brew what you grow

[brewer]

elder wine

Hi Jersey Jan, Elder flowers have a fantastic perfume but wine will lack body. You will need to add something like berries, grapes pea pods even nettle tops would help. Two pints clean flowers to one gallon, 2lb sugar adjusted down if you use berries. Place flowers in boilng water, keep covered and clean and stir occassionally for four days then strain. Add (tannin and citric acid) could be tea and a lemon, then yeast and nutrient.

[pigletwillie]

I have just bagged a proper beer pressure barrel off Freecycle and am going to have a bash at brewing some real ale.

[Birdie Wife]

Bottled mead and port at the weekend, and now am out of bottles!!!
Also racked off orange wine, had a wee taster and tested with the hydrometer - crikey! It's fermented way past what I expected, now very dry and almost astringent tasting.

Maybe you could advise me Brewer - I added some demarara sugar (made a syrup) to try and balance the taste and improve the colour a touch. Is there anything else I could do to reduce the astringency, or will it mellow with age?

[Squirrel]

My first foray into wine making was orange wine - best I have made, but one glass and it knocked your knees out from under you! Must fish out my wine making stuff again!

[Jaxom]

Birdie. How do you make your mead? i have tasted the odd glass or two and have to say it was rather tasty.

[brewer]

astringent mm?

Hi Birdie wife. I hope the wine was not going acidic, if it is very dry then congratulations. If you now add syrup it may continue fermenting so you need to stop it, the wine that is, by adding a camden tablet. My best advice would be to keep it in a clean container untill you find another wine or mead which is a bit sweet or maybe has a heavy body or very perfumed and blend them. Try to keep some notes as it will help you in the future, how much of one with how much of the other etc. Blending is the way to go as you do not have to acheive perfection with each brew, which is difficult.
JacksomLet me know how you get on as I have about six mead style recipes. Noticed honey at 39p for 5oogms at my mega store begining with a. Four of these and no sugar makes one gallon???? then keep the jars for chutney

[Birdie Wife]

Jaxom, I was fortunate enough to get a trip to Bulgaria last year and brought back a large jar of lime blossom honey, which I used to make mead according to a medium-dry recipe from CJ Berry's book. I tasted it a few weeks ago and it's lovely lovely lovely!! You can actually taste the lime blossom. Apparently heather honey is another good one for mead making, really anything with a good strong taste.
Brewer - I think I'll use the campden to stop the wine fermenting, I'm not too keen on ending up on the floor after a single glass! The wine isn't going acidic (yet!) but still a bit dry for my tastes. Thanks for the advice!

[Sarahkins]

elderflower something...

Hi Brewer, It's probably past it but I made a elderflower, sugar and lemon juice concoction which I have left in a bucket for about two weeks. I'm a complete novice, but it smells lovely (and looks bubbly) and I thought I could maybe add yeast, get a bigger bucket and rescue it for champagne or the like... any advice appreciatated!

[Birdie Wife]

I racked off my made-up rhubarb and raspberry concoction last night and, well you've got to have a little taste haven't you... and... it was fantastic! the raspberry flavour came through but was not overpowering and the wine has the most amazing colour! This is definitely one I'll be doing again, and I'd recommend it to anyone else too.

Yes!!

[brewer]

Hi! Birdie, chuffed that your wine tasted so good. To conserve the colour try to bottle it in dark glass bottles or else it will brown. It is a great idea to mix ingredients as they all lend different parts to the finished product. Bottle it in dark glass and put it away untill christmas, it should be great.
Hi! Sarah welcome to the site. I have to ask why has the 'mash' the mix started bubbling if you have not added yeast. It could be caused by wild yeast and you can stop this with a camden tablet which sterilises the mash. To make a brew you must keep air out after the first few days. You may need to restart it by making a mixture of yeast sugar and warm water and letting that start to bubble(starter). Then slowly add the mash to the starter, double the proportions each day and keep it warm. Then continue under air lock and ask me again in three months time. If you do not go on this rescue mission you will end up being put off homebrewing for life.

[Earthbabe]

Hi brewer i'm just starting out in the BYO field and have been looking for something to put the fruit etc into to start with. I remember my mum having a big white plastic bin/bucket. Do you have any suggestions as to what would work best and/or where I can get something. I have three demijohns and airlocks so am not looking to make huge amounts.

[Birdie Wife]

Hi Earthbabe,
I use either a big mmm whatchamacallit... big stainless steel stockpot, that's the one, or a fermentation bin marketed for beer (probably what your mum had). I prefer the bin because the lid fits better. Either way, it's got to be cleanable, with no cracks where bugs could lurk, and have a fitting lid with no holes in. No problems so far.

What do you think you'll try first?

[Earthbabe]

Thanks birdie wife. I have a big stockpot but wasn't sure if I could use a metal container.

Was thinking pears as I have a lot of windfalls but have just stewed a load and chucked a load because of damage (very squishy ). Elderberries have been suggested. Although I have rather a lot of large courgettes .......

Will be looking to try elderflower champagne next year and mead if I get my hive.

[yoanbob]

oooh so many new ideas, all our equiptment is in use at the mo but if i show this to bob he may get some more. mmmmm

[Earthbabe]

On top of that yoanbob my mum said that her best effort was rice wine. Now there's a very pleasant thought. Only prob.... have looked at the recipe and it takes 6-12 months to mature. She tells me it is worth the wait. Just have to find a wooden cask to use now.