Sloe Gin

[silver pigeon69]

i'm going to try to make some this year and have read quite a few of the posts on here and picked up some good tips.(Thanks! )

 

What i would like to know is what type of bottle/container people use to keep the sloe's/gin mixture in for the year?

 

Would a plastic 1.5ltr coke bottle be ok?

 

Should it be full to the brim or should there be a small air space?

 

I presume the bottle should be clean but does it need to be steralised as such?

 

Thanks,

 

SP69

 

 

[Danger-Mouse]

I made my first batch earlier this year, plum gin and vodka, but basically the same thing. I used kilner jars and just washed them out with boiling hot water. I haven`t had any problems. Sampled some last and I have to say it was rather nice.

[silver pigeon69]

Thanks DM. We dont have any kilner jars . i do have some re-usable wine bottles with the same type of lid i could use? if the sloe's will squeeze through the neck, but then i would imagine they would be a nightmare to get out, when finished!

 

would people recommend glass over plastic containers?

[Danger-Mouse]

Try Tesco. That`s where I bought mine. They do some very cheap ones, only a few quid each. It`s an extra expense but it`s not like you can`t reuse them.

[amateur]

I got my Kilner jars at Wilkinsons for £3 each

[craftycarper]

I Just stick them in a demijohn, then drain it through a strainer months later and re-bottle in a bottle of your choice.....simples!

[gamekeeper1960]

I make mine in a demijohn then bottle it six months on :-)

[silver pigeon69]

Try Tesco. That`s where I bought mine. They do some very cheap ones, only a few quid each. It`s an extra expense but it`s not like you can`t reuse them.

Thanks. i'll make a trip to tescos. Does it matter if they are 3/4's full?

[Danger-Mouse]

Thanks. i'll make a trip to tescos. Does it matter if they are 3/4's full?

 

Not that i`m aware of.

[silver pigeon69]

Thanks.

[Zenduri]

Last year i made blackberry and blueberry vodkas and im after some sloe berries this year for Sloe Gin

 

When making the vodkas I used 2 x 1.5l Kilner Jars and they were fine, air space is fine, just thoroughly wash them then remove the rubber seal, stick em in the oven at about 100 and heat them to steralize them. In all honesty you may not even need to go to that extreme.

 

You will see a a change over 10 days. Shake daily for the first month. Then weekly for 3 months.

 

Below is a pic from my Facebook. I tried it at 10 days to see if i needed more sugar or not, but it was fine so i then just followed the above advice for the next 3 months.

 

[kenj]

I use an extra virgin olive oil bottle for my sloe gin. My mate has been giving them to me for my cider, but these work perfectly.

 

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[snarepeg]

Best year for a while for sloes, lots of them and large to boot.

 

2 Demi John's on the go.

[DrBlox]

Sterilizing: you're adding gin to it (at least 35% alcohol) which should kill almost anything it comes into contact with. My advice is "you don't need to get up to jam-making levels of sterilization of glassware". For belt and braces safety I would soak the rubber/polymer washers in milton (baby bottle steri-tabs - own brand ones from Tesco are only a couple of quid) for half an hour (nb this is OTT).

 

Plastic bottles: I would be concerned about long term storage of anything containing high levels of alcohol (20% upwards) in contact with cheap, non-specialised plastic containers due to plasticisers leaching out (these are the things affecting the sex of aquatic wildlife) and the taint/taste of the final product. My advice is "avoid doing this".

Edited September 22, 2015 by DrBlox

[Zenduri]

Thanks to the chairman at my Air rifle club who pointed me in the direction of some good bushes i now have 12lb of Sloes so enough for 12L, only took about 3 hours to pick them but got plenty of dodgy looks from passers by!

 

Found loads of little bushes like this one as well as a few well established ones.

 

 

Also it would seem the area was visited by Shaun of the Dead...... So much vinyl lodged in the bushes! No Batman soundtrack or Dire Straits though!