Christmas Spiced Raisin Wine

[paubin]

This is a fairly original recipe. I started making this years ago from a recipe that was adapted from one of Terry Garey's. There is a lot of spices but no one panic please, it works out great in the end but takes at least 3 years to age.

Recipe is for 3 gallons ! (that's for Wade....lol)

3 campden tablets
Water to 3 1/2 gallons (lots of sediment at 1st racking
12 pounds of dark raisins (highest quality and freshest you can get plz)
12 oranges (juice and rind with no pith)
6 lemons (juice and rind with no pith)
6 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
3 oz candied ginger
1 and 1/2 nutmegs crushed
15 allspice corns crushed
4 cloves (mine are fairly old and have lost some strength)
Sugar to 1.095 sg (1 lb of the sugar is to be caramelized)
Acid blend if needed to .65 ta and 3.5 - 4 ph
Yeast nutrient 3 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoon pectin enzyme
Flor sherry yeast if you can get it, or any fruit wine favorite yeast

A very busy wine but awesome while sitting by the fireplace on a snowy Christmas night.
Dry or very slightly back sweetened.

I'll post a few pics as this progresses....stay tuned folks

Pete

 

[Waldo]

Pete, do you think maybe an addition of bentonite might help out on the heavy sediment issue.

 

[vcasey]

Are you adding all the spices and caramelized sugar upfront?
I may have found an excuse to bottle some wine.

 

[Wayne1]

Thanks for posting! This looks like fun - is the purpose of the caramelized sugar to add color?

 

[paubin]

Yes I add up front. I've found the spices hang in there well also the citrus hangs in there. The caramel led sugar is for taste mostly as the raisins fro vide plenty of color. I've rarely ever used bentonite. The heavyest deposits are caught on the first racking. Remember to process your raisins, I put mine through a grinder

Pete

 

[vcasey]

I made a caramelized cyser a couple of years ago. It ended up at 18% so I sweetened it with more caramelized honey and added oak. Was not bad at bottling still a bit raw and of course I'll wait at least a couple of more years before I open a bottle ...............

 

[paubin]

I love adding caramelized sugar or honey to any sweetened or heavily spiced wines and meads and if I search though my stuff I have a recipe for a bragot that I use a lot of caramel in also. The wine is fermenting away nicely and I'll post a pic or two as soon as I rack into a carboy. (got to keep Waldo off my back....lol)

Pete

 

[Kemo]

How do you caramelize the sugar? I'm guessing that if you just put a bunch of sugar into a pan it will just get stuck on the bottom

 

[paubin]

Sugar and a little water to liquify. Let it cook until it colors. Once it starts to gain color watch it closely as it will progress quickly. DO NOT STIR AT AANY TIME !!! Stirring will cause the sugar to re-crystallize. You can pour the caramel into cold water or on a nonstick sheet or if I don't have a nylon straining bag in the fermenter I pour directly into the fermenter.

Pete

 

[Kemo]

sweet sounds like my next batch... Think of the possibilities with maybe a strawberry wine... or skeeter... Good call guys

 

[paubin]

Just watch out with spices with delicate wines like strawberry. A lightly caramelized sugar may be nice in it though....I may have to experiment with that myself.....I think I have 16 lbs of strawberries in the freezer....lol


Pete

 

[Kemo]

If you think you have 16 pounds I think you need to share haha. You should definitely go pure steamjuice strawberries and then use the carmel to bring up the sg and even backsweeten with it... maybe even age on a vanilla bean. That actually sounds like a great game plan, I know what im making for my next batch

 

[paubin]

Fermentation is slowing down. I'll take the sg later today and if it's close I'll be racking to a carboy. Maybe even finally take a pic or two....sorry Waldo...lol.

Pete

 

[paubin]

Sg is down so I'll be racking to a carboy and finally taking a pic or two....ya ya, I know, you've heard that before.

Pete

 

[Waldo]

And I keep waiting on the pictures.

Pictures are such an inspiration

 

[paubin]

I knew I'd be hearing from ya sooner or later Waldo

Pete

 

[MedPretzel]

sounds like a nice recipe... hmmmmm maybe a new wine for me?

 

[paubin]

Holy cow !!! Martina....great to here from ya. How has everything been going. I see you've had a small change in location. I loved the time I spent in Germany !

Pete

 

[imported_gracethomas]

I have here the recipe in making prune and
raisin vintage wine. Follow the steps and I guarantee you can make
superb wine from this ingredients.



3 lb. prunes, 1 lb. raisins, 1 lb. wheat, 2 lemons, 2 oranges, 3 lb. sugar, 9 pts. water, 1 oz. yeast.



1. Prepare the raisins, prunes and wheat as has already been
advised and put them with the sliced oranges and lemons in the
fermenting vessel.



2. Boil half the sugar in seven pints water for two minutes and pour over the ingredients while still boiling.



3. Allow to cool and add the yeast. Cover as directed and ferment
the mixture for ten days, crushing well each day and stirring up the
wheat and covering again at once.



4. After ten days, strain out the solids, and wring out as dry as you can and put the strained liquor in a gallon jar.



5. Boil the rest of the sugar in the remaining two pints of water
and when cool add to the rest. Cover as directed or fit fermentation
lock and leave until all fermentation has ceased.






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[intoxicating]

That vintage prune and raisin recipe looks tasty to me, too. I am alergic to oranges and lemons, Ithink I could substitute tamarind for the lemon, but what could I substitute for the orange? Mango, maybe? Would crystal malt be less likely to make a haze than the wheat?


Inquiring minds want to know.