I have a gallon currently in secondary that's about ready to be racked for the 1st time, so there's plenty of sediment and lees at the bottom. While I don't have any original must, I do have enough muscadines to make several cups of juice. What if I rack the gallon of wine with campden and sorbate to inhibit further fermentation, and then back fill with muscadine juice? I'm sure the gallon of wine will be at .990 or 1.000. The natural juice will read 1.050. How much would 2 cups added to the gallon raise the overall hydrometer reading? Probably not much. I'd like to get to about 1.010.

I like this natural back sweetening idea.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I would suggest two things:

1) rack at least 2 times to clear well.
2) for your back sweeten mixture, juice your muscadines and mix with just a little water and whatever sugar needed to approximate the original must.
3) then after 2nd racking, stabalize with Campden and Sorbate, and sweeten.

As for how much to use. I would make a test batch of 1 cup and taste. 2 cups to a gal is the same as 1oz in 1 cup. And remember, when wine is young you want to be slightly drier than you prefer because it will sweeten naturally over time in the bottle. So try 1 oz in a cup. If good, then bottle up. If not, an another 1/2 oz, and so forth.

Last year I did 2 cups per gal. It was good, but maybe a bit too sweet. This year I am thinking more like 1.5 cups per gal.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

What if I rack the gallon of wine with campden and sorbate to inhibit further fermentation, and then back fill with muscadine juice?

I forgot to say, you need to be very careful about when you do stabilize and back sweeten. If there is still any fermentation going on, the new must will probably kick it right back off, despite the Campden and sorbate. yeast is some powerful stuff when the get going.

 

[jonereb]

I've read that wine will get sweeter with age, but in 2016 I bottled at 1.000 adding 3/4 cup of sugar to the gallon jug. In 2018, it's still 1.000.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I've never tested any, but it has the perception of being sweeter. And many others on here will tell you the same.

 

[jonereb]

Gene, do you use any finings to finish your muscadine wine?

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

No. Last year I only used sorbate. This year I started using Campden also. But that is all I use. I let them settle until clear, sometimes finish by cold crashing for a day or two before bottling.

I keep records of ingredents, but not always of process. I am more of a "art of wine making" than a "science of winemaking"