COFFEE WINE ?

[Salisburysipper]

I remember in the past making a simple coffee wine which was fantastic. It was very simple, water, sugar, instant coffee and yeast plus nutrient BUT I have forgotten what else was used. Can anyone enlighten me as to the missing ingredient/ s please?

I would like to make alot of cheap ingredient wine for christmas -yep money is tight right now. Does anyone have any suggestions on any wines please?

 

[oldbloke]

I've done the following recipe, intending to push it up to 18 or more %, but we had a little taste recently and it's strong enough and tastes not unlike Tia Maria so when the yeast finally gives up, or possibly just later this week, I'm going to bottle it - it'll be standard wine strength, I think - maybe a little more..

2lb sugar dissolved in warmed water, 4Tbsp instant coffee added, cooled a bit while yeast rehydrates, into demi with 1tsp citric, 1tsp nutrient - plenty of headspace left for later feeding. Pitched yeast (Gervin D)
After 5 days, added 1/2lb sugar dissolved in 1/2l warmed water
After 10 more days, added another 1/2lb sugar dissolved in warmed water
After another week, added 1/4lb sugar dissolved in 1/4l warmed water
After a further month, removed a 250ml sample and added 4oz sugar in 250ml water.

With a yeast that can handle the sugar concentration, you could probably just stick it all in at the start. I probably could have with Gervin D.
It's still pretty sweet but a very interesting flavour. I'm going to bottle it in 275ml J2O bottles, as I suspect it's the kind of thing you only want one glass each of, at the end of the evening.

Your missing ingredient may have been vanilla?

Cheap wine for christmas... If you can get frozen or tinned strawberries at a sensible price, it's my fave right now. They just need a bit of acid (I used citric) and some tannin (I used tea). And of course nutrient for the yeast.

 

[Moley]

Welcome to the forum :

I just checked my copy of "First Steps" and your missing ingredient is citric acid. Quite a lot of it - 1tbsp to the gallon.

Oldbloke: I see you only use 1tsp to the gallon, does that seem sharp enough?

Maybe split the difference, 2tsps or juice of 2 lemons.

I see from your introduction post that you are a returner and not a beginner, but take a look at this beginner's guide. Wurzel's Orange and other juice wines to the same method are a quick, cheap and easy way to get some stocks laid down in time for Christmas.

 

[screamlead]

As per OB's recipe but add 2 Vannila pods to the dj (remove on racking) then fortify with a large glass of dark rum and hey presto a Tia Maria clone!
I did the same and it turned out superb so much so i now have 5 gallons on the go :

 

[oldbloke]

Last time I added vanilla pods to a demi the taste was all but imperceptible. You probably get bigger fresher ones where you are though. I was thinking of maybe a bit of vanilla essence at bottling time.

 

[oldbloke]

I just checked my copy of "First Steps" and your missing ingredient is citric acid. Quite a lot of it - 1tbsp to the gallon.
Oldbloke: I see you only use 1tsp to the gallon, does that seem sharp enough?

Seemed OK but the coffee flavour and sweetness is so strong I wasn't really thinking about acid levels.
Looks like I mis-read my copy of First Steps - OR I left out the b when I wrote my notes and in fact I have used a tablespoon
ISTR I Googled around a bit, maybe somebody else's recipe uses less.

I think next time I do this one I may use at least some brown sugar

 

[screamlead]

A m8 of mine here lobbed 5 vannila pods in her 5 gal batch and to me its got a chocolate aftertaste to it too, very nice.
I think i also used oranges and lemons for the citric in mine too.

 

[oldbloke]

anybody want to guess how much vanilla essence would be good in 1 gallon, added at stabilising time?

 

[screamlead]

OB i would say around 5 -10 ml per gallon but try adding 5ml then tasting then add more until you get the taste you want.
Just checked mine - down to 1000 so need to rack off let it clear then add a bottle of rum (5 gall) :thumb:

 

[BrotherMalice]

This sounds interesting, hate coffee my self btu SWMBO would like this, may have to give it a go :)

 

[Salisburysipper]

Thanks to everyone who replied, very good of you all. Have taken it all on board.

many thanks :

 

[Methuselah's grandad]

I remember making this in the lab at Salford from a recipe from The Daily Telegraph I think around 1982.

 

[klaus]

I remember making this in the lab at Salford from a recipe from The Daily Telegraph I think around 1982.

CJJ Berry's book has a recipe, but too sweet for my liking.