Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Birch Sap

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Birch Sap

    Hi all,
    Just gathered 5 gallons of Birch Sap for fermenting.
    Made some last year. The wine was nice, but not brilliant ! The body was quite light.

    Sooooo, has anyone added oak chips to this ?
    If so how much and for how long to leave in in the bucket ?

    I plan to add 5 bags of sugar, half a pound of sultanas, and some lemon juice.
    Should I add anything more ?

    Lastly, 3 demijohns are clear, and 2 are cloudy......any reason for this. other than perhaps a bit of wild yeast ?

    Ian.

  • #2
    I made two batches of this last spring. Two different recipes. One was the water as it came from the tree the other after a partial reduction boil. Neither was what I would call a good tasting wine. Each had a very thin flavor profile. The one made from the water only tasted of the lemon and the raisins in the recipe. The one that was slightly reduced was like tasting dirt with a gamey background almost like a sausage on the verge of going off. This was a lot of work to get very limited results. Sorry but no I have not put any oak into birch sap I do not think it is high on my priority list to try again.
    http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby

    Comment


    • #3
      This is what tjhey look like !

      IMG_3146.JPG
      Attached Files

      Comment


      • #4
        Just a thought but if this is a light flavour profile wine, oak might be a bit heavy. If you are looking to improve it consider floral/fresh tones perhaps elderflower?
        Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

        Comment


        • #5
          Elderflower sounds good !
          Anyone got thoughts on the cloudy sap ?
          Wouldn't like to poison all my friends !

          Ian

          Comment


          • #6
            don't worry about it being cloudy - cloudy is an optical illusion. Generally cosmetic. I have some cloudy beer - if it offends me too much I drink it out of a pot tankard.

            It probably will not speak cloudly after fermentation.
            Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

            Comment


            • #7
              OK.... I have 4 gallons of cloudy birch sap.
              There is a very slight sniff of fermentation in each demijohn....they are plugged with a rubber bung, and sofar none have popped.
              They are now indoors. and I'll see if they pop, as they warm up.
              If, as I suspect, they are fermenting (slowly), should I just carry on as usual, and add my yeast etc, or try to kill the wild fermentation first?
              Really don't want to waste the sap !

              Ian.

              Comment


              • #8
                I would add k1-v1116 yeast this is a good all-round yeast & a killer strain, so it will dominate any wild yeast that may have started.

                ...... and add airlocks.
                Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks, Cellar Rat.
                  Just ordered the yeast.

                  Ian

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Birch sap and elderflower 50/50
                    Going down a storm !
                    Even my wife loves it !

                    Now its OK for me to monopolise the kitchen sometimes.........Should have made this before !

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Result. Today the kitchen - tomorrow a wine shed!
                      Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X