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

Whistling_Gypsy

I made plum wine which quite strong, but was so tart is was undrinkable - added some brandy and sugar and it was lovely, so I can recommend this method :-)

On the other hand I also made blackberry vodka last year which I have just sampled (on your behalf, you understand) and it is also lovely!! Tried this method with plums and brandy but I made it too sweet. nice, but a bit sickly. Sloe Gin - divine. Elderberry Rum - not to my taste even though I like elderberry cordial (rob) and rum.

The possibilities are many - trial and error is half the fun!! I think MrsAtobe has a point - try half of each!!

Kaz2904

Don't throw away eldeflower champagne if it turns to vinegar, save it and use it to clean your toilets. It gets rid of the limescale beautifully (ask me how I know!). I only bought a couple of buckets from Asda to do the initial brewing in. I got all of my bottles from friends and family. It's amazing how much my colleagues drink, I had amassed > 48 bottles in a few weeks! I have got rid of them all now as I'm not brewing this year but I may get into it next year again. It depends how work goes. And the cost of sugar. DH doesn't drink it he prefers his Asda cheap carp despite it being £14 per box and full of nasties. I'm not drinking mass produced alcohol anymore because it just makes me ill

bexbex

Turbo Cider and Grape, Apple and Raspberry Cider

Started off yesterday bubbling nicely

23rdspiral

Hi everyone, I've read back lots of this thread, and am so impressed with all your efforts.

We've just moved house and now have 2mature apple trees and a young but fruiting pear. I' looking at all the windfalls and getting thinkiing...

Last year we made scrumpy from foraged apples, using naturally occurring yeasts... And it was lush! Now I'm looking for a good apple wine recipe too.

We're also planning on making mead in a group with friends. We're looking to buy honey from a whole food whole sale shop. If anyone had any ideas or links please let me know.

Looking forward to reading all your progress.

23rdspiral

today my OH and I had a chilled out afternoon turning 2 buckets of apples into 1.5 gallons of apple juice... which will hopefully turn itself into cider!! (using a freecycled very old juicer for first jucing, then teatowles and brute strength to get the juice from the pulp!) wooo! (we did it last year the same way from scrumped apples, this year it's apples from our own trees!)

Steel_2

Can anyone give me some advice on cider making?

I'm about to turn a ton of apples and pears into juice, but have not been able to get brewing yeast this week no matter where I've gone. I'm going to have to order off the net first thing Monday, but it might take a few days to arrive.

Am I ok to keep the juice in the fridge and add new juice to it every day as I process the fruit until the yeast turns up in the week?

Otherwise I'm concerned all the fruit softening in the conservatory will spoil if this goes on much longer as they are already very soft.

Gigervamp

I've not made cider, but my understanding is that it doesn't have yeast added, just uses the natural yeasts on the fruits.

Steel_2

Gigervamp wrote: »

I've not made cider, but my understanding is that it doesn't have yeast added, just uses the natural yeasts on the fruits.

Some recipes do but others use added yeast. I think I'll have to add it because I'm sure I've got a mouse in my conservatory (unless my cats have taken to eating pears and apples) so I'm washing the fruit before processing, which will take off the natural yeasts.

I think.

You can tell I'm brimming with confidence over cider-making can't you :rotfl:

Gigervamp

Hehe. I made that turbo cider once. Spent an awful lot of time on the loo after drinking it. :eek:

boultdj

Have you got normal yeast in?, it's all I'v ever use, same as my Gran did, and she use to win prize's for her wine back in the 70's.