Adventures in Homebrewland (image heavy - you have been warned!)

mandy_moo_1

all quiet on the brewing front Mr DT ? how much sugar did you add initially? or have i just missed that bit in your first post?

i'm waiting with bated breath to see how yours turns out, then i'll make a start on mine

edit: whoops, just saw it was 50 g sugar you added initially, but why did you add a bit more? and what will that do? make it more alcoholic - hic??

Bongedone

Yes Mandy you are correct.

The quantity of sugar dictates the alcohol. You also have to take into account how much sugar is in the original juice and how sweet you want to leave it. The ratio's are on this website: -

http://www.geocities.com/napavalley/8280/sugar.html

helenamy123

hi,

I have just made some wine with this balloon method - using one carton of orange juice, bag of sugar, yeast and water - bottled up now and although its a bit cloudy it tastes just fine! Tasted better than some bought wine and at 40p a bottle pretty damn good! (next lot will be 20p a bottle cos had to pay quid for a demijohn!)

I have some apple juice wine just finishing off too. One glass of the orange juice wine is enough to make me merry so could be drinking it for a good long while!

Might try the 'cider' next for a change, so thanks for posting and good luck!

Oh yeah, i blew up the balloon first so it was stretched (then let air out) and taped the balloon to the top of the demijohn with some electrical tape - dont know if this will help stop explosions! lol

regards

helen x

mrbadexample

Great thread! I'm not scared to try it, even if you die.

One important question, which does not appear to have been asked: how drunk will it make me? :beer:

mandy_moo_1

mrbadexample wrote: »

Great thread! I'm not scared to try it, even if you die.

One important question, which does not appear to have been asked: how drunk will it make me? :beer:

home brewed is usually pretty potent, so a couple of glasses of this and you'll pass out on the floor, forget where you live, and won't be able to remember your name..........that strong enough for you?? :rotfl:

well, if you've joined this thread now Mr BE i'm expecting loadsa piccs off you as well!! so c'mon....dust off those demi-johns!!

MrDT

mrbadexample wrote: »

Great thread! I'm not scared to try it, even if you die.

One important question, which does not appear to have been asked: how drunk will it make me? :beer:

mrbadexample, 'old style' internet celebrity is getting in on the action, excellent

I did some 'rithmetic last night, and this is the result:

• 4 litres of apple juice (when I eventually get round to adding the last litre - probably next weekend), 114g/litre sugar content

• 50g sugar to start off the yeast

• 135g added when meddling yesterday (I swear I'll leave it alone now!)

Soooo... (4x114)+185 g sugar for 4 litres, that's ~160g/litre, a specifivc gravity between 1060 and 1065, resulting in potential alcohol by volume of around 8%ish.

7 pints of the stuff would likely knock the best of us out

It's better to use a hydrometer if you want to work out the alcohol content accurately, but the calculations should give you a fairly acceptable 'round about' figure

If the stuff tastes horrible it'll just be added to vodka as a mixer. I'm taking it along to a 4 day music festival, so no matter how bad a disaster it might be, it'll still be imbibed :eek:

Helenamy123, that orange wine sounds nice, and dead cheap to make!!! I figure the cider costs about £2.60 per 4 litres (£2.32 juice, ~20p sugar, ~8p yeast), but has cost me a little bit more just starting out as I got loads of sugar and yeast.

How long do you leave the wine to do its thing before sipping? :beer:

mrdexter

helenamy123 wrote: »

using one carton of orange juice, bag of sugar, yeast and water - bottled up now and although its a bit cloudy it tastes just fine!

Orange is one of the cloudier ones, something to do with natural pectin IIRC, although it's been years since I made the stuff.

A second demi-john on the floor, with a short length of hose or pipe from the top demi john, makes it easy to filter the majority of the sediment off, so that you are not disturbing it
when you pour.

helenamy123

hi,

thanks to above poster for the advice on 2nd demijohn!

I left the 'wine' for about 8 weeks, tho it might not have needed that long really! Read somewhere 6 to 8 wks is about right - tho on balloon wine supposedly as soon as balloon starts to go down it is ready.

Have just bottled some more today I made using white grape juice and brown sugar. It is much clearer than the orange, smells like sherry and the smell of alcohol is enough to knock you out! Doesnt taste of very much tho, sorta watery with lethal aftertaste of pure alcohol! lol Sure will be fine with lemonade! or will use it to clean paint off! lol lol lol

Best wishes,

helen x

teedy23

CoD wrote: »

turbo cider is delicious, i've also made it with super expensive (reduced to 10p) apple juice which was on it's use by date.

I would just say that i poured boiling water into a demi john while making wine and there was a MASSIVE crack noise and that demi john is now being used as a plant cloche, never again to be reunited with it's bottom. you can sterilise with specific powders, or campden tabs, or things meant for babies bottles.

Methinks after a glass or two of this a few of you will never be reunited with your bottoms.:beer:

helenamy123

hi,

I think you may be right teedy!

I did shy away from making somethng called 'prison hooch' I read about on t'internet that you make with mouldy bread in a binbag - I do have some standards - however low they may be!! lol

best wishes

helen x