Not yet! I do my own cider elderberry wine and Sloe Gin although you have to buy Gin for that. The latter is a very popular Christmas present though. The pub is very good place to gain info on saving money. It's in a pub I was asked to do some beating for a pheasant shoot. As many pheasants as I can carry, as the price game dealers are paying is so little and £30 to boot. Occasional free firewood Etc!
I almost had one, you can buy the botanicals but not the still? You wouldn't know of one would you?
Also you must discard the first distillate that comes off as causes blindness, about half a pint should do it. The first run through the still will double the alcohol concentration so it needs to be run through 3 times (triple distilled is the norm to end up with a spirit) after that it needs to be filtered, with whisky this is done through gravel but an old mate of mine (the old fella up the road who had a still) used glass 'bead blasting' beads with moderate success.
The old fella who lived up the road from me had owned his since the 1920s and he may have acquired it from a 'ginshop', he was in his Eighties when I knew him and that was from 1980-85 (I moved areas after that and didn't see him again and when I moved back he'd sadly passed away.
You prick berries if you haven't got freezer, freezing breaks the skin better than pricking them. You add almond essence, the stones definitely don't taste of Almonds. To be honest there are many recipes mine is basically half the sugar and 1.8 times the Sloes compared to standard recipe. Add in a bottle of port and top up the demijohn with gin (2.5 bottles) the gin is the costly bit.....unless a mate happens to take his holidays in Spain going by car. Or to be more precise Used to. No consideration.
I assume you water it down as that sounds a bit strong. Someone was telling me they watered it down with mineral water?
No, but I know a man who can!
People in Lincolnshire are very knowledgeable on the latter, the Ukrainian and Poles are always blowing themselves up in Boston. You would think they would know not to smoke when distilling and why do they add floor polish? That's according to trading standards. Multi use product?
Unless you buy it 'cask strength', last one I had was Dufftown Glenlivet, a local specialist had a barrel. (supply your own bottle
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