Ginger wine

Discussion in 'The GC 'Buttery'' started by Fat Controller, May 30, 2015.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    I remember my mum making this when I was a nipper, and by hokey did it have a kick! I have just had quite a bit of ginger delivered in a grocery order, and (apart from just sniffing it), I got to wondering if I could make ginger wine.

    I have come across this recipe, which seems relatively straight forward:

    Ginger wine has been a popular drink for cold winter's nights - or as an addition to whisky to make a "Whisky Mac". This recipe is adapted from the original published in Mrs Beeton's famous work and makes 4.5 litres (8 pints).

    Ingredients:
    4.5 litres (8 pints) water 1.4 kg (3 lb) sugar One lemon - zest and juice 1 tsp fresh yeast 110g (4 oz) raisins, stoned and chopped 40g (1½ oz) ginger, peeled and bruised 75 ml (2½ fl oz) brandy
    Method:
    Add the water, sugar, lemon zest and bruised ginger to a very clean saucepan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour. Remove any scum and transfer to a large bowl. When it is luke-warm, add the yeast and leave overnight.
    Next day, strain the lemon juice and add to the mix along with the chopped raisins. Place everything in a suitable vessel.
    Stir the wine every day for 14 days. Add the brandy. Stop the vessel down by degrees and in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle.


    Now, the bit I don't get is the very last line, and I presume that it relates to the 'suitable vessel' mentioned just prior. What does 'stop the vessel down by degrees' mean? And what would be a suitable vessel?
     
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    • fileyboy

      fileyboy Gardener

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      I think you will find that most wine makers use a glass bottle called a Demi John with a bung that has an air lock on it,this allows air to escape and makes a blubbing sound,after a while these sounds go slower and slower until you get one about ever 2 mins,you then rack of your wine into another jar and add a stopping agent.Leave for a few more days to clear and when no more sounds are heard bottle and sit back and enjoy.I never made ginger beer I just made wine some years ago so I hope this helps you a little ,I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you more.
       
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      • Fat Controller

        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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        Thanks - it seems they are not too expensive (just seen one for £7 on Wilko's website), so that isn't too scary - - who knows, I might even start a wee home brewing hobby :)
         
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        • Phil A

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          I just use the 5 litre water bottles from the supermarket with an airlock bunged in the top
           
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          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            I've just seen a kit of two 5L with bungs and airlocks for less than a tenner on Amazon - this idea could be a go-er :)

            EDIT - bugger it, £7 and they will be here by Monday - ordered!
             
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              Last edited: May 30, 2015
            • intel

              intel Gardener

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              Too late now...the most I have ever paid is about £1.50 per Demi John
              you can get them from Gumtree, Ebay etc...some might need
              cleaning, but bleach does a good good :yay:
               
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              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                OK - I now have two demijohns with air locks, and will be commencing the brewing at the weekend. Is there any particular type of yeast that I need to buy, or is it simply the stuff from the baking aisle?
                 
              • intel

                intel Gardener

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                You need Wine Yeast, there are loads on the market for red wine, white wine and everything
                else in between, but if your just starting out then I would buy Young's General Purpose Yeast, Wilko will sell that or their own brand, best get some Yeast Nutrient whilst your there as well.....good luck its a great hobby but you need patience (time) with this hobby...the wine get better with age................I made some cheap wine with fruit juice (its known as a No1 wine) about 9 months ago and it just improves with age :)


                http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/express-wine-yeast-compound-50g/invt/0351556

                http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-yeast-nutrient-50g/invt/0022654
                 
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                • Scrungee

                  Scrungee Well known for it

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                  That recipe/method pre-dates one gallon demijohns, harking back to the days the days when home made wine was made in 1.5 gall brown stoneware jars. The stopping down refers to gradually closing the stopper.

                  You will need a food grade bucket (covered with a lid, towel, etc.) to start it off in as all those ingredients will have a volume of about 10 pints and will not physically fit in a demijohn, plus you'll need additional headspace for when the solids rise to the top full of CO2, plus a bit more to keep it below the airlock, then strain into a demijohn before it's finished fermenting, say 5 days after pitching yeast.

                  Do not go by total fermentation times in recipes, get yourself a hydrometer and check whether fermentation is complete (below 0.994, as a water/alcohol mix of SG 1.000, the SG of water, still has residual sugar) or stabilise with a campden tablet + potassium sorbate, otherwise you risk exploding bottles, an oversweet wine, or both.

                  Those ingredients would produce a 13% ABV wine if it ferments right out, but 4 oz of raisins aren't going to give it much (any?) body. That recipe/method is an old way of doing things, look for a modern recipe/get an up to date book.

                  It's a good idea to use a 5 litre water bottle as the first demijohn, then siphon off the sediment when finished into a smaller one gall glass demijohn to mature as it should eliminate the need for topping up/diluting the finished wine.
                   
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                    Last edited: Jun 5, 2015
                  • Fat Controller

                    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                    OK - I wish I had read this before I went shopping. I have got dried active yeast (Allison I think), that apparently is activated by adding water?

                    I don't have a food grade bucket, but I do have a catering size stainless steel pot (its either 16 or 24 litres capacity, I can't remember, but it is BIG). I am going to have to wing it without the hygrometer at the moment as this is just a bit of fun to start with, and its that time of the year where money is a bit tight.

                    What is yeast nutrient, and where would I get it? And campden tablets? I only have the plastic demijohns at the moment - again, if it looks like this could become a more than a passing whim, then I will invest a bit more.

                    I must admit that I am quite interested in turning fruit juices into nicely flavoured wines - be nice to have our own plonk during winter. I think I have enough bottles for this wee experiment, but it looks like I am going to need some more -- is there a cheap way of doing this, other than saving purchased ones?

                    Thanks for the advice :)
                     
                  • intel

                    intel Gardener

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                    • Fat Controller

                      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                      Right, just to get this clear in my head, as I am going to start this tomorrow (and I am going to stick the recipe above this time round);

                      Water, sugar and lemon zest into a big pot and brought to the boil; simmered for an hour then cooled. When luke warm, add the yeast, cover and leave overnight.

                      Next day, add the lemon juice, and chopped up raisins, transferred to a clean big pot/bucket and then kept at room temperature, being stirred daily for 14-days.

                      Then transfer to demijohns with airlocks, and wait for the bubbling to subside, and at that point add a stopping agent (I will be back for advice on which one at some point in the next couple of weeks); once clear, bottle and try not to drink to quickly :biggrin:
                       
                    • Scrungee

                      Scrungee Well known for it

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                      You wont have enough strained liquid (AKA must) to fill 2 demijohns, after straining off the pulp there will be about 9 pints of liquid.

                      I would suggest straining into demijohn(s?) 5 days if pitching dry yeast, or 4 if using an active yeast starter. Keep that ss pot covered with a cloth cover at all times and don't let the cover come into contact with the pulp cap as that can cause the liquid to 'wick' out of the container all over your kitchen. Stainless Steel is fine, avoid steel, copper and aluminium vessels & utensils.
                       
                    • Fat Controller

                      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                      Ah, now I am unsure if they are stainless steel or aluminium until I dug them out tomorrow - will it not work in aluminium then?
                       
                    • Scrungee

                      Scrungee Well known for it

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                      Aluminium can taint the wine and ruin it.
                       
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                        Last edited: Jun 6, 2015
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