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Ever thought that it would be nice to be able to mix a bit of cordial of choice with water but make it alcoholic too? I quite fancied that idea last summer, so I fermented some water - and it worked!!!

Sounds stupid, I know. However, anything between 2 and 3 pounds (depending upon how strong you want it) of sugar dissolved in water with citric acid (or the juice of a lemon or orange), yeast nutrient and vitamin B (or half a teaspoon of Marmite or a bit of the lees of the last gallon of wine) and bunged into a demijohn will ferment out quickly and successfully (mine took only ten days) and give you an almost tasteless alcoholic mixer medium.

I'm now seriously thinking of turning all of the orchard excess this year into syrups and making a lot of alcoholic water.

I've thought about alcohlic water before, but i didn't think it would be that easy...

Hmm...

Excellent idea MKG, I'm gonna give that a go. Never heard the marmite tip before, does it contain a lot of vitamin B then?

That really does sound like a good idea... how strong is it likely to get (and does it taste of marmite if you use that? ) and how much water are you putting with your 2-3lbs of sugar?

Yep - Marmite is one of the best vit. B sources around. Luckily, it's made from the very stuff you find at the bottom of your brewing/fermenting vessel after a batch has finished, so you could use that instead. Strangely enough, the result doesn't taste of Marmite at all (but don't use more than half a level teaspoonful per gallon!!!). The whole thing is based upon a gallon anyway - 2 to 3 pounds of sugar in a gallon (just top up the demijohn - it'll be OK). Theoretically, 2lbs in a gallon gives 10% alcohol and 3 lbs gives 15%, but who cares? I just bung in a kilo bag and that seems to do the trick perfectly.

I haven't tried this without both yeast nutrient and vit. B. I suspect the whole thing would slow down appreciably without the vit. B, and might not even start without the nutrient. However - who knows?

One word of warning - if you do this and make yourself a fairly standard long drink with your favourite cordial and sit back relaxing in the sun (where? where?), do remember that you'll be drinking the equivalent of a half-pint of bog-standard white wine. Believe me, it's very easy to forget that.

Elderflower cordial is the perfect mixer with this, by the way.

Sounds worth a try!

bloody "ell .... sounds fantastic ... Can I ask oops: the yeast and vit b how much? ... only just getting back into brewing after a long break ... other than sloe gin :

MKG wrote:
One word of warning - if you do this and make yourself a fairly standard long drink with your favourite cordial and sit back relaxing in the sun (where? where?), do remember that you'll be drinking the equivalent of a half-pint of bog-standard white wine. Believe me, it's very easy to forget that.

That sounds like the voice of experience - that's why I asked the approximate alcohol content

Thanks... I'm going to get some of this started this week.

This reaction makes me wish I was allowed to sell the stuff.

OK. Vitamin B is the wonder substance which has been taking the wine-making society by storm - and I can attest that it really does work. You need to add 5 milligrams of Vit B per gallon to see an order of magnitude increase in the speed of fermentation. I use Vit B tablets available from any wine-maker supplier, but anything will do - multivit tabs etc. - and the amount isn't crucial. The point is that yeast loves it - I've had healthy fermentations going as soon as one hour after adding DRY yeast granules to a must. So - 5mg is the thing to aim for, but it isn't really important - just get some vit B in one form or another in there, even if it's the 1/2 level teaspoonful of Marmite.

What you're trying to achieve is an environment in which yeast will survive long enough to ferment a couple or three pounds of sugar. That isn't difficult, because yeast likes the sugar in the first place - it will, eventually, do what you want it to. But, ideally, you would want it to produce results as quickly as possible, and that's where the Vit B and yeast nutrient (which could be realistically replaced by a couple of fluid ounces of an unadulterated fruit juice) come in. Take note - the Vit B method ferments quickly at NORMAL temperatures. Elevating the fermentation temperature also increases fermentation speed, but it may increase the production of fusel oils too (which are, basically, the things which give you the headache).

Make sure that all your sugar is dissolved before you add ANYTHING else and, if you've used heat to do this, wait until the solution returns to room temp.

I've just read through what I've written, and it's all beginning to look over-technical. It isn't. You're asking yeast to convert a sugar solution to an alcohol solution, which is what yeast does because it's yeast. If you dissolve a bag of sugar in a gallon of water and add yeast, you'll get there. The Vit B and yeast nutrient serves only to speed the process up - so don't worry too much about it.

So: Between 2 and 3 pounds of sugar.
Water to top up to 1 gallon.
5mg Vit B
Something nutritional to yeast (optional) (commercial yeast nutrient is easiest)

Stir well.

Light the blue touch paper and stand well back.

Start a gallon - then tell me what you think by the end of the month.

Wow - I haven't made anything alcoholic (apart from the various gins) in over 10 years. But this just sounds too tempting. I might just have to get started again. This sounds so easy it'd be rude not to.

I wonder what happened to my demijohns?

Zoe

MKG ... thanks for that ... I understood it all .. will go and look to see whats in the cupboard ...

Apparently in prisons they use the marmite they are given for breakfast, along with sugar to make alcohol - in the fire extinguisher!

Milims wrote:Apparently in prisons they use the marmite they are given for breakfast, along with sugar to make alcohol - in the fire extinguisher!

Might have some interesting results if that alcoholic stuff is then used to "extinguish" a fire!

Sounds a bit like what they do before they put the stuff in a still.
Was just reading about it yesterday on the net.

Vit B???? which one? B12, B6, Thamin?

I tried a similar thing, did not want to chuck out some ready mixed cordial that had been left to turn. Added some yeast and sugar left to ferment, the result - vile stuff that tasted awful.

Your sounds like a much better idea.