Time for an experiment

Thought I'd try an experiment.  This could turn out ok could turn out awful.

22/3/2016

Really simple
300gms ovaltine (original not instant) £2
150 gms golden syrup (i used the squeeze one for convince) £1.30
Beer yeast (i had this lying around).

Add it all (except the yeast)  to a clean sterilizer demi john top up with water, lid and shake to mix it all together. Add yeast and lid with airlock.  Leave somewhere to ferment



Initial gravity reading 1.038

23 march update

Stopped off at my local homebrew shop and picked up some target hop pellets. Have added 10gms now and will add another 5 or so a few days before bottling

Cider on a larger scale

With nothing on active brew and everything either aging or carbonating I was after something to do. I stopped off at Aldi and picked up the necessary and decided to do a batch using the brew bucket in stead of a demijohn

Equipment

25 ltr brew bucket fitted with air lock (mine is also fitted with a submersible fish tank heater as my brew goes in the garage)
hydrometer 
sterilizing kit 

you will also need bottles. I reuse 500 ml plastic screw top bottles that can be found in any home brew shop (technically you could use fuzzy drinks bottles they are the almost the same thing but don't quote me on that)

Ingredient 
12 x 1 ltr Aldi apple juice (59p each)
3 x 1 ltr Aldi Cranberry and Raspberry Juice (59p each)
5 lemons (juiced approx 100ml) (99p)
Pectolase (£1 from wilco you will probably have half left)
yeast nutrient (£1 from Wilco you will probably have half left)
wine yeast (i like dry cider and wine yeast can handle higher alcohol so will ferment out all of the sugars) (£2.50 from wilcoyou will probably have half left)
1 lrt relay strong tea (I make it with 4 bags and leave it untill its cool before removing the bags) (already had some)

Not including the equipment (I already have that), teabags (I had those) or water (just turned on the tap)  and this batch cost me 

£8.95 in juice
99p in lemons
£4.50 in stuff from wilco (although i already had all of this left over from previous brews)

total £14.44

I recon ill get at least 40 - 45 bottles which makes it  between 32p and 36p a bottle. result 


What to do

sterilize brewing kit
add 4 teaspoons of pectolase and yeast nutrients to the bucket. 
add lemon juice, Tea (no bags please) and all the juice to the brew bucket 

take reading. 

add water until initial reading is at the initial gravity you want (you may want to put the brew where it will ferment before adding the water, 23 ltr is a bit tricky to move with out spilling)

I had to add 7 - 8 ltr to get the initial gravity to 1.036. 

I then set my heater to 24 C and lid. I like to leave it for a few hours to warm up before adding the yeast so the yeast can get to work easier.

add 4 tsp wine yeast

lid and leave. I'll check it is fermenting tomorrow and then every few days until it stops bubbling and then decide what to do (probably leave it a few more weeks to clear)

I'll update when its time to rack it. (pour it into a clean bucket) and secondary ferment (ready for bottling)


Readings

Initial reading 1.036

How I work out the approx. alcohol %

I work on the basis that the final gravity will be 1. to work out approx. volume take final gravity away from initial gravity and multiply by 131

in this batch the formula would be 
 (1.036 - 1) x 131 = 4.7

meaning the cider will be approx 4.7%. 

I have had some brews finish at 1.002 ( this would be approx. 4.4%) and some at 0.998 (this would be approx. 5%).

I tend to use this a a guide to make sure that my brew isnt going to turn into rocket fuel. without adding the extra water the cider would turn out to be over 7%

Pomegranate wine

I decided to do a pomegranate wine. Not sure why but I quite like the idea of it.
I did some research and found most recipes called for barley (but no where could I find a reason why).  I decided to ignore what I found and brew the same way i did my other wine.  I started it on the 18/02/2016

Ingredients

4 ltrs Aldi pomegranate juice
1 lime
500ml very strong tea
300 ml aprox water
1 campden tablet
1tsp pectolose
1 tsp Yeast nutrients
1tsp wine yeast
500g brewing sugar

How it was made

Juice 1 lime into a jug (put the skin in as well) crunch campden tablet and add to the jug
Add 2 teabags to the jug and add 500ml boiling water leave to brew for at least 20 minutes

While that's brewing sterilise demijohn.

Once sterilised add the 4 ltrs of pomegranate juice and pectolase to the demijohn (lid and shake).

Once brewed remove the tea bags and squeeze out the limes. Add mixture to demijohn.

Take a gravity reading and then add sugar as needed. You want to aim for between 1.080 and 1.090 this should yield between 11% and 12%. I had to add 500g.  Once sugar is added lid and shake and re measure. Yoy may need to top up demijohn with boiled water.

Leave at least 24 hours and add yeast and nutrients then lid with airlock

Gravity reading taken on 18/02/2016 1.084

Tom Claxon Real Ale kit

February 17, 2016

My wife bought me  Tom Claxon real ale kit for my birthday back in Jan so I decided it was time to put it on to brew

the instruction are very clear and the kit is very simple. it even has a hop enhancer (i do like a hoppy bear).

I wont list the instructions as they come with the kit and i didn't deviate from said instruction.

my initial gravity reading was 1.044 (approx hard to tell exactly with the foam) 

the instructions say to leave it in the bucket for 6 days but i will probably leave it for around 3 weeks. that way the yeast will start to self clean the beer. ill post back an update when i have one

 http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/tom-caxton 

Second reading 1.008 making it approx. 4.7%abv

Bottled on the 8th march. Looked very clear when bottling. Rather than priming the bottles i measures out 30 tsp of brewing sugar and devolved it in hot water. Once cooled i added it to a second (sterilised) brew bucket. I siphoned the beer into the second bucket. I left it for around an hour for the froth to settle and then bottled.  Would definitely use this method again. 

Cider number 2 (I went a bit posh)

February 15, 2016

I decided to do a second cider using pressed apple juice to see it there is a difference.

Ingredients

3 ltrs pressed apple juice

1 ltr cranberry and raspberry juice

1 lime (juiced)

campen tablets

1 tsp pectolose

1 tsp wine yest

Yeast nutrients (1 tsp)

500 ml really strong black tea

Kit required

2 demijohns (5 ltr water bottles will do)

Funnels

Sterilizer

Air locks and bungs in  lids

Empty bottles

Siphon

Hydrometer

Instructions

=======================

Clean and sterilise demijohns Funnels and Air locks

=================================

·         Brew Tea (2 bags and leave until warm before removing the bags (10 minutes should do it))

·         Pour 3 apple juice raspberry cranberry juice and tea into demijohn

·         Juice lime and add

·         crush campden tablet and add to mixture 

·         add 1 tsp pectolose to mixture

·         top up with water leaving 1-2 inches gap at the top

·          lid and air lock lid 

·         shake mixture to combine

·         Once settled take reading with hydrometer

·         Place where fermentation will take place and leave for 24 hours minimum

·         Add yeast and nutrient

·         Lid demijohn with airlock lid

check daily until fermentation stops

Initial reading 1.042 
Second reading 1.002

Approx. 5.2%abv

Cider

First attempt at Cider from apple juice

Having recently ventured into brewing wine, i decided to attempt Cider. I did a bit of researcher and found that is also incredibly simple. my recipe is a follows

January 20, 2016

Ingredients

3 * 1. 5 ltr Lidl apple juice

100 grams brewing sugar (+ more for carbonation)

1 packet of ale yeast (I happened to have one lying around)

Yeast nutrients (1 tsp)

Kit required

2 demijohns (5 ltr water bottles will do)

Funnels

Steriliser

Air locks and bungs in  lids

Empty bottles

Syphon

Hydrometer

Instructions

Measure sugars

Clean and sterilise demijohns Funnels and Air locks

Pour 3 *1. 5  Lidl ltr apple juice  into demijohn and lid (non airlock)

Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes

Change lid for an air lock lid

Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)

Add 100 grams brewing sugar and yeast nutrients

Lid demijohn (non airlock)

Shake to combine

Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)

Once settled take reading with hydrometer

Place where fermentation will take place

Add yeast

Lid demijohn with airlock lid

Check daily until fermentation stops

P.S. Fermentation started very vigorously. you may want to put it on a towel or wrap some kitchen roll around the demijohn neck

Gravity reading taken

Reading taken on 20/01/2016 Gravity reading 1.060

Reading taken on 26/01/2016 Gravity Reading 1.000

due to high % this has been watered down using approx. 2 lts water

My first attempt at making white and red wine

Having done many beer kits I decided to attempt making wine. I have done 1 wine kit before and it was OK. i would describe it as wedding wine (you would drink it if it was on the table but you wouldn't buy it.)

with that I mind I did some research and found it was really easy to do if from store bought juice. below are my instruction, ingredients and so on.  ill post an update as a go

Wine brew started on 14/01/2016

White and red done at the same time.

Ingredients for both

2 ltr Lidl red grape juice

1 lts Waitrose white grape juice

1. 5 Lidl ltr apple juice

2 lts Welch’s white grape, Pear and apple juice

700 grams granulated sugar

650 grams granulated sugar

1 pint strong black tea (4bag brew)

1 lemon

1.5 limes

Wilco express wine yeast compound

Yeast nutrients

(I used bottled water to top up)

===============

Kit required

4 demijohns (5 ltr water bottles will do)

Funnels

Steriliser

Air locks and bungs in 2 lids

Empty wine bottles & corks

Syphon

Plastic tub

Wine heater

Hydrometer

=======================

Brew the tea and stir occasionally once water has cooled pour into 2 250ml containers

Squeeze the juice out of the lemon and limes and divide in to 2

Measure our both sugars

Clean and sterilise 2 demijohns Funnels and Air locks

=============

White

 

  

• Pour 2 lts Welch’s white grape, Pear and apple juice and 1 lts Waitrose white grape juice into 1 demijohn and lid (non airlock)
• Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes
• Change lid for an air lock lid
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Add 250ml tea, 1 of the lemon and lime juice mixes and 650 grams granulated sugar
• Lid demijohn (non airlock)
• Shake to combine
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Top up demijohn with bottled water
• Once settled take reading with hydrometer
• Place plastic tub where fermentation will take place
• Put demijohn in plastic tub
• Fill plastic tub 3/4 with warm water
• Put wine heater in the water
• Leave for around 1/2 hour for temperature to settle down
• Add 1 rounded teaspoon of Wilco express wine yeast compound
• Lid demijohn with airlock lid
• Add nutrients 5-7days later

=================================

Red

  

  

  

• Pour 2 ltr Lidl red grape juice and 1. 5  Lidl ltr apple juice  into 1 demijohn and lid (non airlock)
• Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes
• Change lid for an air lock lid
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Add 250ml tea, 1 of the lemon and lime juice mixes and 700 grams granulated sugar
• Lid demijohn (non airlock)
• Shake to combine
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Top up demijohn with bottled water
• Once settled take reading with hydrometer
• Place plastic tub where fermentation will take place
• Put demijohn in plastic tub
• Fill plastic tub 3/4 with warm water
• Put wine heater in the water
• Leave for around 1/2 hour for temperature to settle down
• Add 1 rounded teaspoon of Wilco express yeast compound
• Lid demijohn with airlock lid

Add nutrients 5-7days later

============

Gravity reading taken

Reading taken on 14/01/2016 Gravity reading for white 1.070 Gravity reading for red 1.090

Reading taken on 26/01/2016 Gravity reading for white 0.984 Gravity reading for red 0.990
Bottled 22/03/2016