Raisin wine experiment

[SmokinDawg]

ok I started this post in another forum but I couldn't post pics.
an so it begins.

 

[SmokinDawg]

well there is the mix 1/3 of it anyway I had to add a little warm water to the food processor to make it process well. I added 4oz of black walnuts to 5 1/2 lbs of raisins..

 

[SmokinDawg]

All nice and mushy and into the pot we go... I added 6lbs of brown sugar three vanilla bean scrapings, three tbls lemon juice, and the rind of one orange...

 

[SmokinDawg]

Holy crap!!! The smell is so good like cookies. Oh I added 2 gals of water so far to the boil I plan on adding 3 more. I also toasted some oats to add instead of using oak, if anyone thinks that is a really bad idea let me know before tommorow

 

[SmokinDawg]

I will be adding the pectic enzyme tonight after it cools and pitch the yeast in the morning. I am planning on adding the oats then also.

 

[grapeman]

It sounds like you are cooking a gourmet meal there Dawg.


I was wondering what the purpose is for boiling the mixture. Generally you don't boil wine. Most of the wines I have seen folks have problems with were ones they boiled. They are also harder to clear. Did you read that in a recipe?

 

[SmokinDawg]

A friend of mine told me that was how they made raisin wine for saytr?(jewish holiday) I was going to pass it through a 5 gal paint bucket strainer next, put some of the oats in the bag and tie the bag off leaving it in the bucket. I am mostly winging this one making my mistakes cheap as I learn this craft. Anything that's not vinegar and is barely palpable, well,I have a 22 yr old brother in law who'll drink anything so it won't go to waste

! If it clears well and tastes like I think it might I'll send you a bottle

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Does you friend ferment there raisin wine? Its Seder, the Passover Dinner wine, four cups are consumed. There is an old tradition among some that raisin wine was used to avoid using Christian sacrament wines, but it wasnt fermented due to some beliefs in the hametz, or avoidence of leven (yeast) Interesting you would try this.

 

[SmokinDawg]

Well, JW, you started an interesting discussion between me and my friend Jon. He said no they do not technically let the wine ferment, that it is made shortly before Seder, sorry about my previous spelling, and consumed as you said. I then asked why it was called wine and not juice? he said, as it happened to his family years ago, that if you made a big batch expecting alot of company and had much leftover, that wild yeast will do its thing and that maybe that is why it is called wine. If you know more about that I would be very interested in finding out more about it.