Topic: Marrow, Ginger & Rasin Wine

[Biscombe]

After my grape wine success I'm trying this recipe, I'm just adding the rest of the boiling water, I'll let you know how it'g going

2 gallon water
10 1b marrow
4 lemons
2 oranges
12 oz raisins
2 oz Ginger
Yeast

We're harvesting loads of figs at the moment so I added about 15 and more water

Keep your fingers crossed!! 

Choose a good specimen of a marrow, wipe off any surplus dirt and grate it coarsely into the mashing vessel, include the seeds (unbroken), the skin of the marrow and the fruit rinds together with the crushed ginger and the chopped raisins. Pour on boiling water, stir thoroughly and when cool add the fruit juice, nutrient and yeast. Ferment on the pulp for four days, pressing down the cap twice daily, and then strain; stir in the sugar and continue the fermentation.

Oooooohhhh! a new hobby  ;D ;D

[adrianhumph]

 Hi biscombe,  :D
                             Glad to hear of your success, you don`t specify in the marrow recipe the quantity of sugar you are adding, I guess from the recipe that it is from an OLD book ??? & they suggest 3lbs, if so please reduce this to 2lbs. This will help the yeast to ferment all the sugar & leave a dry wine. If you want it sweeter , you can sweeten it up later. By bunging in 3lbs at once you run the risk of a stuck ferment & being left with an oversweet end product. Also please use a good quality wine yeast, such as Gervin, sold in home brew shops.
 Here is a good recipe for ginger wine, not quite a Stone`s but pretty good.
 Ingredients
# The best wines are made from scratch.    1/4 cup dried ginger (not powdered)
# 2 campden tablets
# 1 cup raisins
# 2 oranges (rind and juice)
# 2 lemons (rind and juice)
# 2 campden tablets
# 7 cups brown sugar (demerara)
# 1 tsp nutrients
# yeast
# water

Simmer ginger, raisins and thinly peeled orange and lemon zest in 4 cups water for 15 min. Strain liquid into primary fermentor. Put solids back into saucepan and add another 4 cups water. Simmer again for 15 minutes and strain into primary fermentor. Simmer solids in 4 cups water one more time, and strain.

Add juice of oranges and lemons, campden tablets, sugar and nutrients to primary fermentor. Stir to dissolve. Add water to make up to 1 gallon. Let sit overnight. Add yeast.

Stir daily for 5 to 6 days or until Specific Gravity is 1.040. Siphon into secondary fermentor and add airlock.

For a dry wine, rack in six weeks, then every three months for one year. Bottle.

For a sweet wine, rack at six weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old.

Bottle the wine when it is 6 to 12 months old. I like to continue racking for a whole year to ensure the wine is as clear as possible. Wine is ready to drink one year after the date the batch was started.

Bottle the wine when you are sure it is stable.

NOTE:

    Use more or less ginger according to personal taste. 1 cup pure orange juice may be substituted for the fresh fruit. If using fresh ginger, use 2 to 3 times the amount of dried ginger. Substitute granulated sugar for the demerara sugar if desired (demerara sugar has a distinct flavour of its own -- visit the bulk section of your grocery store. You will be able to smell the difference).

    Another variation uses 2 oranges, no lemons, 2 Tablespoons hops (dried) and no raisins. Simmer for only 20 minutes, and only simmer once.

                                                                 Adrian.

[pg]

Hi Biscombe,

I strongly suggest you add a teaspoon or so of yeast nutrient to your fermenting brew now, even if you've already started. If you have no nutrient, a vitamin B tablet or 1/2 tsp of Marmite will do the same job. Marrow, lemons and limes don't have quite enough grape-type acids to guarantee a hearty brew. It could end up tasting of cardboard or like flat tap water. I've tried recipes like this in the past from old books and wished I knew that then!

The best wine I've ever tasted was based on figs - so your recipe sounds like it will give a great brew.

[adrianhumph]

 Hi again Biscombe  :D
                                      I forgot that I had this traditional scottish recipe for ginger wine, I have made this & it is pretty good ;D
                                                                     
  - Ginger Wine

Ginger wine has been a popular drink for cold winter's nights - or as an addition to whisky to make a "Whisky Mac". This recipe is adapted from the original published in Mrs Beeton's famous work and makes 4.5 litres (8 pints).

    Ingredients:
    4.5 litres (8 pints) water 1.4 kg (3 lb) sugar One lemon - zest and juice 1 tsp fresh yeast 110g (4 oz) raisins, stoned and chopped 40g (1½ oz) ginger, peeled and bruised 75 ml (2½ fl oz) brandy

    Method:
    Add the water, sugar, lemon zest and bruised ginger to a very clean saucepan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour. Remove any scum and transfer to a large bowl. When it is luke-warm, add the yeast and leave overnight.
    Next day, strain the lemon juice and add to the mix along with the chopped raisins. Place everything in a suitable vessel.
    Stir the wine every day for 14 days. Add the brandy. Stop the vessel down by degrees and in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle.

 To make a fuller bodied wine, reduce the sugar to 2lbs & add a can of white grape concentrate.

                               Adrian.