Homebrew / Moonshine - Sink vodka appreciation

  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Troonos said:
 I've bocheted my honey, which is simmering it until it darkens and becomes caramelized. I've honestly never really found it to be worth it. It doesn't retain a lot of caramel flavor.
Click to expand...
I have to aggressively cook my honey to get it to become what I would describe as "true Caramel"
Basically stir and wait until it starts to pop with smoke
I have an Autumn bochet I make with Chai tea and then I add white oak and second use spices from Apple Pie Moonshine in for secondary Fermentation
 
Dfackt0 said:
I have to aggressively cook my honey to get it to become what I would describe as "true Caramel"
Basically stir and wait until it starts to pop with smoke
I have an Autumn bochet I make with Chai tea and then I add white oak and second use spices from Apple Pie Moonshine in for secondary Fermentation
Click to expand...
If you cook it aggressively until it smokes, you're going to get burned flavors. Like everything in brewing, bocheting requires patience - it darkens after 45-90 minutes depending on the level of caramelization you want.

However, I've quit bocheting on the stove. I do it in a water bath with a sous vide now. No risk of burning there.
 
i kinda figured youd try to tell me how to bochet when im well aware of how to bochet properly
i like the burned flavors it gains when done this way
there is beauty in the imperfections, regardless of what elitism from interviews and quests to formulate the perfect mead have told you
 
I like some bubbly myself, think repriming cheap wine with champagne yeast would work? Get a good setup to avoid explosion and make don stutter'hom
 
I've been making batches of rice wine with yeast balls for six months and it's easy and boozy. I want to try making actual sake with koji but it sounds autistically complicated.
 
Joshua Connor Tomar said:
I like some bubbly myself, think repriming cheap wine with champagne yeast would work? Get a good setup to avoid explosion and make don stutter'hom
Click to expand...
Probably not. The ABV of most wine is toward the tolerance of most yeasts, and even a yeast with an 18% tolerance is going to have a really hard time getting started in that much alcohol and will produce fusels and off-flavors from stress in the 5% chance it actually starts fermenting.

Sparkling wines are cheap. Just buy it.

raspberry mocha said:
I've been making batches of rice wine with yeast balls for six months and it's easy and boozy. I want to try making actual sake with koji but it sounds autistically complicated.
Click to expand...
I've been making batches of makgeolli by the traditional method with nuruk with my Korean colleague for a few months. It's a really fun process, and the resulting product is delicious. I added a little allulose (unfermentable) to balance the acidity, and it tastes like a commercial one now. I assume sake brewing with koji is similar.
 
I’d recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an easy, good-tasting wine. Works well when mixed with other fruits, doesn’t need aging to improve taste, has a long shelf life due to citric acid being an antioxidant, so little worry of it turning to vinegar, and little worry of botulism or other nastiness due to its high acidity. I’ve made batches mixed with fresh cranberries, when they are in season. Best stuff I’ve made so far! Haven’t had any trouble with the yeast either. Just activate it with a yeast rehydration nutrient, like go-frem, before adding it to the batch.
 
Hardman said:
I’d recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an easy, good-tasting wine. Works well when mixed with other fruits, doesn’t need aging to improve taste, has a long shelf life due to citric acid being an antioxidant, so little worry of it turning to vinegar, and little worry of botulism or other nastiness due to its high acidity. I’ve made batches mixed with fresh cranberries, when they are in season. Best stuff I’ve made so far! Haven’t had any trouble with the yeast either. Just activate it with a yeast rehydration nutrient, like go-frem, before adding it to the batch. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JLr8ILctsgM
Click to expand...
DTM is a high recommendation from me. He and Man Made Mead are by far the most educational and knowledgeable YouTube mead channels. Avoid City Steading Brews at all costs, as I've said before.
 
Got another batch of honey set up and fermenting, Wanted to try something different, so this time I'm gonna allow it to ferment with minimal addition (usual 2-3 pieces of clove to inhibit bad bacteria in a gallon batch). Starting specific gravity is 1.15
Gonna make two different batches; one will have star anise, cardamom and cinnamon in secondary for a dessert wine; the other, I'll try using those fruit syrups to see how they work.
Any suggestions though on whether I should try and stop fermentation early and go for a dessert wine; or whether I should let it fully ferment? Because I think a spiced mead would be best as a dessert wine; however, I don't want it too sweet for the syrups, because those syrups already have a good amount of sugar in them.
 
The Fuck's Going On Here said:
Got another batch of honey set up and fermenting, Wanted to try something different, so this time I'm gonna allow it to ferment with minimal addition (usual 2-3 pieces of clove to inhibit bad bacteria in a gallon batch). Starting specific gravity is 1.15
Gonna make two different batches; one will have star anise, cardamom and cinnamon in secondary for a dessert wine; the other, I'll try using those fruit syrups to see how they work.
Any suggestions though on whether I should try and stop fermentation early and go for a dessert wine; or whether I should let it fully ferment? Because I think a spiced mead would be best as a dessert wine; however, I don't want it too sweet for the syrups, because those syrups already have a good amount of sugar in them.
Click to expand...
What bad bacteria are you inhibiting? Just sanitize your vessel and dip your whole spices in a bit of vodka or sanitizer for 30 seconds. I've always said the best way to add clove to your mead is to put half a clove on a shelf 20 feet away from the mead for 30 seconds. It imparts its flavor so quickly and overwhelms everything else. One whole clove is probably enough for 5 gallons, and I wouldn't leave it in there any longer than 1-2 days.

The yeast multiply so quickly that they'll almost immediately be orders of magnitude more populous than the couple of bacteria that survive sanitation. Just have proper aseptic technique and won't have to try folk remedies.

Halting fermentation early is going to limit your ABV potential. Just ferment dry, stabilize, and backsweeten.
 
Any recommendations on 5 gallon widemouth jars for fermentation?
 
Squanto Airi said:
Any recommendations on 5 gallon widemouth jars for fermentation?
Click to expand...
Big Mouth Bubbler v2.0 is the greatest. Glass so you can see the fermentation. Much thicker than a traditional carboy for durability. Huge opening. I use the 5.5 gallon, 6.5 gallon, and several 1.5 gallon versions for every primary, then carboys for secondaries.
 
Troonos said:
Big Mouth Bubbler v2.0 is the greatest. Glass so you can see the fermentation. Much thicker than a traditional carboy for durability. Huge opening. I use the 5.5 gallon, 6.5 gallon, and several 1.5 gallon versions for every primary, then carboys for secondaries.
Click to expand...
many thanks fren
Hope you have a Merry Christmas
 
Squanto Airi said:
many thanks fren
Hope you have a Merry Christmas
Click to expand...
I’d recommend looking for a local brewing supply store, before purchasing online. It’s usually cheaper, especially on shipping costs, and they most often have used equipment that you can get discounted. I’d recommend plastic for most starters since it’s much cheaper, easier to store, and much lighter at the 5+ gallon size. Glass can be quite difficult to safely carry when it’s full, if you forget to put a sling on the carboy. Otherwise, I’d recommend MoreBeer’s Carboy. Glass is better for aging.

Merry Christmas!
 
Last edited:
Got me a bunch of juniper don't know what to make with it. I think you are only supposed to use a little per brew and I'm rolling in it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom