Tea and Raisin Wine

[johnfosteruk]

I can't remember if it was on this forum, but I've done a search and can't find the exact recipe I used so I thought I'd share it here as I've just bottled and had a sneaky sample and I rather like it.

Ingredients

1lb raisins
2lb raisins
6 teabags (I used Taylors Yorkshire but any will do)
1 peppermint teabag
1tbsp Lime juice
Yeast and nutrient (the first one I used was a Gervin GV5, I've another batch on the go using Youngs super wine yeast compound)


Method

Simmer your raisins for 30 mins and strain/press, While this is happening, stew your tea. Then dissolve your sugar, make up to fill a 1 gal DJ and add everything else. Pitch your yeast and let it go.

I started at 1.09 and stopped the ferment at 1.002 which makes 12% ish and it's quite lovely and tasty. I'm not a wine connoisseur so I can only describe what I am tasting in crude terms and not very coherently at all. It's mellow & fruity, considering how low the FG was it's surprisingly sweet and it's also creamy and full bodied like a chardonnay. It cleared beautifully and tastes great.

Give it a bash if you like simple to make wines that require little attention (2 rackings then bottling is all) but taste nice and complex.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Thanks for posting.

 

[vassili]

I will never forget this stuff! The Irish family who lived in the house on our farm used to make tonnes of it. Twas so funny when the mother used to rack off, she was totally bladdered.
Really nice drink (in moderation) lol.

 

[FatDad]

I can't remember if it was on this forum, but I've done a search and can't find the exact recipe I used so I thought I'd share it here as I've just bottled and had a sneaky sample and I rather like it.

Ingredients

1lb raisins
2lb raisins
6 teabags (I used Taylors Yorkshire but any will do)
1 peppermint teabag
1tbsp Lime juice
Yeast and nutrient (the first one I used was a Gervin GV5, I've another batch on the go using Youngs super wine yeast compound)


Method

Simmer your raisins for 30 mins and strain/press, While this is happening, stew your tea. Then dissolve your sugar, make up to fill a 1 gal DJ and add everything else. Pitch your yeast and let it go.

I started at 1.09 and stopped the ferment at 1.002 which makes 12% ish and it's quite lovely and tasty. I'm not a wine connoisseur so I can only describe what I am tasting in crude terms and not very coherently at all. It's mellow & fruity, considering how low the FG was it's surprisingly sweet and it's also creamy and full bodied like a chardonnay. It cleared beautifully and tastes great.

Give it a bash if you like simple to make wines that require little attention (2 rackings then bottling is all) but taste nice and complex.

Thanks for that I really like the idea.

In the recipe you state raisins twice (1lb and 2lb) why is that? I fancy trying this but the raisins bit has confused my simple brain. Cheers :thumb:

 

[johnfosteruk]

Nope I'm the one with the simple brain, can't even type out a simple recipe properly!!!!! It's 1lb of raisins and 2lb of sugar. [emoji1]

 

[FatDad]

Thanks for this, it's another one on my to do list :) I've love wines using unusual or day-to-day ingredients.

 

[Covrich]

That sounds pretty interesting actually, might give that a go sometime.

 

[FatDad]

When you say 'strain/press the raisins' is the idea here to force the raisin pulp through the strainer into the demijohn leaving only the skin behind?

 

[johnfosteruk]

When you say 'strain/press the raisins' is the idea here to force the raisin pulp through the strainer into the demijohn leaving only the skin behind?

Not really. I just turned em out into a sieve and pressed them to get as much liquor as possible leaving as much solids behind as possible. But then if you do have pulp I should imagine it'll enhance the ferment and a little pectalose will prevent haze

 

[johnfosteruk]

I've actually made a few batches of this now and it's one of my faves.

 

[FatDad]

Not really. I just turned em out into a sieve and pressed them to get as much liquor as possible leaving as much solids behind as possible. But then if you do have pulp I should imagine it'll enhance the ferment and a little pectalose will prevent haze

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to try this at the weekend so thanks for sharing :)

 

[FatDad]

Raisins in the pan...

In the Demijohn...

I used Ringtons tea bags and cheap and cheerful Tesco peppermint tea and Tesco raisins.

 

[johnfosteruk]

Nicely done mate.