so far.. and some brewing questions

[tomo6]

hi everyone,
so i first started home brewing a couple of months ago, so far ive made 2 wine kits (carafe 21 red and white) and i quite like both of them even though i know there only cheap kits, a lager; i think it may've been youngs, not completely sure but it did'nt taste very nice, 2 cider kits (deluxe and blueberry on the rocks) both very good!

right now i have a coopers aussie lager, a bel vino red wine kit and the prohibition whisky kit.. all ready to ferment. However i have a few questions which i know should probably be posted in another forum but here we go anyway..

the wine kit contains dried fruit and says not to use an air lock because the fruit might block it, is there a big risk of this because i would still prefer to use an airlock?

with the cold weather an all the temp in my room is 15c, i have a brew belt but the instructions are quite vague; by exactly how much would the temperature increase useing the brew belt? and does anyone know of any other ways to control the temperature?

the whisky kit suggests useing granulated sugar, could i just use brewing sugar instead? has anybody actually tried making spirits without a still? do they taste like commercial spirits, im doubtful?

cheers!

 

[prolix]

yes you can use an air lock just check on it. and secondly no they don't taste like spirits as they do not have the alcohol content. Just buy cheap gin and a bag of sloes and make beautiful spirtits!

 

[carl_saint]

Temp control can be achieved by placing the FV in a water bath and having a cheap aquarium or similar type heater in the water!

 

[eggman]

Just buy cheap gin and a bag of sloes and make beautiful spirtits!

:thumb: I'm quite partial to glass of sloe gin, family have also got some raspberry vodka ready for xmas. Just don't try parsnip wine :sick:

 

[Vossy1]

Welcome to the forum t :thumb:

i have a few questions which i know should probably be posted in another forum but here we go anyway..

They may well get missed in this forum

has anybody actually tried making spirits without a still? do they taste like commercial spirits, im doubtful?

AFAIC, alcohol is a big part of the taste of spirits and it simply can't be replicated with any available yeast at this moment in time

 

[Moley]

the wine kit contains dried fruit and says not to use an air lock because the fruit might block it, is there a big risk of this because i would still prefer to use an airlock?

Welcome to the forum :

I don't know the kit wine you're referring to because I don't make kit wines, but if fresh or dried fruit is used the wine is usually started off in a bucket and strained to a DJ after anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. The bucket still needs a close fitting lid, but most bucket lids aren't gas tight and airlocks are therefore optional or pointless, because if the carbon dioxide being produced can escape through any small crack your bubbler won't bubble.

Just don't try parsnip wine :sick:

Parsnip wine, properly made and then aged for a year or two, can be quite excellent :thumb:

 

[tomo6]

i use an air tight fermenting vessel with a screw on lid.. should i just loosen the lid and leave it like that? i just don't understand why the fruit would block it.

thanks for the reply!

 

[tomo6]

cheers everyone! :

 

[eggman]

Parsnip wine, properly made and then aged for a year or two, can be quite excellent :thumb:

Maybe i'll give it another go in the future. Tried some fennel wine the other day that has been maturing for at least a year, it was so nice i'm gonna have a go myself :thumb:

 

[Moley]

If you're using one of those wide-necked screw-topped fermenters then I would expect that the liquid level is well short of the top. Screw it down.

Airlocks are only going to get filled with foam and gunge if you overfill a demijohn in the early stages of a fermentation, and fruit should never normally be inside a DJ.

 

[tomo6]

oh i get it now..

thanks!! :thumb:

 

[bellowsface]

hi, enjoy