Mmmmm, Mmmmmmm !!!!!

[slvrlng]

Went down to check on the boat today and while there I tried a new way to protect our muscadines and scuppernongs from the deer and crows.
WOW, it is a good year! I found a mesh black plastic screen at Lowes that unfolds to 7 ft. I draped it over and secured it with cable ties. Man I hope this works! Most of them are at least 3/4" in diameter and there are some that are over an inch. The vines are loaded! If the deer don't get them I might have enough to make wine. At least protecting them like this I should have plenty for jelly and preserves. Its amazing what a little rain will do!








I mean look how many are on this one vine!

[GoneFission]

Scuppernongs and Muscadines - classic southern grapes!  But they don't really grow in bunches, more like individual groups or even singles, so they are harder to pick.  When I was a kid we had a Scupper grape arbor in our back yard.  We also had this big black tom cat that would sit on top of the arbor and wait for the crows/starlings to come in a steal some grapes.  He would hunker down in the vines and then pounce on the birds when they came in.   :cat:   The old tom cat got about as many birds as I think the birds got grapes...  He was king of the arbor!   :king:

Thanks for a memory - and if you want some wine made with Scuppernongs or Muscadines, try Duplin County Winery:
http://www.duplinwinery.com/  

See ya on the water!

[John Jones]

I think I was in the 1st grade in Reform, Alabama the first time my mother made scuppernong jelly............................  

[gran398]

Tell ya what brothers...Lewis knows his biz when it comes to making preserves. He brought Carolyn some when Hunter and he came to visit....haven't seen it since. No kidding, per this post, just went and looked .... either she consumed it, or she hid it.

At least I had a taste...once.

Lew, thank you. It was awesome.

As best remember.

 

[Skoot]

holy shoot

Dam, those look good, its been awhile since I had some.

Plz send some down, Im hungrys

[slvrlng]

well answer your dang phone!

[slvrlng]

So I pulled 12 lbs. last week. I went back by on the way home today and pulled another 10 lbs. The cool thing is you can't even tell I have pulled any at all. The muscadines are starting to turn, but the scuppernongs aren't yet. Probably in the next two weeks. Just to show you how big they are this year here are a couple of more pics.
Yes that is only 11 of them to make up more than a foot!


Here's 6 of them in my hand. These six all are over an inch in diameter!

[John Jones]

fatties for sure.

[gran398]

Are those big grapes....or small hands?

just kiddin' Lew.....Emma Niceuns!

[slvrlng]

Went and picked another 10 lbs today. You still can't tell I have pulled any at all! There are literally hundreds yet to ripen. Ten more lbs and I'll have enough to make the wine.

[gran398]

Beauties! My wife loves red wine, and we seem to have hit it off......so...how much for five gallons....wholesale??

     

[slvrlng]

So I froze these things back in August and they have been in the freezer ever since. Well I couldn't stand it anymore so I went and got all the stuff to do the wine a couple of weeks ago.
I thawed them out and crushed them. I used 36 lbs of muscadines, 12 lbs of sugar, 3 tsp of peptic enzyme, 6 campden tablets (crushed and melted into some water), 6 tsp of yeast nutrient, and enough of my grandmothers well water to bring it up to 6 gallons. I let this sit for a day in my fermenter bucket and then put the yeast to it. I used a yeast called Premier Cuvee, which I came to find out is designed to make white wine, but what the hell do I know!
This is what it looked like 6 hours after dropping the yeast in. The thing floating in there is the strainer bag with all the hulls and pulp in it for color.

 

After 5 days of it sitting in the bucket and fermenting this is what you end up.



Then I took the strainer out and squeezed all the juice out I could. This is what the hulls and pulp look like after sitting in there for that amount of time.
You have no idea what this smelled like as I was doing this! (kind of a yeasty grapey alcoholy organic thing) kinda hard to describe!




I then transfered it to what is known as a "carboy", glass container, it stayed in there for a week and slowly lost its fizz as the yeast eats the sugar and converts it to alcohol with CO2 as a byproduct. The next step is stabilizing and letting it clear for about 3 months, then I can bottle it.





Looking pretty good isn't it?

Heck it already tastes great!

[seabob4]

Heard of a "carboy"...Lewis, looks, and sounds, and I'm sure it smells, totally cool!  So now, if I send you right ingredients, can you make me some Natty Light?  

[RickK]

[gran398]

Wow Lew, I'm impressed! Since it looks like there will be more reunions this year (Great Lakes and Gulf Coast) maybe you could hold the "reserve" for these special occasions  

Maybe with a commemorative label like "Aquadine 2011" or "Muscasport Vinter's Reserve."

 

Great job bro, looking forward to the tasting!