Adventures in Homebrewland (image heavy - you have been warned!)

lucylollipop

I'm just looking into making some wine - got most of the kit I'll need, but thinking ahead about racking it up after the initial fermentation... I only have one demijohn, but I do have a camping style water carrier, with a tap on it... Reckon it'll be ok for that?

Lucy

missychrissy

I'm looking forward to getting some elderberry wine started. I use the C J J Berry recipe but I find it is much better for keeping in the bottle for 2 - 3 years so I have to plan ahead. I did 16 galls last year but I have used approx 4 galls of that already especially for cooking and mulled wine.

Jnelhams

The head does normally vanish as the fermentation settles down, as long as the airlock is topped up with water and is bubbling then that is good. Towards the end of fermentation (2-6 weeks) the bubbles will slow and stop. You will then need to use a tube to siphon off the contents avoiding the sediment in the bottom, and bottle.
Leave for around 6 months to a year, and you should have a decent drop of wine, but remember to keep the bottles in the dark and cool, checking that none are escaping which can happen if fermentation has not totally finished (no harm, you will simply have sparkling wine, and few bottles going pop in storage!)

Jnelhams

A simple way of making something cheap and cheerful, is a two litre cola bottle washed out pierce the lid with a fine needle, pour in about 1.75 litres of Supermarket cheap apple juice (not Drink, must say juice) add two teaspoons of sugar, shake add a teaspoon of brewers yeast, loosely screw on the lid and stick on a sunny window sill for a week or two, then stand in the fridge door for a week, carefully pour and you have a quick slightly boozy drink.

Tubbss

Hi,

Is it true that once I syphon off the cider, I can simply add more apple juice to the demijohn and as the sediment at the bottom is live yeast it will start the process off again?

rdpro

Yup, assuming that you haven't added preservatives or campden tablets to kill the yeast.

It will make the new brew taste manky though, the sediment is mostly dead yeast, and the dead yeast cells will decay.

Best way is to take a sample on a teaspoon and restart it in some lukewarm water with a touch of sugar added - they'll multiply up again soon enough.

Jnelhams

My list of recommended items for Homebrew fans:

Copy of "The Boots Book of Homebrewing" by B.C.A. Turrner - Out of print little hardback, easy to find second hand copies, but the best practical book.
A Decent Hygrometer - For measuring the starting Gravity and Final Gravity of your Brew - This way you can calculate the strength and dryness of your wine.
A tub of VWP Sterilising powder - Very use for cleaning your kit, which is very important.
A big clear plastic bucket, ideal for seeing how much liquid you are pouring
A heat pad for your demi-john's so you can brew all year round.
A Vinometer - Ok these things are not very accurate, but they do give a second opinion of your alcohol content when used with the Hygrometer readings.
A Good Note Book - Useful to see how long things take to brew, and record your own variations to ensure you never loose that secret recipe...
A decent Thermometer - temperature is a must
Campden Tablets of course to keep it all safe clean
And for those of you who can afford £50 or so, a floor standing corker - Oh I would never be without one, the hassle of individually corking wine with a mallet or gizmo is ended!!! Joy!

noynoy

wow what a truley interesting thread..i just started off my first bottle of apple wine yeasterday and its bubbling away merrily ..so i have a while to go yet and today i picked 14lbs of foraged fruit mostly damsons, but theres about 4lb of blackberrys (didnt have that many this year for some reason!) and about 1lb each of elderberrys and sloes, so the blackberrys will be turned into wine the sloes and elderberrys will be added to cheapest of cheap white rum i think i can get 2 bottle for about £10? then that will hopefully devide out to 3 bottles once the fruit is added unless someone knows where i can get it even cheaper? then i shall make one demi of damson wine the rest will be used to make jam ..i managed to steal my mums spare demi johns lol..thanks i shall be viewing this thread with interest!

Fruball

I have been really down the past few days and can honestly say that this thread has cheered me up no end!

I have laughed so hard my kids have come to see what is so funny on the computer! :rotfl::rotfl:

Thank you all for posting your hilarious stories of your boozy experiments esp those that ended in messy explosions!!! :eek:

I now have a new hobby for winter which will save me money and cheer me up too

Thanks all

welshcamper

Hello all

always wanted to try a bit of home brewing but could never justify the outlay...but in a car boot in the summer i had a bargain:j

please ignore my ignorance dont know what half these things are:o

1 brewing white tub
1 brewing white tub with a heating element at bottom
1 barrel with a tap on
biggest wooden spoon i have ever seen
bottle caps and thing to put them on
various corks
hydrometer
3 thermometers
6 airlock
loads of wine equipment (baffles me)
3 nets (for straining something:o)
and a few more items? all for £5..wow

so next weekend im going to have a go at pear cider..had a look on a website to see how to do it....please keep fingers crossed for me because i am a complete novice.:)

Has anyone here made pear cider, any tips wouls be very, very much appreciated:)