blackberry ferment
Michael Needham
i've heard that if i pulp up some blackberries and leave them sit at ambient temps that the wild yeast will ferment it.
is this true?
what kind of alcohol content can i expect?
do i have to cover it?
are there any risks to this re: consuming it after.
i don't really want to add sugar to it, i just would like to see what happens with it. any advice would be appreciated
blessings
MyKLove
Charlotte 0'Neil
> hey there. i'm looing forward to experimenting with ferments and look at > this group as a potential valuable resource...
Good. I'm glad to hear that. Welcome to the group.
<< > i've heard that if i pulp up some blackberries and leave them sit
at ambient
> temps that the wild yeast will ferment it. > is this true? >>
Yes, that is absolutely true. There is a very small chance that it
will get contaminated by some other microbe before the right ones kick
in, but that is a chance that all wild yeast brewers have to take. I
would recommend you start with a cup of pulped blackberries at warm
ambient temp, wait till that is fermenting properly and then add it to
a half-gallon. When that has started to ferment, it can be added to 5
gallons, if you have that amount. At some point you'll be wanting to
filter out the pulp, of course.
> what kind of alcohol content can i expect? >>
The standard issue food-based alcohol -- I think it is scientifically
called ethanol.
> do i have to cover it? >>
Yes. Your options will be with a breathable cloth, a piece of plastic
secured with a rubber band or a store-bought airlock. If you use a
breathable cloth, you will have to switch to the piece of plastic or
store-bought airlock after 3 days. If you use a piece of plastic or an
airlock, you will have to open the bottle and shake or stir it once a
day for the first 3 days after fermentation has begun.
> are there any risks to this re: consuming it after. >>
In theory, yes, although I have never experienced any liquid
fermentation that has done anything worse than turn to vinegar. I have
had some solid food ferments (i.e., sauerkraut) go bad, but the smell
is so bad that there is no way you would not notice it. I also had a
kvass ferment go bad once, but in that case there was still a lot of
solid food mass in it, even though the end product was liquid. And,
there again, the smell was so bad I wouldn't have been able to drink
it if I wanted to.
> i don't really want to add sugar to it, i just would like to see what
> happens with it. any advice would be appreciated >>
You can do that, but it will probably taste very sour. However, you
can add sugar syrup to it later, so, even if you end up with something
sour, you can still sweeten it later. You just need to be sure when
you taste test it that you don't mistake not enough sugar for bad or
vinegar. My advice, however, would be to bite the bullet and add the
sugar. Sugar isn't so bad when yeast eat it first. Unlike us, they can
make vitamins out of sugar when they are eating it and converting it
to alcohol.
Good luck on your blackberry ale and let me know how it turns out.
myklove
project and I am going to go and get more blackberries PRONTO! Do you
have any suggestions of herbs that could compliment the mix? I don't
want to use hops at all. I'm considering cannabis as I've got some
leaves that will be ready soon. Any other ideas? Also, do you know
the best way to add them? can I just throw them into the mix or
should I infuse them first. Is it better to use dry herbs or fresh?
Oh this is SO exciting!
Many blessings
MyKL
On Sep 16, 12:23 am, "Charlotte 0'Neil" <yankeeh...@gmail.com> wrote:
Charlotte 0'Neil
http://yankeeharp.googlepages.com/bybottle.html. You could make a
bunch of different brews and take notes on each one and then you could
find out what you like best.
Blackberry has a strong flavor, I don't think I'd add any spice but
vanilla. It's up to you when you add it. It may take on different
characteristics depending on when it is added, what temperatures, how
long etc. but you can't say which is better till you try it.
I infuse my herbs in a ceramic teapot, let it sit overnight and then
filter out the leaves the next day and add the filtered tea to the
brew when I'm mixing in the yeast starter, but that is mainly for
convenience. You could add any medicinal herbs you wanted in the
teapot to steep.
Btw, if you find you have more blackberries than you can handle all at
once, I imagine you know you can freeze them and it won't hurt them at
all. In fact, I think it makes them easier to get the juice out of
when I'm ready to start brewing with them.
Best wishes,
Charlotte