Sultanas/Currants/Raisins?

[Ivan66]

I,m sure this question has been asked before but I havn't seen the answer.

What's the differents between Sultaners, Currents and Raisins? Is it just differents levels of drying or different types of grapes, i.e red/white?

Does it make much difference in a recipe when they are being used in addition to the main ingredient. Most recipies favour raisins in this case, in Jerry Fowels book he favours Sultaners, I have seen no recipes using currents.

[Duffbeer]

Sultanas in white wines as they are from white grapes, raisins in red wines as they are from red grapes, although some people dislike raisins as the can give a sherry like flavour if too many are used. Currents can be used as they too are from red grapes, but tend not to be a popular choice. Personally I prefer sultanas.

[Ivan66]

Thanks Duffbeer, thats good as I've just purchased a kilo of Sultanas to go in my dried apricot wine I'm about to make, although I am just using 600g in 10lts, as per Jerry Fowels recipe. Incidently, £2.00 in Julian Greaves, cheaper than the super markets

[Zebedee]

I remember reading on here, someone asked about making wine from supermarket grapes.
The answer was along the lines that they were the wrong type of grape.
After 'googling' I found this....

In this country, 95% of the grapes used for raisin production are the Thompson Seedless variety, which dry and darken in the sunlight, producing the common raisin. The same variety of grape, however, treated with sulphur dioxide and heated artificially stays lighter, moister, and plumper, and these are what are sold here as golden raisins or sultanas.

So whats the difference between using sultanas and supermarket grapes ?

[Mamgiowl]

As far as I'm aware no-one would make a pure sultana wine,* but they are added to so called 'country' wines to add a little vinosity and body. They more or less do the same job as WGJ which some people prefer to use.

* Ducks as 5 million people protest, saying they have and it's brilliant.

[Zebedee]

I wasn't thinking about making a pure sultana wine..

More along the lines of substituting supermarket grapes where a recipe calls for sultanas.

Thoughts ?

[Mamgiowl]

The sultanas would add a different flavour and a certain amount of colouring, but supermarket grape juice can be used for wine as we all know.

Then again, we're not told what type of grape is used for juice so it may even be a wine making variety or a mixture of different types more probably. Who knows?

In any case I think the objection to grapes and their unsuitability refers to the actual fruit. In other words 'dessert grapes per se don't make a good wine'.

That's my understanding anyhow.

[Zebedee]

I have no plans to make any thing....

But when I found that sultanas were Thompson Seedless the same as supermarket grapes...it got me wondering

[Duffbeer]

Dessert grapes are lower in sugar content, hence why they are usually not good for making wine, the drying process concentrates that sugar when they become sultanas. I wouldn't however make a sultana wine as Jan has stated above, they are more to add body and vinosity to a country wine that would lack these.
Today 95% of supermarkets readily stock carton grape juice which as we know works well in the addition of body & vinosity, grape concentrate is also easier to purchase.
So sultanas, raisins, banana syrup etc etc were used widely in home wine making as it was the only means available.
Looking at another point of the sultanas and the Thomson seedless is price of coarse, I recollect purchasing about 8 punnets of dessert grapes that were going cheap at a £1 per punnet, £8 the lot, which yealded me 1 & 1/2 bottles of not so good wine.

[Ivan66]

Duffbeer,

I don't find concentrate easier to buy, you can only get it in home brew shops and it's expensive. If a recipe states using lets say 250g or 500ml of concentrate, then what in your proffetional opinion would be the equivalent amount in ordinary grape juice from the supermarket?

Ivan66

[carol1970]

2kg sultanas or raisins
900g bananas (with skins on )
1.8kg white sugar
400g brown sugar
3 B1 tablets
3tsp acid blend
3tsp super enzyme
3tsp nutrient
wine yeast (g/p riches tub)
water to 3 gal
s.g 1.080
f.g 0.990
hi I made 3 gal of sultana and 3 gal of raisin on the 8th of nov 08
opened one of each last week just to try and they were a little differant in colour but pretty much the same in taste, they were very nice went down very easily while watching tv, husband really like them (only added that so you dont think i had both to myself).

[Ivan66]

Carol,

Tell the truth, you did drink them all to yourself didn't you

[alcopop]

Hi carol,
When you say bananas with skins on is that just to weigh them or do you use the skins in the must.
Terry

[Duffbeer]

Don't do it Terry, the skins impart bitterness, a little tannin but mainly bitterness. Some old recipes do state banana skins, my experience is that they leave a bl00dy foul aftertaste, and it doesn't mellow with time.
One of the most foul wines I have ever made was kiwi & banana, with the skins......yuk... due to banana skins.

[carol1970]

hi i did leave the skins on the bananas but i boiled them first and then strained them just adding the liquid and not the solids dont know if that would make the differance mine is only 4 months old and is already pretty good i dont need it till then end of the summer so it still could get even better
carol