Brews I've attempted so far:
1. Apple juice + orange juice + water + sugar + bread yeast
> About 3 weeks in and it's ready to sample.
> The apple notes give a pleasant taste. Without a hydrometer, I estimate this brew to be ~10%. It would be very drinkable, but fermented orange juice (at this stage) adds an unmistakable vomit flavor to the brew. 6/10. It's getting me drunk on the cheap and tastes better than Steel Reserve.
2. Sticky rice + "rice wine starter"
> Those Orientals have a special ball you can acquire with the enzymes to convert rice starches to sugars, which yeast can readily turn to alcohol. Put warm (not HOT) cooked sticky rice in a jar, sprinkling in the magic powder, and seal the container; after enough time, delicious liquids will magically arise. No bubbles after about 2 weeks time. After extracting the liquid and refrigerating, it naturally separated into 2 layers. 8/10. The clear liquid on top was the superior beverage but both were tolerable with good flavor.
Intake: 5 cups cooked rice; output: 1.5 liters rice wine.
Currently fermenting:
I freezejacked >>2 drink #1 and mmm. That hits nice.
Latest big batch of apple cider (roughly 8 liters) turned out well. After it was essentially done bubbling and the balloons deflated, they went in the fridge. Roughly 16% each. Adding a bit of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and artificial sweetener and additional time in the fridge really helped with flavor. Used EC-1118 yeast.
2L of grape juice with no added sugars and bread yeast turned out fine, fermented to 6%. Fridge jacked it to boost it up to 14% or more. A lot better. Flavor more intense. The grape juice is a mix of red and white grape juice, which makes it pretty interesting.
My attempt to mix vanilla syrup with water didn't turn out so well. Maybe fermented to 4% before it refused to ferment any more.
1KG of sticky rice produced ~1.5L or so of rice wine. It's starting to separate in the fridge between cloudy and clear rice wine. Historically, clear rice wine was for nobles and the cloudy stuff was for peasants, or so the story goes. Definitely more labor intensive
citation needed
Results of my latest brandy distillation (from 20 liters of apple juice, 10%):
jar 1 - 68%
jar 2 - 65%
jar 3 - 62%
jar 4 - 60%
jar 5 - 54%
jar 6 - 48%
jar 7 - not tested
The jars near the beginning and end are not completely full. I was regularly tasting the stuff coming out to know when to separate heads, hearts, and tails. After they evaporate more and I dilute and mix cuts, I predict getting a yield a bit over 3 liters. Unused heads/tails will be recycled into future runs.