Sloe gin in a plastic container

[mooj]

Any problem with storing high alcohols in high density polythene?

I wanted to fill a demijohn but only managed to pick 600g.

edit: inappropriate ingredient!

[Chiltern Brewer]

Use the demi-john it will be fine - it doesn't matter if it's only half full. In fact if you fill them right up it becomes difficult to swirl the sloes around in the gin. For 600g of sloes you're going to need about 1.5L of gin (or two 70CL bottles). Just avoid plastic.

[mooj]

Cheers CB.

I've used pet bottles with beer before, no qualms, but something about the higher alcohol makes me think it's not sound. Will use the Demijohn instead.

I am going to try a different technique to last year as follows:-

Add sloes and most of the gin and infuse for about 8 weeks, then strain into another bottle. Pour the remaining gin and sugar over the sloes and strain again after two weeks. Combine the two extracts and voila!

This should get most of the juice out of sloes apparently, anyone tried this method?

[Chiltern Brewer]

I see what you are saying - you get two "washes" from the sloes - personally I'd stick with doing it once. I've found that if the sloes are soft you extract enough flavour from them. Anyway, try it and let us know the outcome!

Just another idea - I know of a commercial product where they first make a sloe wine and then fortify the wine with spirit - thereby extracting the maximum flavour from the sloes while also reducing the amount of spirit required.

[mooj]

Thanks for the reply CB.

I don't think I made it clear earlier, but I believe the idea with the 2 strain method is that because you only add the sugar on the second infusion (with gin just covering the sloes) you create a more concentrated syrup which helps draw some of the absorbed gin from the sloes(?) Presumably I can expect the sloes to look shrivelled if it works.

I really like the idea of that fortified sloe wine. I'm sure i read something recently, possibly on this forum, about fortified elderberry wine. What spirit do you think they might use? I'm presuming brandy? Although gin might be interesting. One for next year methinks.

[Chiltern Brewer]

I prefer gin for sloes - you can use vodka - but IMO nothing is a nice as the pairing of sloes and the juniper flavour of gin. IIRC Moniack use gin to fortify their sloe liqueur. Blackberry brandy is good, again I found vodka a bit "harsh". However, if you are talking about fortification of wines then you wouldn't be using as much spirit compared to a straight infusion. I think normal practice would be to use vodka or a grape based spirit (e.g. brandy) in that case?

Just for the record we were trying some of last year's sloe gin last night - lovely!

[mooj]

Just for the record we were trying some of last year's sloe gin last night - lovely!

My sloe gin of last year (about 2L) didn't last past February!

Next year Fortified sloe wine definitely. One with gin, one brandy. yes definitely

[seankeggers]

Good Job i read this post. i had forgot about my sloe gin. I'm new to brewing but have made this blend for about 5 years now and have still got some from 3 years back and its superb. I always make 2 litres with just gin and 2 litres with gin and juniper berries and cinnamon sick, Both goos but my favorite is just gin and sloe's. I use 4 oz of sugar to 1lb of friut and i just pulp the sloe's into the demijon. no messing..