I've just started home brewing once again.
Can you do something once again? …
The good times return. This time with less fuss.
I have had to give up boozing as I am allergic to beer and can't stomach the crap they sell as cider in British pubs.
The additive I am allergic to is in malt, so I can't even buy a bag of chips these days (A terrible thing to happen to a Celt I assure you. No beer and no chips.)
So these days I am elevated to making my own "beer", though it's actually a cider:
A collection of plastic bottles.
A retired home-brew "heating belt".
Some sugar.
A litre of apple juice per bottle. A few grains of dried yeast.
That's all it takes and it wouldn't require the heater if it wasn't winter; or even if it was winter and I was more patient.
You don't need a bucket though I use one to house the bottles and the "belt" while the brew is starting up. I don't bother with sterilisers and don't wait for the brew to finish before I start drinking it. Why should I?
I'm not after strong drink, just the feel of the brew.
weathercharts 
The stuff I started off this weekend is in 5 bottle using 6 litres of apple and about 6 teaspoons of sugar. This gives a sharper taste. The last lot had pineapple and cranberry in it and too much sugar by half.The more sugar you use the slower it finishes brewing. I don't intend to give this batch a full week. But I can always add more sugar.I'm not after a strong booze, just a palatable wholesome drink that doesn't coast much money or effort -nor time. And I like the idea of sustainability.The alternative is to move to Gloucester or Devon where they know about cider.
A small pot of dried yeast is less than a quid, the bottles can be got from any pop bottle supplier, the fruit juice is from the same supermarket isle.Actually a mix of pineapple and apple is very potent. So that's what I use.Also I sometimes use cranberry juice but always whatever else, apple juice.Put 2 or 3 teaspoons of sugar for each 2 litre bottle in one of the bottles and add a litre/carton of apple juice and a few grains of the yeast. You only need 1 cell of yeast to start a brew.So go easy on that.Fill the bottle (a 2 litre empty water container from the supermarket at 17p -with 2 litres of fizzy water, free in each bottle.) Shake and leave in a warm room for a couple of days.The yeast has to convert the sugar to "invertase" before it can be consumed by the yeast. This can take a day or so but maybe there is some already in the juice because brewing will start to get pressure up by the next day.Use the mix to put an equal amount in each of the other bottles when you are sure the brewing has begun. Top up with another litre of apple juice per bottle.You can share out a carton of pineapple juice to this mix. Then top up to the shoulder of the bottles with tap water. Don't over-fill. You can pour in more water after the brew calms down.You need to be careful the first day or so as the tops need to be loosened to allow the carbon dioxide out to ruin the atmosphere for global warmers to feel upset over.When brewing is going full pelt it is best to allow room for the thing to blow up. Don't crowd it.If it is cold where you live you can make an incubator out of a cardboard box and a very low powered lamp. Too hot and it will cook the yeast. Maybe even too bright will harm it?Also there is the risk of fire.I'm writing this just after a very cold spell. There isn't really much need of the heater otherwise. It's just something I have and thought I'd try.After another two days brewing will calm down. You can tighten the tops if you feel safe. Tighten them after a week so the last of the brew will turn the mix into a fizzy drink.There is no need to wait any longer except to allow the yeat to settle. You can drink the yeast, it is nutritious. So why waste. If it tastes yeasty and you don't like it, l;et it settle and then decant to a fresh bottle.Or buy your brew from a pub at 2 or 3 quid a pint.You can put any vegetable ingredient in the brew to alter the flavours. You can even use chunks of things like peaches and pears from a can. Or chopped up (liquidised?) root ginger.You can use fresh or cooked veg or fruit to add grist to the mill. You can drink the stuff with the bits in or strain it out after brewing.Basically you can do what you like. My first attempt used grated root ginger. I didn't use anywhere near enough to make it hot enough. Next time I will use a lot more and buy a liquidiser.
This is often done around herehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeadMany fruit juices come from from around here, also honey. MMMMMMas well as wine. Me, Im a whisky guy, but not often and so I am snobbish about quality. Drinking, sparkling water and fruit juice mix now. Been in vertigo at times as of late, I think it comes with a perigee moon strongest makes it easy to hurl.
I swore off strong drink a long time ago.Always like a pint though.
I used to be a real good drinker. Many moons ago (15 years)
Originally posted by Unasia:
No such a thing.Time to open a yeast plant.Cheers.