Brewing 20%ABV alcohol

[K4KEV]

Some time back I said I would make a thread about this....well since I am down to my last 4 bottles , now would be a good time, I will update this thread as I am actually doing it.
So, first thing you need to do is (assuming you have some brewing kit already)
purchase a kit or get all the bits separately, I used to get mine from a brewing shop in Hougton Le Spring but now I get it from ebay and at the same time I usually get my topshelf spirit concentrates as well, which is always
Southern haze, Vodka, Irish whiskey and Dry vermouth, Southern haze being my favorite as it is amazingly close to Southern comfort....all can be had from this ebay shop... here is a link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221034476438?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

This is an awsome price especially as it includes 11kg of monohydrate dextrose or brewing sugar to you or me, if you want a nice clean taste then this is the stuff to use....ordinary granulated sugar is crap...I've tried it.
What you will need to end up with 5 gallon of alcohol is .....a 5 gallon brewing bucket some sterilizing solution a piece of siphon tubing and bottles or containers to store the finished product in. I always use an aquarium heater to to keep the wash at a stable temp of 24 -25 centigrade but it not essential.
Well I ordered my kit from ebay yesterday so I should have it by Mon/Tuesday and that's when we shall start and I will do it stage by stage and day by day.

[Not Anumber]

How did you get on with the next stage ?

Would beer brewing equipment, plastic tank,hydrometer , submersible heater etc be ok to use for this ?

Is it best to use spirits bottles or screw cap wine bottles (I'm presuming a pressure barrel with added CO2 wouldnt really be the best :eek: )

[K4KEV]

Yep that is all that I used....in fact I capped mine at 20% as I wanted a thorough fermentation, I did this by using the hydrometer to achieve the correct specific gravity to sugar quantity and this worked out at around 9kg of sugar so over several brewing sessions I end up with enough sugar to get an extra one on the go.
I received my box of goodies yesterday so I will unpack them tonight to get the first stage under way very soon.
ps I just use 1.5L screw cap wine bottles and no I don't "fizz" any of them I use it all as spirit or liquor

[K4KEV]

Ok here is what the ingredients look like out of the box...the bottles of concentrate are my own choice you could use anything orange,black currant, banana....the choice is yours.
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0768_zps0ff9aec5.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0768_zps0ff9aec5.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0769_zps05155f00.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0769_zps05155f00.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0770_zpsf0be1265.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0770_zpsf0be1265.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0771_zpsb6b59667.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0771_zpsb6b59667.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

First thing to do is get your brewing stuff together and start to sterilize everything you are going to use

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0772_zpsda7e875f.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0772_zpsda7e875f.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0773_zpsd4eb0566.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0773_zpsd4eb0566.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0774_zps29992de5.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0774_zps29992de5.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

Once that is done, lets start brewing first stage is really simple....I like to start putting in the sugar one bag first then I use a 3L jug to start pouring hot water from the tap then keep repeating until full...if you use hot water by the time you have poured all the water and the sugar in give it a good stir the temperature will be down to where it needs to be 22-26C
Now is a good time to take a hydrometer reading to get the specific gravity, you don't really need to it is personal preference for me as I like to know what the ABV is at the end the end..... I forgot to take it at this point so I did it later when all the ingredients were mixed....now time to put the yeast in and the yeast nutrient ...give a mix up then finally the activated carbon, this gets rid of all the nasty yeast flavour at the end of fermentation, if you have a heater now is the time to put it in and put the "wash" as it is called where you want it to sit for the next 8-10 days....I just leave mine in the kitchen at the end of a worktop.....nearly forgot to say remember to put the lid on it.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0775_zps1955197f.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0775_zps1955197f.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0776_zpsdde865fa.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0776_zpsdde865fa.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0777_zpsd873fa71.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0777_zpsd873fa71.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0779_zps791f2607.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0779_zps791f2607.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

Ok that was all done last night and today on checking the wash, it is well under way with vigorous fermenting taking place....now it is just a case of watching it go through the process each day

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0784_zps8d789a0a.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0784_zps8d789a0a.jpg.html)

[Davidbolam]

It's looking tasty at the moment Kev lol. I am going to go and dig out my fermenting barrels! My wife says my brew always tastes like hairspray but after the first half pint it's quite nice.

David

[K4KEV]

Dave ...It used to put me off when I did beer and lager cos the orrible yeasty flavours that were left, but ever since home brewing introduced the activated carbon it has made home brew very palatable indeed and the Still Spirits top shelf concentrates are so accurate in their flavours....like Southern Haze really does taste like southern comfort and the irish whisky tastes exactly like Jamesons
Vodka....well nearly all vodka tastes the same, the dry vermouth tastes like Martini and of course that is the same strength.....give it a go, but for gods sake watch out ...I used to use a pint glass halfy half with lemonade gone back to 1/4 now and taking it easy:rolleyes:

[K4KEV]

Just checked on brew and as you can see from the photo it is now at full throttle and looks like something simmering in a pan.....you can even hear the bubbles when you stand next to it click the first picture for a 10 sec clip

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/th_SAM_0786_zps09f51158.jpg (http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0786_zps09f51158.mp4)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0785_zps81234c81.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0785_zps81234c81.jpg.html)

[twinturbo]

Hot water from the tap :eek: that's not a good idea.

I would be using boiled water.

TT

[alga]

Why? Risk of infection, or, vice versa, chlorine harmful to yeast?

[twinturbo]

If it's come from a hot water storage tank then there will be bactira already breading in it, give them a nice warm mid 20's vat full of suggar and the bacteria will grow.

From a combi hot water supply would not be as bad as it has not sat arround.

The whole point of steralising the equipment is to kill of bacteria and if you put them back in with the hot water then your steralising efforts are a bit of a waste of time.

hot water also disolves contaminents easier than cold so your water will have other things in that you don't want.

It's not recomended to even drink hot tap water.

Ideally we would do it with distilled water, but that's an expensive option when making cheap booze!

TT

[Stot]

You can buy 25l of RO water at most aquarium shops for ~£2.50 and is much cleaner even than distilled water. You need a 25l container to buy it in but from what I understand its the purity of ingredients that makes the best booze.

Cheers
Stot

[twinturbo]

You can buy 25l of RO water at most aquarium shops for ~£2.50 and is much cleaner even than distilled water. You need a 25l container to buy it in but from what I understand its the purity of ingredients that makes the best booze.

Cheers
Stot

My freind kept recomending building a RO for the pond, my fish don't seem to mind tap water but they are not £££££ Koi ;)

[twinturbo]

And yes boiling will help the dechlorination process.

TT

[Stot]

My freind kept recomending building a RO for the pond, my fish don't seem to mind tap water but they are not £££££ Koi ;)

I keep tropicals and being lazy I have setup a syphon system with a zone valve that empties ~50l of water each night and then an RO system drip feeds directly back into the tank and its full again by morning.

So I basically do a 15% water change daily, while asleep. :p

Cheers
Stot

[Davidbolam]

Won't the alcohol in the water kill any of the bacteria?

[twinturbo]

Won't the alcohol in the water kill any of the bacteria?

No, although your more likly to end up with a horrid low % skeg than a potentail viable looking biohazzard.

The steralising kills most bacteria in the equipment, the air lock keeps out air to reduce ingestion of 02 and other contaminents.

TT

[K4KEV]

All of the alcotec yeasts are very high tolerance and develop a strong alcohol in a very short period of time 14% in 48hrs... in the past spoilage organisms took time to "spoil" and end with vinegar ....spoilage organisms do not have time to reproduce before being rendered inert by the high alcohol content.
I have made this brew in the same way for about 2yrs now and I have never had one fail, they all follow the same pattern apart from once when I used ordinary granulated sugar and the result was drinkable but not of the same quality as with brewing sugar....my water does come from a combi boiler and the only difference there is it goes through a heat exchanger heated by gas that would be the same as putting it into a pan on a gas stove, I have brewed for many years and many a time I have made blackberry wine by letting the fruit go mouldy in a tub then add water and sugar and let the natural yeasts do their bit, again I have never ended up with vinegar. I have never met or heard of anyone ever using anything other than tapwater for home brewing, sorry guys but I will be sticking with what I know works, I would never chance £30 quids worth of ingredients if I thought there was a chance of losing it.

[twinturbo]

It just seems odd to steralise the equipment and then risk the £30 of ingridients on the water that may introduce mor contaminents than the steralising took out.

But combi water is much safer than tank water, best to let it run for a couple of minuets though to ensure the water as not sat in the exchanger and pipes.


It is 15 years since I last did any homebrew and it was normal bitter though.

TT

[K4KEV]

Still got rapid fermentation but the peak was yesterday as it always is, brew will now be around 13-14% abv....there wont be much to report over the next 6-8 days as the fermentation will settle down as each day passes
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0797_zps6af102d6.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/HOME%20BREWING/SAM_0797_zps6af102d6.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

Another short movie for today...still bbubbbbbling away

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/th_SAM_0804_zpscd9921f5.jpg (http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0804_zpscd9921f5.mp4)

[baz-r]

i make beer all the time with 5l of bioling water then top up to 40pints with cold tap water
always works fine and never any probs

whats the hangover like on the turbo yeast?

[K4KEV]

A damn sight better than beer Baz one day after drinking just over a litre my hangover consisted of a mild headache but no qeasiness/woosinness ...it comes highly recommended

[K4KEV]

nothing to report just another day bubbling away:D :D ....starting to show signs of slowing which means the sugar is nearly used up....wont be long now (better not be, I am down to my last 1.5L bottle which is good for 3 days)

[K4KEV]

Right on time ....you can almost set your watch by it .....apart from the odd bubble fermentation is just about complete, so will be looking at racking it off to another container and adding the finings to clear it, will be on that tomorrow and bottled to drink on Sunday....it will be like the packet said 7days although mine is only 20% and not 23%.

flat calm
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0810_zps7b96688c.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0810_zps7b96688c.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

Rightyo...all fermentation has now ceased altogether and the clip below shows the specific gravity has plumetted to nearly off the scale meaning I have achieved the 20% that I like to get, so a quick sterilization of gear needed to rack off to another container so I can put sachet A of the turbo clear (finings)
that went in at 2030 so sachet B will be going in soon and then hopefully ready to bottle and drink tomorrow.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/th_SAM_0812_zps0430eeb4.jpg (http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0812_zps0430eeb4.mp4)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0813_zps81304267.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0813_zps81304267.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0814_zps82c88587.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0814_zps82c88587.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0816_zps8faf5e7f.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0816_zps8faf5e7f.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

Time for the turbo klar or clear to you and me

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0817_zps6fca953b.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0817_zps6fca953b.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0819_zpsaab879c9.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0819_zpsaab879c9.jpg.html)

[K4KEV]

As of today it is still a little foggy so I am going to give it until tomorrow and then I am bottling it regardless and it can settle out in the bottles....more out of necessity cos I have not of my last batch left:eek:

[flyerncle]

And you intend to drink it ? :eek:

[K4KEV]

Absoeffinutly:d :d

[K4KEV]

Ok enough waiting , so I sterilize 17 1.5l bottles and start to rack off the liquer and I end up with 21 litres and it has not cleared as well as usual but hey I,m not fussy as there are no off flavours present so instead of putting it away in the garage I have mixed 2 gallons southern haze so that when it settles I can rack off as is and as the rest settle I will do the same....so all in all another successful brew at under £3 litre

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0831_zpsa5550e97.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0831_zpsa5550e97.jpg.html)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/gfowa/SAM_0832_zps90759dd1.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/gfowa/media/SAM_0832_zps90759dd1.jpg.html)

[flyerncle]

Nice one ! ;)

[will_08]

Whens the party at yours then?

I want to try some of your 'wreck the hoose juice' :D

[K4KEV]

bit of a drive for you Will .....Been doing some extensive testing on the brew and results are well within tolerances:D :D

[twinturbo]

well within tolerances:D :D

So you can tollerate it :o

TT

[K4KEV]

Very much so TT very much so:p