Mangel Wine

[Brewer-again]

don't give up on your Mangels..

These can grow to 10+ lb per plant so they would yeild a useful crop. Eat the early ones and brew the late,big ones. They have about 15% sugar but they also have thier own flavour. So used like parsnips you would not need any other fruit or veg, just yeast and nutrient. One or two plants would make five gallons of beer. Worth a try??

[madderbat]

Sounds feasible, might persuade Mr BM to give it a try. Thanks for the info.

[Brewer-again]

wow

Loved the web link, it looks like this is where the dissatified come. The beet beer that I made tasted ok but would certainly benefit from malt or something to give it body. It was like a thin but strong wine. I was on benefit at the time and collected the ingriedients from neighbours, I brewed and then had a party about three weeks later. Good days

[madderbat]

thank you kindly

It took me a while to work out, but I believe you have looked at the Madderbat pages and liked them? Many thanks, much appreciated! It certainly is a place for me to put my Grrs

I haven't got into beer brewing yet, (but Mr MB would love it) it's just that we only live in a small house, and what with all the wine, I'm not sure we have room for a barrel. Is there any 'small scale' way of doing it?

[Brewer-again]

madderbat pages and beer

Hi, Yes it was the Madderbat pages that I liked. Someone bought me a 'brew in the bag kit' which made a lovely brew. you brewed with the bag laying down tap up. Then add more sugar and hang up tap down. Worked well for me and you could wash it out afterwards and refill with malt liquor and sugar and go again.

[madderbat]

Oh dear, Brew in a bag! I think that may be on the cards for his birthday thank goodness it's too late now for a Christmas present, Ive only just really got into making wine!!!

I've been investigating vinegar making and sourdough today on the net, and am wondering if its possible to brew wine using sourdough???? Stands to reason if you can bake with it...... May give it a try in the spring (when I feel we can possibly lose a brew)
We are living cheaply these days as neither of us is working so any savings are a good idea, but best of all is beating the system and jumping off the Capitalist bandwagon!

[Brewer-again]

sourdough brew??

Just to save me looking it up what is sour dough?? Given what you were saying the brew bag was expensive and not supposed to be reused but I did. It would be cheaper to get a brew barrel from your small adds, brew in it, then more sugar to pressurise. You can malt your own barley for the best and the cheapest beer

[madderbat]

sour dough

Is actually flour and water left to rot!! As far as I understand yeast develops in said mixture and leavening can begin.
Its what folks used in the past. Some of my cookbooks from Crete talk about using a 'sponge' to make bread - same thing.
Have a look at this site if you are interested, but perhaps more information that you need

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

[Brewer-again]

sour dough brew ???

One of the main essentials of home brewing is cleanliness. One of the main things that we are trying to kill off/ get rid of are the bacteria that cause viniger. Unless you want viniger. They spend years in Italy creating Balsamic viniger but you would never do it near a vinyard.

I would suggest you enjoy your sour dough bread but keep it well away from your brew room, they do not mix.

[madderbat]

Quite agree about the cleanliness, and realise that I've probably got three threads mixed up here somehow.
I've been investigating becoming self sufficient in yeast (and reckon I made it today - have got some solid buds in a jar in the fridge!)
But the cross referencing on breadmaking ran into me looking at other uses for yeast and exploring brewing vinegar, especially as I love balsamic vinegar and have just run out!
Case of brain running away with threads I think,but it is all linked of course!

[Brewer-again]

balsamic vinigar

Ok , so they are kept seperate. Balsamic appears to be vinigar that is simmered to reduce its volume by about 20-35% then kept in oak barrells for years. Now you can add oak taste to wine by adding oak shavings, I bet you can do the same to vinigar. Don't forget to filter it! please let me know how it goes,