Brewing

Brewing is very easy, fun but the major cost it time, time thinking about all that lovely potables you made and resisting the urge to drink. There is nothing better than that look on another person's face when you share your "Homebrew" and it's the best they have had.

I started with Apfelwein, A german hard cider - Think a slightly sour apple juice (this is affected greatly by the juice you use) You can use fresh apples but you need to kill the microbes in the juice by boiling or pasteurizing/sterilizing  before adding it to a brew or you will end up with some very weird flavours or a failed brew.

The best compliment I have received for this brew was from a German citizen visiting us at canterbury faire, he commented that "It tastes just like I can get in Germany" - No higher praise.

Ingredients

16L 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives)
2 kg's of dextrose
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast

Equipment

1x 20L Food grade bucket or Carboy (referred to now as the fermenter)
Airlock (for the bucket) or carboy cap with airlock
Funnel
Spoon - Long
A small amount of Vodka or water (vodka is better)

First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, spoon, airlock or carboy cap.

Pour 1/2 of the apple juice from each bottle into the fermenter

Add 1/2 the dextrose to the fermenter and the rest split between the bottles, Mix very thoroughly

Pour the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from the bottles into the fermenter, Stir

Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and sprinkle into the fermenter

Put the lid on the fermenter and seal tight

Put your airlock or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka.

No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.

Wait 2 - 3 months until fermentation ceases

Rack off into bottles and store out of light.

Note: Fermentation is optimal at 23 Degrees Celsius so a room with a stable temperature is best, keep the fermenter out of direct sunlight and do not let it hit 30 Degrees Celsius (yeast will die) Below 6 degrees celsius and the yeast will go dormant (but not die) and this will retard the fermentation process.

Cleanliness is very important in brewing, fermented bacteria of the bad kind can make you very sick, always, always sterilize your brewing equipment before use if unsure on how to do this please msg me and I will be happy to direct you.

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Hard Lemonade

This is a true hard lemonade, Bitter and designed to be mixed with Sugar water or soda (but can be drunk straight)

16L of water
4kg's of fresh lemons
1 Butter muslin bag
2 Kg's Dextrose
10 grams of Wine stabilizer (from your local brewing store)
Champagne yeast 1 packet

Put the 16L of water into a 20L fermenter add dextrose and stir until dissolved

Add Champagne yeast and  the 10 grams of wine stabilizer stir a little

Cut and quarter lemons removing pips place into the butter muslin bag (yes skin and all) place the bag into the water/dextrose/yeast mix (don't squeeze the yeast will do all the work)

Seal and set with your airlock then wait for 1 - 2 months depending on fermentation rate.

after it stops fermenting, remove butter muslin bag and rack/bottle fermented brew.

Notes: Ages very well, I have some almost 4 years old now and it is glorious.

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Malted Ginger

Malted Ginger is my own creation, a mix of a strong ginger beer and Brewers malt (brown), has a very strong ginger taste, great on a hot day of for those travel sick.

16L of water
2kg's Dextrose
800 grams of fresh ginger
200 grams (again) of fresh ginger (this is used in bottling don't buy yet)
500 grams of brown brewers malt
High fruit wine yeast

Firstly take 1 Ltr of water and 800 grams of fresh ginger (sliced like rounds of a cucumber) and bring to the boil, boiling for 30min

In your fermenter take the remaining 15L of water and mix in the 2kg's of dextrose and 500 grams of Brown brewers malt

Add the boiled ginger (liquid and ginger) to the fermenter

Check the temperature of the liquid in the fermenter is under 34 degrees celsius  (its best to make sure it's 23 degrees or less if you can be patient) and sprinkle in the high fruit wine yeast

Mix a little then seal your fermenter and set with your airlock  then wait for 1 - 2 months depending on fermentation rate.

after it stops fermenting rack/bottle fermented brew.

Notes: Ages very well, But mine has never lasted long past 1 year, it is always consumed.