Homebrewing... and other mysterious potions

Bad_azz

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I like to dabble in brewing my own booze.
I am no expert, I am no drinker really either.
I just love all the science of it and those who drink my stuff like the product- so it is a win win situation.

Recently I have been raiding the lemon tree and brewing up some lemony hooch.
Lemons, boiled up in sugar, water let it cool to room temp & & add yeast, bottle in a screwtop container with the top open a crack to let the gas escape & stand in a dish of water to keep the ants from finding it. easy peasy.
~~~~~
Tips:
Things I find complicated to get hold of here : wine yeast & other chemically-fancy things such as "nutrients" and "Campden tablets" etc.
There is a website/online store now, called Java Brewcraft.co - I think in Tokopedia, they have a lot of homebrew paraphernalia

Anyway the lack of these ingredients has simplified my 'work" & made me root out the old recipes- because brewing is as old as time and they didn't have Campden tablets in Ancient Rome lol.

I brought a lot of wine yeast from the UK and use that- but if you go to the traditional market you can get fresh yeast "ragi" - wine yeast generates a higher alcohol content than bread yeast, up to about 15-18%

Bread yeast gives the booze a bit of a bready aroma- not great but the taste isn't too bready.
~~~~~~~~~
Anyway- I found a recipe for tea wine BUT because I guard and ration out my Yorkshire tea & because I have a box of Strawberry tea (that is yuck!), I am going to attempt to make Strawberry tea wine tomorrow.
A friend wants a lesson in it and is coming to visit tomorrow so witches brewing hats will be firmly in place.
In short you need some cold strong tea, sugar, 2 lemons, water & yeast- the recipe calls for raisins (but doesn't call for yeast- raisins have a natural yeast that will kick off fermentation- but slowly)- I don't have them so I won't use them- the point is to keep my brew as cheap as possible.

Will update how it goes in a later post.

* couldn't be bothered waiting - I was in brewing mood.
 
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Tea , lemons, sugar, water all boiled up & cooling down - then will add to the fermentation vessel and add the yeast & let nature/science do its thing.
 
Are we preparing for an Alcohol ban BA, useful hints for those who will be in need, I quite enjoyed doing it as it gives a lot of satisfaction, one the consumption with friends plus two fingers up to the authorities,
 
Are we preparing for an Alcohol ban BA, useful hints for those who will be in need, I quite enjoyed doing it as it gives a lot of satisfaction, one the consumption with friends plus two fingers up to the authorities,

No idea about alcohol bans- they drag the threat out every year..
I don't really drink alcohol - I have to be in the right mood for it.

But it is nice when friends come round and tentatively sip at what the crazy bule concocted expecting it to taste like poison... and then they light up a big smile and say "wow, enak!" That is my buzz from it... trouble is supply can't keep up with demand as our mates are a set of raging alkies.
 
I'll be keeping an eye in here for more mysterious potions and maybe a complete recipe or 2 :)hail:)

I'm not a big drinker, those days are done for me. I do enjoy a tipple though
 
I assume you can make wine from virtually anything can't you ?

We sometimes have crackdowns in our area so it would make sense to try although I've no experience whatsoever at making wine.

I'm just thinking in mango season we are quite often given half a sack of mangoes but I suppose I could use rambutan or manggis ?

Can you make anything from coconut water ? Just boil it up and add sugar and yeast ?

We've got a huge coconut plantation next to the sea which could be improved with a gallon or two of wine.

Could I use one of the 19 litre Aqua bottles ?

Any advice ?
 
I think getting decent bottles is quite important, I had a couple of bottles explode in my beer making day, putting them in the fridge helps prevent this but not totally, a friend of mine injured himself in Saudi, due a bottle blowing up, had to think up a good excuse at the hospital
 
I think getting decent bottles is quite important, I had a couple of bottles explode in my beer making day, putting them in the fridge helps prevent this but not totally, a friend of mine injured himself in Saudi, due a bottle blowing up, had to think up a good excuse at the hospital

That's not the bottle's fault, any half decent bottle will hold the pressure of a properly carbonated beer. Either your primary fermentation hadn't completely finished, or you used too much bottling sugar.

Could I use one of the 19 litre Aqua bottles ?

For the purposes of a fermentation, any bottle will do as it should be vented and won't hold any pressure. One potential problem with an Aqua bottle is that your "product" will likely be more acidic than water, and could leach some of the plastic flavors and chemicals from the jug. There are certainly food grade plastic fermenters out there, I just don't know if an Aqua jug would qualify. Glass is a good alternative if you can find something the size you wish.
 
Yes I appreciate that, but when your hydrometer has been confiscated by customs, it's a bit hit and miss at times, but the end result is quite good, the sugar again was a bit hit and miss, I used non alcoholic beer, due to the Saudis confiscating the Malt, so as it was in the experimental stage, the sugar needed some adjustment down, I can see the same happening here with the illegal brewing should those who should know better enact an alcohol ban, hopefully not like the illegal brews which are being drunk at the moment causing death, but BA has some interesting brews, I shall keep for further reference if required,
 
I assume you can make wine from virtually anything can't you ?

We sometimes have crackdowns in our area so it would make sense to try although I've no experience whatsoever at making wine.

I'm just thinking in mango season we are quite often given half a sack of mangoes but I suppose I could use rambutan or manggis ?

Can you make anything from coconut water ? Just boil it up and add sugar and yeast ?

We've got a huge coconut plantation next to the sea which could be improved with a gallon or two of wine.

Could I use one of the 19 litre Aqua bottles ?

Any advice ?

I used a big aqua bottle for my Jambu Air wine - it worked out fine- made a nice light white. A friend brought me a stopper that fits that size so that it could be used for fermentation.
Coconut water- I haven't used it yet- but I see no reason at all why it cannot be. I use the ingredients I have to hand and aim for simple and cheap yet as natural a product as possible. I figure it defeats the object if i go out and spend a fortune on equipment and ingredients.
The point of note: the bigger the bottle the heavier and clumsier it is to do anything- so I don't often make huge quantities on one vessel- I make it ip in a big vessel and ferment in the bottles and let the yeast settle to the bottom- usually at this point we get visitors and the drink gets carefully poured out and somehow vanishes before it gets filtered and bottled into the final vessel- fine by me- less work :D...
supply cannot keep up with demand hahahahahaha... our friends will drink anything- I could probably ferment piss and they would give it a try :D
My intent is to try banana wine at some point as I hear this makes a lovely wine- I bet banana & coconut water wine would be lovely.



I think getting decent bottles is quite important, I had a couple of bottles explode in my beer making day, putting them in the fridge helps prevent this but not totally, a friend of mine injured himself in Saudi, due a bottle blowing up, had to think up a good excuse at the hospital
I simply reuse pop bottles- plastic ones with screw tops- my aim is for cheap booze that tastes ok.

That's not the bottle's fault, any half decent bottle will hold the pressure of a properly carbonated beer. Either your primary fermentation hadn't completely finished, or you used too much bottling sugar.




For the purposes of a fermentation, any bottle will do as it should be vented and won't hold any pressure. One potential problem with an Aqua bottle is that your "product" will likely be more acidic than water, and could leach some of the plastic flavors and chemicals from the jug. There are certainly food grade plastic fermenters out there, I just don't know if an Aqua jug would qualify. Glass is a good alternative if you can find something the size you wish.
Yep
& nope- I never bother with bottling sugar - but IF I want to sweeten the product I add something like liquid sugar but it isn't sugar- drat I forgot the name of it- the sweetener used for diabetics.
I certainly don't worry about plastic flavours leeching butI do sometimes use the glass screw top cordial bottles.
Yes I appreciate that, but when your hydrometer has been confiscated by customs, it's a bit hit and miss at times, but the end result is quite good, the sugar again was a bit hit and miss, I used non alcoholic beer, due to the Saudis confiscating the Malt, so as it was in the experimental stage, the sugar needed some adjustment down, I can see the same happening here with the illegal brewing should those who should know better enact an alcohol ban, hopefully not like the illegal brews which are being drunk at the moment causing death, but BA has some interesting brews, I shall keep for further reference if required,

I have never used a hydrometer.
Using wine yeast shouldn't yield more than 18% max
I never add anything to up the alcohol level unless it is a dash of vodka or cointreau (imported)



*** It is ILLEGAL TO SELL THE PRODUCT ***
(just thought I would point that out)


PM me and I will see what I can do to add you to my FB group- if you wish, it is where I add recipes and tips etc.
 
I never really had success with wine, but my beer was quite good, it's amazing how many friends would turn up when the brew was done, never lasted long.
 
I never really had success with wine, but my beer was quite good, it's amazing how many friends would turn up when the brew was done, never lasted long.
Tell me about it!!
My lemon tree is having a rest- it is a very popular tree :D
I'm tempted to buy land n make a lemon orchard because the fruit is great for so many things- including homebrew lemonade ;) the type that has you plaiting your legs on the way home.
 
I used non alcoholic beer, due to the Saudis confiscating the Malt, so as it was in the experimental stage..

You were adding sugar and yeast to non-alcoholic beer? Wow, desperation indeed!
 
Well when in Saudi, it actually works quite well and is a definite improvement on the "Non" alcoholic stuff, desperate situations call for desperate measures,
 
I've PM'd you BA.

Yes, banana and coconut water wine sounds great to me and it would be really cheap as well.

I'm sure the locals will help me test it out so it can be improved over time
 
I guess there are 2 ways you can go with it too- red sugar or white sugar- I guess whichever you choose will affect the colour and taste of the end product- hell try both - why not!?
 
Thanks for your response BA, should be interesting
 
bottle in a screwtop container with the top open a crack to let the gas escape & stand in a dish of water to keep the ants from finding it. easy peasy.
~~~~~

There is a good possibility that if gas can get out, nasty stuff can get in. What I was taught is that if you don'y have an air lock, use a stretched out balloon fitted over the top. Allows gas to escapist but keeps everything else out.
 
The balloons don't work too well here over a lengthy period- they disintegrate.
Plus from a scientific viewpoint the chance of nasties getting in against a current of the more pressurised escaping gas seems slim to non-existent surely.

Anyway it works for us purely due to the simplicity. So far no reports of anyone getting sick from drinking it- and I sanitise everything beforehand.

Just about to try and get a litre of wine from a litre of grape juice :)
Bought the juice today will be adding the yeast in a bit and then seeing how it performs.
* point of note I detest the flavour of grape juice so if it makes it remotely palatable I will be a happy Mrs Squirrel.
 
How is the tea wine coming Bad_azz? 10 days now. Still foaming? Did you end up using the strawberry tea or did you just go with the good stuff?

By the way, if planning coconut water wine, only use the water from green coconuts. It already contains a lot of sugar and has more water and flavor then a ripe one. Very little sugar is added to the mix before the yeast.
 

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