The Brewers' Guild

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

I know this is a little later than intended...... but here we are....

Limoncello
Ingredients:
5 Unwaxed Lemons
1l Vodka
750g Caster Sugar
700ml Boiling Water

Method:
1.   Pare the zest from all the lemons, taking care not to include any white pith. Put the zest in a large clean jar and pour over the vodka. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and leave for a week, shaking the jar each day.
2.   Put the sugar in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vodka and peels and leave for a further week, shaking the jar regularly.
3.   Strain into decorative bottles, adding a few strips of lemon zest to each bottle.


http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1087/limoncello

[Madasasteamfish]

Hmm interesting anyone else had a go at making their own liqueurs or spirts?

I've also barrelled my first malt brew (my first attempt at hopping a beer as well) today. I think it's not turned out too badly.

[DreamHazard]

Was just on my way to bottle up the mead earlier when disaster struck: I realised that whoever used the siphoning tube last hadn't cleaned it out and it was full of mould. Going to have to pop out tomorrow for a replacement.

I haven't had a go at liqueurs myself, though my dad's favourite used to be peach schnapps. I've been tempted to try though. I think I'd most like to have a go at making my own port, so I might have a look at that once the mead's bottled up.

[George Salt]

Hmm interesting anyone else had a go at making their own liqueurs or spirts?

Oh, yes.. .. sloe gin, black ginger liqueur, beech leaf noyau, elderflower liqueur, mint liqueur (creme de menthe), Christmas spirit..

I've been collecting recipes for liqueurs to write a small book.  Still got a lot to test.. .. 

[Madasasteamfish]

Hmm interesting anyone else had a go at making their own liqueurs or spirts?

Oh, yes.. .. sloe gin, black ginger liqueur, beech leaf noyau, elderflower liqueur, mint liqueur (creme de menthe), Christmas spirit..

I've been collecting recipes for liqueurs to write a small book.  Still got a lot to test.. .. 

I bravely volunteer and throw my hat into the ring as a test subject for the results all these recipies 

[Clym Angus]

Yes, our sloe gin recipe is evolving nicely (now in its 5th year, a devilish brew much loved by certain areas of the London Punkary) the apple brandy too is not too bad (it did suffer from last years drought however) the rose-hip vodka however was something of a disappointment.

This year I hope to be completing my workshop and cellar, which will enable me to extend my alcoholic reach exponentially. There is also the small matter of my grand parents "brewing book" with over 30 years (then left fallow for another 30) worth of recipe refining. Truly a family treasure that requires adequate review and implementation.

So yes I have a small knowledge of alchemy.....

[hexidecima]

I've made concord grape liqueur, putting sugar (about a cup) and homegrown grapes (about a quart) in white brandy (750 ml) and letting it set for a month.  It ended up tasting exactly like a grape Jolly Rancher (US hard candy), colored dark purple. and was dubbed the "special candy" by those who partook.  I tried the same thing with dark cherries and it failed miserably. 

[George Salt]

Hmm interesting anyone else had a go at making their own liqueurs or spirts?

Oh, yes.. .. sloe gin, black ginger liqueur, beech leaf noyau, elderflower liqueur, mint liqueur (creme de menthe), Christmas spirit..

I've been collecting recipes for liqueurs to write a small book.  Still got a lot to test.. .. 

I bravely volunteer and throw my hat into the ring as a test subject for the results all these recipies 

The Dark Ginger Liqueur and the Christmas Spirit (and cake) are on the previous page of this thread.

If you want some untested recipes.. I can provide a few of those

[Madasasteamfish]

Hmm interesting anyone else had a go at making their own liqueurs or spirts?

Oh, yes.. .. sloe gin, black ginger liqueur, beech leaf noyau, elderflower liqueur, mint liqueur (creme de menthe), Christmas spirit..

I've been collecting recipes for liqueurs to write a small book.  Still got a lot to test.. .. 

I bravely volunteer and throw my hat into the ring as a test subject for the results all these recipies 

The Dark Ginger Liqueur and the Christmas Spirit (and cake) are on the previous page of this thread.

If you want some untested recipes.. I can provide a few of those

Oh please. I'm all for a spot of kitchen alchemy. Especially when booze results.

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

On the kitchen Alchemy front.... Does anyone have a TEA wine recipe they would mind posting? Tried some recently and forgot to pick up the reciepe!

[Madasasteamfish]

Of course here's mine from memory roughly (I'll check all the details at some point)

4 tablespoons loose tea (or 12 teabags)
2lbs 8oz sugar
5 pints of boiling water
1 tsp citric acid (this is particularly important if you don't want a disastrous brew thanks to an overactive yeast)
1 campden tablet
yeast and nutrient

1. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water and add the tea. Leave to infuse until cool (a big pan helps here)
2. Strain the tea out/remove the tea bags and pour the liquid into a demijohn or other fermenting vessel
3. Add the activated yeast, nutrient, acid and crushed campden tablet
4. Top up with cold boiled water and bung with an airlock before leaving it to ferment out to dryness
5. When fermenting has finished rack it and leave to settle before bottling

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

Awesomesauce!

[Madasasteamfish]

Have looked up my tea wine recipe and amended it as nessecary. I've also used it to reasonable effect with herbal fruit 'tea' infusions.

[George Salt]

Ok.. I'll put up over the next few days a few of the untested recipes I've colected, focussing on the steamiest..

Spiced honey whisky
Use a middle of the road blended Scotch for this, not a single malt.

70 cl whisky
700 g honey
1x Cinnamon stick
1x Vanilla pod

The recipe came with no notes, so I'm guessing a bit as to the technique.  Allowing for the displacement of the honey you'll need a 1.5 litre bottle or clip-top jar - a jar will be better as it will allow you to add/remove the spices more easily.  If you're making gin or vodka based recipes you can often buy you alcolhol more cheaply in 1.5 litre bottles and they're useful to keep.  Or you could halve the ingredients (break the cinnamon stick in half, but use the whole vanilla pod for a bit less time) to use a smaller jar/bottle.

Warm the honey by placing the jar(s) in a pan of warm water with a gentle heat below.  Do not allow the honey to boil or burn as it will affect the flavour.  You just want it nice and runny so you can pour it.  Warm your steeping bottle (fill with hot water from the tap, allow to warm up and then drain).  Pour the honey into the steeping jar (you may need a funnel if using a bottle), and slowly pour on the whisky, giving it a swirl as you do.  Don't be worried if it doesn't all dissolve straight away, I wouldn't expect it to.  Add the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod.  Give the bottle a gentle swirl every day or two, that will help the honey dissolve but you don't want to break the spices.

Have a sip every week to judge the flavour.  When you think it's ready, strain into the presentation bottle(s) and put to one side for a month to mellow.

Let me know how long you left it and what you think.  The recipe could probably be developed by adding more spices, eg. a clove or two (never too many, they're extremely powerful in liqueurs - you may need to remove those before the other spices), or a star anise, or a couple of cardomon pods, or a few black peppercorns.  You could put all the spices into a muslin bag to make it easier to remove them.


Bear's tooth, or, Bear hunter (Baerenfang or Baerenjaeger)
A German recipe in so many variations it could fill a book in it's own right.  But here's a simple one I haven't tested yet.

70 cl gin or vodka (I prefer gin for liqueurs as vodka can be too harsh)
500 g honey
Grated ginger root (no quanty given, I suggest a thumb-sized piece, peeled and either grated or finely sliced)
Zest of one lemon

As for the first recipe, warm the honey until it's runny and then combine with the other ingredients.  The recipe here calls for it to be left for 4 weeks before straining and bottling.

Variations on this add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, and a vanilla pod.

Another variation uses 2 parts alcohol to 1 part honey and 1 part Pilsner beer, warmed in a pan until the honey just dissolves (being careful not to evaporate off the alcohol) and then leave to streep for a month before drinking.

[George Salt]

I've racked my elderberry wine this morning.. filling five demijohns from the bulk FV.  Still a touch sweet, and an impressive build-up of tartrate crystals on the sides of the fermentation vessel.  The plan is to watch this carefully under airlock to see if the change of scenery will kick the yeast into action and finish off the last of the sugar, then put under a solid bung for bulk-aging.  Making such a large batch this year is my cunning plan to get some bottles to the 5 year mark before opening.

[Rev. Jade]

I meant to post awhile ago, but completely forgot about it!
I bottled my last two batches of mead (3-ish gallons of cherry and cinnamon mead and 1.5 gallons of orange clove mead) a couple of months ago, after aging in carboys for quite awhile.
Both ended up around 16%, but I cannot remember exactly what they were and I seem to have misplaced my notes.
They are both very delicious, and deceptively strong.
The sweetness hides the alcohol, and then it hits you when you stand up.
I left a bottle of the cherry mead in the refrigerator for a week, and afterwards it had thickened up; enough so that I contemplated using it as a rather runny syrup on pancakes, but I just drank it instead.

I also kegged another batch of hard cider last week, using the same recipe as I have used before but with better apple cider to start off with.
It aged for around a month before kegging, and the final product ended up around 10% ABV.
It's my favorite batch to date, though at 5+ gallons I've got quite a bit of drinking ahead of me! 

[Mercury Wells]

Saffron Ale...would it taste of much? (ok I know that Saffron is bloody expensive ).

Maybe Saffron for the colour & Maple Syrup for the flavour, would that work?

[Madasasteamfish]

It's ALIVE! *cue maniacal laughter and thunder*

Saffron Ale...would it taste of much? (ok I know that Saffron is bloody expensive ).

Maybe Saffron for the colour & Maple Syrup for the flavour, would that work?

Erm not sure. Having never tried saffron I can't say how much it would affect the taste. Anyone else up to much. I haven't been up to much thanks to moving, but I can say with some confidence that after making my own first malt based brew, I will NEVER go back to using malt extract kits.

[von Corax]

I can say with some confidence that after making my own first malt based brew, I will NEVER go back to using malt extract kits.

Congrats. That's still on my todo list.

Was this a full-mash recipe, or an extract + specialty malt partial mash? (And for that matter, what did you brew?)

[Rev. Jade]

I can say with some confidence that after making my own first malt based brew, I will NEVER go back to using malt extract kits.

Full mash is definitely the way to go!
Malt extract kits just cannot even come close to the flavor, color. clarity, and so forth that you can achieve with a full mash.
And yes, what did you brew?

[Madasasteamfish]

It was a best bitter I made via a partial mash using spray malt. Have been tempted to do a full mash but am a bit uneasy about doing it without the means to keep it at a constant temperature for the time needed.

[Rev. Jade]

It is definitely necessary to have some way of keeping it at a constant temperature during the mash, but you can do it over a burner if you are careful and pay attention to the thermometer.

[von Corax]

I believe the customary mash tun for those starting out in full-mash is an insulated plastic beverage or picnic cooler, of the type sold (on this side of the Pond) under the names Gott, Coleman or Rubbermaid.

[Madasasteamfish]

It is definitely necessary to have some way of keeping it at a constant temperature during the mash, but you can do it over a burner if you are careful and pay attention to the thermometer.

I know, but unfortunately, I'm currently living with my parents and doing it in the kitchen over an electric hob, if it was gas I'd be more than happy to give it a go.

I believe the customary mash tun for those starting out in full-mash is an insulated plastic beverage or picnic cooler, of the type sold (on this side of the Pond) under the names Gott, Coleman or Rubbermaid.

Ah yes, I've seen one or two of those being sold online or in home brew shops, but at the moment I'm a tad too cash strapped to buy one.

[von Corax]

I believe the customary mash tun for those starting out in full-mash is an insulated plastic beverage or picnic cooler, of the type sold (on this side of the Pond) under the names Gott, Coleman or Rubbermaid.

Ah yes, I've seen one or two of those being sold online or in home brew shops, but at the moment I'm a tad too cash strapped to buy one.

I'm not sure a brew shop would be the place to buy one anyway. Try a large hardware or department store with an "Outdoors" department. It might still be too expensive, but likely not by as much. For example, (and I fully realize price and availability will be different where you are,) the latest flyer from Canadian Tire (national hardware chain) lists a 25 qt. square cooler's regular price at CA$24.00.