chris87 297 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Decided im going to try a blackcurrant wine after i (eventually) bottle my beer. Anyone ever done blackcurrant wine or something similar. Also has anyone made a diy apple press? This is turning into a great thread!!I did a pear cider pressed found it a bloody nightmare to be honest best way is to freeze then press just makes it Easyer but you need a lot of time for very little drink but give it a go its fun cheers for the info . I had a good couple of bushes with lots of fruit i had picked a good bag and went to pick more the other days and it looks like the birds got there first so that ends than. A friend and I have loads and loads of apples between us so il be giving cider a go deffinatly just to make up a press and get ready for harvesting time. Is it the same with apples mate alot of effort for little juice? Edited July 11, 2014 by chris87 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kemperz21 65 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Hi Chris87 yes it's simalar not much juice per Apple but all depends on the variaty of Apple eat one if it's really juicy you will get more I knocked up a press of basically 2 steel plates with holes in each corner what ever size you want and some threaded bar to to pull them together just put some muselin cloth around the outside to stop the apples flying out you can always top it up with some apple juice from a carton if you need more Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris87 297 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Hi Chris87 yes it's simalar not much juice per Apple but all depends on the variaty of Apple eat one if it's really juicy you will get more I knocked up a press of basically 2 steel plates with holes in each corner what ever size you want and some threaded bar to to pull them together just put some muselin cloth around the outside to stop the apples flying out you can always top it up with some apple juice from a carton if you need morecheers bud il have to try something like that. Did you buy the threaded bar and and piece to thread it through? Would i be as well of buying a bottle jack or could i pick up them bits handy somewhere. Sorry bout all the questions Quote Link to post Share on other sites
antg 1,729 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Bought 24 litres of cloudy apple juice in Lidl yesterday, need to dig out and clean my gear and get some yeast then am away again. works perfectly john. it stays cloudy though not like the normal one that ends up very clear 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris87 297 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Matt you might of been right about my brew, dosent seem to have carbonated after a week i used carbonation drops and was told it would have carbonated after a week. I have put a bulb over the box of bottles for extra heat so fingers crossed ........... P.s i tasted 1and it tastes good just very flat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
antg 1,729 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 leave it another week chris87. wouldnt bother with bulb. ambient temp at the moment will be fine to carb up Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j.ano 2 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Good thread! I used to home-brew a few years ago, but stopped because I moved to a tiny flat and it just wasn't possible. I've never brewed full or partial mash, only kits, home-made cider and wine. Anyway, here's a few things I learned...my advice isn't gospel, it's just what I get up to. 1) Any of the books by Graham Wheeler are great, and really worth a good read. 2) With cider, mince the apples up using one of those bucket-and-drill bit jobs. Then freeze it. The apple juice expands when it turns into ice, puncturing the cell walls and the structure of the apple fragments. So, rather than needing a great press, you can squeeze it with your hands! Of course, it's easier with a great press, but if you don't have one or only have a rubbish one... 3) You can pinch the live yeast from real ales you like. So, say you're making a strong English old ale...you can stick in some Duvel yeast for that lively bubbly texture. Anglo-Flemish mix up! Just add some sugar/yeast nutrient to the bottom of an empty bottle of real ale. 4) The kits use only isomerised hop extracts, which only give bitterness not smell. To get around this, buy some good quality aroma hops in small quantities, boil them in some of the water and add them. Many homebrew shops sell a little 'teabag' for use in just one brew. It makes a hell of a difference to a kit. 5) With bottling, the key is time. Ideally, if you are bottling an ale, you should keg it for a month, then leave it for 2 months in the bottles. Otherwise, you are not really getting the full benefits of bottling. 6) Buy a keg with a tap at the bottom. You then spend far less on bottled gas to pump beer up to the top of the keg. 7) Keep your stuff ultra-clean. Think Breaking Bad. Buy a notebook to record your hydrometer readings, ingredients, what you did etc. You don't remember it all, which is annoying when you have a perfect brew... 9) Full malt does end up better than part-malt, part sugar kits. 10) I rack off (siphon) my brews half way through the fermentation, get rid of the dead yeast at the bottom and then pop the beer back in. I do the same before kegging as well. I think this makes the beer clearer, as I have less dead yeast to deal with at the kegging and/or bottling stages. Keep brewing. The good news is I have just moved out of the tiny flat, so lookign forward to getting started again! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
antg 1,729 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Good thread! I used to home-brew a few years ago, but stopped because I moved to a tiny flat and it just wasn't possible. I've never brewed full or partial mash, only kits, home-made cider and wine. Anyway, here's a few things I learned...my advice isn't gospel, it's just what I get up to. 1) Any of the books by Graham Wheeler are great, and really worth a good read. 2) With cider, mince the apples up using one of those bucket-and-drill bit jobs. Then freeze it. The apple juice expands when it turns into ice, puncturing the cell walls and the structure of the apple fragments. So, rather than needing a great press, you can squeeze it with your hands! Of course, it's easier with a great press, but if you don't have one or only have a rubbish one... 3) You can pinch the live yeast from real ales you like. So, say you're making a strong English old ale...you can stick in some Duvel yeast for that lively bubbly texture. Anglo-Flemish mix up! Just add some sugar/yeast nutrient to the bottom of an empty bottle of real ale. 4) The kits use only isomerised hop extracts, which only give bitterness not smell. To get around this, buy some good quality aroma hops in small quantities, boil them in some of the water and add them. Many homebrew shops sell a little 'teabag' for use in just one brew. It makes a hell of a difference to a kit. 5) With bottling, the key is time. Ideally, if you are bottling an ale, you should keg it for a month, then leave it for 2 months in the bottles. Otherwise, you are not really getting the full benefits of bottling. 6) Buy a keg with a tap at the bottom. You then spend far less on bottled gas to pump beer up to the top of the keg. 7) Keep your stuff ultra-clean. Think Breaking Bad. Buy a notebook to record your hydrometer readings, ingredients, what you did etc. You don't remember it all, which is annoying when you have a perfect brew... 9) Full malt does end up better than part-malt, part sugar kits. 10) I rack off (siphon) my brews half way through the fermentation, get rid of the dead yeast at the bottom and then pop the beer back in. I do the same before kegging as well. I think this makes the beer clearer, as I have less dead yeast to deal with at the kegging and/or bottling stages. Keep brewing. The good news is I have just moved out of the tiny flat, so lookign forward to getting started again! if your starting up again give me a shout. i all grain brew now and have some kits left that id happily sort you out with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris87 297 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 leave it another week chris87. wouldnt bother with bulb. ambient temp at the moment will be fine to carb upwill it do any harm antg? Its only a low watt energy saver. The brew is in a log cabin that can get cold even this time of year at night. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
antg 1,729 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 leave it another week chris87. wouldnt bother with bulb. ambient temp at the moment will be fine to carb upwill it do any harm antg? Its only a low watt energy saver. The brew is in a log cabin that can get cold even this time of year at night. wont do any harm really chris. first few days of the brew temp plays a part. too high can cause eastery flavours and is believed to give you a headache. the carbonation drops do seem to take a little longer to carb your drink up though. i never use them. good old tate n lyle for me lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris87 297 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 leave it another week chris87. wouldnt bother with bulb. ambient temp at the moment will be fine to carb upwill it do any harm antg? Its only a low watt energy saver. The brew is in a log cabin that can get cold even this time of year at night. wont do any harm really chris. first few days of the brew temp plays a part. too high can cause eastery flavours and is believed to give you a headache. the carbonation drops do seem to take a little longer to carb your drink up though. i never use them. good old tate n lyle for me lol lol cheers for the info . Really enjoying all this learning about brewing. This my first brew is not even certain to be succesfull and im trying to fit more buckets yeast ect into my budget every week . Im well and truly hooked all ready ha Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jessdale 416 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 I have done a good few coopers stout, brewed to outlaw petes recipe, and that is a very nice drink. Just about to keg a festival golden stag ale do that should be nice in a month or so. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiny 7 1,694 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 So how easy is it to brew a scrumpy cider say something like old rosey...? Flat bit strong little bite....... lovely like drinking duice 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kemperz21 65 Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Chris87 yes easy to get hold of I found the metal plates in the garage but you could get from any hardwear store needs to be atleast 6mm maybe more thick checker plate will do and threaded bar I got from B&Q I've seen in farm suppliers too cheaper there just put together over a a drum and pull the plates together a bottle jack will work but you need somthing for the jack to press againsed have you made somthing already ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kemperz21 65 Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 So how easy is it to brew a scrumpy cider say something like old rosey...? Flat bit strong little bite....... lovely like drinking duice yes it's easy to brew but I found the stronger you go the less taste I did it a few times and the strong stuff was like stripped of flavour just alcohol tase left like vodka not nice so be carefull how long you leave it to ferment and find a compromise flavour over strength Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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