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Blackcurrant cider?

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  • 23-07-2014 5:33pm
    #1
    chopper6
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭


    Just colleceted a bumper crop of blackcurants and i'm wondering what to do with them.

    Not into making wine so i usually make flavoured vodka.

    However i'm now tempted to make a cider-type drink using Blackcurrant juice instead of apples...anybody tried it? Is it worth doing?


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    #2
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,805 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    I just started a blackcurrant melomel, or fruit mead. You could also make a cyser, using a mixture of apple and blackcurrant juices with honey.

    I guess you could use the blackcurrant juice as a straight substitute for apple juice; I guess it would be described as a country wine. I haven't done it (I have a gorse flower wine on the go, but it has honey in it so I guess it's a melomel as well) so I can't tell you how it would turn out.


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    #3
    chopper6
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭chopper6


    Feck it i'll give it a bash...gonna add lots of sugar and a champagne yeast..i'll prolly need to sweeten it up at some stage though.


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    #4
    Hingo
    Registered Users Posts: 299 ✭✭Hingo


    chopper6 wrote: »
    Feck it i'll give it a bash...gonna add lots of sugar and a champagne yeast..i'll prolly need to sweeten it up at some stage though.


    Really interested in this -the folks have a loada blackcurrents growing down in their place and want to put them to use.

    Keep us posted!


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    #5
    chopper6
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭chopper6


    Actually does anybody have a spare demijohn with a bung?

    My fermenter is way too big.

    I'm in Dublin nth


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    #6
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,981 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    chopper6 wrote: »
    Actually does anybody have a spare demijohn with a bung?

    My fermenter is way too big.

    I'm in Dublin nth

    buy a 5 litres bottle of water in your local supermarket - it's only 1.50
    you don't need a bung.


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    #7
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,805 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    loyatemu wrote: »
    buy a 5 litres bottle of water in your local supermarket - it's only 1.50
    you don't need a bung.

    That's exactly what I did. I thought I left plenty of headspace, but the activity of the yeast combined with all the floating solids meant a fair bit of overflow - good thing I listened to Her Indoors when she suggested leaving it in the sink for the first couple of days!


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    #8
    chopper6
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭chopper6


    Right. So i simmered a few kilos of blackcurrants *very slowly* with a load of sugar and a small amount of water to extract the juice.

    Then strained the pulp through a collander into a demi-john. I didnt quite have 5 litres of juice so i made it up with water.

    I added some champagne yeast and fitted the airlock...it was quite slow to start fermenting but it really took off after a few days and it's bubbling away nicely now.

    I'm gonna wait til there's no more activity in the airlock then rack i t into some bottles.

    I've been very unscientific about the whole thing(as usual) and didnt meaure anything at all really and i havnt got a hydrometer so the only way to tell when it's ready is when it stops bubbling.

    I'll update on progress soon.


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    #9
    Buona Fortuna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭Buona Fortuna


    chopper6 wrote: »
    Feck it i'll give it a bash...gonna add lots of sugar and a champagne yeast..i'll prolly need to sweeten it up at some stage though.

    I'm facinated do let us know how it turns out
    loyatemu wrote: »
    buy a 5 litres bottle of water in your local supermarket - it's only 1.50
    you don't need a bung.

    Thats sounds a startling simple idea and sorry to come across as a bit stupid but why don't you need a bung/airtrap?


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    #10
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,981 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    just leave the lid loosely on to keep out flies. fermentation releases CO2 which will keep out other nasties.


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    #11
    chopper6
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭chopper6


    Buona Fortuna wrote: »
    I'm facinated do let us know how it turns out



    Thats sounds a startling simple idea and sorry to come across as a bit stupid but why don't you need a bung/airtrap?

    I like to use an airlock to stop vinegar fly getting into the brew...you *can* use a lid but with fruit wines you're more likely to get insects being attracted to it than with beer.

    A couple of vinegar flies will destroy your brew and it's fit for nothing.


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    #12
    Buona Fortuna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭Buona Fortuna


    loyatemu wrote: »
    just leave the lid loosely on to keep out flies. fermentation releases CO2 which will keep out other nasties.
    chopper6 wrote: »
    I like to use an airlock to stop vinegar fly getting into the brew...you *can* use a lid but with fruit wines you're more likely to get insects being attracted to it than with beer.

    A couple of vinegar flies will destroy your brew and it's fit for nothing.

    Since these last couple of posts I came across these on CraigTube

    http://homebrewingcaps.com/home-brew-order/

    I thought for the price, 10 squids, I'd give them a go. Anyone use them?


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