Sugar Wine aka. kilju

Nuff sed!

:thumb: thanks

But if we are merely talking about different countries' legislations, rather than how it's done, I see no harm in taking that just a little further.

I've been to proper French markets, I've driven throughout Normandy quite a bit, I've even pulled into farm yards and sampled their wares when I've seen a “degustation” sign (and I think I've got the right word in the right context this time) so I have often wondered why so many cider producers seem to have their own apple brandy, by what sort of (primitive?) methods they were produced, whether they were safe and whether or not they were legit.

So are you saying that you can make your own cider and then call in a legitimate mobile distillery? What gives you the “droit” or right, and what are the taxes like?

I'd be grateful to establish the line to which, but beyond which, I cannot go.

Here, in France, things alcoholic are very different from the UK. In consequence, I am able to produce my own cider, wines and spirits within the law. Indeed a large proportion of the French population view that as being their inalienable right. After all, I think that I am correct in saying that after the Revolution, it was Napoleon who granted to his soldiers the right to distill their own spirit without having to pay the state for the right to do so. Such would have smacked of the 'ancien regime'!

I could take my cider or my wine to the distillateur ambulante who, using machinery that those in the UK would have to see to believe, will distill that to produce an eau-de-vie. However those are not the 'base' wines that, in this part of France, commonly are used to produce eau-de-vie. Thus each year I - along with many of my neighbours - harvest plums from my own trees and others who do not use them. Pears and, less commonly, cherries, quinces and figs are also used. These are crushed and left to ferment using the natural yeasts on their skins. That's all I use - but if you want to promote a raging debate in the local bar, just ask if people think that sugar should or should not be added to raise the OG. There are the purists and those who like their eau-de-vie in excess of 50% abv! After a few days of aerobic fermentation, the lid goes on the 250 litre barrel but it is not screwed down until fermentation is complete. And there it rests, in the old bakery, until the distillateur ambulante arrives in town, usually the following February. Because I don't add sugar, my 250 litres of plum wine will yield about 20 to 25 litres of plum eau-de-vie of about 45% abv. However this year I have sourced several hundred kilos of mirabelle plums and the brix reading suggests that their OG is quite high (we have had a long, dry, hot summer here). So who knows how much and of what abv my eau-de-vie will be next year!

Well I hope that I have not over stepped the mark for I have only related what quite legally happens here in France and I have not said anything about the actual distillation process. At the risk of stating the obvious, I will say that I presume it is not open to British residents to bring their wine to France, to have it distilled here and then taken back to the UK. But I hope that this post is interesting and educative to those whose hobby is the home production of alcoholic beverages in the UK. But if it disappears quickly and I find myself banned, I will assume that freedom of speech within the EU does not always extend to the places that I think it might!

pomme homme said:

Well I hope that I have not over stepped the mark for I have only related what quite legally happens here in France and I have not said anything about the actual distillation process. At the risk of stating the obvious, I will say that I presume it is not open to British residents to bring their wine to France, to have it distilled here and then taken back to the UK. But I hope that this post is interesting and educative to those whose hobby is the home production of alcoholic beverages in the UK. But if it disappears quickly and I find myself banned, I will assume that freedom of speech within the EU does not always extend to the places that I think it might!

Click to expand...

No, I asked a question and found your answer most informative, thank you.

However, UK legislation is very diffferent, and I think that discussion has probably gone about as far as it can safely be taken.

Thank you again :

Would it be sensible to say that if there is anyone who wants to know more about legitimate distillation in France, the appropriate course of action would be to send me a PM.

Only to other French residents.

So we can't have a bank robbery board either?

To be fair to kilju, the recipe at the "official" kilju website - www.kilju.info - calls for a 7:5 water to sugar ratio, meaning that for a 1 liter batch you would add 700grams of sugar. So Moley, even though you 'boosted' your kilju recipe with an extra 50gr of sugar, you were still half short of the 300 grams per 0.5 liters, per the Kilju officianados at kilju.info. That said, I don't see anyone getting much past 14% with just baker's yeast. I could be wrong though.

I'll try a 1 liter batch tonight. I need something to add to my elderberry juice concentrate from Ikea.

This kilju sounds very interesting. Probably gonna get some on the go later on.

Funny to find a topic in here about "kilju". I`m a Finn myself and have made that several times, mostly small batches in 1.5 litre bottles or so. The results have been varying, sometimes quite horrible tasting liquid without any effect (I guess we all drink this because the alcohol content, not the taste ) and sometimes quite good brews which even cause to black out.

Now I made first time a bigger amount, around 23 litres. I used alcotec`s 48 yeast, which should do 20% in 5 days. I also used turbo carbon, which should remove impurities. The yeast was supposed to die out in 5 days, but my room temperature was probably too low and it took longer, actually much longer. After 10 days I thought fermenting was over and added turbo clear to get rid of the yeast. But I was too hasty, fermentation was still going on and the clearing agent of course had no effect! Then I waited a week more when the yeast seemed to be dead. Now I`m sipping this fine product with Moscow mixer and it is actually as good as when made with vodka. I would imagine the abv to be 17-20%.

My question is that would this turbo clear (ingredients: water, silicid acid, chitosan, sulphur dioxide) be harmful? I guess that normally there shouldn`t be any of it left in the drink as it is in the bottom with all the yeast, but not the fermenting continued and this turbo clear never went to the bottom and is still mixed in my drink.

Next time I`ll try to make wine, be more patient and stick with lower abv This of course was not a traditional kilju any more because of the added carbon and clearing agent. Real kilju is only yeast, water and sugar... no cheating methods like these!

I have to continue about this sugar wine I made. As I said it didn`t quite clear out before I bottled it. But I was surprised that after a few days in the bottle it was quite as clear as water. I then tested this stuff and it was quite strong but it made me happily drunk, last time I have gotten so happy and uplifting good mood from alcohol was from a good tequila. I was really surprised that this yeast-sugar-water combination could make this. Needless to say that the hangover day-after was terrible, although not necessarily any worse than it would have been from any other alcoholic drink. I now believe that it is possible to make good quality alcoholic drinks by yourself. Of course those including the taste too as home-brewed wines and beers are more difficult to do.

Its funny I was just discussing something like this with another nurse and this thread pops up lol.

This looks stupidly easy to make. Whats the taste like just on its own? I assume you could add fruit juices and soda's to it to make spritsers and stuff.