To Raisin or not

[Johnzracer]

Hi all, new to the forum and love it.
I have a few questions that I know you have the answers for.
I have a package of Raisins left over from a MM Barolo kit and was wonder what you thought of adding it to a Vino Italiano Barolo kit.
I was also wondering if I should stabilize and clear a wine before bulk aging. or just stabilize it now and clear it later.
Thanks,
John

 

[robie]

Hi all, new to the forum and love it.
I have a few questions that I know you have the answers for.
I have a package of Raisins left over from a MM Barolo kit and was wonder what you thought of adding it to a Vino Italiano Barolo kit.
I was also wondering if I should stabilize and clear a wine before bulk aging. or just stabilize it now and clear it later.
Thanks,
John

Yes, use those raisins on the other kit. It will make a difference in the body of the wine.

If you are gong to use clearing agents, I would do it when you stabilize.

You can let the wine clear on its own during bulk aging. That's the way the old timers used to do it. Just be mindful it can take many months for it to clear completely on its own. If the wine has not been fully degassed, it will likely take even longer for it to clear.

 

[Johnzracer]

Wow you Guys are fast!
Thanks for the info Robie!!

 

[Boatboy24]

I have the same kit in secondary now - my first try at making wine. I plan to bulk age with some hungarian med+ oak.

Anxious to see how it turns out, as it is a dirt cheap kit. Good luck on yours.

 

[dangerdave]

I added a big f-pack of Sun-Maid Raisins to the primary of an Australian Shiraz that I have had aging for three months now. I'm calling it Frog Prince Shiraz. Dry, dark as ink, and full bodied. I plan to bottle it this fall. Give those raisins a shot---as Robie said---experimenting is fun!

 

[Matt723]

I added a big f-pack of Sun-Maid Raisins to the primary of an Australian Shiraz that I have had aging for three months now. I'm calling it Frog Prince Shiraz. Dry, dark as ink, and full bodied. I plan to bottle it this fall. Give those raisins a shot---as Robie said---experimenting is fun!

When is the right time to add the raisins? In the fermenter right at the start or in the secondary after fermentation is completed?

Also, is there any guidelines as to how many lbs of raisins per gallon? etc? Can I literally just take the Sunmaid raisins from costco and dump them in?

Thanks.

 

[robie]

When is the right time to add the raisins? In the fermenter right at the start or in the secondary after fermentation is completed?

Also, is there any guidelines as to how many lbs of raisins per gallon? etc? Can I literally just take the Sunmaid raisins from costco and dump them in?

Thanks.

Raisins should be added at the beginning of fermentation. The sugar in them must be fermented to dry, just like the sugar in your wine must.

Don't get carried away with adding raisins to just any wine. For me, anyway, raisins give wine a raisiny taste. That is great for an Amarone or a Barolo, to name a few, but necessarily a great taste for a Cab or Merlot, to name just two.

When many wines become oxidized, they develop a raisiny taste. You should ask yourself if you really like that sort of taste. As was mentioned, you can experiment, but just understand that not all experiments may turn out to your likings. I like to experiment by dividing a 6-gallon kit into two 3-gallon sets and doing them differently. Then, you can compare the results of each.

The best raisins to use are organic raisins, which have not been sulfited. If you use non-organic, you need to rinse off the powdery-looking coating (sulfites) from the raisins before you add them to your wine.

 

[dangerdave]

When is the right time to add the raisins? In the fermenter right at the start or in the secondary after fermentation is completed?

Also, is there any guidelines as to how many lbs of raisins per gallon? etc? Can I literally just take the Sunmaid raisins from costco and dump them in?

Thanks.

All I know is what I did, Matt. I did no research in advance. I dumped 4 lbs. of Sun-Maid Raisins into a large fine mesh bag (did not rinse, sorry Robie!) and dropped it into the primary at the beginning. I gave the bag a good squeeze each day. The wine tastes nothing like raisins. I'm not even sure if the Shiraz was a good choice for this experiment---which, I might add, is still ongoing. I'll let you know in about six months.

 

[Matt723]

All I know is what I did, Matt. I did no research in advance. I dumped 4 lbs. of Sun-Maid Raisins into a large fine mesh bag (did not rinse, sorry Robie!) and dropped it into the primary at the beginning. I gave the bag a good squeeze each day. The wine tastes nothing like raisins. I'm not even sure if the Shiraz was a good choice for this experiment---which, I might add, is still ongoing. I'll let you know in about six months.

Sounds like a worth while experiment. I bought a Borolo and Cab kit from Costco the other day for $40. I think I'll try adding raisins to these kits as I have heard they don't have a lot of body.

 

[robie]

Sounds like a worth while experiment. I bought a Borolo and Cab kit from Costco the other day for $40. I think I'll try adding raisins to these kits as I have heard they don't have a lot of body.

Those are very low-end kits, so I doubt raisins could do any harm to them. Could make a pleasant difference.

 

[George_A]

I would add the raisins if they are with seeds. Seedless raisins (Sun-Maid) lack the tannins, especially procyanidins because these grape goodies are contained in the seeds, and extracted during the long fermentation ( when alcohol concentration reaches about 6 per cent).
You can read more about it here http://www.lifestylewines.co.nz/Research++Health/Levels+of+Procyanidins.html

 

[tonyt]

I wait till fermentation has begun befor I add raisins. That is usually 12 to 20 hours after pitching yeast. That way Im sure it will not impeede fermentation. And I almost always add raisins if its a red kit without grapepack.

 

[Johnzracer]

If I add these MM raisins to this cheap Barolo kit
should I chop them up or leave them whole?

 

[tonyt]

If I add these MM raisins to this cheap Barolo kit
should I chop them up or leave them whole?

I just drop them in whole and squeeze when done.

 

[Johnzracer]

Thanks Tony, That is what I will do.

John

 

[Rocky]

I am also a big proponent of adding raisins to red wines and even have added white raisins to white wines. If you do not rough chop them, then you should squeeze them daily to extract the desirable solids that they contain. I usually chop them with a kitchen knife to break the skins or pulse them in a food processor. Where I differ from TonyT is that I both chop them and squeeze them daily. I put them in a straining bag and dump a packet of pectic enzyme into the bag too.

I made the MM Barolo and Amarone kits and added both the grape pack and the raisins to the must, which I know was contrary to the directions. I have both in bulk aging in 5 gallon carboys at present and they are very promising. I also mixed the remaining gallon plus of each into a 3 gallon carboy. This I call "Barone" and it is also coming along well. I find it both instructive and rewarding to try different approaches.