brewing 2ne1
A log on homebrewing by a band of merry persons.
Beetroot Wine
5 Sept 2009 - Made from leftover beet water from boiling beets for pickling. Here’s the method:
Approx 4 lbs of beets (grown in our garden) simmered in a large pan with just enough water to cover them - 45 minutes. I poured the beet water into a primary fermenter through a nylon straining bag, then added some cool water to the beets. I then peeled the beets (wearing rubber gloves) under the water, saving the skins and the juice. I also left several of the smallest beets in that “soup” and poured it all into the straining bag and smashed it well with my gloved hands. I pulled out the bag and gave it a light squeeze, resulting in 5 litres of deeply coloured beet water.
Added ~3 lbs (1.5kg) sugar, 1 cup orange juice, yeast nutrient, pectolase, and yeast. Beginning SG 1.09 hoping to get a result that is med/dry.
The must tastes strongly of sweet aromatic beets, I’m really curious how this will turn out as it’s my first try with beetroot. I’ve heard it’s surprisingly nice but I’m hoping for anything as good as parsnip wine. Also, the colour is very likely to fade, but I hope not as it looks fantastic right now!
The bonus is the byproduct - pickled beetroot in spiced vinegar. Lovely!
15 Sept - Racked to demijohn with airlock. SG 1.02 tastes fabulous so far. Colour is still deep dark purple, hoping that it won’t fade.
Cheers, Jason
