Sloe Gin

[John Boy Saint]

I have read that the limit is about a year, otherwise a trace of the cyanide begins to leak out of the stones making it sour. ............. Oooo-er that reminds me I have a jar that is just over a year in the cupboard so best decant it. The last lot I had on the stew for a year was chuffin lethal: when you can't taste or feel the burn of 80 proof neat Vodka from the next production after having just had a shot of a well matured Sloe Gin you know it's a little bit naughty!!

[Ken Tone]

I have read that the limit is about a year, otherwise a trace of the cyanide begins to leak out of the stones making it sour. ............. Oooo-er that reminds me I have a jar that is just over a year in the cupboard so best decant it. The last lot I had on the stew for a year was chuffin lethal: when you can't taste or feel the burn of 80 proof neat Vodka from the next production after having just had a shot of a well matured Sloe Gin you know it's a little bit naughty!!

 

That does tend to focus the attention somewhat! But I take it that for now I can just leave this year's batch(es) until we want to drink it, then strain/decant.

[ribbo]

Im all about bumping old threads today, hows everyones Sloe Gin plans doing this year? my bush/tree/monster has berries but they dont look ripe yet!

[Tractor_Saint]

lol very timely. Off to the neighbours tonight and just syphoning off a 1.5 litre bottle to take with us

[Sheaf Saint]

Pickings are very slim round my way this year. Went out foraging this morning and found loads of Blackthorn but very few actual berries. The two trees I normally go to, which have yielded far more berries than I need in recent years, are practically bare. And it's not because somebody has already had them either. Must be a result of the crap summer we had.

 

Still, it's a good thing I found a bumper load of damsons a month or so ago. I tried a little of the 2 litres I made the other day and it's great stuff already.

[CB Saint]

Just found the "lost" bottle from last year, at the back of the sink cupboard. Must have put there when pie eyed, to hide it from my brother. Just had a glass - mother of god, my tonsils have just dissolved.

[Ken Tone]

Picked a pitiful few sloes last weekend, and just started of this year's lot after leaving them a few days in the freezer. Hardly any berries around at all.

 

No apples from our trees, only a handful of (outdoor) tomatoes ripe before the plants died off, only about a quarter of the usual yield of courgettes, etc. It was the sort of summer that would have caused a major famine in earlier times, and still would in some countries. God knows how birds and other wildlife will survive this autumn with so little to eat. (Though we seem to be feeding a very cunning wood mouse in our kitchen!)

[Badger]

How's the 2013 Sloe harvest been this year ?

 

Just completed the dog walk and come back 4lb of sloes better off !!

 

My recollection from years gone by is to bottle after about 2-3 months, keep and drink next year ! Others on here seem to drink after two months, what's the consensus amongst the Saints Web wine circle ?

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

There have been better years but there are still some about. I think you can drink after three months but you are better to wait for longer.

 

Other suggestions are always welcome - I put raspberries in and that seemed to deliver

Edited 5 October, 2013 by Sergei Gotsmanov

[Badger]

There have been better years but there are still some about. I think you can drink after three months but you are better to wait for longer.

 

Other suggestions are always welcome - I put raspberries in and that seemed to deliver

 

You surprise me with that to be honest, we still have a bit of a glut up here in Gloucestershire.

[Sheaf Saint]

Been a bumper crop round my way this year. Already got a 3L load on the go and fully intend to go and find some more tomorrow. I've also made some blackberry vodka and cherry brandy from wild fruit so far this year. The cherries were ripe and ready in july so that's bottled already, and very tasty.

[Badger]

Been a bumper crop round my way this year. Already got a 3L load on the go and fully intend to go and find some more tomorrow. I've also made some blackberry vodka and cherry brandy from wild fruit so far this year. The cherries were ripe and ready in july so that's bottled already, and very tasty.

 

Interesting. We have a bit of a surplus of those blackberry bastards this year.

 

Can you advise on quantities, methods etc please?

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

You surprise me with that to be honest, we still have a bit of a glut up here in Gloucestershire.

 

I might need to correct my assessment after today - but some bushes have not delivered. Nature is a funny thing.

[Sheaf Saint]

Interesting. We have a bit of a surplus of those blackberry bastards this year.

 

Can you advise on quantities, methods etc please?

 

I make it with pretty much the same fruit/booze/sugar ratio as sloe gin. Fill your bottle up to a bit less than half with blackberries, fill to near the top with vodka and then add as much sugar as you prefer but make sure you don't overdo it. If you don't put enough sugar in you can always add more after it has brewed and been bottled, but obviously you can't take some out if you have added too much.

Edited 6 October, 2013 by Sheaf Saint

[Tractor_Saint]

The first batch is now fermenting

[Upwind]

Got my plum rum on the go at the moment...

[so22saint]

2 litres of Blackberry vodka made (and I basically made a blackberry jelly without the pectin and added vodka), and I've just picked a kilo of sloes from King Sombourne area - they were nearly the size of grapes. Now in the freezer

[John Boy Saint]

I have had Black Cherries sat soaking in Brandy since August: Obscene on Ice Cream

Need to go and get some Sloes this weekend and get them going.

 

Anyone got an apple brew up their sleeve, that isn't Cider.

[suewhistle]

This has just reminded me to go and give my two bottles of sloes a shake. Picked a few weeks ago, but King Sombourne is quite far north... I've got some more in the freezer but not enough for another bottle: perhaps I could make sloe and blackberry, as I've got those in the freezer. I've also got a bottle of 95% genepi under the stairs which I should really dilute and bottle..

[so22saint]

This has just reminded me to go and give my two bottles of sloes a shake. Picked a few weeks ago, but King Sombourne is quite far north... I've got some more in the freezer but not enough for another bottle: perhaps I could make sloe and blackberry, as I've got those in the freezer. I've also got a bottle of 95% genepi under the stairs which I should really dilute and bottle..

 

There's normally a load sloes by the river at Eling - down the cutway at the end of Downs Park Crescent then turn left

[suewhistle]

This board is a mine of information! :-)

[chuz]

Insane year for Sloes this year.  We were picking ripe ones at the end of August.  Still plenty around near us but with 3 litres of Slow Gin now brewing not sure how much more we can make...

Anyone else experienced this bumper harvest?

[Jeremy Corbyn]

Planning on making Sloe Gin for the first time this year, just need to find some bushes around Croydon.

[suewhistle]

Haven't picked any sloes this year but my new allotment has a damson which was laden, so I've damson liqueur on the go, using the last bottles of 95% alcohol which I get in Italian supermarkets. I'm guessing that won't be possible next year, although I've yet to see any regulations on personal importation of alcohol. Three months to go and still all up in the air.. I've also got cherry and redcurrant bottles lurking under the stairs. Perhaps strong enough to kill any little lurking virus in the throat or nasal passages, but undiluted would probably remove stomach lining as well..

[buctootim]

Haven't used this recipe / what not to guide yet but looks good   

https://sipsmith.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-sloe-gin/

[buctootim]

35 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

Haven't picked any sloes this year but my new allotment has a damson which was laden, so I've damson liqueur on the go, 

Sloes and damsons are part of the same family apparently. 

[John Boy Saint]

Stood on the 11th Tee of the local golf course the other day with my Nephew not long moved here from South Africa, when the dusty blue hue from the bushes caught my attention "blimey just look at all of those Sloes there's flipping loads", confused he was "whats? where?" then spent the rest of the hole explaining the mystical art of Sloe Gin and Vodka.

[suewhistle]

Don't explain, demonstrate!:-)

[chuz]

On 29/09/2020 at 14:33, buctootim said:

Haven't used this recipe / what not to guide yet but looks good   

https://sipsmith.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-sloe-gin/

Its a decent recipe that one.  The important thing being not to add sugar until you tasted the finished product and found out how much you need to add...

Lots of people brew with the sugar it which in my view is a mistake as it doesn't need much, if any 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

1 hour ago, chuz said:

Its a decent recipe that one.  The important thing being not to add sugar until you tasted the finished product and found out how much you need to add...

Lots of people brew with the sugar it which in my view is a mistake as it doesn't need much, if any 

If you switch the sugar for raspberries it is less sickly