Spirits, Booze, Liqueurs...

[Roxy]

Sounds great Mr Flibble! I've never seen one of those little machines before. Mmmm cherry vodka. I used to drink cherry brandy all the time as a teenager lol :o

[Mr Flibble]

Yea, i was going to do cherry brandy, but realised the only brandy we have in is cognac, which seemed just a bit too OTT ;)

Cherry stoners are great. We've the one pictured above, it works perfectly every time.

[Roxy]

Ok Mr Flibble. You've convinced me. I'm going to pick up some extra organic cherries tomorrow. How many would you use in a bottle of vodka? I haven't a fresh bottle of vodka here, but I'll pick one up on either Friday or Saturday.

Then you can expect a few more questions :) I don't have one of those stoners, but I could probably just split the cherry with a knife and remove the stone that way right?

[Mr Flibble]

What's in an extra organic cherry? :)

I must stress that I've not tried it yet, so it could all go horribly wrong still! I used a load of cherries then added enough vodka to cover them, so if you want to make a bottle full you'll need quite a few. Splitting in half should be fine, though many people seem to leave the stones in (I partly removed now so they're easier to eat when removed). You may want to prick them if you leave them whole. There's a recipe here:

http://www.liqueurweb.com/cherry.htm

which you may want to follow if you don't trust my method to suceed :)

[Corum]

Just been thinking about what we've got on - homebrew-wise - and the list is getting interesting:

Just finishing off what's left of the Nettle Beer - bringing that on Saturday to VBB's bash (only a couple of bottles left sadly)

Sage Wine's in bottles now - ready towards the end of the year

Turbo Cider is in plastic pop bottles and that too's ready for Saturday

Nettle Wine is in the demijohn still - that's recently cleared but we're giving it a few more weeks just to make sure.

Finally, the Peapod wine is looking a rather nice luminous green in the demijohn and that'll be next year's tipple :D

Of course, we've got an empty fermenting bucket and an empty demijohn which need filling... ;)

Sadly, the Sloe, Lemon Verbena and Blackberry wines have all gone :( Very nice they were too (my fave was the Sloe, but they were all very nice).

Two months from now, the Sloe season starts all over again ;) This year I aim to get Sloes, blackberries, Rowan berries, elderberries and quite a few more types of berries without travelling more than five miles from home. Anyone can do it! My demijohns have been working flat out this year and I'm quite chuffed with the results.

[Roxy]

Thanks Mr Flibble! :) I'm going to have a go at that this weekend. :)

Oh and lol @ the extra organic cherries :D I was going to buy some anyway to eat, but now I'll make sure to by extra for the purpose of making alcohol ;)

[Roxy]

Right....I now have the (extra) organic cherries ;), the sugar, the vodka and a decent sized airtight glass jar. I'll be putting it all together tomorrow.

The cherries should be ready for eating in a few weeks, and the liqueur should be ready by Christmas time (according to the recipe). So it might be a while before I can let you know how it really does turn out, but it'll be an interesting experiment nonetheless. :D

[Mahk]

I made home made grenadine syrup once because I couldn't find any on the market that was all natural and without artificial color. It took me quite some time to find pure pomegranate juice but one day I did and I brought it home. Silly me thought the natural sugar content would suffice so I didn't add any sweetener and proceeded to boil the juice down (I think they call that "reducing") at low simmer to evaporate out the water to make a syrup.

It worked but it was sour/tart as hell. I may try again someday but I will definitely add some sort of sweetener first.

Tequila sunrises (http://www.cocktailtimes.com/tequila/tequilasunrise.shtml) were big back then (20 years ago).

[Mr Flibble]

I'm not sure I even like grenadine, for me it just serves as a colouring. It needs to be a heavy sugar syrup in order to sink properly. If i were to make it I'd probably make gomme (i.e. as sugary as is physically possible for a liquid to be) using cranberry juice instead of water.

[Aradia]

Corum, have you ever made marrow rum? If so, is it good?

I've just seen a recipe and am going to give it a go as I'll soon have enough marrows to feed china!

The recipe is here is anyone fancies trying it

http://www.massivemarrow.com/recipes

[Risker]

Right, since the bad news about strongbow I've changed my mind again about trying to make my own cider.

I picked up 3 Demijohns from freecycle today, this is the only equipment I have right now.

I'm going to get 5 litres of morrisons own brand apple juice from the supermarket tomorrow.

I'm looking at the yeasts I can get on ebay, which of these do I need?

Wine yeast (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YOUNGS-ALL-PURPOSE-WHITE-YEAST-FOR-WINE-5g_W0QQitemZ260259042859QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p32 86.m20.l1116) 5g for £1.20
Yeast Compound (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Home-Brew-Youngs-Super-wine-yeast-compound-60g_W0QQitemZ350074960052QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3 286.m20.l1116) 60g for £2.70
Yeast Nutrient (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yeast-Nutrient-For-Homebrew-Wine-Making-100gm-Tub_W0QQitemZ120280152712QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3 286.m20.l1116) 100g for £2.99

Also, do I need to buy airlocks? I don't have any bungs either so should I buy them or make do with something else?



Ferment out.
Rack off and bottle. PET bottles such as for cola etc work well.

You can leave it as a still/flat cider or prime the bottles with some sugar and leave in a warm place for a few days. Then leave somewhere cool for 7-10 days to condition.


What's do the terms 'ferment out' and 'rack off' mean? The priming the bottle with sugar bit, does that just mean put a teaspoon of sugar in?

I really need everything explained to me in the simplest possible way if anyone can help, including when I should put the bung in the demijohn or leave it out etc.

[Corum]

OK Risker...

I'll answer questions as we go in the same order as you asked them:

For three demijohns, you'll need fourteen litres of apple juice :) (4.5 ltr per gallon as they are imperial measures)

Yeasts - neither - you need Youngs Compound (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Home-Brew-Youngs-Super-wine-yeast-compound-60g_W0QQitemZ350074960052QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item3 50074960052&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318), as I mentioned above... for £1.70

To be honest, I don't tend to buy brewing stuff off ebay - Easybrew (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/?kw=wine%20yeast&fl=241104&ci=1496061581&network=s) is where I go for it. It's usually better quality than a lot of stuff on ebay - for example, the bottle corker I use is an industrial piece of kit not made in China.

You can get everything you need there.

Yep, you do need to buy airlocks. They are dirt cheap. You need bungs (ones with holes in) as well as the mixture can get pretty lively, and you've got nothing to stick the airlock into. Finally, you need to buy a proper syphon tube with a tap and a stiff tube at one end like this (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1292).

Buy the Bubbler airlocks (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1319) which are a lot stronger and easier to use than the other type with little lids which keep pinging off!

I'll make my explanation a bit easier to follow:

1. Sterilise everything including the demijohns, bungs and airlocks (get a spare bin to use as a sterilising bin - we use our kitchen bin, which is fine - it gets a regular clean out). Use Milton tablets - they are the best and easiest to use.

2. take 3ltrs of apple juice, pour into the demijohn. Add the yeast compound (1 heaped teaspoon).

3. stick the bung into the top of the demijohn and stick the airlock through that so it stands upright. Pour a couple of teaspoons of water into the airlock, so it collects in one of the bubbles. Leave for two days.

4. Two days later, remove the bung and airlock and add the rest of the apple juice. Replace bung and airlock as before. After this point, try not to disturb the demijohns.

5. You'll notice after a day or so, what's inside the demijohn goes very cloudy. Wait for a few days until this is cleared (the yeast compound contains bentonite). This is 'fermenting out'.

6. Racking off is basically making sure there's no scum on top of the mix, sometimes you need to pour the mix into another demijohn - using a coffee filter paper to filter out all the yeast, etc. I didn't need to last time, I just bottle the cider.

7. I bottle the cider by placing the demijohn with the cleared cider (or whatever) on a table and the bottle it's going into on the floor in a saucepan to prevent spillage all over the floor. Take the airlock and the bung out. Take the tap off of the syphon tube and stick the tube through the bung so the weighted end (see pic) is at the bottom. stick that into the demijohn (it's gravity fed) and replace the bung.

8. If you've never used a syphon tube, it's easy but takes some getting used to. You have to suck a quantity of the cider through till it gets to the tap, which you turn off, as you don't want to swallow any yet (wine's worse, believe me! :eek:) Leave the tube hanging downwards.

9. Get a bottle and pour in a teaspoon of sugar (priming), this makes the cider a bit more lively (it's like adding CO2 to a barrel of beer, which is filth!) - then, get funnel with a coffee filter paper in and stick that into the bottle.

10. Fill each bottle in turn. You'll notice that you only get four litres out of a gallon demijohn as the remains will look like very milky coffee and you definitely don't want to drink that. :dizzy:

11. Seal the bottle(s) with the screwcap which came with it (make sure you keep that ;)) and leave in a place where it won't be disturbed for another week or so.

12. Drink!! Total time should take no more than two weeks (mine at VBB's party was the first bottle of two that I made). :thumbsup:

[Risker]

Thanks corum! That's alot easier for me to follow :)

I've decided to use the website you mentioned (even though the FAQ doesn't fill me with confidence)

I've put in my basket...

3 x Bored Cork Bung @ 30p each (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1356)
1 x Youngs Auto Syphon @ £6.99 (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1294) (The one you mentioned is out of stock)
3 x Bubbler airlock @ 60p each (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1319)

Is this (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=1190) the compound I need?

Also I was thinking of adding this (http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=621) for the sterilising.

Have I got everything there? Should I get extra of anything as I don't really want to pay their £5.50 delivery charge more than once.

I mentioned that I was only getting 5 Litres of apple juice because I thought I'd only waste 1 demijohns worth of it first :)

[Anastazee]

Two months from now, the Sloe season starts all over again ;) This year I aim to get Sloes, blackberries, Rowan berries, elderberries and quite a few more types of berries without travelling more than five miles from home. Anyone can do it! My demijohns have been working flat out this year and I'm quite chuffed with the results.

I would love to try to do this!

[Hemlock]

Risker, (corum here... nicking H's login again!)

that - I believe is the compound you need - if it's the same as the ebay one ;)
Don't bother with the sterilising powder, Milton tablets are far cheaper and more than adequate.
not sure about the syphon tube. Why not find a local homebrew shop - you should get everything you need there, without the shipping charge. :D

Anastazee,

what's stopping you? :D

btw, we finished off the cider on Friday night and it was much better four weeks later given extra time to condition :)

[Risker]

Thanks Corum. I found this website (http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/) which is really cheap and has low postage rates too so I've ordered a load of stuff from there.

I think I might do a photo diary of my first attempt at booze making.

[Mr Flibble]

Don't bother with the sterilising powder, Milton tablets are far cheaper and more than adequate.

Now that I know that I know that I've drunk out of your kitchen bin I do hope so! ;)

[Corum]

You haven't thankfully - it's the only thing that you can stick a fermenting bin and all the other stuff into. :)

Forgot to mention, don't buy a fermenting bin...

Check out your local small brewery, to see if they have any sugar syrup bins. They hold 50pts of liquid (12 and a half litres) and are perfect for most brews :D

[Aradia]

Made some carrot whisky a while back, it went horribly wrong so haven't used the kit since! Aradia do you have a recipe for elderflower champagne please? Sounds good to me!

Sorry for delay .. I only just saw this ....

recipese ...


Elderflower Champagne


8 litres (2 gallons) water
1.25 kg (2.5 lbs/5 cups) sugar
8 large elderflower heads
4 Lemons
4 tablespoons mild white wine vinegar

Boil the water and pour of the sugar to dissolve it.
Cool and add the elderflowers, juice of the two lemons, slices of the other two and the vinegar.
Cover with a cloth and leave for a day.
Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth, squeezing the flowers as you do to release more flavour.
Store in screw top bottles.
It will be ready in about 10 days to a fortnight and should be drunk within a month. Elderflower wine

Grated rind of one lemon
500mls (1 pint) of elderflowers - to obtain this pick or shake of the elderflowers
and place into a measuring jug. Don't push them down but do shake them down. Be careful not to add any of the bitter green stems.
3.5 litres (8 pints) of boiling water
1.3kg (3 lbs) sugar Juice of one lemon
25g (Half an ounce) yeast

Put lemon rind with the elderflowers and pour over boiling water
Allow to stand for 4 days, stirring occasionally.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth
Stir in sugar, lemon juice and yeast
Keep at room temperature to ferment, try not to let it go down to 18c (65f)
When you are sure all the bubbling has ceased, stir the wine and allow to settle for 3 days
Strain again carefully
Put in a demijohn (not bottles)
After 3 months maturing, put into bottles.

[Anastazee]

Corum: I will! However, I didn't see a method on here to do so. If you wouldn't mind sharing step-by-step instructions that can be used at home I would love to make this attempt!!

Another question, Do you do all of this for fun and personal use or do you actually sell an amount of it? Either way, I think it's really awesome. I like to make everything i possibly can at home, jam's, curries, chutneys, pickles. In Greece my family has vineyards and many fruit trees that i go back to harvest annually. I make my own olives and olive oil, and I pick the grapes for the wine. I just love the satisfaction of preparing things by hand. It's just so rewarding

[Corum]

I'll see what I can do... ;) in the meantime, have a look on google for fruit winemaking as there are quite a few different ways. The kit you'll need is the same (including the bucket) as per the cider above, but you'll need corks, winebottles and something to put corks in with.

Everything I've made has either been shared with friends or given to family and friends/work colleagues - for example, my boss gave me three demijohns, so I gave him a couple of bottles by return. We do the same with our neighbours. If they give us some veg off their allotment, we give them a bottle of wine.

Me and Hemlock also gave some of the sloe gin in a nice fancy bottle to Hemlock's parents as part of their xmyth present last year.

I stick labels on the bottles but don't sell it.

I found a bottle of sloe gin in our house's cellar that had been there for about 20 years! Very nice it is too!!

[threeheadedpuppy]

Always wanted to try my hand at this - it sounds like good fun! I'd move to be able to brew my own dark lager, since no pubs sell it here, and the bottled budvar is nothing like what I remember in czech :(
Does beer need a lot more effort, or can it be as easy as this? One of the guys at work buys whole grain barley, wholesale and processes it himself, for the ultimate cheap beer production, but I guess you need a mill for that kind of thing...(pepper mill might not cut it i guess...)

[Corum]

threeheadedpuppy, there are some very good books on making home-brew. Beer does require much more effort I think, if you are going to go down the 'full mash' approach as you describe. I tend to use - and can recommend - the Woodfordes kits as they don't use any extra sugar. Everything you need is in there. This place is the cheapest for mail order (http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Woodfordes_Beer_Kits.html)

The Campaign for Real Ale produced some guides to brewing a few years back and they are probably still available.

The reason why I don't tend to make as much beer as wine, is that beer - unless bottled or kept in a pressure barrel (which is against my beliefs as to "what is real ale")- goes off rather quickly in comparison.

If I bottle my beers, they are classed as real ale - as they continue to ferment in the bottle :D That way, I keep them vegan by not clearing them with Isinglass.

[Corum]

Just found this on Amazon, which might give you the answers thp. :)

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Woodfordes_Beer_Kits.html

[Risker]

Corum, does this look like it's about ready to bottle? The bubbling has slowed down to virtually nothing and there's white sediment in the bottom;

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4345/img2523smalloc6.jpg

Also, when you mention bottling it, do the bottles need to be sterilised? and is it 1tsp per 2 litre bottle? If I put more in would it be a bit more bubbly?