Nettle beer, real ale, wine, 'vodka' and mead updates...

Darkginger

I've only really got into this home brewing thing this year, although I made a few country wines years back - thought I'd post a sort of review of how it's going so far, in case anyone else is new to it all and wondering what's worth making - so, here goes:

Nettle beer - a fun, novelty drink, innocuous, and good to do whilst waiting for other things to be ready, because it's so quick. Nice, cold, on a hot day, but not really something that serious beer lovers would appreciate.

Real Ale from a Coopers kit - easy, practically foolproof, and tastes great. Highly recommended.

Merlot from a DOC wine kit - we have a winner! Takes a little longer than suggested in the instructions (4 weeks fermentation as opposed to 3, an 3 weeks to clear if you don't use finings, which the instructions suggest you don't, for a red wine). Minus points for having instructions in Swedish (but if anyone needs them, I have a rough translation). The result is *really* good, better than most we buy - even at the 'just ready to be bottled' stage. Doing this again, immediately!

20% 'vodka' - all went a bit Pete Tong at the clearing stage - after racking it and adding finings it started fermenting again, so right now it's a black mass (thanks to the liquid activated carbon) as opposed to a clear liquid - going to add some fermentation stopper during the week and see if we get anywhere. It has taken a *lot* longer than the 3 weeks claimed in the blurb. I'm reserving judgement until it's drinkable.

The 3 meads (from a basic recipe found online, with variations) - orange and spice is good, lemon and ginger not so good, elderflower rather yummy, though all 3 will benefit (I think) from a few months in the bottle.

So, it seems to me that it's well worth paying for 'proper' kits to start off with - better results than making it up as you go along - though I'm not going to stop experimenting - one day I might hit on something truly terrific. I remember making rosehip wine and wishing I'd made more - but we're a way off rosehip season!

I'd enjoy reading other people's experiences with home brewing - especially wine (there seems to be a heavy beer tendency in this forum!) - might give me some idea of what to go for next (this is addictive, isn't it?).

BeerNut

Darkginger wrote: »

I'm not going to stop experimenting - one day I might hit on something truly terrific.

Remember to keep detailed notes of everything you do: you don't want to create the perfect drink and then have no idea how you did it

agreed - there is a very heavy bias towards beer on the forums.

guys i was thinking of getting into this home brewing malarky. i'd like to try red wine first ( it seems to be less complicated than beer ? ) and i spotted this starter kit on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/WINE-MAKING-EQUIPMENT-KIT-6-BOTTLES-HOME-BREW-/360364330016?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item53e7634c20

seems quite resonable to me. would one of you experts have a quick peep and tell me what you think. also any recommendations for a first time wine pack greatly appreciated, thanks.

BeerNut

I'm just coming to the end of my first wine kit and it's a lot more complicated and involved than kit beer making.

That looks like a decent starter set. If you like the results you might want to upgrade to bigger buckets and kits, but they're readily available through home brew suppliers here.

BeerNut

BeerNut wrote: »

I'm just coming to the end of my first wine kit and it's a lot more complicated and involved than kit beer making.

That looks like a decent starter set. If you like the results you might want to upgrade to bigger buckets and kits, but they're readily available through home brew suppliers here.

Really? Maybe I'll start with a beer kit so. I assume that most of the equipment can be used for both wine and beer?

BeerNut

Yes, though you'll need bigger fermenters than those for a 20L beer kit.

With a beer kit you just add the kit mix, water and an extra fermentable if required, throw in the yeast and after a fortnight prime and bottle.

My wine kit involved multiple re-rackings from vessel to vessel, a two-day stirring phase to de-gas and four different additions of stabilisers, flocculants and finings. And I haven't bottled yet. It's hard work.

Cheers mate, that's some solid gold advice right there

hardCopy

Nice idea.

I'm working my way through my first batch of Cooper's 'Lager'.

Started the brew on Paddy's Day and bottled on the 3rd of April.

I've been having 1 or 2 bottles a week to gauge how well it ages and work out the optimum drinking time. It's definitely improving from week to week.

First couple of bottles were fizzy with no head retention, like a fanta or something. I was expecting lots of sediment in the beer but have found that it all stays in the bottom of the bottle as long as it hasn't been shaken too much.

It can be hard to judge though as some bottles weren't sealed properly when I closed them. At least with the ox-bar bottles I can squeeze them to see if they're carbonated.

I brought a six-pack to a friends house on Sunday night and everyone tried a few sups and enjoyed it. Will probably have a BBQ in the coming weeks to finish the batch and start my next project. Consistency is more like what one would expect, head still doesn't last to the last drop but definitely longer than the first bottle.

I'm thinking of a cider for my next go.

Along the way I've also discovered Flensburger Weizen, I picked it up for the swing top bottles, but it's a great beer and I've ended up collecting 17 bottles while waiting for my own brew!

Darkginger

My wine kit was pretty simple - it was the Merlot single variety from DOC - no need to add sugar or anything, just yeast and oak chips (supplied in the kit), plus water. Left it for 3 weeks, racked into a second fermentation bucket, stirred twice, with an hour between, left for another couple of weeks to clear (didn't use the included finings) and it's honestly nicer than the wine we've been buying (OK we buy at the cheap end of the market). It cost around €45 for 23 litres. There are faster, and cheaper, kits available, but the quality of this one is outstanding. I'm trying to save some to see what it's like after a few months...but it's not easy!

Edited to add: that kit looks good - but believe me, 6 bottles will not be enough if it turns out to be good. 23 litres was barely enough!

HMD

What was the Darkginger what was the recipe you used for the nettle beer? I'd be interested in trying it.

BengaLover

We did a weird concoction of a turbo yeast thing that you add to 8 bags of sugar and 25 litres water..end result is kind of like a dry semi sweet liquer, but very lethaly strong..you siphon it every 24 hrs as there is a lot of sediment build up but it only takes a week to be ready to drink..
((Alcotec 24-hour Turbo Yeast: A high alcohol & temperature tolerant dual function yeast complete with needed nutrients. Yields 23 liters. Produces 14% alcohol in 24 hours.))


we are lucky to have this shop locally, but you can get stuff online too:
http://brew-it.ie/

Darkginger

Recipe for nettle beer is here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056232349

Had a few (a few!) glasses of the young orange mead last night - blew my head off Can't say it was exactly delicious, but will be bottling what's left today and tying it again in a few months.

I've noticed that I seem to get less of a hangover from homebrew than commercially produced drinks. I like to think that's cos they're all natural. Anyone else find the same?