Muscadines

ManglerYJ

ManglerYJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Lexington, NC
My father in law has a bumper crop of muscadines this year, and we have already made a bunch of jelly from them. I'd like to try my hand at wine-making (or shine-making) with a couple gallons of them. I'm not much into wine as the tannins ususlly give me a headache (or is it the quantity?) This is for personal consumption, before anyone asks.

Anyone done so? Care to share an easy/cheap recipe?
 
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Don't mean to hijack the thread, but during that 21 day period does it need to be temperature controlled, or will the garage suffice? I'm interested in trying this also.
 
I use my basement which is around 78*F and sit it in a big cooler just to keep it from getting messed with(8 year old daughter).
My friends just sit it in a closet or in the shop, temp doesn't seem to matter too much.
 
Temp won't matter much at all. A friend used to use his spare bedroom to ferment his wine. He'd have 6-8 5 gallon buckets in there anything you stopped by.

I'd make wine instead of likker with muscadines.
 
Anytime I'm fermenting I try to keep it some where that stays constant. 70-80*

X2 on making wine not liquor, I don't know why but the muscadine liquor turns out like turpentine. Horrible horrible stuff that multiple distills can't kill....
 
Temp wont matter much like stated above.
Dont let it freeze or get too hot and you should be fine.


Light however...keep it dark. The darker the better.
 
I tried a recipe similar to that a few years ago. Was so sweet I could barely drink it. I wish I had written down exactly what I did, so I could tweak it next time. I thought about distilling the wine, but would have to make a still and only end up with about a pint of shine.
 
I make a couple of batches, one usually very little sugar if my grapes are really sweet or extra sugar if grapes are sour and then "cut in" to get it to my preference.
 
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