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Mainly due to the wet summer creating a bumper crop of apples on the tree, for the first time in a few years I decided to do some home brewing. I now have several gallons of apple wine bubbling merrily away under the kitchen radiator. Actually, I’d forgotten what a pleasant passtime home wine making can be, and am already planning a follow on batch of orange wine, once the apple is bottled up and the demi-jars are empty.
So, just out of interest, any other TRFers into home brewing, and if so, whats the favourite tipple?
Wow sounds great, and bet it’s a lot cheaper and nicer than buying from supermarkets etc.
Is it easy to do? Ohh orange wine, sounds gorgeous! I’m coming to yours haha!
gave a friend a load of damsons recently and she thanked me by giving me a bottle of damson gin – well, I don’t really drink much at all but it kept calling to me…decided it would count towards my ‘five a day’…
My mother brewed a rather potent Ginger Beer which my brother and I – from a tender age – were allowed at Sunday lunch; sleep came easily in the afternoon. She bottled it in Ben Shaw’s glass quarts and due to often being a little too liberal with the sugar priming (to ensure sparkle) they tended to do a passable imitation of F1 drivers popping champers when opened, and on one or two memorable occasions exploded in the larder with a bang that would wake the dead.
Alcoholic apple beverages of the cloudy deep yellow variety have been given a wide berth ever since a rather embarrassing incident at a hotel in Brixham necessitating a rapid packing of luggage and hefty surcharge for cleaning a soiled carpet.
Heady days
One of my housemates does homegrowing allegedly.
Hasn’t got a clue though and the slugs seem have taken the best bits. Serves her right for being naughty I say.
I look back at my failed attempts at home brew and admire those who have the magic touch. My attempts were always insipid with the kick of, of well nothing!!!
A friend of mine makes flavoured gins … very smooth, very drinkable but with a hidden kick that gets you when you least expect it – I have deep respect!!!
Elderflower Alchemist – it has a sensational taste, a kick like a narky thoroughbred and puts Bollinger in the sparkly pop class.
Sounds like a few have a bash then!
Kauto,
Yes, its a relitavily simple process. Put very basically you soak friut/cook vegetables in water, add sugar and yeast to ferment before bottling up and leaving to mature. With regards costing it would depend on a couple of factors such as do you already have the equipment needed, cost / access to the fruit (in this case apples – free), but predominantly amount to be brewed. I would say that if large quantited are to de done then it would be cheaper, if only a couple of bottles then the supermarket would be cheaper.Paul,
Where do you think you have the difficulty? Generally, with mine all turn out alchoholic, although I do admit that usually some produce a better wine than others. Parsnip is probably my best, and possibly the worst is apple, but with the free fruit….Kingston,
Ah elderflower wine! I do have a recipe in my wine-making book, although I havent personally brewed / tried it.Kingston,
Ah elderflower wine! I do have a recipe in my wine-making book, although I havent personally brewed / tried it.Well worth the effort Alchemist
Might have to make the effort then KT (although first I suppose id have to find out what elderflower actually is
).Have you tried any of the other ‘flower’ wines? My book contains many (rose, elderflower, dandilion, cowslip etc) although I haven’t brewed it myself, sticking to root vegetable and fruit varieties. Not sure that I fancy them to be honest!
Elderflower Champagne
• 50 elderflower heads
• 11 large lemons
• 6lbs caster sugar
• 25 litres of cold water
• 11 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
Pick the elderflowers when fully out and shake to remove all the tiny insects.
Put the flowers in a cloth bag, seal it.
Add to the water, sugar, vinegar and the lemon zest.
Mix well, cover and stand for 72 hours.
Put it in your bottles and leave for about a fortnight. You MUST release the pressure regularly (every other day) otherwise the bottles can explode. Also keep them in a nice cool place.Serve with ice and sit back n enjoy!
I’ve tried Dandelion and Cowslip but once I had Elderflower it won the race everytime
Thanks for the recipe – kingston town – I’ll try it next year.
For the last few years I’ve made my own cider – my in-laws have a small orchard. It’s pretty good actually, which always surprises me as all I do is put the juice in flaggons and leave outside till Spring.
I’ve also made apple wine. Sadly, I can never get anyone to have a second glass…
My best friends dad used to make wine when I was a teenager and we used to have to pick the fruit for him. I remember elderflower, sloes, blackberries, but the best by far was rose petals. Quite sweet but very delicate, beautiful!
Rose petals? Now that does sound nice!
I will have to re-start all this when I get back!
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Also keep them in a nice cool place.
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