Last Year, 2022, I started a number of fermentation projects that are slowly doing their thing on a shelf in the corner of my hallway. I have a few concerns about them, but one, at least was a resounding success and one has a nice layer of mold.
Project Number 1 — The Guava Cider
There are a lot of Guava bushes around here and no one really eats the fruit. I have been really into Vitamin C lately so I went on a guava binge when they ripened last August. They didn’t really agree with me while fresh, so I decided to make a Wine or a Cider out of the juice. According to my book it will have to age quite a while to start to taste good. I plan to transfer the guava cider into a bottle soon and let it age. Next Step, Wait.
Project Number 2 — Blackberry Brandy Liquor
I had high hopes for this drink. How could it go so wrong? Blackberries and sugar soaked in Brandy. What could be better? I could taste it even as I was making it. Apparently not, it was awful and bland. I brought it out for Christmas as a dessert liquor to go with the pie. How embarrassing. Luckily, one of my guests saved the day and added homemade pomegranate juice to the mix, now that is delicious!
Project Number 3 — Pear Cider
I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but it also needs a ton of time to age. I will also transfer it to bottles soon to stick in the back of the cupboard and let it do it’s thing. Perry Cider is supposed to also be pretty bland if you use modern day sweet pears for this, and I used the sweetest. I found a great recipe that had a lot of great suggestions so this has black tea and cranberry juice in it too in order to tang up and balance out the sweetness. Now just wait.
Project Number 4 — Pumpkin Ale
I started a batch of Pumpkin Ale on Halloween Day in 2022. I do have some experience making beer so I wasn’t shy about sharing this one at a holiday gathering in December. It was a hit and this is the only bottle left! This one I will do again.
Project Number 5 — ACV
To anyone who has made their own Apple Cider Vinegar, this is probably not a surprise to see the algae or mold that is growing on top. I am still not used to it and don’t quite know how to handle this hefty blanket of growth. My next step here is to go online and try to find a good source of information how to handle this. Scrape it off and carry on? Stir it in and carry on? Is it ruined?
I had a bunch of yeast I bought while spending a gift card at the brewery store, so I used random champagne, ale and cider yeasts for these projects in hopes of getting a better outcome.
Also, I am not so confident that I didn’t need help. I used a book which is loose enough (in it’s instructions) to make you feel like you made your own recipe from scratch, even though they have just about all the info you need for random alcohol fermentation projects
Brew it Yourself (Make your own wine, beer, hard cider & other concoctions) by Two Thirsty Gardeners, Nick Moyle & Richard Hood.
Love Them!
Whole Bunch of Projects 