Making marc

[jackal10]

I have been given a bucket of marc, the press cake skins and pips remaining after pressing the chardonnay grapes for English Sparkling Wine we picked on Sunday.

I'd like to make a version of marc, (country brandy), but to stay legal probably frozen rather than distilled.

I can find no online reference, and I've never done it before. Can any of you winemakers or people with vineyards help?

My guessed method is to re-hydrate the marc, add sugar to adjust the OG to say 1.050 or thereabouts, and let it ferment out. Rack, and then freeze, and decant like making applejack. Should I add pectinase or anything else?

I'll also try making some grape jelly from the marc

Edited October 24, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[Adam Balic]

If you are doing it by freeze fractionation, make sure thtat you have plenty of pain killers on hand.

I would look into the relative amount of methanol produced as it may not be the same as for cider and could potentially be dangerous.

In Burgundy they also make a liquor out of the spent yeast. This is only for the ladies - lucky them.

[jackal10]

I don't see why it would produce any more methanol than normal wine fermentation. I agree the fusel oils may not be the best, and I suspect long aging will be called for..

[Adam Balic]

I think that methanol is a breakdown product of pectin, so you will likely have a more concentrated amount then in normal wine fermentation, but if there was not problem with the applejack, you should be OK.