Grow Your Own Magazine

Don Vincenzo · #1 (**permalink**) 10-12-2006, 07:02 PM

Hi to everybody
I jusr received my seeds for next year and one packet is MANGEL YELLOW ECKENDORF. My objective for next year is to produce wine and beer out of the roots as I have been reading that mangel is a favourite with wine makers. Has anyone ever tried using them? any help will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Don Vincenzo

Snadger · #2 (**permalink**) 10-12-2006, 09:11 PM

Are Mangels and Wurzels not related to sugar beet, hence the reason winemakers like them?

Don Vincenzo · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2006, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snadger

Are Mangels and Wurzels not related to sugar beet, hence the reason winemakers like them?

Yes they belong to the beet family, but has anyone tried and tasted wine and beer made from them?
Don Vincenzo

madderbat · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2006, 10:46 AM

Hi all
My Berry book has a recipe for mangold wine,which I assume is the same stuff.

5lb mangolds, 3lb sugar,2 lemons,2 oranges 1 gallon water.
cut mangolds up (don't peel) and boil until tender. use the biggest pan you can, but it doesn't have to be the whole gallon. When I did my parsnips I used a pressure cooker and got 5 pints in then added the rest.
Strain
Add sugar, rinds of lemons and oranges (not pith) and boil for 20mins. allow to cool and add orange and lemon juice.
Stir in yeast and leave in warm place well covered for a week then stir and put in fermenting jar with airlock.
When it clears rack it off and keep another 6 months before bottling.

Good luck

Don Vincenzo · #5 (**permalink**) 11-12-2006, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madderbat

Hi all
My Berry book has a recipe for mangold wine,which I assume is the same stuff.

5lb mangolds, 3lb sugar,2 lemons,2 oranges 1 gallon water.
cut mangolds up (don't peel) and boil until tender. use the biggest pan you can, but it doesn't have to be the whole gallon. When I did my parsnips I used a pressure cooker and got 5 pints in then added the rest.
Strain
Add sugar, rinds of lemons and oranges (not pith) and boil for 20mins. allow to cool and add orange and lemon juice.
Stir in yeast and leave in warm place well covered for a week then stir and put in fermenting jar with airlock.
When it clears rack it off and keep another 6 months before bottling.

Good luck

Hi Jane and thankyou for the recipe for mangold or mangel wine. One thing that puzzles me is that often I read to cut and not peel various root vegetables e.i. mangel. carrots, parsnips.... as we cut them what difference makes to peel or not.
Regards
Don Vincenzo

madderbat · #6 (**permalink**) 11-12-2006, 05:02 PM

I seem to remember from Domestic Science 1965 that the skins of root veg hold minerals, vitamins, goodness of some sort and flavour! (Certainly jacket potatoes taste very different to peeled ones

Brewer-again · #7 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 09:52 PM

I have made an astonishing beer with sugar beet, porrige oats and gorse flowers. It had a lovely effect on my landlord.

I will look for Mangel recipes and report back ??

Snadger · #8 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 10:11 PM

Just as long as you don't get it mixed up with mandrake you should be ok!

madderbat · #9 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 10:16 PM

Is Mangel a good alternative to beekeeping in terms of sugar for feeding yeast?

Brewer-again · #10 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 10:24 PM

I would think you would get far more sugar from honey than from a root crop. But do you have room for a hive.

You have got me thinking now, have I. Any one know of any reasons why not in a residential area.

Snadger · #11 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewer-again

I would think you would get far more sugar from honey than from a root crop. But do you have room for a hive.

You have got me thinking now, have I. Any one know of any reasons why not in a residential area.

Neighbours?

madderbat · #12 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 11:18 PM

As far as I know there is no rule against it, and bees are lovely creatures. You should be aware that you need to tell them all the news though, then they know they are part of the family! lol

Don Vincenzo · #13 (**permalink**) 13-12-2006, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewer-again

I have made an astonishing beer with sugar beet, porrige oats and gorse flowers. It had a lovely effect on my landlord.

I will look for Mangel recipes and report back ??

Hi Brewer - again
would you so kindly illuminate us how to make beer from sugar beet, althought I haven't a landlord I wonder if it would have the same effect on my wife

Don Vincenzo

Brewer-again · #14 (**permalink**) 13-12-2006, 08:11 PM

I boiled the sugar beet to extract the sugar, You would usually use about 3lb sugar for 5 galls so about 15 lb of sugar beet. The crushed oats provided some body, I believe they break down to a sugar that yeast cannot use. They are used in commercial beers. The gorse flowers, about four pints loose, added a nice nose.

Our landlord put his head up a chimney, which had a lighted fire in the grate, asked us to count how long he could do it for, then passed out on the floor..

Perhaps less than two pints for your wife!!!

madderbat · #15 (**permalink**) 13-12-2006, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewer-again

You would usually use about 3lb sugar for 5 galls so about 15 lb of sugar beet.

That answers my question then, I don't think you could brew much wine from an allotment full of mangolds!

Brewer-again · #16 (**permalink**) 14-12-2006, 08:31 PM

These can grow to 10+ lb per plant so they would yeild a useful crop. Eat the early ones and brew the late,big ones.

They have about 15% sugar but they also have thier own flavour. So used like parsnips you would not need any other fruit or veg, just yeast and nutrient. One or two plants would make five gallons of beer. Worth a try??

madderbat · #17 (**permalink**) 14-12-2006, 08:36 PM

Sounds feasible, might persuade Mr BM to give it a try. Thanks for the info.

Brewer-again · #18 (**permalink**) 15-12-2006, 09:36 PM

Loved the web link, it looks like this is where the dissatified come.

The beet beer that I made tasted ok but would certainly benefit from malt or something to give it body. It was like a thin but strong wine. I was on benefit at the time and collected the ingriedients from neighbours, I brewed and then had a party about three weeks later. Good days

madderbat · #19 (**permalink**) 16-12-2006, 12:07 AM

It took me a while to work out, but I believe you have looked at the Madderbat pages and liked them? Many thanks, much appreciated! It certainly is a place for me to put my Grrs

I haven't got into beer brewing yet, (but Mr MB would love it) it's just that we only live in a small house, and what with all the wine, I'm not sure we have room for a barrel. Is there any 'small scale' way of doing it?

Brewer-again · #20 (**permalink**) 16-12-2006, 06:16 PM

Hi, Yes it was the Madderbat pages that I liked.

Someone bought me a 'brew in the bag kit' which made a lovely brew. you brewed with the bag laying down tap up. Then add more sugar and hang up tap down. Worked well for me and you could wash it out afterwards and refill with malt liquor and sugar and go again.

madderbat · #21 (**permalink**) 16-12-2006, 08:39 PM

Oh dear, Brew in a bag! I think that may be on the cards for his birthday thank goodness it's too late now for a Christmas present, Ive only just really got into making wine!!!

I've been investigating vinegar making and sourdough today on the net, and am wondering if its possible to brew wine using sourdough???? Stands to reason if you can bake with it...... May give it a try in the spring (when I feel we can possibly lose a brew)

We are living cheaply these days as neither of us is working so any savings are a good idea, but best of all is beating the system and jumping off the Capitalist bandwagon!

Brewer-again · #22 (**permalink**) 16-12-2006, 08:53 PM

Just to save me looking it up what is sour dough??

Given what you were saying the brew bag was expensive and not supposed to be reused but I did. It would be cheaper to get a brew barrel from your small adds, brew in it, then more sugar to pressurise. You can malt your own barley for the best and the cheapest beer

madderbat · #23 (**permalink**) 16-12-2006, 09:40 PM

Is actually flour and water left to rot!! As far as I understand yeast develops in said mixture and leavening can begin.
Its what folks used in the past. Some of my cookbooks from Crete talk about using a 'sponge' to make bread - same thing.
Have a look at this site if you are interested, but perhaps more information that you need

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm