Raisins & Sultanas

Pirate_Pete · Feb 3, 2016

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-raisins-sultanas-and-currants-223285

So, I've only been making turbo cider for a few months. I used tea bags for the tannin in all of the ones I've done. In the last couple I've done I've used raisins as a yeast nutrient. Whether or not a nutrient is needed seems to be disputed somewhat.

But raisins. Well from what I can gather there's tannin in the skin. So I presume if you use raisins as yeast nutrient they're also adding the tannin.
Does this mean if you're adding the tea bags too, that's too much tannin?

Not sure about the UK, but sultanas are heaps cheaper here. I bought a kilo the other day to go in my next brew.

tonyhibbett · Feb 4, 2016

As a home producer of grapes, sultanas would be reasonably cheap in oz, although cheap in the uk imported from turkey. I use them for white wine, as white grape juice is now hard to find. Tannin in sultanas is not high as the skins are white, but why not move up from cider to white wine?

cheapbrew · Feb 4, 2016

I use sultanas in a few of my wines, they are a good addition to any wine though but some people forget to allow for the sugar content in them.

Pirate_Pete · Feb 5, 2016

tonyhibbett said:
As a home producer of grapes, sultanas would be reasonably cheap in oz, although cheap in the uk imported from turkey. I use them for white wine, as white grape juice is now hard to find. Tannin in sultanas is not high as the skins are white, but why not move up from cider to white wine?

Thanks Tony. So I'll still use the tea bags for tannin then.

Move up to wine? Is it a move up? I used to make wine many years ago. I've been thinking about it for a while. I've got a plan to make some more of my sparkling grapefruit brew this weekend. And then I was going to look into making some wine. To start with I was going to make red as I already have some red grape juice.

I have never seen white grape juice in the shops here. Someone else was asking about making wine with grapefruit and raisins. Maybe I'll try using sultanas.

Do you have a recipe using sultanas for wine?

Pirate_Pete · Feb 5, 2016

cheapbrew said:
I use sultanas in a few of my wines, they are a good addition to any wine though but some people forget to allow for the sugar content in them.

Ah well it just comes out a bit stronger.

tonyhibbett · Feb 5, 2016

Sultanas must be coarsely minced using a meat mincer in order to get the maximum extraction with minimum fine sediment, then strained after 3 days pulp fermentation. 250 g is the equivalent of a kilo of fresh grapes and yield the equivalent of 800 ml of juice.

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

Are all sugars in sultanas fermentable? Sorry if stupid question, but I’m still learning.
The reason I ask is I have a plan for new year using them in a recipe.

MmmBeer · Dec 26, 2020

LisaMC said:
Are all sugars in sultanas fermentable? Sorry if stupid question, but I’m still learning.
The reason I ask is I have a plan for new year using them in a recipe.

The sugars in sultanas are identical to the sugars in the original grapes (only the water has been removed), which as far as I am aware are all fermentable.

The only unfermentable simple sugar I can think of is lactose (milk sugar).

johncrobinson · Dec 26, 2020

The short answer LisaMC is not all sugars are equally ferment-able,Some like Lactose cannot be fermented by common yeasts at all.
Others such as common granulated sugar have to be split before the yeast can use them,The yeast can do this itself or the winemaker can do it in advance for them.
Most fruit sugars however are VERY ferment-able.

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

MmmBeer said:
The sugars in sultanas are identical to the sugars in the original grapes (only the water has been removed), which as far as I am aware are all fermentable.

The only unfermentable simple sugar I can think of is lactose (milk sugar).

excellent thank you.

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

johncrobinson said:
The short answer LisaMC is not all sugars are equally ferment-able,Some like Lactose cannot be fermented by common yeasts at all.
Others such as common granulated sugar have to be split before the yeast can use them,The yeast can do this itself or the winemaker can do it in advance for them.
Most fruit sugars however are VERY ferment-able.

Thank you John. I am slowly piecing together this sugar puzzle lol. It is knowing what to put together that is tricky which will leave the residual sugars. You have my word that I will crack it. Awkward Horace here

johncrobinson · Dec 26, 2020

In my late fathers winemaking days raisins and sultanas were much cheaper than granulated sugar and so were used a lot in country wines (to advantage flavourwise).
Same as Oysters used to be cheap as chips.

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

johncrobinson said:
In my late fathers winemaking days raisins and sultanas were much cheaper than granulated sugar and so were used a lot in country wines (to advantage flavourwise).
Same as Oysters used to be cheap as chips.

I have recently discovered this. Very interesting. I was worried they would be too tannic if I used a lot but I don’t think this is the case.

johncrobinson · Dec 26, 2020

Reading your posts LisaMC it seems you want to produce your wines by "organic" methods if so,Things such as raisins,sultanas,and dates will help as they also contain yeast nutrients as well as sugar.

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

johncrobinson said:
Reading your posts LisaMC it seems you want to produce your wines by "organic" methods if so,Things such as raisins,sultanas,and dates will help as they also contain yeast nutrients as well as sugar.

I hadn’t thought of it like that but I guess you’re right. Don’t get me wrong I’m not some kind of hippy. It’s just these kind of ideas make the most sense in my head. Why would you want false flavours in your wine?

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

cheapbrew said:
I use sultanas in a few of my wines, they are a good addition to any wine though but some people forget to allow for the sugar content in them.

recently checked the sugar content in some sultanas. Couldn’t believe they were 61g of sugar per 100g (the ones I checked). Would never have guessed that!

johncrobinson · Dec 26, 2020

Can even go as high as approx 70%
And its in a form ready to be fermented.

BTW don't worry about two much tannin that's mainly in red grape (skins)

Tess Tickle's Brewery · Dec 26, 2020

johncrobinson said:
Can even go as high as approx 70%
And its in a form ready to be fermented.

BTW don't worry about two much tannin that's mainly in red grape (skins)

Okey dokey I’ll cross that off my list

Clint · Dec 27, 2020

Sultanas etc are best in cakes.

Tommo 2 · Dec 28, 2020

A bit old fashioned I know; but do give a wine some body and flavour, you ever tried yourself Clint ?

Raisins & Sultanas

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