The advantages of home brewing when you fancy a cheap tipple

mr2jay

AnnieDaPea wrote: »

I'll have to dig out a recipe I saw for coffee wine.

Want to give this a try using a recipe I have found. Might pop out and get some dark brown sugar today

The thing to remember about coffee wine is that it is going to end up as more of a licquor than a wine.

OK, the recipe I have found that I am going to give a go today - bear in mind that this isn't a quick recipe - I believe the fermenting process will take 6 months minimum

The recipe?

225g freshly ground coffee
1.5kg dark brown sugar
1½ tsp citric acid
¼ tsp tannin
7½ pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Sauterne wine yeast

Pour water in pot and put on to boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. When sugar is completely dissolved, stir coffee into water and wait until it boils. Remove from heat, cover and allow to cool. To a sanitized secondary, combine citric acid, tannin and yeast nutrient. Strain coffee through double layer of muslin into secondary, discarding the grounds. Add activated yeast and cover mouth of secondary with napkin held in place with rubber band. When fermentation is vigorous, fit airlock. Rack three times, 60 days apart, topping up and refitting airlock each time. If desired dry, rack into bottles. If desired sweet or semi-sweet, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. [Recipe adapted from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]

January20

This sounds like a very interesting recipe but as a coffee loving French person, I am very bothered by the fact that it requires you to boil the coffee mixture. We have a saying, where I come from: "cafe bouillu, cafe foutu" - "boiled coffee- spoiled coffee" - with added grammatical mistake to make it rhyme better lol - just in case we have a French grammar specialist on this thread (I digress sorry!)

I will look forward to your feedback in 6 months' time!

FireWyrm

Hmmm...I have an idea.

I bought some cinnamon chai from Wittards the other day, with cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and various other spices....I wonder what would happen if I infused the lot into some apple juice and fermented it?

Anyone tried?

mr2jay

FireWyrm wrote: »

Hmmm...I have an idea.

I bought some cinnamon chai from Wittards the other day, with cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and various other spices....I wonder what would happen if I infused the lot into some apple juice and fermented it?

Anyone tried?

I imagine that would be amazing :beer:

Once finished fermenting, if it was left for a couple of months to mature (allowing to convert the harsh malic acid into much milder lactic acid) I expect you would be left with a mildly spiced cider. I would add some tannin though (either a powder or a couple of teaspoons of VERY strong black tea) and that will give the cider a much more rounded taste :T

January20 wrote:

This sounds like a very interesting recipe but as a coffee loving French person, I am very bothered by the fact that it requires you to boil the coffee mixture. We have a saying, where I come from: "cafe bouillu, cafe foutu" - "boiled coffee- spoiled coffee" - with added grammatical mistake to make it rhyme better lol - just in case we have a French grammar specialist on this thread (I digress sorry!)

I will look forward to your feedback in 6 months' time!

I am with you on this - Boiled coffee can have a "burnt" taste to it so I have brought it to the edge of boiling and kept it there for about 15 minutes before removing from the heat to cool down.

Strained it into my fermenting bucket and allowed to cool a bit further before transferring it into a demijohn to cool completely. I have a coffee grinder here and used a VERY strong whole bean ground freshly for the coffee. (I REALLY love my fresh coffee )

So, once cool I'll pitch the yeast and get it going. Smells amazing in here now :T

mr2jay

Bottled and took the Pear & Apple to a weekend event and all I can say is WOW!!!!

For such a strong drink, it is so smooth

Still got 3 demijohns bubbling away with various wines but will need to get another cider on the go I think

asparagus1968

where are the application forms for the afore mentioned chistmas hampers ??

mr2jay

Hehe - I think the better half might object to me offering them to all and sundry

Christmas Hampers will consist of

Drink

1. Blackberry Wine
2. Rhubarb Wine
3. Black Cherry Wine
4. Raspberry Wine
5. Bottle of Real Ale

Foodstuffs

1. Caramelised Onion Chutney
2. Home made Strawberry Jam
3. Pears preserved in Rum
4. Chilli infused olive oil
5. Pickled Chilli infused Cherry Tomatoes
6. Hokey Pokey (Cornish speciality - look it up )
7. Coconut Ice

Beauty Products

1. Spearmint and Tea Tree Bath Bomb
2. Rose Petal and Lavender Bath Bomb

Plus homemade Sterling Silver Jewellery for the ladies

A fairly luxurious hamper methinks

shazzle

Right Mr2Jay what have you started!! ;-) xx
I have bought the works off a lady on Gumtree and shall attempt my first lot of winemaking ever today... I have the recipe for grape juice wine and will also buy a kit I think to have a "quickie" on the go... what else do you suggest for a total novice that is very keen?? Any recipes you can suggest?
PS I also would like to be one of your friends too with hampers like those xx most impressed indeed xx

mr2jay

shazzle wrote: »

Right Mr2Jay what have you started!! ;-) xx
I have bought the works off a lady on Gumtree and shall attempt my first lot of winemaking ever today... I have the recipe for grape juice wine and will also buy a kit I think to have a "quickie" on the go... what else do you suggest for a total novice that is very keen?? Any recipes you can suggest?
PS I also would like to be one of your friends too with hampers like those xx most impressed indeed xx

Hehe - Glad you are inspired

OK, really easy newbie recipe - Turbo Cider

You will need.....

1. 4.5 Litres of 100% pure Apple Juice (Concentrate fine as long as there is no additives
2. A handful of Sultanas
3. 2 teabags steeped in a quarter of a cup of boiling water
4. 1 packet of wine yeast (I use Champagne)

Method

1. Sterilise EVERYTHING thoroughly
2. Fill the demijohn to about 3/4 full with apple juice and the REALLY strong black tea
3. Throw in the sultanas
4. Pitch (add) the yeast and give it a BIG shake to aeriate it
5. Add the airlock and leave until the foaming subsides
6. Top up to the neck with apple juice
7. Leave to bubble
8. Once it has stopped fermenting (bubbling), transfer into another clean demijohn, leaving the gunk on the bottom behind. Add the airlock and leave for 2 months to clear and soften.
9. Put a teaspoon of sugar into the bottom of PLASTIC bottles and bottle the cider.
10. Leave to go solid and then chill in the fridge.

And there you have a VERY basic cider recipe that works a treat

shazzle

Sounds awesome x will give it a go... We drink cider anyway so will be appreciated....
I started the grape juice wine (a recipe from the old home wine making thread) today and now having sitting on my dresser at 22 degrees (I err borrowed the work thermometer!! lol) what should i expect? when do the bubbles start?.. i did steralise and rinse everything so hope all will be well??
Shall i buy a kit too or stay old styler and make from scratch??
Your advice is valued :beer: