National Association of Wine & Beermakers Recipes 2008

NAWB Recipes 2008

The primary activity of the ‘National Association of Wine and Beermakers’, or ‘NAWB’, is to stage the Annual ‘National’ Show and Conference for the hobby. The ‘National’ is normally held at the end of March or early April. It is a two-day show with the Competition, AGM and the Conference all held on the same weekend. By becoming a member and entering the ‘National’ you will be able to enter the members’ classes and to try out your entries against some of the leading Master Wine and Beer makers in the country. And believe me some of the entries are good, stunningly good!

If you would like to know more about the National Association of Wine and Beermakers either visit their website at www.nawb.org.uk where you can find out about the coming show and check out the show schedule, or send me an email at sales@hopshopuk.com.

At the National the winner of each Members Recipe Class is asked to provide a recipe for the class they have just won for inclusion in the schedule at the next year’s competition. These recipes are provided by wine and beer makers who, having already proved their capabilities by winning the class, then provide a proven recipe which they know to be worthy of being used to produce the entries in this class at the next year’s National Show.

SUMMER ALE

Members Recipe 2008 National Supplied by Richard Baldwin

Ingredients for 1 gallon at an OG of 1048 - 1050

Usual brewing methods and water hardness of your choice.

A CYMENT MEAD

Members Recipe 2008 National Supplied by Les Hooper

This mead is derived from Cyser, a mead made with honey and apple juice and Pyment, a mead made with honey and grape juice.

Recipe to make 1 gallon

Mix the honey with I litre of the grape juice and I litre of the apple juice by heating the juices in a saucepan, stirring in the honey until thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining grape and apple juices and when cooled to approximately 70F place in a demijohn. The remaining ingredients should then be added prior to adding the yeast. Prepare the yeast starter and add to the demijohn. Ferment out to 1.005/1.010 to provide a medium sweet mead with some honey sugars unfermented to provide the sweetness. The alcohol level will be no more than 11%, which is quite acceptable.

When considered satisfactory, stabilise the wine and add a campden tablet to prevent any further fermentation. The finished wine may take a time to clear. Although tradition would suggest that the mead should be kept for about a year to mature before drinking, this recipe will provide a pleasant drink after a couple of months but may need clearing with a filter.

GOLDEN MEDIUM SWEET WHITE WINE

At the 2007 AGM of NAWB it was suggested that the 2008 show include a special recipe to mark the occasion of the 50th Annual National Show. The recipe for this is below.

Wash, stone and chop the fruit. Place in the bucket, cover with water, add a Campden Tablet and leave for 24 hours. Add the other ingredients, (only 1 lb of white sugar) and leave to ferment for 5 days. Strain off the solids, add brown sugar and ferment to dryness. Add a campden tablet, some wine stabiliser and the last 8 oz of sugar to sweeten. Taste to see if further sugar is needed. (Final gravity should be in the range 1015 - 1020).