High-alcohol, flavoured beverage

[Fergmeister]

Ah right thanks, I hadn't even considered that the sugar would increase the water level, so I wondered why I had used 5 litres of water and it only took another 1.5L to make 8L!

I just popped to Wilkos and bought some Youngs wine finings and some potassium sorbate (it will come in handy at some point) so its just a case of waiting now. Keep me posted on how yours does. I was hoping to have it bottled at the weekend when my EDME lager kit should be about done, but its still fizzing like mad!

 

[Moley]

I was hoping to have it bottled at the weekend

:lol: :lol: :lol: Oh that's a good one :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[Fergmeister]

Is that a 'no' then?

Ah well I can't say I'm surprised, the yeasties have plenty of work to do!

 

[Moley]

Ah what the hell, I've got a spare PET kicking around the kitchen and I've always got sugar in the cupboard, I'll join you. If I can ferment tomatoes I'm sure I can ferment water.

I concede, I admit defeat, I am a failure, I cannot ferment sugar water.

Even though it has been in a water bath and temperature hasn't dropped below 21°C, bubble rate had slowed right down so I thought I would do a gravity check.

1.088

That's a drop of 32 points in about 16 days.

Pathetic!

I've aborted the 5 litre kilju and it has now turned into a 15 litre WOW.

 

[Fergmeister]

Same here! one of mine is going at about one bubble per minute, possibly slower. The other one totally died (the 'demijohn' isn't airtight so maybe that's why) at 1.080 so today I tried to save it by using a litre of the good stuff which spectacularly failed. Now I have 5 litres of sugar water at about 6/7% I think, and one still going so I'm just going to wait it out. Have you used your current progress in the wow, or just chucked it? I didn't know whether it was worth trying to incorporate it into something or not.

 

[Moley]

Have you used your current progress in the wow, or just chucked it?

Even though I'm quite patient with regards to winemaking, this wasn't going anywhere at an acceptable rate. There was nothing wrong with it though - sugary water already containing some alcohol - so that has been added to a larger brew.

 

[ingypingy2]

Ah what the hell, I've got a spare PET kicking around the kitchen and I've always got sugar in the cupboard, I'll join you. If I can ferment tomatoes I'm sure I can ferment water.

I concede, I admit defeat, I am a failure, I cannot ferment sugar water.

Even though it has been in a water bath and temperature hasn't dropped below 21°C, bubble rate had slowed right down so I thought I would do a gravity check.

1.088

That's a drop of 32 points in about 16 days.

Pathetic!

I've aborted the 5 litre kilju and it has now turned into a 15 litre WOW.

Think I'm beating you in the failure stakes Moley!!! Mine has been on for 14 days....semed to get off to an ok start, then stopped and has dropped a grand total of....wait for it........15 points lol!! I have 5L of 2% sugary water!! Think I shall also have to abort mission!! what to do with it now!! I had a really high gravity, so wondered if I half and half it, and add more water, maybe it would restart? I'm keen to keep on with it if I can, especially since I got my nice flavours to go in it! any :idea: moley? :)

 

[Moley]

Splitting it and adding more water isn't going to make a blind scrap of difference, the yeasties are simply not interested.

Split it, then add to each DJ or PET 1 litre of grape juice + 1 litre of some other juice.

I made mine up to a 15 litre batch with 4 WGJ, 1 OJ, 1 AJ & 1 PJ, the yeasties have said “TFFT, something we can use”, the lava lamp effect is in full flow and it's blooping around one per second.

If you want a fairly neutral wine to add your flavourings to, use WGJ + apple juice.

I have come to the conclusion that if you want to ferment sugar water you have to use one of those turbo / wash yeasts and then charcoal filter.

 

[ingypingy2]

Thanks Moley :) Guess I'll move it on to a WOW then!! I am stubborn as mud and really didn't want to admit defeat, but I suppose I'll have to lol!! :hmm: :)

 

[brews-brothers]

I tried making kilju a while ago and after a month ended up tipping it away. It took forever for the sugar to go down. Not sure why it takes so long.
A friend of mine makes those kits that can make high alcohol drinks. You just add flavouring to them but I really dont like it. It has a funny taste to it.
So I am sticking to making wine and buying proper whiskey as a treat now and then.
Moley, glad you have managed to turn it into a juice wine. Hope it moves along quicker now.

 

[Fergmeister]

One of mine has died so I added stabilizer and I'm just going to leave it to clear now at 7.5%... The other one is still going very slowly but I'm just going to wait and see what happens with it. I may try again and add the sugar in bits at some point, or possibly try using Apple juice or something instead of water in order to make the yeast a bit happier, but for now I think I will wait/get some of that alcotec yeast.

 

[ingypingy2]

I've decided to split mine and use as a base for another couple of tea wines, got boxes of blackberry and nettle and morello cherry sitting in the cupboard, so that'll do :)

 

[greencheapsk8]

Charcoal filtering makes a world of difference, it really does.
Ive made dozens of batches of this stuff. So simple, yet works everytime.

 

[Fergmeister]

Charcoal filtering makes a world of difference, it really does.
Ive made dozens of batches of this stuff. So simple, yet works everytime.

Any tips? do you use the high alcohol yeast? I tried youngs super yeast compound and managed to get to a staggering 7.5%. I think I may try again with the more suitable yeast, but I'm surprised how low the one I used managed to actually get!

 

[shocker]

I have got 16% using bread making yeast ,lots of nutrient and vit b complex ,apple pulp ,granulated sugar and water . I wasnt intending to ,it sort of happened by default and laziness .

If you look at wine yeasts there are some that are labelled as high alcohol tolerant ,even the cheaper dried sachets . I have no experience of the "turbo" yeasts aimed at the "D" word market....but I have bought some of the two part finings that come from the range that I am holding in reserve for when the big guns are called for.

 

[Moley]

Any tips? do you use the high alcohol yeast? I tried youngs super yeast compound and managed to get to a staggering 7.5%. I think I may try again with the more suitable yeast, but I'm surprised how low the one I used managed to actually get!

I think it now seems fairly obvious that greencheapsk8 can only get that to work by using the turbo / wash yeasts aimed at the “D’ word market, but he lives in a country where that sort of thing is permitted, and we don't.

Although I have never deliberately tried to push the Young's SYC as far as it will go, and usually make my wines in the 12-15% abv range, I do know from personal experience that it will go to at least 19% abv, so I was quite amazed that even when I added some acids and plenty of nutrients my sugar water only managed just over 4% in a fortnight.

By comparison, the next-door neighbours have an untrained grape vine which comes over our fence. 2 weeks ago today I picked 6lbs 10oz of their grapes on our side and started a 5 litre brew. With the same yeast and at a slightly lower temperature that has already fermented out to dryness from an OG of 1.095, so I know there's nothing wrong with that pot of yeast.

If it turns out ok I will give them a couple of bottles this time next year and ask what they do with their own share of their grapes, or if they want to give me their crop as well.

 

[Fergmeister]

Yeah, I think it is probably just the sheer lack of 'stuff' in there moley. As you said, the yeast same to life when you added it to your wine. I think for now, this idea will have to be put on the back-burner. You can't beat a bit of experimentation though!