[SnooziSuzi]

Well, at least I bought some equipment and a kit yesterday so I could have a go - even the cheap plonk in t*scos are nearly £7 and that's for the stuff on offer 

[mumofstig]

wine or beer kit Snoozi? 

[Kleftiwallah]

I've been making wine for years, nice hobby and cheeeep wine.   I took a crate of various wines with me on my last sailing trip aboard T.S. Royalist.  The drinkers said that they never new 'homemade wine could taste so good',    what a cheek !

Don't forget Snoozi,  Cleanliness, Cleanliness, Cleanliness, Cleanliness.    Cheers,    Tony.

[SnooziSuzi]

MoS; VINO! (Chardonnay)

Kleftiwallah, yes, I have read plenty of online help about it and that's what they say... don't particularly want to be drinking vinegar!

[Kleftiwallah]

I've just put a gallon of Purple podded pea into the demijohn.  It's blubbing away merrily.  Next Sunny day it's down the canal for the meadowsweet blossom.    Cheers,   Tony.

[SnooziSuzi]

it's very exciting isn't it?

[Kleftiwallah]

Cleared out the P.P.P. and found I had 4 lbs, so it's a second gallon on the go.  The first I used Burgandy yeast,  this time I'll use Bordeaux, but I doupt if my tired old taste buds will be able to tell the difference!       Cheers,   Tony.   

[Kleftiwallah]

Picked 7 pints of meadowsweet yesterday, you wouldn't believe how much tiny six legged and eight legged protein were hiding in the flower heads!

Spent a pleasant hour beside the canal helping the beasties in their bid for freedom as they climbed the sides of my collecting bucket.   

The action of the yeast lifts the mass of blossom and I have to break it up and sink it,  life's hard aint it ? ! ? !:nowink:   Cheers,   Tony.

[hillfooter]

Well, at least I bought some equipment and a kit yesterday so I could have a go - even the cheap plonk in t*scos are nearly £7 and that's for the stuff on offer  

I've recently taken up home brewing again after many years not doing this and what a difference today's home brew kits are from those 30 years ago!  They are so easy, little more than adding water to the liquor, a sachet of yeast and leaving to ferment. Transfering to a cask or bottles and waiting to clear. I've used the Woodfordes kits and had great success with the Wherry and Nelsons Revenge both excellent.

If you buy on line don't use any online company who doesn't offer telephone customer support, and can't be contacted via email.  I made this mistake, there's a prominent company out there who run several sites who seem to have some very dubious practises and no accessible customer support despite what they say on their flashy website.  Though they have a thriving user forum you aren't allowed to post about the service just the products.  

See Trustpilot on customer feedback on brewing sites generally.

HF

[SnooziSuzi]

Update:

well, I've racked the wine and it is good

Next I'm going to start on some hedgerow wine and after that some jerusalem artichoke wine... does anyone know if the wine also lives up to the fartichoke name that the tubers do?

[Kleftiwallah]

I've never had much success with veggie wines, I stick to the hedges, and when picking brambles in more ways than one.    But the purple podded pea pod wine is coming along nicely.      Cheers,   Tony.

[Growster...]

Agree that a hedge pickings would be very nice, but with white wine grape juice so cheap in Teskers, (87p a litre), it seems a shame not to use it.

If anyone wants the recipe, just ask!