Mustang grape skin#

Put the lid on your fermenter and allow to cool to room temperature if you used hot water.Ĩ. Crush your grapes in whichever method you like best, and add them to the fermenter, still in the bag.ħ. Boil the water or use a source of clean sanitized water. Wash your grapes to remove any dirt and remove the stems, then place them in a nylon or muslin bag.Ģ. Potassium Bicarbonate to raise pH, aka reduce acidityġ. The following is a basic recipe for making 1 gallon of a semi sweet red mustang grape wine. On the other hand, wines fermented with the skins must be carefully watched and taste tested to ensure the wine does not take on too much of the astringent tannins found in the grape skin. Leaving the skins out will make a white wine, but removes much of the natural flavor found in the skins of the mustang grapes. I’ve seen a clever winemaker drill holes in the bottom of a bucket, place the grapes in the bucket, and then push down with another bucket to crush the juice out of the holes into another container to collect the juice while leaving the skins behind. Don’t be tempted to crush them with your feet unless you wear very clean rubber boots to protect your feet. This can be as easy as a bucket and a 2x4 block of wood or as specialized as a true wine press. Mustang Grapes have very little natural sugar content, and must have sugar added to raise the gravity high enough to make a decent wine.Īfter you have harvested your grapes, you need to crush them. Is the most common additive to help balance the acid. Acidity can be adjusted with many methods, but potassium bicarbonate Most mustang grapes have such a high acidity that you will have to go beyond the scale in the instructions to find the true acidity of the must. It is a great idea to have an Acid Test Kit at hand to test the acidity of the must. Be sure to wear rubber gloves during the harvest to protect your hands from the acidity of the grapes. Note though that the spring weather can wreak havoc on the growth of these grapes and some years the crops can be killed off entirely. In north Texas, where we are, the month of July is usually the best time to pick the grapes, when they are plump and a deep purple color. So, how do you go about using these tiny little acid bombs to make palatable wine? The key is to harvest the grapes at the correct time and to treat the must with enough water, sugar, and additives. However, that hasn’t stopped people from using mustang grapes to make jams, juices, and wines for centuries.

Mustang grape skin#

They taste terrible, and the acidity is so high it can even irritate your skin or mouth. These grapes have very high acidity and a harsh bitterness. If you pluck one off the vine and have a taste, you’ll be in for a shock. Mustang Grapes (Vitis mustangensis) are native to the southern United States and grow wild throughout Texas.