My closest friend is due his first child in mid-July and I was thinking about brewing something special that would mature well and he can drink on his 18th birthday. Perhaps do a time capsule or something.
What would be a suitable brew? I'm interested in mead or elderberry. Although mid-July might be a little early for the latter and I don't know if the former would befit from such a long maturation period. Any advice or suggestions are welcomed!
Good Brew For Long Maturing
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arturobandini
- Under the Table
- Posts: 1212
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:14 pm
- Location: North London
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
Get a strong country wine on the go and once it's finished fermenting mix with brandy and leave to drop bright. Then bottle it off and enjoy in 18 years.
Planning - Not for a long while
Fermenting - I'm Done
Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA
Drinking - Still...Whiskey
Fermenting - I'm Done
Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA
Drinking - Still...Whiskey
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will
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
Will it be good after 18 years, though?sandy115 wrote:mead brew it and forget it
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will
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
Got any recipes, Art?arturobandini wrote:Get a strong country wine on the go and once it's finished fermenting mix with brandy and leave to drop bright. Then bottle it off and enjoy in 18 years.
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DREADSKIN
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
Make it... then drink it... buy him a really good bottle of bushmills (like a twenty year old) and then keep that for him. tho store it on its side. after 18 yrs it will be worth alot. or go for the numbered milenium batch and it will be worth a fortune by then. forget elderberry wine or mead. its only designed to last 1-2 years max
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arturobandini
- Under the Table
- Posts: 1212
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:14 pm
- Location: North London
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
I'm sure Laripu has got some crazily old mead (think he made it in the 1920's when he was a teenager...) so mead made well should last.
I'm currently making a batch of white port which started out as a Beaverdale Chardonnay kit someone gave to me. I made up the wine as normal and when fermented out I added sugar to it slowly to build up the ABV. Apparently adding white grape juice is better to use as this adds more vinosity whereas the sugar might thin the must too much. I've only got a 5 gallon version on the go so I'm thinking my sugar additions aren't going to overly thin it.
Once you've got your desired ABV you need to rack it off the sediment and fold in some Brandy (of your choice) to raise the ABV to a good level, something like 22-24% i'm going for. Leave this to fall completely bright (don't wory about the fermentation continuing as the Brandy will have killed it completely) which could take weeks to months. Once you've got a nice star bright Port it's time to bottle. I'm going for a classic cork stopper (something like you get on whisky, a nice port etc) and then either cover in shrink wrap or foil covers and lay down for the baby's 18th.
My girlfriend is due with our first born tomorrow and I'm going to put a bottle of this Port down for when the baby is 18. I'm also already doing what Dreadskin suggested and laying a few commercial bottles down. I've got a 2002 Margaux which should be quite special by 2027 so I'll probably end up selling it...
I'm currently making a batch of white port which started out as a Beaverdale Chardonnay kit someone gave to me. I made up the wine as normal and when fermented out I added sugar to it slowly to build up the ABV. Apparently adding white grape juice is better to use as this adds more vinosity whereas the sugar might thin the must too much. I've only got a 5 gallon version on the go so I'm thinking my sugar additions aren't going to overly thin it.
Once you've got your desired ABV you need to rack it off the sediment and fold in some Brandy (of your choice) to raise the ABV to a good level, something like 22-24% i'm going for. Leave this to fall completely bright (don't wory about the fermentation continuing as the Brandy will have killed it completely) which could take weeks to months. Once you've got a nice star bright Port it's time to bottle. I'm going for a classic cork stopper (something like you get on whisky, a nice port etc) and then either cover in shrink wrap or foil covers and lay down for the baby's 18th.
My girlfriend is due with our first born tomorrow and I'm going to put a bottle of this Port down for when the baby is 18. I'm also already doing what Dreadskin suggested and laying a few commercial bottles down. I've got a 2002 Margaux which should be quite special by 2027 so I'll probably end up selling it...
Planning - Not for a long while
Fermenting - I'm Done
Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA
Drinking - Still...Whiskey
Fermenting - I'm Done
Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA
Drinking - Still...Whiskey
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will
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
Congrats!arturobandini wrote: My girlfriend is due with our first born tomorrow and I'm going to put a bottle of this Port down for when the baby is 18.
I'm starting think that a good sparkling meads is the way to go. Will it improve over the 18 years or is just a case of passed a year or so there isn't too much difference?
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Mitchamitri
Re: Good Brew For Long Maturing
I'd go for port - get some blackberries (hell even frozen ones would do) and make it with them. when our baby gil was born my wife bought me an £80 bottle of port bottled the year I was born (from palmers wine store in bridport) - it were roightlush