The Brewers' Guild

[hexidecima]

have recently been attempting the classic frozen grape juice wine called here in Pennsylvania "dago red".  The first was quite sweet, very purple-red and very much had the concord flavor.  The second was much more dry and had a lovely dark rose color.  The difference was we boiled the water and sugar the second time for a few minutes which breaks down the sucrose; in the first the water was merely gotten hot enough to dissolve the sugar.  We got about 11% alcohol from the non-boiled batch and 13% for the boiled.

husband wants to try white grape juice next.  This weekend we'll be making up a honey kolsch kit.   

[Donk!]

Got some good old ribena wine on the go at the moment... another 2 weeks and I'll be drinking it

Ooh, Ribena wine, I remember making some that before christmas, unfortunately the poor insulation in my flat lead to some rather energetic results . Am tempted to try it again at some point in the future.

Get it done lad... it's simple... yet effective! On that note I think I've used high alcohol yeast so it might be good for cleaning goggles at best!

[Rev. Jade]

My hard apple cider finished fermenting finally!
I got it sweetened with some stevia and kegged it today, so I should be drinking properly carbonated, cold hard cider tomorrow evening 
Because I added a whole bunch of frozen apple juice concentrate and brown sugar before primary fermentation, the alcohol content ended up being around 7.6%!

My next project will probably be a mead, though I don't know when that will happen or what kind of mead I'll do.

Got some good old ribena wine on the go at the moment... another 2 weeks and I'll be drinking it

Ooh, Ribena wine, I remember making some that before christmas, unfortunately the poor insulation in my flat lead to some rather energetic results . Am tempted to try it again at some point in the future.

I have not heard of Ribena wine...
Cursory Googling reveals Ribena to be a berry drink.
What kind of berries are in it?

[Madasasteamfish]

My hard apple cider finished fermenting finally!
I got it sweetened with some stevia and kegged it today, so I should be drinking properly carbonated, cold hard cider tomorrow evening 
Because I added a whole bunch of frozen apple juice concentrate and brown sugar before primary fermentation, the alcohol content ended up being around 7.6%!

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 

Proper cider should never be carbonated!  Such work is sacrilege, but the abv sounds about right for cider.

Got some good old ribena wine on the go at the moment... another 2 weeks and I'll be drinking it

Ooh, Ribena wine, I remember making some that before christmas, unfortunately the poor insulation in my flat lead to some rather energetic results . Am tempted to try it again at some point in the future.

I have not heard of Ribena wine...
Cursory Googling reveals Ribena to be a berry drink.
What kind of berries are in it?

Blackcurrants usually (although there is a strawberry variety). Well at least it's blackcurrant flavoured. I didn't know you didn't get it over that side of the pond. Quite an interesting method, but then again I suppose you could use any fruit based cordial drink with the recipe.

[von Corax]

I didn't know you didn't get it over that side of the pond.

We get Ribena on this side of the river. It's in the supermarket on the same shelf as the Rose's Lime and Rose's Grenadine.

[Rev. Jade]

My hard apple cider finished fermenting finally!
I got it sweetened with some stevia and kegged it today, so I should be drinking properly carbonated, cold hard cider tomorrow evening 
Because I added a whole bunch of frozen apple juice concentrate and brown sugar before primary fermentation, the alcohol content ended up being around 7.6%!

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 

Proper cider should never be carbonated!  Such work is sacrilege, but the abv sounds about right for cider.

I really like carbonated cider...
Probably because that's the first kind that I ever had.
It tasted good when I drink about two pints during the racking process, but I definitely think it will be better fizzy.
I like the fizz 

Got some good old ribena wine on the go at the moment... another 2 weeks and I'll be drinking it

Ooh, Ribena wine, I remember making some that before christmas, unfortunately the poor insulation in my flat lead to some rather energetic results . Am tempted to try it again at some point in the future.

I have not heard of Ribena wine...
Cursory Googling reveals Ribena to be a berry drink.
What kind of berries are in it?

Blackcurrants usually (although there is a strawberry variety). Well at least it's blackcurrant flavoured. I didn't know you didn't get it over that side of the pond. Quite an interesting method, but then again I suppose you could use any fruit based cordial drink with the recipe.

It's very possible that we get it in 'merica, but I live in the southwest and we don't get any interesting imported stuff other than things from Mexico.
It sounds delicious though!
I hope your wine turns out well.

I didn't know you didn't get it over that side of the pond.

We get Ribena on this side of the river. It's in the supermarket on the same shelf as the Rose's Lime and Rose's Grenadine.

I've never heard of those either 

[Birdnest]

Wondrous Son brought over a bottle of Mead / Apple Jack. 

Frighteningly delicious.

[Rev. Jade]

Wondrous Son brought over a bottle of Mead / Apple Jack. 

Frighteningly delicious.

Wait; was the mead mixed in with the Apple Jack?
Because that does sound delicious...
I assume by Apple Jack you mean Jack Daniels mixed with Apple Gin?

[von Corax]

I assume by Apple Jack you mean Jack Daniels mixed with Apple Gin?

I think "applejack" is a regionalism for hard apple cider that's been freeze-distilled.

[Rev. Jade]

I assume by Apple Jack you mean Jack Daniels mixed with Apple Gin?

I think "applejack" is a regionalism for hard apple cider that's been freeze-distilled.

Ah!
That would make sense too.
It's neat to see how the same words can mean different things depending on location, but I digress...

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

My Lords and Ladies of the Guild

As an amateur Brewer.... mostly in Ginger beer.....

one is after a little help, if that is not too much to ask.

I am looking into brewing Mead..... i do have one small problem as in I only have 1 gallon Demi Johns rather than the 5 Gallon Carboys that are suggested in most recipes... what would be the best way to brew mead and things fantastic?

Prof. Phineas

[Madasasteamfish]

My Lords and Ladies of the Guild

As an amateur Brewer.... mostly in Ginger beer.....

one is after a little help, if that is not too much to ask.

I am looking into brewing Mead..... i do have one small problem as in I only have 1 gallon Demi Johns rather than the 5 Gallon Carboys that are suggested in most recipes... what would be the best way to brew mead and things fantastic?

Prof. Phineas

Well, if you reduce the quantities then you easily could do it in a demijohn (most recipes I use for my brewing feature quantities for making a gallon at a time) as most mead recipes I've seen specify the amount of honey per gallon. However, if you do wish to make larger quantities, 5 gallon polythene buckets are readily available (check in your local Wilkinson's, they're the only major high street retailer to really stock home brewing supplies). The only difficulty you would have in using demijohns for mead is the storage after racking, as whilst the mead's in the demijohn, you can't use it for anything else, but they do make excellent brewing vessels.

[Rev. Jade]

My Lords and Ladies of the Guild

As an amateur Brewer.... mostly in Ginger beer.....

one is after a little help, if that is not too much to ask.

I am looking into brewing Mead..... i do have one small problem as in I only have 1 gallon Demi Johns rather than the 5 Gallon Carboys that are suggested in most recipes... what would be the best way to brew mead and things fantastic?

Prof. Phineas

Well, if you reduce the quantities then you easily could do it in a demijohn (most recipes I use for my brewing feature quantities for making a gallon at a time) as most mead recipes I've seen specify the amount of honey per gallon. However, if you do wish to make larger quantities, 5 gallon polythene buckets are readily available (check in your local Wilkinson's, they're the only major high street retailer to really stock home brewing supplies). The only difficulty you would have in using demijohns for mead is the storage after racking, as whilst the mead's in the demijohn, you can't use it for anything else, but they do make excellent brewing vessels.

I always make mead in one gallon demijohns, because otherwise I would never drink all of it 
If you find a recipe that you want to follow and that is for a 5 gallon batch, just divide the ingredients up by 5 and you should be fine.
Make sure to only use 1/5 of the amount of yeast called for in the recipe as well; anything more than that is just overkill and can result in excess sediment.
What kind of mead are you wanting: dry, medium, sweet, or something in-between?
The desired sweetness and alcohol content will be what determines how much honey you use.
You can also add fruit or fruit juice to change up the flavor.
One of my favorites that I make regularly is an orange mead.
If you do add fruit/juice, do it at the beginning of fermentation.
If you want to add spices or something like that, do it when fermentation ceases or it can cause some very strange flavors.
As far as storage after racking goes, if you only have the one demijohn you can rack the mead into a clean gallon water/juice jug, wash the demijohn, and then re-rack into the demijohn.
I would suggest racking every few weeks; you don't want the mead to sit on the sediment for too long, because it can result in off-flavors.
Once fermentation is finished, I would suggest bottling it to age it.
That way, you can open one bottle, drink it, and then determine if you want to let the rest age for longer before drinking.

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

(check in your local Wilkinson's, they're the only major high street retailer to really stock home brewing supplies).

Wilkinsons is brilliant!! they have one over in Sutton and another in Bromley, unfortunatly there is no Wilkos in Croydon!!

I always make mead in one gallon demijohns, because otherwise I would never drink all of it 
If you find a recipe that you want to follow and that is for a 5 gallon batch, just divide the ingredients up by 5 and you should be fine.
Make sure to only use 1/5 of the amount of yeast called for in the recipe as well; anything more than that is just overkill and can result in excess sediment.
What kind of mead are you wanting: dry, medium, sweet, or something in-between?
The desired sweetness and alcohol content will be what determines how much honey you use.
You can also add fruit or fruit juice to change up the flavor.
One of my favorites that I make regularly is an orange mead.
If you do add fruit/juice, do it at the beginning of fermentation.
If you want to add spices or something like that, do it when fermentation ceases or it can cause some very strange flavors.
As far as storage after racking goes, if you only have the one demijohn you can rack the mead into a clean gallon water/juice jug, wash the demijohn, and then re-rack into the demijohn.
I would suggest racking every few weeks; you don't want the mead to sit on the sediment for too long, because it can result in off-flavors.
Once fermentation is finished, I would suggest bottling it to age it.
That way, you can open one bottle, drink it, and then determine if you want to let the rest age for longer before drinking.

I shall bear this in mind. thank you!

Prof. Phineas

[Prof. DDs Flashbang Box]

as im back living with my parents again due to me being a victim of  this damn resession me and my dad thought about getting back into home brewing, but my mother has vetoed since the explosion >.<

[Unsubtle Pete]

My Lords and Ladies of the Guild

As an amateur Brewer.... mostly in Ginger beer.....

one is after a little help, if that is not too much to ask.

I am looking into brewing Mead..... i do have one small problem as in I only have 1 gallon Demi Johns rather than the 5 Gallon Carboys that are suggested in most recipes... what would be the best way to brew mead and things fantastic?

Prof. Phineas

Mead is pretty simple stuff, really. You'll need 3-4lbs of honey to get the required starting gravity, otherwise, just scale the recipe down accordingly. Do bear in mind that American gallons are delicate, dainty little things when compared to their robust Imperial counterparts 

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

My Lords and Ladies of the Guild

As an amateur Brewer.... mostly in Ginger beer.....

one is after a little help, if that is not too much to ask.

I am looking into brewing Mead..... i do have one small problem as in I only have 1 gallon Demi Johns rather than the 5 Gallon Carboys that are suggested in most recipes... what would be the best way to brew mead and things fantastic?

Prof. Phineas

Mead is pretty simple stuff, really. You'll need 3-4lbs of honey to get the required starting gravity, otherwise, just scale the recipe down accordingly. Do bear in mind that American gallons are delicate, dainty little things when compared to their robust Imperial counterparts 

the recipes that I have seen it looks really easy.... one thing i have got to get my head round is trying to work out how many grams to the lb (i know this sounds a bit thick, sorry) because most of the recipes are American (and there is nothing wrong with that)

[von Corax]

the recipes that I have seen it looks really easy.... one thing i have got to get my head round is trying to work out how many grams to the lb (i know this sounds a bit thick, sorry) because most of the recipes are American (and there is nothing wrong with that)

453.6 g/lb (454 would be close enough for Government work.)

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

453.6 g/lb (454 would be close enough for Government work.)

Thanking you Sir!!!

[hexidecima]

the mead recipe I use, and already for 1 gallon (US type) quantities: http://clubschadenfreude.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/from-the-back-room-mead/

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

that looks like a really quick recipe... but isnt mead ment to take up to a year to brew?

[hexidecima]

that looks like a really quick recipe... but isnt mead ment to take up to a year to brew?

not that I know. where have you heard that?

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

that looks like a really quick recipe... but isnt mead ment to take up to a year to brew?

not that I know. where have you heard that?

A friend of mine whom has made a very good attempt at making mead...

[von Corax]

(*Which, of course, includes women, sentient unicellular eukaryotes, and "miscellaneous/other.")

I have put the question to Sprocket sama whether it would be permissible for us to post recipes, and he officially has no objection. (I don't know whether he took it to Committee or not.) He and I also briefly discussed the best location for such postings, and I now place the latter question before you.

Should beer (&c.) recipes be posted in:

• The Brewers' Guild (this thread) — this is my preference, because here is where we are, and it is well within this thread's charter as I understand it.
• A new thread in Off Topic — this is Sprocket sama's suggestion, on the grounds that more people will see it (an argument with which I do not agree.)
• A new thread in Anatomical, because that's where food & drink stuff goes, and because I figured there ought to be a third option on general priniciples.

What say you all?

Cheers,

Prof. Darwin Prætorius von Corax

[Rev. Jade]

that looks like a really quick recipe... but isnt mead ment to take up to a year to brew?

not that I know. where have you heard that?

A friend of mine whom has made a very good attempt at making mead...

It depends on what type of yeast you use; some yeasts react far more quickly than others.
If you use a slower reacting yeast, it can take a few months to ferment, but a year is on the far outside range.
However, mead does get better with age; even quick fermenting batches can be improved by aging.

I have put the question to Sprocket sama whether it would be permissible for us to post recipes, and he officially has no objection. (I don't know whether he took it to Committee or not.) He and I also briefly discussed the best location for such postings, and I now place the latter question before you.

Should beer (&c.) recipes be posted in:

• The Brewers' Guild (this thread) — this is my preference, because here is where we are, and it is well within this thread's charter as I understand it.
• A new thread in Off Topic — this is Sprocket sama's suggestion, on the grounds that more people will see it (an argument with which I do not agree.)
• A new thread in Anatomical, because that's where food & drink stuff goes, and because I figured there ought to be a third option on general priniciples.

What say you all?

Cheers,

Prof. Darwin Prætorius von Corax

I would personally prefer to have recipes posted in this thread, as that was part of what I had in mind when I started this thread.
However, if the other Guild Members prefer something else, I suppose that would be okay; my fear is that starting a separate thread where recipes are posted would result in the death of this thread (and, by extension, our "club).