Allotments 4 All
Produce => Drink .... => Topic started by: Uncle Joshua on February 24, 2012, 21:26:59
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Are there any homebrewers on the forum?
I started brewing kits just over a year ago but switched to all grain a few months ago and have so far brewed 18 AG recipes.
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We're rather sporadic home brewers, I'm afraid. Didn't make any at all last year, but I normally make something quaffable for the hot summer days.
You can't beat real malted grains, which aren't that much more of a faff if you've got a decent thermostat. Difficult to do pilsner type lagers, though, unless you've got serious cooling for the conditioning stage.
One of my favourites is a simple refreshing brown ale, not too high in alcohol. Roll on summer!
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I tend to do hoppy ales, kind of IPA's, I brewed today using a single hop for the third time on the bounce but today's was a darker beer than my normal brews.
I think I'm at a point where I enjoy being able to make good beer more than I enjoy drinking it.
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I brew country wines and have been at it for 16yrs.
Parsnip. Runner bean, Pea pod, Blackcurrant, Redcurrant, Goosegog, Rhubarb, Blackberry and Gorse wines
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I brew country wines and have been at it for 16yrs.
Parsnip. Runner bean, Pea pod, Blackcurrant, Redcurrant, Goosegog, Rhubarb, Blackberry and Gorse wines
Do you ever brew from kits? they are amazing these days.
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We do beer kits (mostly the £25ish ones although right now I'm drinking Geordie with enhancer) & wine kits, as well as the lovely Orange Juice Wine (have 10gal of that in fvs at the mo!). Being able to get drunk for under £1 makes it taste even better.
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I brewed a beer the other week and because I had the hops from past brews it worked out costing me £9.00 for 40 pints you just can't go wrong.
Have you tried the St Peter's kits? they are all well worth a try.
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HI i have just started home brewing and i have just finished brewing my 2nd lot of red wine all from kits though.
i have tried the cider kits but cannot get them right for some reason. Taste very yeasty!!! However i did have a great result from the Youngs Best Bitter Kits @ Xmas. Please share your results and personal favourites as i am always looking to try others successes and will enjoy drinking them even more.
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I'm a winemaker mainly but I've made beer from the basics and used wild hops from the hedgerows. Cheers, Tony.
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Closet homebrewer here!
We use the ready made beer/lager kits but would like to try a home recipe at some point.
Geordie beer kits - tha cant beat 'em!!
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Been making cider of late, and v nice it is too...
http://www.yobrew.co.uk/cider.php (http://www.yobrew.co.uk/cider.php)
That and the wine kits, prefer the cider mind. :)
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Please share your results and personal favourites as i am always looking to try others successes and will enjoy drinking them even more.
I have moved from brewing kits to all grain. the best kits are the two can kits, look for any St Peter's kit or one of the Woodforde's kits.a Woodforde's Wherry will always go down well.
I find you always have to add juice to a cider kit I have a Youngs pear cider maturing now that I added some apple and pear juice to.
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Please share your results and personal favourites as i am always looking to try others successes and will enjoy drinking them even more.
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I have moved from brewing kits to all grain. the best kits are the two can kits, look for any St Peter's kit or one of the Woodforde's kits.a Woodforde's Wherry will always go down well.
How do you bottle your up or do you leave them in a pressure barrel ??
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Please share your results and personal favourites as i am always looking to try others successes and will enjoy drinking them even more.
I have moved from brewing kits to all grain. the best kits are the two can kits, look for any St Peter's kit or one of the Woodforde's kits.a Woodforde's Wherry will always go down well.
How do you bottle your up or do you leave them in a pressure barrel ??
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After my brews have fermented out I transfer the beer to a secondary vassal which has a tap, I use a "little bottler" on the tap to fill to bottles.
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I used to brew the odd pint. Is there a wine/beer club near you? Joining one is a good way of swapping ideas and recipes,and winning a few prizes?. You mght get to taste some really good stuff-but also some terrible dross(I know having been a judge`s assistant many times).
For my standard bitter I used to use a pressure barrel but for pale ale types and for competion obviously they were bottled.
I still have my recipe book from the early 80`s if you want to try a couple??
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I used to brew the odd pint. Is there a wine/beer club near you? Joining one is a good way of swapping ideas and recipes,and winning a few prizes?. You mght get to taste some really good stuff-but also some terrible dross(I know having been a judge`s assistant many times).
For my standard bitter I used to use a pressure barrel but for pale ale types and for competion obviously they were bottled.
I still have my recipe book from the early 80`s if you want to try a couple??
I'm a member of an online brewing forum to swap ideas and recipes. I haven't entered any competitions yet but do intend to do so soon.
I used to use pressure barrels but have now swapped to bottles only because I think it gives better results.
I'd love to see your recipies.
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I am hoping to buy some 2nd hand home wine making kit from a colleague who no longer makes his own; so this is a thread i am watching closely. Never made home plonk before so will be starting with wine making kits.
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may try making marrow rum this year just for giggles
will take caution mind,as i heard a story of woe in that a marrow exploded leaving a kitchen in need of attention ;D
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I am hoping to buy some 2nd hand home wine making kit from a colleague who no longer makes his own; so this is a thread i am watching closely. Never made home plonk before so will be starting with wine making kits.
Take a look on Ebay. its amazing how much cheap stuff comes up on there.
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This one won the `National` (Pale Ale) in 1984:
7lb Pale Malt
6oz Crystal Malt
9oz Flaked Maize
500g Muscovado Sugar
2 oz Goldings
2oz Hallertau
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This one won the `National` (Pale Ale) in 1984:
7lb Pale Malt
6oz Crystal Malt
9oz Flaked Maize
500g Muscovado Sugar
2 oz Goldings
2oz Hallertau
Cheers Cleo. I'll have a go at that at some point. :)
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This one won a few prizes around the circles
7lb Pale Malt
8oz Crystal Malt
3 oz Torrified Barley
6oz Flaked Maize
4 oz Goldings
My notes show I used a starter from a bottle of White Shield and I was younger back then- 5th July 1980!!
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What made you give up Cleo?
I'm brewing a beer I call Garden Of Eden Ale tomorrow.
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What made you give up Cleo?
In November 1984 I met my to be ,and now late, wife. I guess my prorities changed!!
Some folks want in the village want to try a `micro brewery` and with the price of a pint these days I can see the point. Who knows? I could be tempted back.
Nice name-Garden of Eden
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I am hoping to buy some 2nd hand home wine making kit from a colleague who no longer makes his own; so this is a thread i am watching closely. Never made home plonk before so will be starting with wine making kits.
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Take a look on Ebay. its amazing how much cheap stuff comes up on there.
Yes Mick thats where i have just got alot of my brewing gear from (Ebay)
Just finished bottling up 40 Bottles of Lager.
Will let you know how it taste in the coming weeks as its my first time on Lager.
Down side is i have also just finished my last bottle of red tonight not planned but still went down a treat. So off to get another kit so i can start the next batch of red wine next week.
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Yes Mick thats where i have just got alot of my brewing gear from (Ebay)
Just finished bottling up 40 Bottles of Lager.
Will let you know how it taste in the coming weeks as its my first time on Lager.
What lager was it? I have a Muntons Connoisseurs Continental Lager ready at the moment that is going down well.
I just looked at the brews I have on the go...around 300pts of ale, 40 of lager and pear cider plus 22l of vodka. this week I got hold of a hand pump that I hope to rig up fairly soon...I'm almost a pub!!
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I just looked at the brews I have on the go...around 300pts of ale, 40 of lager and pear cider plus 22l of vodka. this week I got hold of a hand pump that I hope to rig up fairly soon...I'm almost a pub!!
Well if you need a hand drinking it im always happy to help need a big straw though to reach me...
My Lager was a buddy Kit my wife bought me for Xmas. i opened 1 last nite to see what was going on in the bottle but it was a little early really. Nice but i will try again in a couple of weeks to see the difference.
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Have you started another kit palmski? its to build a stock and let it age.
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Have you started another kit palmski? its to build a stock and let it age.
No not yet.
Going to try a real Ale / Bitter next though
What do you recommend i get?
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No not yet.
Going to try a real Ale / Bitter next though
What do you recommend i get?
Try a St Peter's Golden Ale kit. fantastic beer.
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Try a St Peter's Golden Ale kit. fantastic beer.
Where do you get your kits from?
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Where do you get your kits from?
I always use my local homebrew shop. (Morley Homebrew) You may pay a few pennies more for your items but the knowledge you can gain is priceless.
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Thanks Mick off to my local Home Brew shop (www.homebrewcentre.co.uk) this weekend may just try your choice.
Sorry if i have asked before but do you bottle your Beers / Lager.
What bottles do you use? New or 2nd Hand?
My shed is now home to approx 100 Bottles collected since xmas. The wife likes a drop of that Crabbies Ginger beer and i found these to be good bottles? Whats your thought on using these 2nd hand bottles?
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palmski,second hand bottles will be fine. A new bottle might give you a slight edge if showing but for social drinking there is no need.
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Just make sure your used bottles aren't those modern very thin ones. They would blow up under carbanation.
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Just make sure your used bottles aren't those modern very thin ones. They would blow up under carbanation.
Newcastle Brown bottles are very good, plus, of course the fun you can have emptying them ;D
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We do beer kits (mostly the £25ish ones although right now I'm drinking Geordie with enhancer) & wine kits, as well as the lovely Orange Juice Wine (have 10gal of that in fvs at the mo!). Being able to get drunk for under £1 makes it taste even better.
Ollie can you pass on the orange juice wine recipie please ?
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as a student I used to brew wine from wine kits. I had a go from black currents about 5 years ago...came out a nice red coloured vinegar!!!
So after a long gap...I'm having a go at brewing mead.
a quick question.
Fermentation in the demijohn has stopped and is clearing. Should I transfer the mead to a clean demijohn and let it settle more, or just bottle?
from my student days I vaguely remember something about cambden tablets? are they added at some point?
I may be bottling at the weekend ( sorry sampling and bottling ;D)
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Campden tablets can be used to sterlise your bootles or demis but they can be added as preservatives or to stop fermentation.
In your case it looks like fermentation is complete as it is clearing but there is always a bit going on as long as sugar is present.
I'd let it clear, syphon off to another DJ and add campden tablets but you wont get any fermantation so no fizz..
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Just got my first batch on the go ;D
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj117/hotkettle/bevy.jpg)
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Just got my first batch on the go ;D
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj117/hotkettle/bevy.jpg)
Has that gone bang yet?
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I have one of these but I bought mine on the internet, It saves us a fortune I have used the internet to get recipes and a friend of mine gives me great advice on the use of it. If you need any information send me an e-mail.
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That photo looks as if it was taken in the wilds of Tennessee. ;D
I make wine and beer but sporadically. I always make 5 gallons of anything at a time. Less is too much work for what you end up with. The wine I still have from my last ventures are rosehip and mango, gooseberry, rhubarb and elderflower, and blackberry and blackcurrant. I try to make mixes of ingredients to get a fuller flavour. If I get my act together this year I will make wine with golden hedgerow bullaces. The last lot I made was good.
It's hard to make wine as good as what you buy as commercial wine standards have risen so much. (I remember Algerian Reds!) But on the plus side it costs next to nothing, tastes fair and you can pour half a bottle into some dish you are cooking without wincing at the cost and enjoy a glass or two with a meal every day if you wish.
On the other hand beer is fairly easy to make much better than what gets offered by the vast industrial brewers. Small brewers still make the best beers of all: I can't match their products.
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We do beer kits (mostly the £25ish ones although right now I'm drinking Geordie with enhancer) & wine kits, as well as the lovely Orange Juice Wine (have 10gal of that in fvs at the mo!). Being able to get drunk for under £1 makes it taste even better.
Ollie can you pass on the orange juice wine recipie please ?
Sorry, only just noticed this post. I got it from another forum but have been playing around with it enough to feel that I have my own version. If you google "Wurzel's Orange Wine" you will find the original which he got from someone else and tweaked... Here's mine:
For 5 gal:
5 litres Orange Juice (from concentrate stuff works but I normally use whatever fresh stuff without bits is on offer).
5 litres pressed grape juice (I use the red stuff and end up with a Rose).
7½ lb sugar
5 tsp nutrient
G.P. yeast
2 1/2 tsp tannin
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 tsp glycerine
Water to 5 gallon
Dissolve sugar in a few pints of boiling water.
Add the juice and then stir in the rest of the ingredients (I thoroughly mix each ingredient with a half pint of juice or cold water to make sure it dissolves).
Top up to 5 gallon, check initial S.G. which should be about 1.085.
Make sure it's the right temp for your yeast & dry pitch it.
Ferment to dry (I get down to 0.990) - rack when stopped and clear however you like to do it - I use that clay stuff and bottle between 5 and 10 days after racking. By doing it this way I then leave out the K Sorbate and the Campden tablets. Takes about 4 weeks from beginning to drinking. Serve chilled!
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I've just started brewing beer from kits and have started with a Woodefords Wherry which was great.
I am just about to start a 30 bottle Sav blanc wine kit made by Muntons.
Will let you know how it goes.
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It's a bit long in the tooth this thread but here go's. I'm a AG brewer have been for a number of years now, I've a 100 litre kettle, 80 litre mash tun, 8 cornies, but I'm giving it a rest at the moment as we've now got a plot to keep up with and I'm doing more fruit wines. Hope to get going again with the brewing when the plot goes into the winter months.