Mm Christmas juice is ready

Sloe gin ,split the sloes and pour the sugar on .Leave in a dark cupboard ,it draws loads of juice out the berries.
Then add the gin and treat as normal.
 
About 2.5lbs of sloes( in the freezer till they split .)
2lb sugar ,I use granulated white sugar.
Into the demi john In layers and On each layer sprinkle equal amounts of sugar.
When all in put a bung with a fermentation trap in then cupboard under the stairs.
After1 to 2 weeks liquid appears so give it a shake and return to darkness.
Repeat till no more liquid appears and leave in the dark for 3 to 4 months.
Add your gin of choice shaking madly to " activate " the magic.
Doe this weekly till sugar totally disappeared.
Leave as long as u can then bottle and drink as required 😊.
 
So do you pick the sloes and freeze them until may then add the sugar for a few months then the gin?
Nope.
Pick out the leaves and steps, add the sloes to a Demi-john, add similar measure of sugar. Ikg of Sloes to 1kg of sugar for a liqueur or 1kg Sloes to 750g of sugar for a lighter spirit.
Seal with an air lock (or cling film and an elastic band).
Shake one a week for two or 3 months.
Leave for as long as you can, 4 to six month is OK, 1 year is better.
Add (cheap supermarket) gin @ 1ltr for 1kg of Sloes, shake vigouously one a week for about a month.
Leave for as long as you like, 6 months to a year makes for a really complex and friuty taste.
Slowly decant into another Demi-john through a 10 denier stocking.
Leave for around 2 weeks and then syphon off the clear Sloe gin.

if you freeze or handle/wash the Sloes you kill the natural yeast that is on the skin and it doesn't react with the sugar and make alcohol.
Adding Gin kills the fermentation process.
There is no need to split the Sloes, the fermentation process will do that.

For the first 4 weeks or so you just have sugar and berries in the jar, as you shake the sugar stains a deep red, after 4 to 6 weeks you have a deep red slushy mixture with some sugar in the bottom.
Keep shaking and be patient, the yeast will convert all the sugar to an alcoholic mash.
Below 20 degrees C it takes longer.

The longer you leave the mash, the better, more complex and deeper, the flavours.
The longer you leave the gin in the mash the more the Sloes dominate the flavours.
After a couple of years, even the most "I don't like gin" will drink your Sloe Gin.

If you make it like a liqueur you can add it to expensive Gin, 50:50 doubles your stash, to get the 'it tastes like a flavoured gin' taste back.

Heres one I did earlier.
Will be decanting and bottling in the next few weeks....

sg.webp
 
Nope.
Pick out the leaves and steps, add the sloes to a Demi-john, add similar measure of sugar. Ikg of Sloes to 1kg of sugar for a liqueur or 1kg Sloes to 750g of sugar for a lighter spirit.
Seal with an air lock (or cling film and an elastic band).
Shake one a week for two or 3 months.
Leave for as long as you can, 4 to six month is OK, 1 year is better.
Add (cheap supermarket) gin @ 1ltr for 1kg of Sloes, shake vigouously one a week for about a month.
Leave for as long as you like, 6 months to a year makes for a really complex and friuty taste.
Slowly decant into another Demi-john through a 10 denier stocking.
Leave for around 2 weeks and then syphon off the clear Sloe gin.

if you freeze or handle/wash the Sloes you kill the natural yeast that is on the skin and it doesn't react with the sugar and make alcohol.
Adding Gin kills the fermentation process.
There is no need to split the Sloes, the fermentation process will do that.

For the first 4 weeks or so you just have sugar and berries in the jar, as you shake the sugar stains a deep red, after 4 to 6 weeks you have a deep red slushy mixture with some sugar in the bottom.
Keep shaking and be patient, the yeast will convert all the sugar to an alcoholic mash.
Below 20 degrees C it takes longer.

The longer you leave the mash, the better, more complex and deeper, the flavours.
The longer you leave the gin in the mash the more the Sloes dominate the flavours.
After a couple of years, even the most "I don't like gin" will drink your Sloe Gin.

If you make it like a liqueur you can add it to expensive Gin, 50:50 doubles your stash, to get the 'it tastes like a flavoured gin' taste back.

Heres one I did earlier.
Will be decanting and bottling in the next few weeks....

View attachment 334554
I got you now, thank you for taking the time to explain it.

I think a little walk around the around the hedge rows is in order!
 
Il have to bend some ones ear and see if a new year fallow or goat mooch is possible.
And bring some gin along for services rendered 🤫.
And hopefully some home made cider will accompany the gin in my boot 😉.
 
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