Beech gin noyau

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TallTom

Forager
Mar 23, 2014
185
0
Surrey
Mine is a bit brown... not sure what it's supposed to taste like but I kinda like it.
91c12f10e0505a81c9ddfb79292daf92.jpg



I'm talking about the beech gin by the way... despite what it looks like
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Yes, it usually ends up that rather dubious colour. Be prepared to be the butt of jokes when drinking it. Good stuff though.

Assuming, of course, that that is beech leaf gin :)
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net

TallTom

Forager
Mar 23, 2014
185
0
Surrey
Wilko is your friend there - http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-wide-neck-fermenter-25l/invt/0075885

A good sized funnel and a siphon with a tap is a good investment too. You can brew with granulated sugar but invert brewing sugar dissolves faster and ferments better, albeit a bit more expensive.
Ah brilliant thanks for the tip.
I found this...
http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/kilner-homebrew-instrument-kit/invt/0404317
Do you recon that's a good start? I'll also get some funnels.. only a quid. And maybe that barrel you suggested too.
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
The 'barrel' is a better fermenter for wine than the bucket as the lid has a hole for a bung and air-lock (always assuming you don't let it run dry, oops, raspberry vinegar anyone?) which prevents the must being open to the air after the yeast is pitched. Any residual air is quickly purged by the CO2 given off by fermentation. True, a loosely fitted lid will keep the air out for the most part and a vigorous beer fermenting away copes well with draughts and any changes in room temperature. Wine often takes longer to ferment than beer as there's more sugar to digest and the increasing toxicity of the alcohol in the mix takes its toll on the productivity of the yeast, so the added protection of the air-lock protects your 'investment' in the wine a little better. Chances are there's more than £5's worth of sugar and other ingredients (even if they're foraged there's a lot of effort involved) going into 25 litres of wine must so not having the first one ruin pays for the extra cost of the fermenter.

The kit looks fine for the money, although a longer siphon tube would make for faster bottling when the time comes as you can make the levels significantly different.
 

TallTom

Forager
Mar 23, 2014
185
0
Surrey
The 'barrel' is a better fermenter for wine than the bucket as the lid has a hole for a bung and air-lock (always assuming you don't let it run dry, oops, raspberry vinegar anyone?) which prevents the must being open to the air after the yeast is pitched. Any residual air is quickly purged by the CO2 given off by fermentation. True, a loosely fitted lid will keep the air out for the most part and a vigorous beer fermenting away copes well with draughts and any changes in room temperature. Wine often takes longer to ferment than beer as there's more sugar to digest and the increasing toxicity of the alcohol in the mix takes its toll on the productivity of the yeast, so the added protection of the air-lock protects your 'investment' in the wine a little better. Chances are there's more than £5's worth of sugar and other ingredients (even if they're foraged there's a lot of effort involved) going into 25 litres of wine must so not having the first one ruin pays for the extra cost of the fermenter.

The kit looks fine for the money, although a longer siphon tube would make for faster bottling when the time comes as you can make the levels significantly different.
Great info thank you adze, picked some more elder today as work happen to have cut a tree down, got about 50 heads out of it.
This has gone off topic a bit :)
I will buy some bits and may even share my experience in a new thread.
Thank you for your help.
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
Bottled mine today, used a bit less sugar than the recipes suggest, tastes good so hope it will be even better in a few months.
 

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