First time sloe Vodka

[nnorman32]

Hello

My plan to make sloe vodka is as follows:

wash hands, remove blackthorns and apply bandages.

Sterilise kilner jar in oven - 190 degrees for about 20 mins.

Allow to cool and add sloes that have defrosted and been smacked about with rolling pin but not pricked.

Add equal sugar to sloe weight.

Top up with SWMBO's vodka

Add some vanilla (?) not sure about this bit.

Shake every couple of days till sugar dissolved.

After 3 moths decant and filter.

Then leave till Christmas in the dry dark wardrobe.

 

Does this sound like a plan?, first time and would welcome advice......

 

N.

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Just freeze the sloes, much easier!

 

Drown them in vodka.

 

Agitate regularly.

 

Drain through coffee filter paper when sloe mush has lost colour and flavour in to vodka.

 

Make a simple sugar syrup and dilute the drained liquid to taste.

 

EASY!

[junglebert]

Forget the vanilla if it’s the first time. I always add sugar at the end, just prior to bottling, then you can get the level right, otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll make it too sweet. Just make a simple sugar syrup and add it a little at a time until it tastes how you like it.

[Blackpowder]

I have never sterilised kilner jars prior to making liquers, the spirit should be antiseptic enough. Equal amounts of sugar to fruit seems a bit to much it could turn out like cough syrup. As other posters have said add sugar gradually. For a litre of sloe gin I add 3 cloves and 3 blanched almonds, dont know why but that came from an original recipe. Shake the bottle daily and enjoy at Christmas.

 

Blackpowder

[Walker570]

I use two old sweet jars with screw tops.

 

Recipe for anything :-

 

two double handfuls of chopped and squashed fruit .... sloes, pears, figs(superb), plums, bullace, damsons, blackberries etc....

a double handful of dark soft brown sugar.

there is then sufficient room for about a litre and a half of vodka/gin/white rum/ whisky/brandy your choice,

So ... I have two jars on the go which uses 3 litres of vodka at a time. 5 days of stirring, a couple of months or more resting and then as said above, filter through coffee filters...I say filters, because you might need to use two or three as they block up quickly if your not careful to stop the debris seeping across as you pour.

 

I have a carrying box I made in leather which holds five of the half litre clip top bottles and I usually have five different flavours for 'elevensies' and never a refusal.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Walker570

[figgy]

Get some glycerin from boots and add some at the end it gives a much better feel on the tongue.

[kennett]

Get some glycerin from boots and add some at the end it gives a much better feel on the tongue.

What sort of quantity? Although my sloe gin always tastes fine it does lack the silky slightly thick taste of the good bottles stuff

[AlistairB]

For any hedgerow booze, i always start with the same recipe: 1 bottle of gin/vodka/brandy etc, 600g fruit, 300g sugar then i can add more sugar if needed later, but generally it never needs it.

 

Once you're done and have all the sodden sloes left over, put them back in the jar and poor on a bottle of cheap dry sherry, shake and leave for a month, bottle and leave for another few months. It'll taste like paint stripper if you try it when you first bottle it, but once it's mellowed, it's very smooth.

 

AB

[markm]

Here is mine for today.

 

Collected the sloes this morning. Washed, bottled and placed in the freezer for 48 hours (will leave a few there for later). Pour in the vodka (the bottle will take approx 500ml) and shake every day, if I remember until the week before Xmas. The density of the berries speeds up the process, but Ive got access to 1000s of them.

 

Then pour through a hessian square and sweetened to taste (hic!)

 

Edited October 24, 2017 by markm

[figgy]

Try adding a desert spoonful at a time until you get a silky smooth feel and it looses any harshness, shouldn’t take more than two spoons of glycerin to smooth it right out.

[general grievous]

Leave it in the boot of your car or stand it on top of the washing machine if its in a dark place then you dont have to agitate it.

Enjoy

GG