Discussion
Just popped in as I have a drink problem...
I've made two batches of sloe gin. One is 1.5L of Tesco Gin, the other 1L of Gordons to see if the better quality comes through. It's certainly more aromatic compared to Tesco gin which was more like industrial alcohol...
Each batch is about 30% full with ripe pricked sloes, a few spoonfulls of fine white sugar and a dash of Angostura Bitters. They started about 3 weeks ago and for the first week or so I inverted them a few times to help the sugar dissolve. They're now in a cupboard maturing but are a bit cloudy.
What's the best way to get rid of the cloudiness please - filtration or some additive as in wine-making?
I've made two batches of sloe gin. One is 1.5L of Tesco Gin, the other 1L of Gordons to see if the better quality comes through. It's certainly more aromatic compared to Tesco gin which was more like industrial alcohol...
Each batch is about 30% full with ripe pricked sloes, a few spoonfulls of fine white sugar and a dash of Angostura Bitters. They started about 3 weeks ago and for the first week or so I inverted them a few times to help the sugar dissolve. They're now in a cupboard maturing but are a bit cloudy.
What's the best way to get rid of the cloudiness please - filtration or some additive as in wine-making?
Huntsman said:
I tend to go heavy on the sugar, we did a side by side taste test with the Gordons Sloe Gin, mine wsas much smoother.
After a few that turned out too sweet, we've taken to putting the sugar (as sugar syrup) in after decantation, so you can actually judge where it's going to end up.We're lucky with a blackthorn just outside the kitchen door - but there's more than just sloes can be used, too... The Victoria plum gin we made was utterly gorgeous, and rhubarb's worked well. As for blackcurrants - well, once you've decanted them, you can bake the well-marinaded currants into an utterly gorgeous cake, then top it with some icing made with the blackcurrant gin...
If you've got a beech hedge or tree, than have a look for a Noyau recipe.
Simpo Two said:
Just popped in as I have a drink problem...
I've made two batches of sloe gin. One is 1.5L of Tesco Gin, the other 1L of Gordons to see if the better quality comes through. It's certainly more aromatic compared to Tesco gin which was more like industrial alcohol...
Each batch is about 30% full with ripe pricked sloes, a few spoonfulls of fine white sugar and a dash of Angostura Bitters. They started about 3 weeks ago and for the first week or so I inverted them a few times to help the sugar dissolve. They're now in a cupboard maturing but are a bit cloudy.
What's the best way to get rid of the cloudiness please - filtration or some additive as in wine-making?
Its need at least 3 months to be good and by then the cloudiness should go. I've made two batches of sloe gin. One is 1.5L of Tesco Gin, the other 1L of Gordons to see if the better quality comes through. It's certainly more aromatic compared to Tesco gin which was more like industrial alcohol...
Each batch is about 30% full with ripe pricked sloes, a few spoonfulls of fine white sugar and a dash of Angostura Bitters. They started about 3 weeks ago and for the first week or so I inverted them a few times to help the sugar dissolve. They're now in a cupboard maturing but are a bit cloudy.
What's the best way to get rid of the cloudiness please - filtration or some additive as in wine-making?
soad said:
Only 2.5 litres? Won't last that long, surely. 
That's the drink problem.I'm making my first bottle this year, having acquired a house with a couple of most abundant blackthorn bushes. Everyone has their own tips and ingredients it seems but I'm keeping mine simple; I've done one 700ml bottle for the moment, using just under 200g of sloes, about 60g of granulated white sugar and about 500ml of Aldi gin. Depending on how it goes I shall tweak the proportions and make more using the ~3kg of sloes I have in the freezer and the demijohns I've just bought. I didn't prick the first bottle, having frozen the sloes; I did give them a good shake though. This was how it looked after 24 hours:
Yes, sugar in after it's ready to drink for me.
There's often a misconception that the sugar helps the gin become more alcoholic. It doesn't.
You can make a sugar syrup by heating sugar and a bit of water in a saucepan, let it cool and add it to the finished bottles a little at a time until you get it bang on. Personally, I like a bit of bitterness in mine, and that's difficult to achieve by guessing the sugar required at the start. Sloes vary very much in bitterness.
To strain it, I put it through fine sieve, and then use paper coffee filters to get it very clear, or muslin if I want it a bit more rustic.
There's often a misconception that the sugar helps the gin become more alcoholic. It doesn't.
You can make a sugar syrup by heating sugar and a bit of water in a saucepan, let it cool and add it to the finished bottles a little at a time until you get it bang on. Personally, I like a bit of bitterness in mine, and that's difficult to achieve by guessing the sugar required at the start. Sloes vary very much in bitterness.
To strain it, I put it through fine sieve, and then use paper coffee filters to get it very clear, or muslin if I want it a bit more rustic.
cbmotorsport said:
There's often a misconception that the sugar helps the gin become more alcoholic. It doesn't.
I guess that comes from fermentation, where the yeast needs to feed on the sugar - except yeast simply won't live in 40% alcohol in the first place, which is why spirits have to be distilled after any fermentation...Jobbo said:
soad said:
Only 2.5 litres? Won't last that long, surely.
That's the drink problem.I'm making my first bottle this year, having acquired a house with a couple of most abundant blackthorn bushes. Everyone has their own tips and ingredients it seems but I'm keeping mine simple; I've done one 700ml bottle for the moment, using just under 200g of sloes, about 60g of granulated white sugar and about 500ml of Aldi gin. Depending on how it goes I shall tweak the proportions and make more using the ~3kg of sloes I have in the freezer and the demijohns I've just bought. I didn't prick the first bottle, having frozen the sloes; I did give them a good shake though. This was how it looked after 24 hours:
cbmotorsport said:
That Aldi gin is what I use, it's cheap, and has won quite a few flavour tests. Good stuff.
I was surprised to find they restrict sales to three 1l bottles per purchase. Then I realised how much it was going to cost, even buying Aldi gin, to make a couple of gallons of sloe gin. Might stick to the one demijohn this year 
TooMany2cvs said:
I guess that comes from fermentation, where the yeast needs to feed on the sugar - except yeast simply won't live in 40% alcohol in the first place, which is why spirits have to be distilled after any fermentation...
And you need yeast. Interestingly many of my sloes had a bloom on them, which I understand is natural yeast, so sloe wine would be a possibility. And then you could distill that...Jobbo said:
Then I realised how much it was going to cost, even buying Aldi gin, to make a couple of gallons of sloe gin. Might stick to the one demijohn this year
One does not drink fine liqueur by the gallon! 
Simpo Two said:
TooMany2cvs said:
I guess that comes from fermentation, where the yeast needs to feed on the sugar - except yeast simply won't live in 40% alcohol in the first place, which is why spirits have to be distilled after any fermentation...
And you need yeast. Interestingly many of my sloes had a bloom on them, which I understand is natural yeastI've also made a Christmas version of Sloe gin (I know most people have it at Christmas anyway) but I added some cinnamon, nutmeg and a few cloves when putting it together - gives it a subtle Christmassy twang, the aroma is fab.
This year I've also got a Slow Brandy on the go - be interesting to see how that comes out.
This year I've also got a Slow Brandy on the go - be interesting to see how that comes out.
Have got three litres on the go so far this year. It seems a very good although slightly odd years for sloes, they appeared very early.
Was in Italy a few weeks ago and managed to fit in my bag for the flight back 4 bottles of gin priced at 4.30 euros each! May not be the best on its own but when mixed with a load of sugar and sloes should be fine.
Was in Italy a few weeks ago and managed to fit in my bag for the flight back 4 bottles of gin priced at 4.30 euros each! May not be the best on its own but when mixed with a load of sugar and sloes should be fine.
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