The devil made me do it, demon drink time

[Dalua]

Thumbs up Dalua,thank you.
Why the almond?

A bit like the sugar being Demerara - I'm not sure. I do this with sloe gin, and I think a bit of almondy flavour is quite pleasant - so I carried the idea over to the BBW. Whether one almond is enough to make much of a difference I don't know. Perhaps this year I'll make a control batch without almonds? I suspect if I do, there'll be little in it as the BB flavour is the main thing that comes through.

I forgot to add - hang on to the BBs once strained off. It you like a fruity sauce with venison etc, they can be used for that - but the main uses in this houshold are 1. Adding to the fruit mixture in summer puddings, and 2. adding to the apple in apple crumbles.
I did make a baked semolina with them in once: if you share my taste in puddings, you'll like it. If you share my taste in friends, they will be less sure about it.

 

[Scapegoat]

Sloe him made from very ripe sloes and steeped for long enough has a very subtle almond hint from the kernel. This simply adds another layer of complexity. You canhelp it along with a drop of almond essence as well, you often see that in recipes for sloe gin.

Don't know whether it belongs in Bramble Whisky thoughh....... I'd have to try it.

I made some Blackberry and apple vodka a couple of years ago and added a cinnamon stick. That was Christmas in a shot-glass.

Bottle of vodka, 1lb brambles, sliced bramley apple, 4 to 8 oz sugar to taste, cinnamon stick. Steeped from late september to Chrristmas.

 

[John Gryphon]

if you share my taste in puddings,

Aye that i do...I am the pudding lover from way back.

And thanks Scapegoat too for your input.

 

[Turkish]

Do you all brew up in demijohns, or do you use wide necked screw top glass jars?
I have a problem finding the latter, with all this recycling malarkey.

Do you find it makes a differece if you do?

 

[muddy42]

The mrs says heh you havent made any Sloe gin this season .Oh poop too late for sloes mm i know plums is about i,l get a couple.Well my new 5lt demi john looked silly empty so off to a certain german supermarket i went.
So armed with 2lbs of sugar ,18 fat plums and 3litres of London,s finest i set to work doing satan,s bidding.
Chopped 2x plums finely and a layer of sugar ,repeat till all plums n sugar sleeping happily in the demi john and pour a cold bottle of mr Marston,s golden relaxation juice .

2 hours later when fruit n sugar are friends slowly poor in 3x litres of said London dry and pop in a fermentation trap,shaking the Demi john like st vitus dance is back in fashion.Then escort next Christmas happy juice to a warm dark cupboard and wait /
Next week i,l shake the beejaber,s out of it and repeat till all the sugar dissolves then sit on my hands for a year drooling quietly in anticipation

Its not too late for sloe gin. I always wait until October before making mine.

 

[Dalua]

Do you all brew up in demijohns, or do you use wide necked screw top glass jars?
I have a problem finding the latter, with all this recycling malarkey.

Do you find it makes a differece if you do?

I'd love some wide-neck jars, but have only demijohns.

The only difference I can imagine is that with wide-neck jars getting the fruit in and (particularly) out would be changed from pretty much the biggest PITA associated with the process to a complete non-problem.

 

[tozzybum]

Kilner Jars are awesome but expensive and get a slapped wrist when she cant put pickled onions in em

 

[sikamalc]

Look forward to a snifter when you are staying in the bothy later this winter

 

[tozzybum]

Not a problem ,will bring a warming libation down to keep the Craic flowing atb