Mumathomebrew
Well-Known Member
I was spring cleaning the very neglected area for warm ferment above the cooker stairs. There were numerous demijohns there and some unspeakable bottles of mystery mould etc etc. You know the sorts of things. Covered in kitchen greasy dust and all the airlocks dried out, so they've been ignored for years. Well time to clear up... to release the empty demis for beer.
Most, as expected, were absolute vinegar, but the most awful bottle of all, one that I would have probably thrown without even a sniff... was a rare success of pure neglect. A Château Yquem of home-brew. A wild plum and banana dessert wine made on the 31/12/2013.
So here is the recipe, word for word out of my notebook, for those who wish to badly make and neglect some wine in a plastic water bottle for 7 years without a proper airlock.
31/12/13 - 8oz wild plums + 8 oz sugar (tastes as astringent as sloes) in 2.5pints water and 1/2 tsp pectolase
7/1/14 - (started to get mouldy so sieved and reboiled)
+ 4 pints black banana water (4 ancient black bananas chopped with skins boiled in 5 pints) + campden tab
8/1/14 - Bordeaux yeast + lemon + yeast nut
10/1/14 - added 8 oz sugar
12/1/14 - added 8 oz sugar
15/1/14 - added 1lb sugar
Made and fermented in a gallon water container with the lid left loose during the ferment, then tightened for maturation so no airlock at all.
Put in a dark place and utterly forgotten about on the warm step above the aga. Not even cold conditioned. The most wonderful, very sweet, dessert wine, mature and rich with a perfect balance between the banana and plum, all gentle with age. It cost seven years and at least seven other demis of putrid vinegar.... a high, but worthy, price for the holy grail of home-brew. Very funny.
Most, as expected, were absolute vinegar, but the most awful bottle of all, one that I would have probably thrown without even a sniff... was a rare success of pure neglect. A Château Yquem of home-brew. A wild plum and banana dessert wine made on the 31/12/2013.
So here is the recipe, word for word out of my notebook, for those who wish to badly make and neglect some wine in a plastic water bottle for 7 years without a proper airlock.
31/12/13 - 8oz wild plums + 8 oz sugar (tastes as astringent as sloes) in 2.5pints water and 1/2 tsp pectolase
7/1/14 - (started to get mouldy so sieved and reboiled)
+ 4 pints black banana water (4 ancient black bananas chopped with skins boiled in 5 pints) + campden tab
8/1/14 - Bordeaux yeast + lemon + yeast nut
10/1/14 - added 8 oz sugar
12/1/14 - added 8 oz sugar
15/1/14 - added 1lb sugar
Made and fermented in a gallon water container with the lid left loose during the ferment, then tightened for maturation so no airlock at all.
Put in a dark place and utterly forgotten about on the warm step above the aga. Not even cold conditioned. The most wonderful, very sweet, dessert wine, mature and rich with a perfect balance between the banana and plum, all gentle with age. It cost seven years and at least seven other demis of putrid vinegar.... a high, but worthy, price for the holy grail of home-brew. Very funny.
