The Undrinkables

[An Ankoù]

@An Ankoù Enfant terrible! But why not Irn Bru? or Grenadine or even crème de cassis?

I did think of Irn Bru and crème de menthe sounds proper disgusting.
In fact my daughter in her teens wouldn't drink any kind of beer unless I'd put a dash of Vimto in it, but she used to love coming to beer festivals with our crowd of dodgy old geezers. She used to have a little hip flask for the Vimto. Now she's asking me for bottles of gin for her birthday!
Love always finds a way.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

ESB - Over sparged and over filled the kettle and still not wanting to waste a drop, I stupidly decided just gentle boil it for 60 mins brim full.
It smells gorgeous, but has never cleared and is 3.5% ABV. It is still in the chiller after 1 year and I still hope it will improve,,,,, Too tight to hoy anything out and admit defeat!

Why would that make it not clear?
Asking for a friend

 

[FirebladeAdam]

I made a dark beer and dry hopped it with chai tea, the plan being to have a spicy finish to Christmas fireside pint.
It was awful, and I wish I hadn't added anything to it. It would have been a perfectly good beer without! I think I got the idea after having success dry hopping a summer ale with earl gray

 

[Cwrw666]

Memorable wines:
Banana - exploded pulp up to the ceiling.
Turnip - vile filth.
Prune - even viler filth.
Tea - my auntie used to make fantastic sherry-like tea wine. All my efforts have been foul.
Beer:
Worst to date has been GH spruce ale. Make it if you fancy pine scented toilet cleaner.
Unlike An Ankou - I really like the Durden park Amber-heavy beers, but that is using homemade amber rather than bought in stuff.

 

[gillonstewart]

I've had quite a few failures over the years. One of the most memorable was an elderberry wine. It shot foam up to the ceiling during fermentation, at which point it smelled ok. Fast forward 6 months or so when it should have been ready and it tasted foul. I'm not sure how to describe it. If you can imagine putting nail polish on a bloated corpse, then you'd be somewhat close.

The demijohn was put aside in an effort to let it improve. I even moved house with it. A few months ago I was so looking for DJs to store some of my pear wine (first batch after a break of a decade or so). I opened it and gave it a sniff. Overpowering alcohol smell along with a chemically, sharpness. Slight hint of hydrocarbons and it was a deep coppery colour. I almost wished I'd tasted it as I was couping it down the bog!

As a side note, I think it even killed my septic tank which has been pongy ever since!

Another wine I used to make regularly and tip away regularly was Rowan berry wine. It always ended up tasting like Fino sherry but with off flavours to it. Occasionally used to cook with it.

 

[gillonstewart]

Actually, that batch of pear wine I mentioned was pretty nasty when brewed but has improved considerably in just a couple of months. There was a blueberry that I made at the same time which was rancid. Very watery, no body, very faint fruit flavour and a strong offness flavour.... That weird eau de homebrew that you often get with kits. I put a bottle in the wine fridge today for a two month taste. Will be interesting to see how it has aged.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I made an IPA last year that I over bittered (still not entirely sure how, though I think whirlpool was too hot). In fact it was so bitter it was nearly salty. More than a year since its mellowed a bit and is actually drinkable.

 

[user 44889]

Actually, that batch of pear wine I mentioned was pretty nasty when brewed but has improved considerably in just a couple of months. There was a blueberry that I made at the same time which was rancid. Very watery, no body, very faint fruit flavour and a strong offness flavour.... That weird eau de homebrew that you often get with kits. I put a bottle in the wine fridge today for a two month taste. Will be interesting to see how it has aged.

Let us know how it turned out, got Pear on my to do list. Thanks in advance.

 

[gillonstewart]

Let us know how it turned out, got Pear on my to do list. Thanks in advance.

I'm fairly getting through it to be honest. It's mellowed a fair amount. I'll try to keep a bottle or two for a year and see how it ends up.

Still lacks body but I find that with most homebrews, slight aftertaste which is a bit bitter but it's the same aftertaste you get with actual pears and it's faded over the last couple of months. My palate is quite sensitive to bitter flavours so maybe not bitter for others.

I gave a bottle to a girl at work to try and she loved it so can't be too bad

 

[user 44889]

I'm fairly getting through it to be honest. It's mellowed a fair amount. I'll try to keep a bottle or two for a year and see how it ends up.

Still lacks body but I find that with most homebrews, slight aftertaste which is a bit bitter but it's the same aftertaste you get with actual pears and it's faded over the last couple of months. My palate is quite sensitive to bitter flavours so maybe not bitter for others.

I gave a bottle to a girl at work to try and she loved it so can't be too bad

Nice one. That's how i judge my wines, i give bottles to friends and ask for a true opinion, good or bad. I always say if it's bad please say as that's the only way i can learn.
Great yours is good and getting better with age. Great your friend loved it.. always makes you feel good.
How did the Blueberry turn out?
Happy brewing

 

[Victor Churchill]

I had a Bramley apple tree in the back garden at our last house which had a massive crop every other year. One year I thought "there's only so much apple pies, crumbles, snows, fools, chutneys you can make" and started gathering the windfalls as they arrived. When I had a bagfull I blitzed them through a juicer, skins & cores &nall (took off brown / wormy bits) , weighd the juice and put in a DJ with same weight of sugar. Next week, repeat. Continue till DJ full, move on to DJ # 2, then #3.. No yeast, just what came with the apples. Took off with a whoosh, brown froth in the ferrmentation lock. Wait a while, rack DJ 1, then rack DJ2 etc, then wait a while more, rack again until clear (throws a heck of a lot of lees). Can't recall how many rackings overall. Eventually end up with something scarily strong and ferociously sour! I drank it 50/50 with lemonade, no-one else wanted it. Bit of a head cracker ... wish I had taken OG/FG readings.

 

[gillonstewart]

How did the Blueberry turn out?

I tasted it tonight. Foul and fizzy.

Actually that's a bit unfair, the aftertaste is quite pleasant but it's too fizzy to get a proper taste. Initial nose is eau de homebrew kit wine. I'll need to think what to do with it.

Not sure why it didn't de-gas properly as it got a damn good blast with the electric drill same as the pear. It does explain why it didn't clear properly though (it's clear now)

Anyway... Into the undrinkable one. Also posted in the WOW thread. I put on a gallon of apple and mango supermarket juice wine 8 days ago. Sugar calculated for 13% ABV. Checked it tonight. SG of ~890, hydrometer sank further than the scale! Crystal clear wine.

It tastes like a mix of hoover bag and brand new work boots after their first really sweaty day of hard labour. Completely vile.

I shall rack it into a demijohn and forget about it for six months or so and see if it improves (can't get much worse!)

My only theory for it acquiring it's heinous flavour is that it got too warm.

 

[user 44889]

I tasted it tonight. Foul and fizzy.

Actually that's a bit unfair, the aftertaste is quite pleasant but it's too fizzy to get a proper taste. Initial nose is eau de homebrew kit wine. I'll need to think what to do with it.

Not sure why it didn't de-gas properly as it got a damn good blast with the electric drill same as the pear. It does explain why it didn't clear properly though (it's clear now)

Anyway... Into the undrinkable one. Also posted in the WOW thread. I put on a gallon of apple and mango supermarket juice wine 8 days ago. Sugar calculated for 13% ABV. Checked it tonight. SG of ~890, hydrometer sank further than the scale! Crystal clear wine.

It tastes like a mix of hoover bag and brand new work boots after their first really sweaty day of hard labour. Completely vile.

I shall rack it into a demijohn and forget about it for six months or so and see if it improves (can't get much worse!)

My only theory for it acquiring it's heinous flavour is that it got too warm.

I've never used a wand to degas, was thinking of getting the one Chippy recommended but changed my mind. I just leave DJ in shed and every time i go in i give them a swirl , do this every day for at least for 2 weeks.
As its bottled do the same as your Apple and Mango... leave for a time and try again in 12 months or so. I leave all my wines kit or country at least 12 months before trying,
Hope they both get better over time.

 

[gillonstewart]

Being sealed in bottles, I doubt it will lose its frisson of carbonation which is largely the issue with this wine (other than watery flavour, it is a kit though so kind of expect that).

I never mechanically de-gas country wines, they get left for a good six months to a year regardless but I do tend to do so with kit based wines or everyday plonk that I want to be drinking in a month or two. Home-brewing is 50% about saving money and 50% about a hobby/making really nice wine for me.

 

[user 44889]

Being sealed in bottles, I doubt it will lose its frisson of carbonation which is largely the issue with this wine (other than watery flavour, it is a kit though so kind of expect that).

I never mechanically de-gas country wines, they get left for a good six months to a year regardless but I do tend to do so with kit based wines or everyday plonk that I want to be drinking in a month or two. Home-brewing is 50% about saving money and 50% about a hobby/making really nice wine for me.

You might get a really nice semi sparkling wine... .. lol

 

[gillonstewart]

You might get a really nice semi sparkling wine... .. lol

Or heartburn

Actually, the other thing about that particular wine is the sediment at the bottom of the bottles.... So fizzy and cloudy when poured haha

 

[Nicks90]

One sentence - Watermelon and peach wine.


Just..... Don't...... Do..... It.

 

[user 44889]

One sentence - Watermelon and peach wine.


Just..... Don't...... Do..... It.

Bad one then...........??????