Allotments 4 All

Hi All
I have just joined group and I am a country wine maker if I can be of any help with recipes or info on wine or beer making please let me know.
all the best
Steve

Hi Steve

Welcome to the mad house hee hee
Whats your best tip for Marrow Rum?/whisky ;)

Teresa

teresa looking at the recipe, maybe be sitting down when you drink it??!! ;D  hehehehe

Hi Steve and all you boozers out there.

Very interested in having a go at some homebrew, both wine and beer.

How do I do it? What do I need?

Les

:)

Hi Les
When making wine you have to decide if you are going to do kit or traditional.
one of the first things I suggest you do is get hold of a book called

first steps in wine making by C J J Berry

It is an excellent book it tells you what equipment you need and also month by month recipes as for equipment the best place is your local home brew retailer or Wilkinsons.
Hope this helps
If you need further help please contact me and I will try to help
Steve C

Hi les,
        afraid i have got to disagree with Steve`s recommendation of Cj Berry`s book, it is very outdated, using in most recipes far too much sugar. Look for Books by Professor Gerry Fowles, Straightforward Winemaking or The Gervin Recipe book, these are much more in keeping with todays winemaking techniques and ingredients.Good luck with the hobby.
                                                Adrian.

Tee hee  ;D Can see this thread is going to be fun!

Used to make cider at 18% proof.  Have long standing argument with Cleo that you can't make cider that strong without adding something to apple juice and sugar!  He don't believe me but it's true!  Even customs and excise said it was.  Cleo thinks I am fibbing but ain't, always tell truth me!

Is there anyone out there who has produced cider from (eating - live in kent, so no cider apples) apples, ratio gallon apple juice to 2/2lb sugar, who might possibly be able to back me up?

Giggles  ;D

Hi Muddy,

Tell me what to do and I'll see if I can match your cider strength.

Les

I also managed to brew cider wich was sooooooooo strong  :P it was really hard to drink without mixing it with lemonade, it went down very well with all my boyfriends raf mates :o, totally blinded them aparently, i made it from a kit but got the instructions wrong and only made up half the amount with all the kit so it was probably twice the strength it sould have been.
I also made apple wine from the eating apple trees in the garden, that is completely leathal, it gone into secondry fermentation, and a bottle or two have exploded, but when you get one safely opened it is really lovely, that is for sparkling apple brandy!!, i have to mix that with soda just to tolerate it, something about apples, the only other fruit that went that mental was a redberry,blackberry,whiteberry,raspberry,strawberry mixture i created last summer - delish yummy, non left now what a shame
sam
xx

I sort of agree with both parties on the merits of C J`s book-it is still a valuable source of recipes-but I would now use a Kilo of sugar where the original says 3lb.

I used to show both wine and beer but there is not a shop around here so have mostly stopped now,but if anyone knows where I can get flaked maize I would be greateful-can`t find it these days.

Stephan.

Stephan,

If you google for UK suppliers flaked maize, quite a number of sources are shown.

You going to supply us all with booze now then?  ;D ;D ;D

Hi Stephan, flaked maize is available from The Homebrew Shop in Alexandra Rd Farnborough Hants, (don`t know the postcode)  ???phone no 01252 540386 speak to Danny Green or his son Adrian . They do a large amount of their business from the internet so must have a web site.  :-*
                             
              cheers adrian            

Hi Les/All
I agree cj berrys book is out of date but to some one new to wine making it is a good place to start it explains about the necesaty of hygiene and about equipment ingrediants, yeasts and also explains about fermentation, and the vinegar fly these havent changed if you then progress from there join an internet group or wine circle.
half the fun to me is experimenting with old recipes to see what what they come out like (just made some ale from an 1870 receipe called old conker brewed to about 11%)
all the best
Steve C

For Muddy Boots
Have also made very strong cider!!!!! made from carton apple juice and sugar + muntons ale yest, dry but could cause blindness. 15% proof.
would appreciate new recipe ideas please.

My " Essential Reading" is "Drink Your Own Garden" by Judith Glover.  The anchor press, Tiptree Essex.  Sorry, cannot find the I.S.B.N.

i've decieded to start home brew and wine making this year, luckily my dad is an old hand at it and still has equipment up in his loft. :)

has anyone used either of these two online stores? do they give good service?
http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/
http://www.homebrewdirect.com/aboutus.php

found two books in charity shop by Ben Turner, dad said he was a good author to start with.

i have used art of brewing many times good service and on the end of a phone if you need help!!have found wilkinsons have all you need and a bit cheeper!!good luck with brewing!!!!!!its fun ;D

I can second art-of-brewing. Wilkos are ok for the common or garden stuff and sometimes a bit cheaper -if your time and transport are free.

If you're after basics like demi-johns then try charity shops. I'm paying around a quid (and I know others get them cheaper), they're 4 or 5 in the shops.

I've just aquired another 3 and need to decide what to brew -could be parsnip as I've several extra.

Jeremy

Parsnip -  oh,yes!!

In passing, I lined a packing case with 2" polystyrene, put in a 12" tube heater on a thermostat + thermometer in the lid. Takes 6 demi-johns.  Great! = Tim

thanks for recommending the websites,( i was begining to think i killed the thread off!!)

Got back form my dad who gave me a Rotokeg amongst other things, i may need to get the lid checked out he suggested though.   cany wait to sort out the utility room and get started!