Did i just make Strawberry Vodka?

[yukipilas]

Hello all,

i accidentally made some strong alcohol and im looking for some guidance.

So i wanted to make a sweet wine from the fresh Strawberries we picked up from the field. These were the steps i followed.

Ingredients
- 2,5 kg x Cut fresh Strawberries in small pieces
- 0,5 kg Sugar
- 1x chopped ginger
- 3 x cinnamon sticks
- 1 liter of water

Step one: boiled them all together.
Step two: after cooling added Beer yeast
Step 3: Fermented for 4 Weeks ( i expected actually only 3 days). The ferment was really active because of all the sugar.
Step 4. Bubbling stopped and filtered with cheese cloth.
after opening it, it smelled strong like alcohol, i tasted a spoon of it and it was really bitter, i guess because it fermented all the sugar.
Step5. for Carbonisation I filled some bottles with 2 gr of Sugar and filled inside the strawberry wine/Vodka. I will ferment them 1 - 3 days and then put them in the fridge in a cushioned coolbox (hopefully i wont get some bombs).
Step 6: The rest i filled in two jars: 1) with Sugar so i can maybe drink it sweet, which i then realised i needed to cooldown immediately so it would not ferment, therefore i put in the freezer in a coolbox. 2 ) second Jar in the freeezer without sugar, ill put the sugar only when i drink it (not the same mistake twice)

Here are my questions:
- Taste: Its really bitter and has a strong alcohol taste.
- The ferment looked quiet healthy (no fungus or weird colors) how do i know if its drinkable (not toxic )
- if it is drinkable, any recommendations on how to dilute it to make it tasty ?




looking forward to your comments
Miguel

 

[Blacksmith1]

My guess is the bitter is from the seeds being in it too long.
I let my wines sit for a minimum of 3 months after first racking. This lets at least some of the fruit flavor come back past the alcohol.
If you want to add sugar to make it sweet, use potassium metabisulfate and potassium sorbate to stabilize the wine first. Otherwise it will restart the fermentation.

 

[yukipilas]

Hey Thank you for the feedback,

yea the bitterness may come from the seeds.
About the fermentation. After 4 days in bottles the carbonisation has been little to none, so i think the yeast is already deactivated.
one question. When i did the bottling, the smell of the strawberries was alcohol + Strawberry smell, the color was still red + Pink, i did not see any fouling or fungus,

how can be however sure, that the strawberry alcohol drink is drinkable and not toxic?
Thank you !
Miguel

 

[yukipilas]

one more question:
how long can i keept it stored
how long can i keep it cooled?
Best regards,
Miguel

 

[Blacksmith1]

I would think it would have visible evidence if it were infected. The alcohol level should be enough to keep it from going bad if it's sealed. Usually if it tastes ok it is ok.
Most of my wines have needed 3 months to be drinkable, 6 or more probably to make them good. I say probably because only one has lasted to the 6 month point. It does need time to let the alcohol taste calm down and the fruit flavor step forward again.

 

[yukipilas]

Thats great feedback,
so i do not need to add any preservatives?
because of the alcohol level (and low to no exposition to oxygen) the wine should be able to age some months right ?
Thank you !
Miguel

 

[Blacksmith1]

If you intend to keep it for more than a month or two I would add one campden tablet and 1/4 tsp of potassium sorbate. The campden will keep the wine from oxidizing, the sorbate will stop any fermentation by keeping the yeast from reproducing.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi yukipilas - and welcome... unless you add vodka you ain't making a strawberry vodka even by accident. I often make cordials and liqueurs using vodka but I tend to make nutty flavored vodkas (coffee, hazelnut , pecan, chestnut etc).

 

[jgmillr1]

bitterness may come from the seeds

You can fine it with gelatin to remove the bitterness.

how long can i keept it stored

Be sure to add sulfites, sorbate and keep air away from it and it will store for a long while

 

[Seamonkey84]

i did not see any fouling or fungus,

how can be however sure, that the strawberry alcohol drink is drinkable and not toxic?
Thank you !
Miguel

Other than infection, unless you added something that was toxic or used non food grade equipment, you’ll be fine. Poisonous home brew was a rumor/thing of the prohibition era, toxic moonshine was a real issue however. Then the government actually poisoned the alcohol, so yea, people got sick and even died.