[Riala]

I have been looking at Wine Kits in a particular shop, that says I only need to add water and sugar, wine ready in 3-4 weeks.

Then it says: You might also be interested in Pressure barrel with tap and handle.

Does this mean that I can not use a demi-john with Wine Kits like this but I have to buy one of these pressure barrels??

[digital_biscuit]

ha ha! A homebrew question i can answer!

I have just started my own wine-kit homebrew! Be careful though, they are not kit fans on this forum!!!

Anyway, if its a 4.5L kit then you can use a demi, thats fine. If its the 5L kit then you will have to use a fermentation bucket.

Happy brewing! Mines bubbling away at the moment quite nicely!!

[Riala]

*hides from the kit haters*

It was just an idea to get me started in the whole home brew thing, my dad gave me 2 huge boxes full of all sorts of corks, pipes and thngymabobs, as well as 2 demi johns.

I will double check the <whispers: kit> before purchasing.

Thank you!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Riala, I might join you on the kit front, Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Think I might start slowly before moving on to the more adventurous things they get up to on here. :oops:

[Riala]

Hello Kate! and your ducks...

I found a 'special thing' in Wilkos, they also sell wine bottles (in packs of 6) to help get started!

Quite cheap too, the 'special thing' makes 6 bottles of wine in 3-4 weeks apparently

[Kate and her Ducks]

Oooh, That sounds good. Will have to look at that.

Might try and get some elderberries or blackberries as there are still loads rouund us.

Not sure banana wine is my thing

[Riala]

Apparently Banana wine is extremely sweet according to my mum.

A little help? If this kit makes 6 bottles of wine, what is that in Gallons... cause I am getting it too 0.82 gallons, which doesn't seem much when the shop is saying "You might be interested in a 5 gallon pressure barrel!"

[digital_biscuit]

6 bottles of wine is 1 gallon (4.5L or 4.54609188L to be a little precise)

I too am doing the kits to introduce me into wine making. Also, i love Montepulciano but its a little too pricey for the good stuff. I am hoping that my next 30 bottle kit will make wine as good as the proper stuff!!

By the way, 5 Gallons will do you the 30 bottles.

Happy wine making Riala and Kate, and use the word KIT whenever you feel appropriate!!

[Riala]

ok, the kit I am looking at makes 6 bottles of wine.

The shop said "You might be interested in this 5 gallon Pressure Barrel"

5 Gallons seems an excessive size for making 0.82 gallons of wine!

Can I make this 6-bottle kit in a demi john?

[digital_biscuit]

i am making my 6-bottle-kit in a demi john, will be fine.

Of course the shops will suggest other stuff, they want to make money! I went to a local shop to buy my stuff and said, i have no idea what i need, sell me stuff, although i had a little idea of what i needed! Cunning! And they did try to sell me stuff i didnt need!! Didnt even sell me a hydrometer!!!

[Riala]

ah, now, is a Hydrometer important? my darling 2yr old grabbed that and dropped it on the floor, so its now in the bin in a thousand pieces!

[digital_biscuit]

not really if you are starting out, but my instructions say i should do things on certain days provided the S.G is a certain value. I bought it just to make sure as i dont want crappy wine!

I would also keep your 2yr old away from the demijohns!!!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

I've got a hydrometer but I never use it.  In fact I had 2 and gave one away!  And yes I am a kit hater, not so much because I hate kits, but I prefer to make my own 5 gallons of wine for the price of a kit!!!!  :drunken:  :drunken:  

But if you are making a 1 gallon kit, you only need a demi john.  They are saying that other people who bought that kit were also interested in the 5 gallon jars, so they must have bought 5 kits!!!!  If it looks like the amount of water they tell you to put in is too much, as sometimes wine can bubble up a lot at first, just add the rest of the water after your first syphoning, as the amount will go down in the jar a bit as you get rid of the 'must' at the bottom of the jar!

But when we lived in Essex, I bought 2 kits, can't remember where from now, but one was a vodka taste alike, and the other one was a cherry brandy taste a like.  They were VERY NICE!!!!  Strange though because they had carbon or something in the mix and looked black, and I thought I'd done something wrong, then all of a sudden they changed.  The vodka went clear and the cherry brandy red!!!!

Must look them up again!!!! MMMmmmmmmm  

[Riala]

These are Wines:


The Demi Johns were put out of the way immediately, I went to get one of the boxes and he was already rummaging in it, when I put the Demi Johns away he was fast asleep!

[GrannieAnnie]

Awwww, still if he has a drink or 2 now, he won't turn into a lager lout when he's older, he'll just tell his friends, been there done it!!!

You do have to be careful though, little beggers kids are!

That wine looks nice Riala, you'll have to let us know how it turns out!!!

I found this one, http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/itmidx45.htm
looks interesting. would be nice for Christmas!!!