[moblee]

Hi,
I've just been chatting with the other half about those home brew kits you can buy & I'm just asking if anybody on here has done it?

I should imagine its a very self satisfying Hobby to make your own wine out of potatoes,rhubarb,peas or whatever..
I might try it as long as I don't make myself Blind or something :lol: :lol:

Any views??

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Yeah, it's not winemaking that makes you blind.
That's a different hobby.

 

[Zebedee]

You need a lot more patience than I've got Phil, if you want to make wine. It's not ready to drink for at least a year and involves a lot of faff in the meantime! When it is finally "ready" there's no guarantee it won't taste like Jeyes Fluid!! 8O

Beer is a whole different proposition, and the kits are very good these days. It can be tasted (for Health and Safety checks only of course! 8O :lol: ) after only three or four weeks, though it does improve if you can keep your hands off it for longer.

Hope this helps

Dave

 

[moblee]

A year!! I was thinking more like a fortnight :roll: :lol: :lol:
I think I'd better stick with Intermarche wine then.

Beer sounds good though.

 

[Zebedee]

A year!! I was thinking more like a fortnight :roll: :lol: :lol:
I think I'd better stick with Intermarche wine then.

Beer sounds good though.

Might have misled you a bit Phil. Some of the kits don't take quite that long, but they are (IMHO) far too much trouble to bother with.

Beer is good, especially if you get a Beer Sphere so you can just turn the tap and have it on draught.

Dave

 

[moblee]

Some of the kits don't take quite that long, but they are (IMHO) far too much trouble to bother with.

Its just a idea Dave to see if its feasible AND economically viable.

 

[JockandRita]

Beer sounds good though.

Hi Phil,

I used to brew my own beer all the time, in the days when Rita and I were skint, (looks like those days are returning), but using kits rather than the raw ingredients. I started off using the plastic 2 and 3 litre plastic coke bottles, which were great for the bottling and final fermentation, ie, pressure resistant.
The only problem was that once opened, I had to decant the whole bottle into a large jug in order to stop the sediment affecting the beer...................which meant drinking the blooming lot. I had a wee Scot's neighbour at the time who worked in Strike Command's Intelligence Centre. She used to come round and help me quaff all this decanted beer. She left our house feeling "not so intelligent". :lol: :lol: :lol:

I then progressed onto Grolsch bottles, and then onto pressure barrels for my draught brews. I have had some folks say that my beer was better than some stuff they had drank in pubs. 8O I can only assume that hey must have been drinking Boddingtons, (Strangeways inmates urine). :lol:

I once did a 24 pint Barley Wine, and made it up to a 30 pint kit. It was lovely. I found that the Boots kits were very good.
Whatever route you go down Phil, everything must be meticulously clean and sterilised, otherwise you'll lose the blooming lot.
The initial layout is soon covered by the lower costs of a decent pint.

Don't buy bottles and crown corks etc. Try the smaller pop bottles first.

If you need any more info, just shout.

All the best if you go ahead with the "project". Can I be an executive taster please? :lol:

Jock.

 

[moblee]

Thanks jock sounds like a lot of hard work,I think I'll go to a Library before forking out the dosh.
Nothings easy :roll:

 

[JockandRita]

Thanks jock sounds like a lot of hard work,I think I'll go to a Library before forking out the dosh.
Nothings easy :roll:

I can honestly say, that you won't get a decent pint of home brew in there. :lol:

Jock.

 

[Zebedee]

What does a pint of home brew cost nowadays Jock?

It probably isn't much more than 20p even now. It was about 9p when I did it a few years ago.

Dave

 

[bigfrank3]

Hi Moblee, I have been making wine and beer for 34 years and I have been involved in this hobby to the extent I am the current president of The National Guild of Wine and Beer Judges.

Around this fair land of ours there is a vast group of brewers and winemakers, many who are a member of their local club or circle where they can meet up with like minded friendly people.

There is a society called NAWB (Google it) The National Association of Wine and Beermakers.

If you have any specific question or problem if I cannot help you I know a man (or woman) who can. Frank

 

[JockandRita]

What does a pint of home brew cost nowadays Jock?

It probably isn't much more than 20p even now. It was about 9p when I did it a few years ago.

Dave

I am not sure Dave. I stopped brewing in the mid 90's, when I became a bit flush, and could afford to go into a pub. :wink:

According to This supplier, you can pick ip a decent 40 pint kit for a tenner or less. Apart from the costs of the sugar, sodium metabisulphate, finings, and other associated kit, it works out at 25p a pint, so say 30p - 35p at the end of the day. Not bad, considering that I paid £2.90 for a pint of Absolution, in an old country pub today. 8O

Phil, it's not hard graft, fiddly, nor mind boggling, but it is very satisfying to drink your self brewed pint. Go on, give it a go. :wink:

Jock.

 

[moblee]

Thanks bigfrank3,...Very impressed with your credentials 34 years is a long time :!:

Without running myself down I'm not in your league mate I'm just fed up with paying £3:99 + for a bottle of wine when in England!

When in France its a different story with a Decent Red costing less than a tin of coke in the UK :roll:

 

[Zebedee]

When in France its a different story with a Decent Red costing less than a tin of coke in the UK :roll:

But we're members of the EEC aren't we Phil?

Thought that was going to mean we enjoyed the benefits as well as the disadvantages!!

Dave

 

[moblee]

:lol: No comment Dave :!: I'm not talking politics on my Home brew Thread :lol:

 

[shedbrewer]

home brewing

To all you wine and beer drinkers out here, self included, it really is a piece of p*** to brew your own. I have been making beer for about twenty years and only slowed down because Boots stopped selling their beer kits and I have not found a decent replacement. Now wine making is something else, it is not rocket science to brew from a wine kit and there are good 'Home Brew sites' here on the net. I buy my kits from a supplier in Stockport and it is delivered straight to my front door. I have made lovely Merlot and currently Patty and I enjoy an Italian Barolo and it works out at £1-00 a bottle to brew, ready in about three weeks,,,,,, ready to drink, but would improve with ageing, ( so I'm informed ) but it goes down a treat after a couple of days ,,,, Cheers, Jack & Patty, Cornwall

 

[moblee]

A £1.00 a bottle now your talking my language Jack & Patty,.....whilst on the subject of making your own drinks Irish cream? I've read on the bottles that its made of whiskey,white wine,sugar & cream,I would have thought the cream would curdle,am I being naive :roll: :lol:

 

[Minerva]

Mobalee

There are a few members of this forum who have tasted my concoctions over the last couple of years and needless to say some were liked and some others were also liked. I have only made wine for about 40 years (don't do beer) and have fermented wine from about 10% Vol up approx 20% vol which is fairly strong similar to alco pops or a good liqueur.
I started by fermenting veg, fruit from the hedgerows etc. then moved onto kits, my last kit was a grape concentrate that made 5 gallons of a Californian Shiraz with a slight oak flavour, which worked out at £1.30 a bottle of gorgeous wine.
It is true you need a little patience. but once you ferment in 5gal (23l) batches it doesn't take long to build up a cellar and most kits these days can be drunk within weeks but will improve also with ageing.

Good luck if you take the hobby up as I and others have enjoyed my offerrings over the years.

Bill

 

[moblee]

Sounds a damn good hobby Minerva,it must be very satisfying to make your own wine.

 

[bob44]

In my younger days I had just Two Hobbies: Making Home Brew & Drinking Same!!

Seriously, one of the best wines I ever made was from Rose petals.
I collected a bucketful from a garden where no insecticides had been applied and I picked only those petals which were just about to drop anyway.

I was delighted to eventually discover that a little secondary fermentation had naturally ocurred. Result = Pink champagne!

Rice & Raisin was one of the quickest to ferment and this can be enjoyed, clear, within a month!

Lots of recipes about, although I regret I kept none....

Try it, its well worth a go.

Bob L