SANDCHERRY/ZANTE 'CURRANTS'

[NorthernWinos]

Making a batch of SandCherry wine....[with a twist]

Had some Zante Raisins [Currants] in the 'closet from Hell' and figured I should use them up in some wine. They were tightly sealed and still soft.

Have never used raisins in wine before and have always been concerned they would add sweetness and throw off the S.G....So...I put them in a straining bag and poured hot water over them...let them soak over night.

Took them out today while I mixed up the batch of wine...The water was plenty sweet...and would think more sweetness will be released...so made the Starting.G. a tad on the low side to compensate...will take a test again tomorrow before pitching the yeast....

Here is the LineUp...with the 'Usual Suspects'....

~~~~~~~~~~~SANDCHERRY/ZANTE WINE~~~~~~~~~

~5# ZANTE RAISINS [SOAKED]
~10 QTS. SANDCHERRY JUICE [STEAM EXTRACTED]
~2 500mil BOTTLES WINEXPERT RED GRAPE CONCENTRATE
~6# SUGAR
~6½ CAMPDEN TABLETS
~4 tsp. ACID BLEND
~4 tsp. LIQUID TANNIN
~2 VANILLA BEANS
~4oz TOASTED OAK

WATER TO 6½ GALLONS...S.G. 1.080

TOMORROW:
~3 tsp. PECTIC ENZYME
~6 tsp YEAST ENERGIZER
~3 tsp YEAST NUETRIENT
~MONTRACHET YEAST

 

[Tom]

Keep us (me) informed I'd be curious as to what taste your wine will have.


Any hints on how to clear banana wine? Tried everything so far its still very cloudy.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I have only used bananas in wine once...used Bentonite at the beginning....it cleared nicely...

We wern't fond of that taste in the wine...The case of it is under the bed...using it for cooking and giving to friends who like it.

Have you tried Super-Kleer??? Isinglass????

 

[Tom]

That is on my list next

 

[NorthernWinos]

Pitched the yeast last night....
And, of course....I licked the stir spoon..

It tasted very 'raisiny'.....The SandCherries are pretty mild..like a mild ChokeCherry....no telling what the wine will be like.

The S.G. had risen to 1.084 when I pitched the yeast...due to more sweetness from the raisins in the bag. I was going to test again this morning to see if the S.G. had resin even more...Well, Fermentation is in full swing...Fizzing and swirling around...I lifted the bags a few times....

To be continued....

 

[NorthernWinos]

Smelled like wine in here when we got home...

It's roaring away tonight....

I lifted the bag a few times and moved it to a bit cooler temps....It seemed to be putting off a lot of heat.

 

[Waldo]

How long will you leave the raisins in NW
It sure does look good !!

 

[NorthernWinos]

At this rate it will be done fermenting in a few days...will rack to glass and leave the lees, raisins and oak behind.

Do you think the birds would like the raisins???

 

[Tom]

Go ahead and watch them fly "FUNNY" !





LOL !

 

[whino-wino]

Do you think the birds would like the raisins???

I've thrown out raisins, blueberries, sand cherries, etc from my primaries for the birds. The only ones that touch them are the Juncos, but if they find them they'll be gone in a hurry!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Lots of Juncos, Red Polls....over run by Bluejays....

Do you have any Pine GrossBeaks over your way???

 

[whino-wino]

Yes we have. My wife is more of a birdwatcher than myself. I mostly buy the seed and put up the feeders. She keeps them happy after that. The ones I like watching most at this time of year are the very FAT ruffed grouse that come in and eat the fruit from our flowering crab apples. I counted over 20 of them in the tree the other day.

We're getting off the subject here.


I didn't get any sand cherries last year. Arrived 1 day too late. My mother in law called and said they were ripe but by the time I got there the birds had devoured 90% of them. Once the birds find them you have to hurry

It does make a very good wine though. I know you'll keep us up to date on this one.

 

[smokegrub]

Northern:

A tip you may wish to consider in calculating the initial SG. I pulse raisins in a food processor, use the sugar content described on the package and assume the raisins contribute all their sugar to the must. Of course I place the raisins in a small paint straining bag which is later discarded. Works for me. I do the same thing with bananas.

 

[NorthernWinos]

W-Wino....I put nets over the bushes as they start to ripen. Had more of a problem with the rabbits last year, but had plenty to spare. The mice hide the seeds in the mulch and there are little plants coming up everywhere....A friend is coming to dig them in the spring for her 'wine-garden'.
The Nanking Cherries usually come up everywhere too, seems mostly in flower beds under trees, where birds 'deposit' the seeds.... Nanking Cherries really make a nice wine too.

Smoke....I was going to run them through the food processor but they are such tiny little raisins [currants]....They sure have puffed up now.
I would love to know how much sugar was in them. They came from a Food Co-op and were bulk in a bag inside a box. The box didn't have much information on it....They seemed not as sweet as most raisins.

Anxious to taste this wine.

 

[grapeman]

NW Black Currants (zante raisins) contain about half the sugar of grapes so even as raisins they still only have half the sugar so they won't contribute as much sugar as normal raisins.

 

[smokegrub]

That makes it tough! I feel confident that with your experience the wine will be excellent.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Racked the wine today...It was at S.G. .999....

Of course I tasted it....and....it was like nothing I have ever made before....
I have tasted other peoples HomeMade Wine that tasted like this...
I'm not saying it was good or bad...Just different...
At this stage most wines don't taste good tho....so will be anxious to rack it again and see how it changes.

It was full of iddy-bitty pieces of organic material...tiny specks that came off of the raisin/currants....It will have lots of stuff to settle out.

I did put the fruit from the straining bag out for the birds....No takers yet....

 

[Tom]

I am sure there will be takers once they know its there.
Good luck. Remember you can always backsweeten your wine if its to tart.

 

[PolishWineP]

I've been putting that kind of stuff out for years and the squirrels tend to find it, along with the birds.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Racked this wine today....and, of course was anxious to taste it.

It really has changed and is rather nice....think it's going to be a good one....
No more sweet raisin flavor....