Homemade Muscadine Wine

by Sam Wimpy
(Jonesboro, Arkansas)

Makes 3-4 Gal Yield Homemade Wine

Equipment/Ingredients

• 1 - 5 Gal Crock (Food Grade Container)


• 3-4 Gal Boiling Hot Water


• 8-12 lb Sugar


• 1 Gal Fruit (Red Muscadine preferred)


• 2 Oranges


• 2 Limes


• 2 Lemons


• 1 Box Raisins ( small/med size)


• 2 Pkgs - ¼ oz active dry yeast


• 2 Quart size containers


• 1 Clear plastic tubing (3-6 ft length, approx ¼ - ½ “ diameter)


• 1 Tube support device (straightened out coat hanger or similar)

Procedure

1. Begin heating 3 gal of water on stove…bring to slow boil.


2. Add sugar to crock (8-12 lb to vary sweetness).


3. Slice/Dice/Squeeze/Food Process - All Fruit (except raisins)... May include outer covering (peeling), but not required.


4. As water heats... slowly add to crock and stir (in order to dissolve sugar)


5. Add all fruit, frequently stirring mixture.


6. In two (2) separate quart size containers…fill 2/3 full w/ hot tap water, add 1-2 cups sugar, and 1 - ¼ oz yeast pkg to each container while stirring until reasonably dissolved.


7. Let crock (water/sugar/fruit mixture) sit overnight in order to cool to room temperature.


8. Let water/sugar/yeast mixture in the (2) quart size containers cool overnight…allows yeast to rise.


9. Next morning (12-24 hrs)…add water/sugar/yeast mixture (from both quart size containers) to crock while giving one final stir.


10. Cover top of crock (doesn’t have to be air tight).


11. Allow 3 wks (minimum) for mixture to ferment…no maximum amount of time. (Have let process for as long as 2-3 months).


12. After fermentation period, use clear plastic tubing and wire support to siphon wine from crock into individual bottles.


13. Place end of tubing ¼ - ½ “ from end of support in order to ensure you don’t siphon from bottom of crock (helps to ensure a minimum amount of solids are siphoned from crock).


14. In order to siphon, suck on tubing as you would on a straw in a soft drink. Place the crock (wine batch) at a higher elevation than the bottles that you are filling in order for the siphon process to work. If flow stops, examine tube…most likely a solid has plugged the line. Blow on tube to clear and then restart the siphon process.

Note:
Allow room in crock (after all ingredients have been added) for yeast to rise during initial fermentation period...approx 1/4 - 1/2 gal volume. Place crock on a cleanable surface. Trial and error (experience) will help you to determine appropriate volume expansion allowance.