Easiest alcohol to make?

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jansman
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by jansman »

itsybitsy wrote:
jansman wrote: Every Autumn I make elderberry/blackberry wine. I usually ferment 20 gallons(120 x75cl bottles) for the cost of the sugar and yeast. That amounts to about 18 quid or 15p a bottle! :D now that is cheap!
Party at Jansman's! :mrgreen:

Seriously, though, what does it taste like? I'm a Pinot girl myself, but would like to give home-brewing a go, although I don't want to make industrial quantities. That could land me in AA! :lol:

What would you recommend in terms of a nice white wine for me to have a bash with?
I would say that for a start, buy a kit. Find a local homebrew shop if you have one ( they are rarer than butchers shops these days) or Wilkinsons. Wilko is the one I use. They do starter kits, and also 1 gallon kits. The fruity Pinot Grigio is pretty good and you get a good result in about a month. It gives a good insight into the brewing process too.
Country wines, parsnip had to be the best white ( IMO) but the problem with all country wines is they have to mature for at least a year. The difference is noticeable.
Also remember, cleanliness at all times. :D
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poppypiesdad
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by poppypiesdad »

Whilst I was doing my cider research , there was a guy on you tube that got fresh juice from the super market added yeast and a bit more sugar I think and left to ferment . I'll have a wee look in a bit

http://youtu.be/a5dT0fPe-Mw


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jansman
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by jansman »

poppypiesdad wrote:Whilst I was doing my cider research , there was a guy on you tube that got fresh juice from the super market added yeast and a bit more sugar I think and left to ferment . I'll have a wee look in a bit

http://youtu.be/a5dT0fPe-Mw


J
It is called Turbo cider! Depending on sugar quantity, you can ferment a nice cider through to loopy juice. I brewed some for the son in law and he likes it. You can use the 'value' or 'everyday' apple juice too. I will see if I can find the recipe for you.
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junmist
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by junmist »

It also has to be apple juice with no additives so that most probably means organic
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jansman
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by jansman »

junmist wrote:It also has to be apple juice with no additives so that most probably means organic
I have brewed it just as it is. A lot of home brewers boil it first as that drives off the stabilisers in it. Even organic will have a stabilising yeast inhibitor, otherwise there is the potential for fermentation. Imagine a glass of apple juice with your cornflakes that turns out as scrumpy! :lol: It wouldn't go down well turning up for work half spannered! :lol:
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grenfell
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by grenfell »

Another thing has occurred to me and it's a story related by a former workmate who served in the first gulf war. Being stationed in a Muslim country they weren't allowed alcohol but were given an allowance of alcohol free beer. So what they did , evidently , was to get a new jerry can from the stores and put their ration in it along with molasses and yeast and leave it on the side of the truck or tank for a week or so releasing the pressure daily. In effect simply sugar and yeast is the simplest alcohol to make with the beer , or fruit or whatever simply making it a lot more pleasent to drink.
ForgeCorvus
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by ForgeCorvus »

My Rum-Father is just brown sugar with the juice of a couple of limes because yeast likes it to be a little acidic..... Its quite drinkable and according to the vinometer (a little glass funnel dohicky) its about 11% BV :twisted:

Water, sugars and a little acid is all your yeast needs...... Everything else is just for flavour
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nickdutch
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by nickdutch »

If you are after cheap rotgut why not just do sugar water? After its done fermenting and you have cleared it with finings and racked it, then maybe (I have never tried this) just run it through a carbon filter to remove a lot of the gunky flavour and there you have it.

Maybe not a brita filter as i don't know how much of the resins are alcohol soluble.
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grenfell
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by grenfell »

Thinking about what nick has written after the filtering the next "logical" step would be to reduce the water content. Distilling is the best way but of course is illegal but it's possible ( up to a point ) to freeze some of the water out and not get your hands slapped , if that's the sort of alcohol you are interested in.
preparedsurrey
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Re: Easiest alcohol to make?

Post by preparedsurrey »

grenfell wrote:Thinking about what nick has written after the filtering the next "logical" step would be to reduce the water content. Distilling is the best way but of course is illegal but it's possible ( up to a point ) to freeze some of the water out and not get your hands slapped , if that's the sort of alcohol you are interested in.
As a broke student we did exactly that with a vile tasting homebrew failure, it was freezing outside so out it went, it ended up the thickness of treacle once the ice was removed. Still tasted vile mind but the alcohol content was vastly increased judging by the results.

Its not hard to make a basic condensor however....
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