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the air lock is just to stop it all rotting ( aerobic or aneraerobic conditions i can never remeber which is which )
i am pretty sure open containers wouldn't be a problem
they don't usually take too long to ferment
my old man used to have plastic barrels of elderberry wine bubbling away with the airlock but i think he was going for a full bodied red with a depth of flavour and the ability to peel paint at 40 paces
if you are doing beer, wine or cider the fermenting process is over in a week or two
then bottle it up and seal it in plastic bottles from the air -
I've go some Elderflower wine bottled up in the garage.
I left it to brew too long in the demijohns, and now it's fucking lethal - tastes like a cross between wine and gin.
Any hints on how to save it/make it more palatable, without simply adding it to lemonade or some such? -
it not exactly the most exciting flavour though is it, as much as I like a okra vergetable side dish from my local indian
might be better of with something like plums or peaches to give it a nice flavour shame we are out of season though currently
as the seasons for blackberries / damsons etc come round get out there in the countryside and do a bit of scrumping / pick your own - ing and use thatover the course of a year you could probalably have a few bottles of each
maybe we could start up a little wine club set a once yearly date to sample each others and shares the tips / ideas
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Back in the States I brewed quite a lot, though never made wine. It's not difficult to do at all, but you'll want to keep things sterile or it will taste nasty. The airlock prevents wild bacteria and yeasts in the air from fermenting your beer/wine. You want to use the good yeast you have to give it the flavour you're going for. Wild yeasts will make it taste rather horrible actually.
And don't bottle anything until you're dead certain it's done fermenting. Ideally measure it with a hydrometer before and after. If it's bottled too soon you'll make have little grenades of splodey brew.
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wild yeast is used in lambic gueze ( belgian style of beer making ) and some of that can taste bitter and nasty but i did try a St Louis gueze and it was one of the most delicious beers i have ever sampled fine champagne like bubbles delicate taste
i guess as a home enterprise it could be a bit hit and miss
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I'm having another pop at Elderberry wine this Spring, but my big project will be blackberry wine in the late Summer.
That's if last years Elderberry wine doesn't make me blind and sterile before then. -
Wild yeasts can be great. They use them in Lambics as the key ingredient and that's why Lambics can only be brewed in that one small region. Same with San Francisco sourdough bread. But generally speaking you don't want to introduce the variables.
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I like you're thinking, jv!
I'm sure it would fuel some larks and high jinx!
Or a violent, prolonged sexual assault... -
growing up in kernow im well versed in brewing cyder, and some wine. ive also done some distilling more recently.
i agree with JDB that all home brew is an acquired taste. my brewing friends and i have always enjoyed what we have successfully produced, but the average joe probably wont enjoy it like they do commercial drinks.
wine is easy to make, but it takes a long time for it to sit and develop a good flavor. i have heard of ways to speed the process with additives and electrolysis, but thats too much messing about for me.
beer isn't too bad to do, but if your doing things properly (no kits) expect a lot of trial and error and quite a few unsuccessful attempts. if you've ever tried growing weed youl be familiar with this. if you want to brew decent amounts your also gonna need a big burner, i used parts salvaged from an old gas BBQ.
distilling is obviously more complicated to begin with, but from my experience much easier to achieve something very close to what you buy on the shelves. im a spiced rum kind of guy and everything ive made has come out well. as long as your careful you wont do anything dangerous.
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There's some fantastic mail order sites online for homebrew - can't recommend them enough. Really cheap, really quick, really helpful. They usually post brewing methods on their own sites too.
I've got a homebrew shop about a mile and a half from my house. I'll be shopping there.
I'd avoid anything even remotely 'yuppie' - it'll be overpriced.
everyone homebrewed in the seventies - have a word with your dads, or your mates dads. They'll no doubt have demijohns and airlocks that they'll let you pilfer.
For sterilizing stuff I use Miltons - it's ace for sterilizing bidons too, so get a massive bottle. It goes a long way.
For wine, don't discount fruit you find yourself. I get out into the countryside with a musset and plastic bags and gather my own from brambles.
The best thing about ferreting in brambles is that you sometimes find porn. keep your eyes peeled, lads, and send me any Razzles you don't want. -
http://www.homebrew4u.co.uk/news-articles/home-brew-made-from-hospital-hand-gel.asp
f****ing hell, thats what homebrew hackney threw up from google
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Hard to find home brew shops in London. I think the nearest is in Surrey somewhere. Boots dont do home brew stuff anymore but i think Wilkinsons does. Depends on which one though, eg. I dont think the Stratford one does.
This is a pretty good site and kit for beer:
http://www.the-online-homebrew-company.co.uk/shop/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=78_113&products_id=568&osCsid=1befbb3cbb4e65eab6b083d84868851d
The forum has ome good guides like this one which is excellent:
http://www.brew-it-yourself.co.uk/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2914
jv
dicki
General_Lucifer
D._Generate
melon
hippy
TT_Tom-
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Home brew? Homebrew? Winemaking
Posted by
@chris_crash
go to boots and check out their homebrew kits
will give you a good idea of what you need
theoretically
bottles
yeast
sugar
fruit / flavour
large bucket