Sloe Gin

[Khandro]

I have recipe which requires a 'two litre glass container such as a Kilner jar' but that sounds enormous, is there such a thing, or what else could I use please?

[shoota]

You can make a supply by pouring half a bottle of gin into another screwcap bottle and then adding half the amount of sloes and sugar to each.
Kilner jars are nice but not absolutely necessary.

[TonyV]

You can get half size demijohns

[Chipchopper]

When you get to the bottling stage, be sure to strain the liquid from the pulp and stones from the bottom of the kilner to avoid a cloudy liqueur.
For a professional touch you can even get printed labels online.

[Peter Pedant]

oh the Darzet way is to do it in the bottle
unplug at easter and glug

[Khandro]

chip. My recipe says to strain it through a muslin-lined funnel.

It also says you can make a 'slider' by adding the gin-soaked berries to still cider. In fact it says there is even a commercially produced version of this in the UK; Saxby of Northants, 18% ABV at £29.99 !! ciderdelicious.co.uk

[Chipchopper]

The muslin lined funnel seems the best way to go for avoiding sediment, if you have one.

[Khandro]

Got my lovely tall 2 litre Kilner jar via Amazon & started yesterday following the recipe, I put in the 500g of sloes 250g of sugar & 1 litre of gin. & sealed the lid.
It says to invert the jar & shake every day until the sugar has melted. There's now about an inch of undissolved sugar at the bottom which looks to be solid will this dissolve ? I don't really want to open the lid again & poke around in there. Thanks.

[Chipchopper]

In my experience, yes it will devolve, as long as you shake the jar on a regular basis

[barry1010]

cloverjo, some might say why ruin good vodka by turning it in to gin

[shoota]

You can shake as much as you like until the sugar has gone, once a day is the regime for when all the sugar has dissolved - probably 2/3 days depending on how much agitation you do.

[choux]

I haven't made sloe gin in many a year but I agree it is far nicer than shop-bought. My last effort was tireing in the making as I decided to prick each sloe with a steralised needle 40 times. Yes, 40! The liquid would go in a 4-pint glass cider flagon which was beautifully shaped, had a side handle on it and a screw top absolutely the bees knees for the job.

The flagon was situated on the sideboard between 2 doors and there was a regular flow of people past the sloe gin throughout the day and evening. Whoever passed the flagon would pick it up and give it a decent swirl. On a good day the liquid was barely at rest.

When I strained off the liquid I looked at the bowl of exquisitely swollen sloes and thought what a crying shame it would be to throw them away. After all, as they had given off their flaour and colour they had been rewarded with gin.

That evening I sat watching television and offered the sloes around but there were no takers. So I made a huge effort (yeah, right) and ate every last one as though they were a jar of unpitted olives.

The result by the end of the evening was that had I so wished I could have undertaken my own root canal surgery with just the tool box and no further anaesthetic.

Come to think of it, that is probably why I haven't made more sloe gin over the decades - I cannot abide waste of any sort.

Enjoy your effort in due course, Khandro :)

[straydog]

I just save screw top wine bottles. Don’t bother with measuring. Fill the bottle up with sloes to just below the neck, (pricked or frozen). Fill the rest of the bottle with ordinary granulated sugar and then carefully pour in the cheapest supermarket gin you can get. Shake every few days until you can see the sugar has dissolved and then leave in a cool dark place, I use the understairs cupboard, for as long as you can. This Christmas will be too soon Khandro! I have some years old and still delicious. If you don’t like gin (!) you can use any spirits really. I’ve done it with vodka, rum, whisky and sherry. All good. I’m lucky enough to have a field with loads of sloes far away from any road pollution. They are enormous this year but as alavahalf says they could be damsons or even bullace. Taste one. You’ll soon find out! Sloes are bitter. Either way you could still make gin with them but a better idea would be damson or bullace jelly which is simply delicious. Good luck.

[Khandro]

update:
The sugar sediment is slowly dissolving, it is now reduced to about half an inch thick. The freezing trick obviously works because it is already a beautiful red wine colour. I note the fact that Christmas may be to soon to drink, but not to bottle, so while the sloes are abundant I've collected another 500 gs & put them in a bag at the back of the freezer with a view to making a second batch when the Kilner Jar is free again.

Thanks for the advice & encouragement folks.

[barry1010]

Some say you should not add the sugar until it's ready to drink https://sipsmith.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-sloe-gin/

[shoota]

That's a very interesting article Barry and on further research appears to be backed up by other makers.
I was told by an old country boy when I first started making sloe gin that the sugar was needed for a second fermentation caused by the must on the sloe. A couple of articles I have just read said that the sugar saturates the gin and actually stops it from extracting the natural sugars and flavours from the sloes as much.
My sloe gin is great, some years better than others but always good. Could it be even better?
I thought my method was sorted - it seems I'm back to the drawing board...

[Khandro]

barry: I like the, "It’s worth splashing out a few extra pounds to upgrade to a better gin, such as our award-winning London Dry Gin."
:o)

[shoota]

I'm in the 'doesn't make a difference' camp when it come to gin quality.
I'd rather have two bottles of cheap than one expensive for no discernible gain...

[Khandro]

I'm using this local one at 43% :
https://learnalittleeveryday.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/lidl-schwarzwald-gin-review/
hic!

[Khandro]

Update, for anyone still subscribed to & advised me on this this thread last October;
I made it as per my recipe & it is the highlight of what has been a rather austere Christmas. Mrs K, (She who is not noted for dishing out too many praises!) thinks it sensational & I have gained many Brownie points.
The plan was to decant the 1 & 1/2 litres into small bottles, but I've been using a small, long handled silver ladle perfect for the job, to pour it out straight into glasses from my lovely, tall 2 litre Kilner jar. I have a feeling that the process of bottling may well be by-passed.
Cheers!

[barry1010]

Cheers, Khandro!

If you have any left it will be even better next Christmas :)