Recent content by Stephen Cook

I have used bentonite as well. It's works very well, in my experience. But, does tend to strip the colour and some flavour as well. But, maybe I am imagining the flavour thing because of the loss of colour. I should say, this is when I have used it following fermentation. Crushed eggshells, on...

I collect up used eggshells and put then in a container with a tiny drop of detergent. Then swish them round a bit to clean off any debris. They will break up a bit at this point, which is fine. I then drop then all in a sieve or collander and rinse them off under the tap. Then put them in the...

I'm personally not bothered in the slightest about pectin haze. I am only bothered about yeast and other solids. Given enough time, it is generally true they will drop out. But, this can sometimes take many months and, very occasionally for reasons that are outside of my knowledge base, they...

Thanks for the advice

I make tea wine all the time. I have seen someone make ginger beer infused with black treacle on the web at about 5% abv. So, I thought I would combine all of these by making a tea wine infused with ginger and a bit of black treacle at about 12% abv It might taste great It might at least taste...

Aye, I reckon so

I clear my wine with dried, powdered eggshell. It takes about a month. But it works. Mind you, I should note, it reduces acidity so you may need to add some back in to balance it once cleared.

After fermentation, pour the apple wine into empty 2 litre plastic PET bottles, leaving an inch or two in the top of the bottle. Then place in the freezer for a few days till frozen solid. Than bring back out, undo the lid, turn upside down in a pan and allow 1/2 to melt out. The liquid that...

Apple and raisin wine. 13% ABV. Smells grand.

Get 5 litres of cheap Asda apple juice, Put into a clean 5 litre demijohn, dissolve enough sugar in it to bring the potential ABV up to, say, 6%. Add 1 camden tablet and leave for 24 hours. 24 hours later, pitch a teaspoon of bread yeast and put on an airlock and leave till fully fermented out...

apple jack

Did a bit of mixology today 2 litres of freeze-fractionated-fortified tea and raisin wine at 24% abv (with half a teaspoom of citric acid added) mixed with 2 litres of freeze-fractionated-fortified supermarket blackcurrant jam wine at 24% abv with nothing added. Mixed together. About 4 litres...

Got another gallon of tea and raisin sherry on the go. 2 litres at around 24% ABV when processed.

Bleach. Everything.

Blackcurrant jam "sherry" Ingredients/equipment 4 * 450g jars of Co-op blackcurrant jam = £4 1 * teaspoon of Youngs desert yeast = 20p (a guess) 1 * teaspoon of yeast nutrient = 20p (a guess) 1 * campden tablet to sterilize the initial brew prior to fermentation = 5p (a guess) A few...