Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: Auntiemogs on July 29, 2013, 20:46
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Cellar 7, 30 bottles ready in 7 days, but better if stored for longer. Ive made 3 of them, I put 5 from each batch away and try to forget them. :unsure:
Ah, I thought it might be you BobE but wasn't sure... ::)
I really can't decide which to buy. I like red but my son likes Chardonnay and they seem to have had some good reviews. I'm debating as to whether to buy several as most suppliers only offer free postage over £65 and I could use my beer fermenter and then decant to a pressure barrel for ease of bottling.
This has also caught my eye http://www.wilko.com/home-brew/ibrew-wine-starter-kit-merlot-packed/invt/ib00007?VBMST=homebrew (http://www.wilko.com/home-brew/ibrew-wine-starter-kit-merlot-packed/invt/ib00007?VBMST=homebrew) as it means that I won't have to faff about for smaller quantities and is not too bad a price for 30 bottles AND equipment (the 'refills' are more expensive than Cellar 7 but I could use it for other kits or pure homemade).
Any thoughts or recommendations for Cellar 7?
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Auntiemogs (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=profile;u=20997)- Quote from: BobE on Today at 20:27 (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=108331.msg1217813#msg1217813)Cellar 7, 30 bottles ready in 7 days, but better if stored for longer. Ive made 3 of them, I put 5 from each batch away and try to forget them.
I really can't decide which to buy. I like red but my son likes Chardonnay and they seem to have had some good reviews. I'm debating as to whether to buy several as most suppliers only offer free postage over £65 and I could use my beer fermenter and then decant to a pressure barrel for ease of bottling.
This has also caught my eye http://www.wilko.com/home-brew/ibrew-wine-starter-kit-merlot-packed/invt/ib00007?VBMST=homebrew (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=seored;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wilko.com%2Fhome-brew%2Fibrew-wine-starter-kit-merlot-packed%2Finvt%2Fib00007%3FVBMST%3Dhomebrew) as it means that I won't have to faff about for smaller quantities and is not too bad a price for 30 bottles AND equipment (the 'refills' are more expensive than Cellar 7 but I could use it for other kits or pure homemade).
Any thoughts or recommendations for Cellar 7?
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[li]Cellar 7 is an excellent kit, I make mine in a standard fermenter, no airlock is needed, I then rack off to a PET Betta bottle, leave it for a couple of days then move it to bottles. The only issue with whites is you might like to filter them. So far Ive found the reds don't need that.[/li]
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As I said white might need a filter.
Try a red just to start out.
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I could use my beer fermenter and then decant to a pressure barrel for ease of bottling
Yes that will work. No need for airlocks at any stage.
Create the first fermentation.
Wait, they say 7 days, I just wait for as near zero as I can get. (I like dry wine).
Taste it.
Rack to the barrel, excellent idea. (I leave it for a bit longer, just to settle, few days).
Bottle up from the barrel. Taste a glass during bottling to see if its to your liking.
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Excellent, thank you BobE. :) I think I might give it a go as the reviews are good, but which have you tried and how do they compare to supermarket £5 offers?
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Auntie, Did you tidy up the thread? Very clever.
That brew kit at £75 seems very expensive.
Ferment in your own fermenter, no need for an airlock, also I take it up from 23 liters to the full 5 gallons.
Wait a few days. The kit says 7, I leave it a bit longer. Just to be sure. Taste it before you move it.
Rack off to your barrel. I wait a few more days. Taste it again, it will be fruity but as good as any £5 supermarket bottle. Probably a stronger flavour of the fruit.
Bottle it from your barrel.
Now the hard part. 30 plus bits bottles of a good but young red.
I put away 5. Deep archive.
I try to let the rest wait a month.
Start another brew immideatly, the idea is to get ahead of yourself so you leave the 5 alone in deep archive.
I could direct you to the internet supplier that I use. Is that allowed? I have no involvment with them just to buy my stuff.
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Cellar 7 - 30 bottle 7 day Italian Red (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=seored;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brewuk.co.uk%2Fstore%2Fwinekits%2Fcellar-7%2Fcellar-7-italian-red-30-bottle.html)
£31.99
Ive made Italian red as I like it. They often do special offers on Cellar 7.
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/winekits/cellar-7.html (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=seored;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brewuk.co.uk%2Fstore%2Fwinekits%2Fcellar-7.html)
Ive made at least 3 of these maybe 5? of these, all perfectly good wine.
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For whites I bought this.
HF Vinbrite Mk3 Filter
[/size]Use this to clean and polish your wine up. It can be used with wine concentrates or country wines.It cleans your wine up beautifully and gives it a professional clear finish.
Its unopened. but I intend to use it on a Pinot Grigio which is sat in my cub.
[/size][/color]
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That's very useful BobE, thank you very much. :) I suppose I was thinking that at £75 and being able to brew 30 bottles, I would have dedicated equipment rather than having to use my beer kit, at just over £2 a bottle (although I must admit, most of that was down to the fact that I just love gadgets, especially cooking and brewing gadgets ::), hence the justification, :D).
All I have to do now is get enough bottles together but I have a 'watch list' with friends and family for screwtop bottles as a friend kindly cleared up the shed when I was on hol's and I can't find my wine rack or bottle stache (interrogation tomorrow :lol:).
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I bought a corking machine. I don't know if screwtops can be reused. If you find out please tell as it would be a lot easier. I rack from the fermenter into a PET Better Bottle. That might be worth getting, especially for the whites as you can see into it. Gadgets that help, hydrometer, thermometer.
You could get two kits and the bottle for £75 a much better deal.
Better Bottle style 23litre carbouy £19.99
http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/itm01274.htm (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=seored;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk%2Fitm01274.htm)
(http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/cat8556.jpg)
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Order a rubber bung at the same time.
I also ordered a lifting handle as when full they are very heavy.
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Thanks BobE, I shall have a look and digest tomorrow but just wanted to say (because I forgot) that I didn't tidy up the thread, it was a lovely Mod (fankoo Mod :D).
I do have a few 5l water bottles hanging about (I bought them for fermentation purposes as they were much cheaper to buy full of water than online ::)) but tbh I'm looking for minimum effort as I don't have much energy.
I'm going to give the screwtops a go and I'll let you know how it goes (they do have a small cushion seal and as long as they are 'nose down' I'm sure they'll be ok), although it may be that someone has already mentioned it on a thread (if they have, please let me know). I also have some plastic corks so I will try those too (did have my Dad's old corker but tbh I don't want to faff too much). I'm saving fizzy drink bottles for beer brewing but am getting a bit wary of plastics and leeching of nasty things in to contents now.
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Thanks BobE, I shall have a look and digest tomorrow but just wanted to say (because I forgot) that I didn't tidy up the thread, it was a lovely Mod (fankoo Mod :D ).
I do have a few 5l water bottles hanging about (I bought them for fermentation purposes as they were much cheaper to buy full of water than online ::) ) but tbh I'm looking for minimum effort as I don't have much energy.
I'm going to give the screwtops a go and I'll let you know how it goes (they do have a small cushion seal and as long as they are 'nose down' I'm sure they'll be ok), although it may be that someone has already mentioned it on a thread (if they have, please let me know). I also have some plastic corks so I will try those too (did have my Dad's old corker but tbh I don't want to faff too much). I'm saving fizzy drink bottles for beer brewing but am getting a bit wary of plastics and leeching of nasty things in to contents now.
I will wish you goodnight with this...
5 gallon water bottles will be perfect, have you got bungs?
If you have several of those bottles you can get several brews going each a few days apart?
Ive never tried reusing screwtops but for short periods I can't see why not. Use your dads corker for the 5 that you put in deep archive, also store them so the cork stays wet.
For my first beer I bought ASDA 500ml water in packs of 6 bottles for a £1. I used the water in the brew.
Later I bought 40 screwtop beer bottles, because they looked the part.
PET plastic doesn't leach. Look it up, its designed for brewing.
We can talk again, let me know how things develop.
Thank you kind mod for creating a new thread. :D
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I will wish you goodnight with this...
5 gallon water bottles will be perfect, have you got bungs?
If you have several of those bottles you can get several brews going each a few days apart?
Ive never tried reusing screwtops but for short periods I can't see why not. Use your dads corker for the 5 that you put in deep archive, also store them so the cork stays wet.
For my first beer I bought ASDA 500ml water in packs of 6 bottles for a £1. I used the water in the brew.
Later I bought 40 screwtop beer bottles, because they looked the part.
PET plastic doesn't leach. Look it up, its designed for brewing.
We can talk again, let me know how things develop.
Thank you kind mod for creating a new thread. :D
Hope you slept well Bob. :D
I don't have bungs but my son drilled out some holes on a couple of 5L food grade containers so I could fit airlocks for standard wine making kits. I bought the 5L (not 5 gallon) water containers but tbh my love for things 'made for efficency' may overcome my 'need for frugality' and energy expended is one of my main factors. :D.
I'm so very tempted by the Wilko kit. A friend is going over tomorrow (today) and if there's one on the shelf then I might invest, if not then I'll make do. :-)
Still going to try the 30 bottle kit but just need to figure out which I need to buy. :)
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I bought a corking machine. I don't know if screwtops can be reused. If you find out please tell as it would be a lot easier.
I reuse screwtop wine bottles Bob, with no ill effect. This was a big thread on another beer forum, and most folks say use them 2 maybe 3 times. If you look inside the top it's only a small circle of card that forms the seal, and if it's good enough for the big boys.
As long as you tighten them, but sort of "feel" for the point where the cap may strip the thread inside....does that make sense??? ??? :wacko: ???
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Thats interesting Capt Zero, screw tops would be a lot easier to use. I will try them with my next brew.
However the 5 I put into deep archive I will cork as I am trying to create a long term collection. Thanks for the update.
Auntimogs. Did you get the kit?
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Yup, I ordered the Merlot iBrew kit from Wilko. I looked around and was quite astonished that they were selling the same on Amazon for nearly twice the price! :ohmy: It means that I can get rid of my odd assortment of containers now and with the equipment (which has good reviews) plus 2x15 bottle wine kits didn't seem too bad (that's my justification anyway! ::)) and I can use it for the couple of unused kits I have hanging around.
I was in Wilko yesterday and they had some 30 bottle, 3 week wine kits reduced from £38? to £20 but I wanted to look at reviews first. Unfortunately, they're not online so I may have to pop back (I figured that considering the original price and that they were 'just add water' they must be fairly good quality.
I'm definitely going to go for one of the Cellar 7 kits and use my beer making equipment (pressure barrel should make it much easier to bottle) but still procrastinating as to which one. Plus I've got to start collecting bottles again as a friend tidied up my shed while I was away and recycled my stache. :lol:
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Yup, I ordered the Merlot iBrew kit from Wilko. I looked around and was quite astonished that they were selling the same on Amazon for nearly twice the price! :ohmy: It means that I can get rid of my odd assortment of containers now and with the equipment (which has good reviews) plus 2x15 bottle wine kits didn't seem too bad (that's my justification anyway! ::) ) and I can use it for the couple of unused kits I have hanging around.
I was in Wilko yesterday and they had some 30 bottle, 3 week wine kits reduced from £38? to £20 but I wanted to look at reviews first. Unfortunately, they're not online so I may have to pop back (I figured that considering the original price and that they were 'just add water' they must be fairly good quality.
I'm definitely going to go for one of the Cellar 7 kits and use my beer making equipment (pressure barrel should make it much easier to bottle) but still procrastinating as to which one. Plus I've got to start collecting bottles again as a friend tidied up my shed while I was away and recycled my stache. :lol:
Water only 3 week 30 bottle kit sounds excellent. At this level we are only trying to beat the supermarket £5-£7 range and most kits do that easily. My first choice of red in Cellar 7 is the Italian Red, very smooth a lot like the Blossom Hill Merlot. Im going to have another look at your kit now.
Keep us informed as to progress please.
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Aunti, There is a problem with the Wilco kit.
Starter Kit Includes[/size]
Plastic 15L Fermenter Bucket with Lid
1 x 15 Bottle Wine Fermenter
[/size]
The Cellar 7 kits require at least 23L fermentation. (I actually push it up to 5G without detriment.)
I think the Wilko kit will only ever do 15 bottle kits.
I do like the reusable 6L bladders, bit like a wine box. I might try to buy some of them.
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Well, back from my travels...
I bought 2 Muntons Premium 30 bottle wine kits (one Chardonnay and one Shiraz) for £20 each. I don't seem to be able to find a review anywhere but I did find this...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Muntons-Premium-Chardonnay-Chenille%C2%AE-Cleaning/dp/B00A7NASE8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1375289389&sr=8-7&keywords=muntons+premium+wine+kit (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Muntons-Premium-Chardonnay-Chenille%C2%AE-Cleaning/dp/B00A7NASE8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1375289389&sr=8-7&keywords=muntons+premium+wine+kit)
which is the same wine kit plus what looks like a car cleaning mitt :lol: for a very high price....odd.
Would love to know if I have a bargain as there were quite a few left....
Yes, the iBrew kit is limited to 15L but will be fine for smaller batches. Luckily I have 2 each of beer fermenting and pressure barrels so I'll use those for larger kits.
Do you think it would be ok to just leave it in the barrel and bottle up as I go along? That way I can test on a regular basis ::) and decant as bottles become available. I'm going to reuse screwtops but also have some plastic corks which I might try.
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Do you think it would be ok to just leave it in the barrel and bottle up as I go along? That way I can test on a regular basis ::) and decant as bottles become available. I'm going to reuse screwtops but also have some plastic corks which I might try.
Air is death to wine. Leave a bottle that has been opened and it will turn bad in 6 days. So its not really possible to put wine into a barrel and decant it as you go.
Siphon it from the fermantation container into a barrel by all means. Thats a good way to get the wine of the old must. But realistically you should bottle it up straight away. The only way to keep it in the barrel would be to ensure CO2 is protecting it. What I do is siphon from the fermentation bucket to a PED 5 gall bottle. I cork it, it will have a small head space. This will fill with CO2 and I can leave the wine for a few more days. The next time I open it I bottle it, all of it. If theres not enough for a last bottle then I drink that bit.
The problem with your barrel is, I think the head space above the wine will be quite large. If you seal the barrel then the wine will be ok for a few weeks. But when you open the barrel you will need to bottle the entire amount.
In your kit they mentioned 6L bladders. Now this is very different. If you fill a bladder it will be like a wine box. As you decant it the bladder will colapse. No oxygen and so the wine will keep. How long does an open wine box last? (Ive never kept one more that a week :blink: to find out.
So you could go from the barrel to the bladders. Then bottle some for deep archive. Drink the bladders withing a few months, say two weeks after opening. Or bottle from the bladders.
Im going to buy some of those bladders as it seems like a good idea.
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[HSB Value+ Bundle] Muntons Premium Cellar Home Wine Kit Chardonnay 6.8kg with MF® Chenille® Cleaning Glove £84.00
You can get expensive kits. Even my usual supplier does one.
Kenridge Showcase Chilean Chardonnay £71.00
Out of my league. I still do Cellar 7 at £30 a kit. Wine comes out at £1 a bottle and tastes as good as anything I normally buy. I am a bit cheap though.
I have only made Red wine. White wine requires more care. White wine should be cleared after the second rack. It should then be polished through a filter. If you don't do this the wine will be slightly yellow and a bit cloudy.
If your new to kits please start with a red. Move up to whites when youve got some experience. Trust me Im not a doctor. :D [/color][/size]
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Mmmm....thinking now. I was going to decant into the barrel but once it's sealed I guess I could give it a squirt of CO2. I guess that would only keep it for so long though, even if I were to top it up with CO2 as I bottle up. I shall have to ponder and in the meantime will look at the prices for the wine bladders. Luckily, I'm also collecting 1L carbonated drinks bottles which I'm hoping will be ok.....at a push I'm sure I have a couple of collapsible water bladders around that we used to take camping.
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Ah, no, what I meant was that the one on Amazon (@£84) is actually the same one that I have just bought from Wilko (@£20) with the exception of the additional glove...
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Youve bought two 6L wine bladders in that kit.
Plastic 15L Fermenter Bucket with Lid
1 x 15 Bottle Wine Fermenter
4 x 1.7kg cans Merlot Grape Concentrate (2 per brew)
2 x 6.5L Wine Dispenser Boxes
2 x 6L Dispensing Bladders <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< :dry:
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Ive found this for £15
Allows storage of wine for drinking. The bag inside collapes as the wine is dispensed ensuring no air can get in. Reusuable and ideal as an alternative to bottling
Vinotainer 20 Litre
(http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/4/1/4154_1.jpg)
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Yup, but I'm thinking ahead now... :D
That looks good and must be fairly sturdy. Thanks BobE, I shall ruminate on it for a while. :)
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I will let you ponder, I am going to buy one of those bladder barrels though.
Talk again later.
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Let me know if it's a good quality bladder as I may have a shufti myself.
I've found these, they may be okay for a few fills and it depends on how much you're brewing as minimum order is 10...also, not sure how easy they are to fill..
http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/buyit1.html?tp=CONTINUE+SHOPPING (http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/buyit1.html?tp=CONTINUE+SHOPPING)
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Ok guys & gals..I think you've talked me into having a go at one of these C7...so will have a look at Wilko's tomorrow.
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Ok guys & gals..I think you've talked me into having a go at one of these C7...so will have a look at Wilko's tomorrow.
It wasn't a Cellar 7 that I bought Capt (think you can buy them online), it was a Muntons but it was at such a good price I couldn't resist! ::)
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Was that from Wilco's Auntie???
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Was that from Wilco's Auntie???
Yes, reduced to £20 from £38, but not sure if it's a local overstocking thing as I couldn't find the offer online. :)