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B1 was what I got from the brew shop yesterday... and my demijohn is sitting there fermenting water ...

Andy - It's B1 which is the important thing, although the yeast won't complain if you throw in a crushed B compex tablet.

Sky - Me too - just found all of that stuff, and those turbo yeasts look incredible (although I'll virtually guarantee that the amount of methanol and fusel oils produced is increased - NOT a good thing)

Silver Ether - good for you. By the way, I discover that my idea is far, far from original. THe taste of what you're going to end up with has been described elsewhere as " like very watered-down vodka".

MKG wrote:THe taste of what you're going to end up with has been described elsewhere as " like very watered-down vodka".

Next step: build your own distillery...

I've just had a mental image of the near future ... Lots of ISHer parties centred around a table groaning under the weight of several demijohns of a clear tasteless liquid ... another table full of small bottles of syrups, tinctures and essences ... next person staggers up to take the challenge ... "Gwon then, mak the neksht bot'l tase of, errrrmmm, roast lamb ....

Sounds great I had thought of doing something similar but the demijhons are always full

MKG wrote:I've just had a mental image of the near future ... Lots of ISHer parties centred around a table groaning under the weight of several demijohns of a clear tasteless liquid ... another table full of small bottles of syrups, tinctures and essences ... next person staggers up to take the challenge ... "Gwon then, mak the neksht bot'l tase of, errrrmmm, roast lamb ....

We are all secretly in training for that already!

MKG wrote:
Silver Ether - good for you. By the way, I discover that my idea is far, far from original. THe taste of what you're going to end up with has been described elsewhere as " like very watered-down vodka".

mmmmm good.

Funny you should mention this. Back in 1984 I went to Sweden with a German pen friends family. Before going the father of the family went down to the local Chemist, (a friend) and said I want some surgical spirit. Apparently your allowed 100ml per week (well in 1984 you were). He then said, I haven't been in here and asked for this before, can I have my previous weeks amount...for the whole of this year. He walked out with a couple of litres of surgical spirit (it is REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IT IS SURGICAL SPIRIT, the normal is has small amounts of benzine in it well it used to)
When he got home he put this into glass water bottles and crown capped them. THis was taken to Sweden. In all the supermarkets in Sweden they have concentrate flavours....because the alcohol is so expensive they all have illegal stills making spirits.
Then every night they would have "zoupie", which was a small amount of surgical spirit,flavouring and mixer of your choice, bloody lethal if you got it wrong

I particulary remember the holiday since it was the Olympics in LA, and it was the only non Swedish TV on the tellie, I also remember the decathlon when Daley Thompson beat Jurgen Hingsen and Seigfred Wentz into 2nd and 3rd place (they were gutted), I also tore my cartilege and nearly drowned.

Sounds great but dont over do the b1 or it will impart a distinctive taste , when I used to make it years ago we used to boil over ripe bananas up 1lb and add the juce to 2lbs sugar 1/2 carton grape juce juce 1 lemon and 1/2 tea spoon marmite + yeast to make it appear stronger a spoonfull of glyceryn and a few drops of ginger essence , home made vodka

Silver Ether - by my calculations, your gallon of fermenting water should now be at the "lemon barley water" stage. Try a glass now - live, straight out of the demijohn. If the timing's right, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

MKG wrote:Silver Ether - by my calculations, your gallon of fermenting water should now be at the "lemon barley water" stage. Try a glass now - live, straight out of the demijohn. If the timing's right, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

mmmmmmmmmmm not bad ... it reminds me a little of ginger beer ...

I noticed this morning that its almost stopped plopping the airlock... and having just tasted it its quite sweet and there is a little bit of a fizz in your mouth and is warming as it goes down. I does look like barley water ... novice question should I leave to a little longer .. or what?

Right thought that this one was a bit odd so decided to give it a go. Have two demijohns on the go one with marmite, citric acid, yeast nutrient and 1.5kg of sugar the other with yeast, citric acid, yeast nutrient and 1.5kg of sugar.

I thought it is a bit odd using marmite or vit b instead of yeast which is why I did one with normal yeast. Will let you know the results. Oh and I took a reading of both with the hydrometer looks like the one without yeast has a 8% potentinal and the one with 15% interesting!!

Andy - please add yeast immediately. I've just re-read one of my earlier posts and realised where this idea came from - Vit. B. isn't a yeast substitute, but more of a yeast super-charger. If you don't put any yeast in, nothing will happen - sorry I misled you a bit.

Silver Ether - it's a little early for it to finish. How much sugar did you put in and what kind of yeast did you use? The cloudy white ginger-beer appearance is absolutely normal (it's what any "naked" wine would look like when it's fermenting) - and tells me that the ferment is still going on (as does that slightly fizzy feeling on the tongue). When it's finished, it will start to clear almost immediately.

I did think it was very odd not putting yeast in! Ah well, just putting yeast in now.

I thought it early thats why I asked ... .. sugar was a kg bag and a little left from another, yeast was wine yeast ...