Home brew? Homebrew? Winemaking

also how long does the beer last once you have brewed it?

also how long does the beer last once you have brewed it?

Depends what you put it in. Bottles will last about a year, barrels/kegs will likely be shorter.

A little while back I made some limoncello, following the directions of an aged Italian mama. However, shaving lemons proved to be a bit of an arse, though the results were delicious, so this time I've decided to give a coffee based liqueur a go, with my take on a home made kahlua.

I've taken a 750ml bottle of vodka and rammed a bag of coffee beans up it, added a couple of cups of sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Dissolving the sugar into the cold vodka is proving tricky, though I reckon it'll go eventually. Now all I've got to do is bide my time for a few weeks whilst the mix gets busy. I'll be shaking my bottles daily to ensure they feel loved and am keeping them in a cool dark place.

I shall report back...

Reporting back...

First impressions are positive, strong, thick and dark.

Amazing! Strong work... so you soaked the beans whole, or ground them? There seems to be a common thread to liqueurs: cheap grain alcohol + flavouring + sugar + time = good stuff. Having had some success with sloe gin in the past,, I've tried an elderberry variant this year (due to poor sloe crop) - a few details here.

This year I have also brewed:
13 gallons of cider
3.5 gallons blackberry wine, and
three types of all grain beer. Written about one of them here.

I've learned a lot. Now, I'm getting drunk a lot too.

Beans were soaked whole, the concoction is very very coffee-y, it is also a fair bit stronger (more alcohol) than regular Kahlua. I poured a double shot 50:50 with milk earlier to make a budget White Russian, the coffee flavour was a little much so I think next time I'll treat with more respect and either thin it out a bit with vodka to maintain the kick, or just more milk to slacken off the coffee taste.

i have only just seen this thread. it's got me very interested :)

The coffee left some (not much really) sediment so I strained it using firstly a sieve and then a sock stretched over a large glass. I think that a pair of tights would be better as the sock got a bit gummed up and I had to keep moving it about.

I sealed the top of the bottle by melting a couple of tealights in a tin and then carefully spooning molten wax over the cork. It seems to have sealed quite nicely (though it looks a little spunky) maybe next time I'll add a drop or two of food colouring to dye it.

Loving the blog olly.

The sloe gin, which I have made a few times, I feel benefits from being made in a demi john or similar vessel then racked off after the appointed time. less fiddle that the many bottle option and makes for a consistency of flavor. don't forget to make a jam with the left over berries ;-).

I just got hold of one of these

any brilliant ideas on how to clean it? I want to do some beer with out ANY plastic touching it, ever.

Cheers! I just use hot soapy water then a sterilising solution like Richies. If its something very mucky try a long bottle brush, or something like ball bearings or ceramic balls (they're sold as 'baking beads' for weighing down blind-baked pie shells etc) that you can put in with the water and swill around.

What's your plastic beef, or is it just aesthetic? All my fermentation vessels are plastic because its the only affordable stuff in 5 gallon sizes...

Well, some feedback from my Kahlua experiment.

On Saturday night I went to a party. It was a messy and riotous affair but I was able to get some valuable feedback from both mates and strangers, all of whom were far to pissed to be polite by choice.

Daz - Straight Shot - "S'alright that, smooth anyway"
Johnny - 4:1 Coke mix - "Better than expected, what is it?"
Alkali - 4:1 Sprite mix - "Lemon and coffee sucks, bad combo"
Redhead - Straight Shot - "Kthxbye"
Hugo from Hong Kong - Sailor Jerry Rum + Kahlua + Coke - No comment but incredible display of numchuck skills directly after (Not racist, dude had mad skills)

Conclusion:

Do research at more sensible parties. The drink was good but best mixed with Coke or banged down in one.

Score 7/10

It seems to have sealed quite nicely (though it looks a little spunky) maybe next time I'll add a drop or two of food colouring to dye it.

Actual lolz

Must spread rep around before...

Cheers! I just use hot soapy water then a sterilising solution like Richies. If its something very mucky try a long bottle brush, or something like ball bearings or ceramic balls (they're sold as 'baking beads' for weighing down blind-baked pie shells etc) that you can put in with the water and swill around.

What's your plastic beef, or is it just aesthetic? All my fermentation vessels are plastic because its the only affordable stuff in 5 gallon sizes...
Its pretty bad, the guy I got it from didn't clean it out very brilliantly, I lke the bearings idea, its a big bugger though and very heavy and made of the smashy stuff, I will have to take care. The anti plastic....well I have a sneaking feeling that my food grade plastic fermenting bins [which I have used over the years] are imparting a subtle 'hint of plastic' to my brews, It may be in my mind of course, but I want to give it a go [also it gives me an 11 gallon fermenter FTW]

That is win. Good luck with it!
Bottling the cider soon, and planning an all-grain stout.

Reporting back...

How long did you let it mingle? Sounds good!

(occasional beer and wine brewer, would like to make a porter sometime soon)

i was given a ballihoo homebrew kit and have done a few brews successfully. St peters red ale is pretty good.

I've have three funnels with the kit. I know that one of them is for adding suger to the bottles, anyone know what are the other two larger ones for?

moar suger?

How long did you let it mingle? Sounds good!

(occasional beer and wine brewer, would like to make a porter sometime soon)

It was mingling hard for around a month, I shook it daily.

15 litres of Ribena wine. The starting OG is 1.110! 0_o

Considering starting some home brew. The process looks very interesting.

Any tips? Would I need a fish tank heater to keep it all at the correct temp?

Do it!

No, at this time of year you won't need a heater (more likely to have problems by being too warm actually) and if you can ferment indoors you probably won't ever.

Are you talking about all-grain brewing? I documented my first brew here (done six more since). There are some good how-to's on the HB forums, like this one. Books like Graham Wheeler (very good) can be found at charity shops for cheep.

My experience was that its quite easy to brew good beer. Tips:

• don't worry about water treatment if you are on the UK mains.
  
• DIY your boiler and mash tun if possible to keep costs down
  
• try simple recipes (e.g. pale ale, bitter) to start
  
• pay attention to your mash temperature. If you just want beer, most other variables can >>>>>>
  
• after the boil, be meticulous about sanitising your kit
  
• use good quality dried brewers' yeast and follow rehydration instructions if asvised. Yeast health has a huge impact on beer flavour.
  
• time is your friend. most beer tastes better after a few months in the bottle and high gravity beers even better after a year.
  

I did my first homebrew in my bedroom, had problems with the room getting too hot in the summer so draped a cold wet towel over the fermenter and stuck a fan on it. All come out lovely. Only tip is to make sure everything is steralised to death before you use it.

Can't wait to start brewing again. Had to stop as current flat is too small but OLC is getting a garage in his new place which will be my new lab.

I was honestly looking at a kit brew for my first batch. Something like Norfolk Nog (which I have an absolutely soft spot for).

I kit brew as I don't have all the gear for all grain. As I said previously clean everything that will come in to contact with the beer and just follow the instructions to the letter. Then when that's successful you can go on and modify the kits with different yeasts, hops and malts.
My first kit was a St Peter's red, the St Peter's kits are great.

Oh be careful when adding sugar for carbonation, too much and it'll go bang!

Does this guy sound like he knows what he's doing? Might try this once I'm in new flat...

http://youtu.be/OBxB9Set7n8