Homemade Muscadine Wine
- 1 quart of crushed fruit per gallon of wine
- 1 pack yeast
- 3 lbs. sugar per gallon of wine
- water
- Pillow case
- 5 gallon bucket
- 3 gallon wine jug
- Airlock
Pour in 9 pounds of sugar into the bucket.
Pour pack of yeast on top of sugar. With a wooden spoon, blend well. Fill the bucket half full with warm water. Stir again. Twist the pillow case closed. Cover the top of the bucket. Andy uses a wire to tighten the cloth over the top to keep ants out.
Every day, for five days, uncover and stir with a wooden spoon. On the next day, squeeze the juice out of the pillowcase filled with the crushed fruit and remove. Using a funnel, pour the liquid into a 3 gallon jug. Fill up with water to three gallons.
Seal off with an airlock.
Let it ferment for 6-8 weeks. When it quits bubbling, it's ready to bottle.
Let it ferment for 6-8 weeks. When it quits bubbling, it's ready to bottle.
would this work for concord grapes too?
ReplyDeleteDanny, Andy got his hands on some white grapes about three weeks ago. We are testing a five gallon jug using the muscadine recipe. It smells really good and I can't wait to test it! I'll let you know how it turns out.
DeleteDanny, I just took a straw and drew out a "taste" of the white grape wine. Pretty awesome so far!! Still has a lot of settling/clearing up to go but we're satisfied.
DeleteI am making muscadine wine for the first time and im super excited. Im on day one if the 6-8 week wait and my glove has blown up. Do i put a pin hole in one of the fingers or no? I dont wanna mess this up.
DeleteCristy, do not put a pin hole in your glove! Just let it stay blown up. Let me know how it turns out.
DeleteDanny, we never have tried this with grapes. Andy said all the grape recipes he's looked at were more complicated. He has an old book about wine making but we are away from home. He said to make one gallon and see how that works out for you. Or to make it with welch's frozen grape juice. That's how he started out making wine. I can share that recipe with you later if you want.
ReplyDeleteDenise,
ReplyDeleteIn the last stage, is there anything to drain off when you go to bottle it? Or do you just transfer it from the 3 gallon container to the bottles after it has stopped bubbling? My husband and I are about to try our first batch of Muscadine. Thanks for posting pictures for each stage! That helps a lot!
-Brandi
Brandi,
DeleteWe use a 1/2" clear hose (we got ours from Home Depot) and siphon from the jug to the bottles. Be sure to keep it raised a few inches from the bottom to keep the settlement from getting siphoned. You might still get a little of the settlement, but this has worked well for us. We pour out the bottom few inches and clean out the jug. I recommend doing this outside because no matter how careful you are, if you don't crimp that hose or have several bottles sitting side by side it can get messy. Let me know how it turns out for you!!
Thanks,
Denise
Our wine is amazing!!! I surely hope my batch next year will be this good. We let ours ferment for about 6 weeks. Thanks for posting this-- it really helped seeing pictures of the step by step process and having the ratios listed.
DeleteBrandi,
DeleteThank you for sharing your success!! Everyone seems to Love a glass of homemade muscadine wine best.
Cheers!!
Denise
Hi Denise, I am making my first batch of Muscadine Wine. I have followed your instructions very carefully. On saturday I Squeezed the pillow slips to get every drop I could and transfered the juice from the bucket to a Water Cooler Bottle. I had cleaned and sanitized the bottle with products purchased from a brewing company. I topped the bottle with a cork and an air lock. Today is Tuesday and one of the bottles have some stuff floating near the bottom. Kinda looks like white strings. Is this normal? If not what can I do, is that batch ruined! I hope not we picked these on a camping trip we took a few weeks ago :( Help?
ReplyDeleteFreda, It's normal to have some settlement, but I don't know that I would describe it as stringy. If you could, email me a few pics to lifeisgood@energize.net and Andy and I will try to figure it out. Is the wine still working/bubbling? Thanks, Denise
ReplyDeleteWhite Strings? Pillow cases? We had strange stringy white things floating in a couple of our fruit wines one time. Near the top though. We where baffled. Then it came to me! We where using a Wine whip to degass and using the rubber cork with a hole in it to eliminate splashing. Turns out the whip was stripping little threads of rubber off of the cork! So there may be some linen in there! Dan
DeleteIt is working. Not sure if it will show up in pictures but I will try.
ReplyDeleteGot your picture and will have Andy check it out when he comes home. I've sent you a few emails. Thanks!! Denise
ReplyDeleteWhat kind 7of yeast do you use?
ReplyDeleteWhen we buy yeast specifically for wine-making, we order it from here: http://allseasonsnashville.com/product-category/home-brewing/wine-ingredients/wine-yeast/ or drive up there and pick out a few varieties for red and light wines.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Andy has used 1 pack of Fleischmann's yeast countless times and I personally cannot tell the difference. Thank you for checking out my blog!
Is it 1 pack of yeast for three gallons of wine? Or is 3 packs. Your tripling all of the ingredients
ReplyDelete1 pack of yeast total to make a three gallon jug or five gallon jug. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, I just wanted to make sure . You have been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!! Let me know how it turns out for you. We have five gallons of muscadine wine cooking away along with a jug of white grape wine...which is a new one for us.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know my first batch was great. Had a lot of compliments.
DeleteTrying my 2nd batch this year. 2017.
Instead of a pillow case. I tried a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. Worked great
Ok, did your recipe and just now got to the bottom comments where you say you trpiled all other ingredients EXCEPT the yeast! YIKES! I now have three packets in because you tripled the recipe. What will this do?
ReplyDeleteOh no! I'm not sure what will happen. Andy is thinking you need to set your jug somewhere in case it boils over, like a big aluminium pan. Please keep me posted on how it turns out!!
DeleteNothing really happened. Everything seems fine now. I read somewhere else from a scientist type that said no way to give it too much yeast. The amount of sugar you use can only provide so much fuel for the yeast. The rest will die off because of lack of food. I just transferred it last night to the glass jar to wait out the 6 weeks. Old farmer friend of ours told us to put a latex glove over the top and make a small pin hole in one of the fingers. He says when the glove lays down after 4-6 weeks, you are ready to bottle. Thanks for your tutorial. We are hopeful everything will turn out but we've had a good time trying.
DeleteJanet, Thank you so much for posting the information about the extra yeast not being a problem!! I'm sure it'll help others who check in. We will have to try the glove. That is very interesting. :-) Let me know how it turns out. I have some raspberry wine that I'm trying for the first time. It smells heavenly. If it turns out well, I'll add it to the blog also. Thank you! Denise
DeleteDo you think three one gallon jugs would do as well as one three gallon. 6th day and I don't have my 3 gallon jug yet
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had this happen yet, but we've talked about it. Before we met it go to waste, we would stir well, divide equally between three jugs, add the water and top each with an airlock.
DeleteLet us know how it turns out please.
Will do. How long would you wait?
ReplyDeleteNot sure what you mean by wait. If you mean processing time, wait until there are no more bubbles/ action.
DeleteHi! I just made my first batch of muscadine wine. I started out with the muscadines in the pillow cases in two old churns that were my grandmothers. These I left for almost a week, as instructed, stirring daily. Combined they are appx 5 gallons. I used almost two pkg of yeast. I then transferred to a five gallon water cooler jug and used a �� Condom with a tiny hole in the top as the air lock. I saw this on several sites I researched. It worker wonderfully and got lots of laughs from friends and family. I have photos!! My question is this. It has been in the jug for just under 3 weeks and has stopped " bubbling". And very little gases are being formed. Does this mean it is ready to bottle or do I need to wait a few more weeks? Thanks so much
ReplyDeleteLynn, Thanks for your comments!! I have heard of people using balloons and gloves, but the condom is a new one on me! :-)
DeleteI recommend waiting until there is absolutely no activity. Andy and I will normally wait a few additional weeks to bottle but that's because we always have some in reserve and aren't in a hurry. However, that wouldn't stop me from enjoying it. Just be sure it's sealed back properly if you decide to siphon off some and hold off on bottling.
My brother-in-law had a batch that was finished in close to a month. That was right around the time we went up to visit them and had it bottled and ready for us to ejoy.
One more thing--if you siphon off some early, don't put the hose all the way to the bottom of the jug. You don't want to pull up what has settled on the bottom.
BTW--I'd love to see your pictures! Send me one at lifeisgood@energize.net and I'll be happy to feature it here on this page.
I will be happy to send you a photo! That are quite funny. Just so that I understand, did you continue to wait a few more weeks even when there was no activity? I'm in no hurry. I just don't want to let it spoil or ruin.
DeleteReceived your picture. Love it!!! Andy lets it sit so it clears up a little more. He thinks you might want to tie a knot in that condom so no air will get in there. Necessity is the mother of all invention...I'll have to share your picture when we return home next week. Thanks again for sharing!! Denise
ReplyDeleteI did tie a knot in it! I think that it what made it work so well. But that photo was from the first day. Now there is no air in it at all. That is why I am wondering if I need to let it continue to sit any longer?
ReplyDelete
DeleteAndy and I talked about it. He said to siphon off a small bottle (keep hose off the bottom!) And look at how clear it is. If it's cloudy, it will continue to settle in what you rebottle. If you are ready to drink it, just do one bottle and reseal it.
When we bottle, our wine is a pretty crystal clear purplish color.
Have you tried it yet?
No, but I did replace the old "airlock""with a new one. And upon closer inspection, I noticed I still,have some bubbles along the edges of the wine. And the new airlock is now working properly again. So I am guessing that as long as some fermentation gases are being emitted, then I should still wait? Thanks again for your help
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely wait! You don't want the tops to pop off, lol!
ReplyDeleteI went and bought a 5 gallon water jug. After getting all the muscadine juice in bottle it only took 2gal of water. Is the wine just going to be a little stronger? This is my first time ever doing anything like this. Its still bubbling and looks beautiful. I'm hoping it will taste good not adding that extra gallon of water.
ReplyDeleteI followed this recipe to the T and my wine turned out VERY DRY tasting. What could've happened?
ReplyDeleteCan I use plastic jug instead of glass?
ReplyDeleteYes ma'am. We use both.
DeleteThank you, all I can find is a plastic 5gal jug.
DeleteHi Denise, I️ am trying your recipe, it has now been about 8 weeks since I’ve started. I️ am using my own muscadine grapes, this is my first attempt! I had the carboys in an empty cabinet and monitored the progress daily! Lol. Finally about a week ago the bubbling stopped and the wine had three distinct levels . The base which was about 2” ofvsediment, the center which was a clear rose color and the top which had a layer of what it looks to be non fermenting matter. I, as gently as possible took the carboys from the cabinet and placed them on the counter to begin bottling. Naturally, the liquid did stir a tiny bit and became cloudy. I also noticed that from the bottom sediment . Air bubbles started to appear and rise to the surface. Now my clear wine is now cloudy again!! I️ let it set over night in hopes it would settle but it is still cloudy this morning! This wine is to be Christmas gifts for my family and friends, i am hoping i haven’t ruined it!!
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance,
Jeanette from Florida
Jeanette,
DeleteAnytime you move the bottle, the opportunity arises for the sediment to cloud up the wine.
No worries, let it set and it clear up again. Andy has a ½” hose that he will attach to a piece of pvc pipe. The bottom of the hose will be several inches above the sediment. That way, when he siphons it off, we are only getting the pretty, clear wine.
We have had the same the thing happen numerous times and it has never ruined it.
Thank you!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Denise
I've finally got the wine thing down after doing it for the second year. First year was a disaster, has the wine fermenting near the air duct that blew out cold air. Well,as you can guess with the cold air made my wine VERY dry. As I know now that the yeast needs to be in warm water. As numerous time of picking Denise's brain we couldn't figure why wine was dry. As I failed to mention to her were i had my wine sitting.Well fast forward to 2017, as I'm getting ready for this year's batch my fiance suggested that I move wine to a new location next to the refrigerator. Well, Tina is a genius and has more common sense than i.during this process this time I was contacting Denise numerous times. Well if you ever need help Denise is the one to talk to. Not only did I email a couple times a week or sometimes couple times a day she responded very quickly to my questions. I could thank her and her husband Andy for ALL the help they provided me. My wine this year turned out just as Denise posts on her site. IT IS AWESOME!!!!! I was brave and tried scuppernog as well as muscadine. This is some of the best wine I've EVER drank! I can't wait until next year to make MORE!! I've got requests to double what I did. All my friends and family absolutely love them both. They said that's ALL they want for xmaz, a bottle of 2 of each wine. Wouldn't make me happier to do so. so I'm giving a HUGE THANK YOU, TO DENISE AND ANDY for a wonderful recipe and courtesy, kindness and most of All my constant emails all the time. Try this recipe, I promise you won't be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Denise and Andy,
Dennis Brown
You are so very welcome Dennis! We were glad to help you get this right. Get ready for lots of requests from your friends for a little sample of wine on their frequent visits. Lol! Happy New Year!
DeleteHello, This will be my first time making muscadine wine and I just have a few questions. It says to stir with a wooden spoon, Why a wooden spoon and is it required? So I was trying to figure out the quantity I needed of ingredients since I was only using 2 quarts of mashed fruit. So I did the 2 quarts of fruit, 6 cups of sugar, 1 pack of yeast and I only filled the bucket a little under half way with warm water.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if this is going to be okay? I greatly appreciate it.
I may be wrong but I think you need to add 6 more cups of sugar. (3lbs sugar =6 cups)
Deletefollowed recipe as directed. poured juice into a 5 gal carboy placed it in dark room
ReplyDeletethis is day 2 airlock on correctly but no bubbling noted
Today day was day six on my second batch. I spilled a little, but don't seen to have as much as in my first batch. Approximately have much water do you add after switching juice after switching from pillowcase?
ReplyDeleteIf you are on day six, you must be pouring into jug. Just top off with water until you reach however many gallons you are making, give it all a good stir, and seal off with air lock. The amount of water we add the bucket to get it working varies.
DeleteDenise, this is my first time making wine. I’m on the sixth day and I just poured the wine into the jug and added water up to the 3 gallon Mark. I put the airlock on. Should it be bubbling now.? It also has a little vinegar smell is that normal or did I do something wrong and I making vinegar? Thanks Sheila
ReplyDeleteFYI I see you are from Pulaski! My daughter went to Martin Methodist College about 6 years ago. Love the town!!!
ReplyDeleteI have read hundreds of recipes so I kind of came up with my own. Now I second guessing that decision. I started two batches. 15 lbs of muscadine, 5 cups of pure cane organic sugar, 2 1/2 quarts of water, 1 package of yeast (one batch dry and one medium sweet) and 2 1/2 tsp yeast nutrients. Have I messed this up or should I add more sugar or honey and water? TIA. Amy
ReplyDeleteI just started a 5 gal batch of muscadine wine from your recipe. Not sure if I have it right. I'm new to this. Do I need to take a hydrometer reading? If so what should it read? My reading is crazy! Like 1.140
ReplyDelete....seems like I did something wrong? Usually I start with like a 1.080. Any suggestions or help for a confused sole? Thanks so much!
Hello! I'm working on my first batch now. I only have 8 cups of fruit so I wanted to verify the amount of water needed to add on day 1. Your instructions state to fill the bucket halfway with water for a 12c batch of fruit. Once I added the sugar, my level is already at 1.5g as per the markings on my bucket. I wanted to verify that I should be adding less than a gallon of water as to fill the total bucket volume to almost half, correct? (Rather than the remaining bucket space about half full which would be about 2 gallons of water added.) Thank you for clarifying,
ReplyDeleteCorrect. Dont pour in a full two gallons of water. You can add additional water if needed, when you pour into the jug.
DeleteI am making my first batch of Muscadine wine. I have read many recipes and articles and I'm afraid I may have ruined my wine. After I racked to 3 gallon carboy I let it work for 5 weeks and read that I needed to rack again to remove it from sedement in the bottom and top up. I did this even tho it was still working. After I topped up with spring water and placed airlock the wine no longer was working. Any idea if I ruined it or not, or if there is something I can do.
ReplyDeleteAfter two days or so in the bucket, I have brown floating goo around the edges of the liquid outside the bag. Is this normal fermentation or what?
ReplyDeleteI just bottled mine . Taste amazing
ReplyDeleteYay!! I am so glad you like it!!
Delete