Wine making

Wildman

Full Member

Messages
66
anyone else here make wine or beer? if so what do you make.

DSCF3562 (1).JPG
 
I used to years ago when I lived in an old terraced cottage with a fabulous cellar but not anymore, mainly red wine the wine making packs you buy from the brewing shop but did make a batch of blackberry wine it wasn’t very good so I gave up my brother has a continuous batch on the go at his house.
 
Malcolm used to make beer and lager years ago but not anymore
 
I used to make "Veggie wine"
Carrot, Parsnip, Pineapple.
All drinkable (just) but carrot and parsnip almost lethal...
I have drunk Fullers ESB or as I refer to it ESBD (Extra Special Brain Damage)
A mate of mine brewed some lager it was similar to ESBD
Not much fun at work the next day..even pm was a problem !
Still we live an learn (Or NOT)
 
I used to make "Veggie wine"
Carrot, Parsnip, Pineapple.
All drinkable (just) but carrot and parsnip almost lethal...
I have drunk Fullers ESB or as I refer to it ESBD (Extra Special Brain Damage)
A mate of mine brewed some lager it was similar to ESBD
Not much fun at work the next day..even pm was a problem !
Still we live an learn (Or NOT)
Regularly brew 5 gallons using St Peters Brewery kits especially like the stout, better than I have managed to brew from scratch. Used to make all sorts of wines, elderflower was a favourite, quick and tasty, nice fresh summer wine. Don’t do wines now as we bring a shipping order back every time we return via France...but that may soon change...another one of our pleasures the ‘B’ word may steal from us.
 
Back in the 70s we had a rack of 6 demijohns stacked above each other with a 25w pygmy bulb under each with excellent results. What killed the home brew for me was the beer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 'I've put 10lbs of sugar in this', oh it was awful stuff, everyone who had a party bragged the same during those heady days of the late 60s/early 70s. They'd wheel out this foul smelling cloudy brew with pride and we fools drank it before crawling home and puking every few yards----------------oh happy days
 
I made a Condenser, and used to make my own spirits, learned the discipline when I worked in Saudi, used a pressure cooker to boil it all up in, it had a thermometer as well so as I only got Alchohol, in Saudi it was called "CYD" or "Sidique", great stuff it was to, alas was getting to fond of it so I gave it up...…..If you need more info, look up "the blue flame" its all in there !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I brew various wines, beers, also other drinks & preserves, Elderberry & Blackcurrant, Apple, Red Grape, Ginger, Rhubarb & Ginger, Gooseberry, Sloe, Cider & Ginger Cider, Rose Hip Syrup. I normally manage to bottle or freeze apples, blackcurrants and anything else I can get hold of. I use kits for beer, most of the other are from hedgerows or trees that are not wanted. Not gone into spirits as I am busy tasting all the other tipples.:)
 
Used to make wine years ago, blackberry, rhubarb, damson etc then went on to 5 gallon kits with drinkable success but nothing special. I felt though that each time government raised the tax on wine that kit prices also increased to the point that it was as cheap to buy wine in bulk when in France. But things have changed. The price of cheap wine from France together with currency exchange rates plus the rapid increase in the price of cheap wine here has made me reconsider.
After sampling some wine a friend had made from a kit I'm back to making my own. I believe there has been a big improvement over the years in the quality of wine kits. Many don't need the faff of adding sugar and seem much quicker to make. I've just made my first 5 gallon kit, a Pinot Noir 7 day kit with the label of a local homebrew dealer on, Dee Jay supplies. The proof will be in the drinking of course but it looks promising.
 
Kits seem to have got better for sure, I made a Larger kit 45 years ago and it was just drinkable, made same a couple of years ago and was very good. 3 weeks and its done, I think you can get next day kits now but cost a lot more. I have some wine and cider kits, must try them out but expect reasonable results, I moving soon to a bigger house, I need the space, it can take over:eek::eek: I have about 75gals on the go:D:D:D
 
Last edited:
I tend to make 16 gallons a year but got so much and no rallies for a few years so may give it a miss this year.
 
If anyone’s interested, fame opportunity!!!!

http://www.royalcornwallshow.org/competitors/cider/

The 2019 Cornwall Cider Championships entry form is now available to download! After a very successful maiden year we are please to announce 3 new classes for 2019, Fruit cider, Bottled fermented Champagne method and Bottle conditioned keeved cider. There is also a class dedicated to amateur cider makers. although all classes are open to all. The Royal Cornwall Show is a fantastic show and well worth the trip, but if you can't make the show entries can be sent to Haywood farm cider or Cornish Orchards prior to the show. (Details in the schedule) The deadline for entries is the 27th of April! Good luck, Tom Bray (If you would like a schedule in the post let me know)
 
I tend to make 16 gallons a year but got so much and no rallies for a few years so may give it a miss this year.
I have had to give it a miss in the past, and don't know if I will do it this year, I've got lots to bottle and I'm moving soon. So might be busy with other things later in the year. Semi Retired now so hope to get out more, perhaps try some rallies onece move over.:)
 
Regularly brew 5 gallons using St Peters Brewery kits especially like the stout, better than I have managed to brew from scratch. Used to make all sorts of wines, elderflower was a favourite, quick and tasty, nice fresh summer wine. Don’t do wines now as we bring a shipping order back every time we return via France...but that may soon change...another one of our pleasures the ‘B’ word may steal from us.

Oh yes. Excellent brew St Peter`s, and so quick and easy, always have a couple of barrels on the go. The stout also makes a nice Black and Tan.

Used to brew wine in the beer barrels, just a little sugar to add a sparkel. Sparkling elderflower wonderful. However the last 20 years been bringing wine back from France as cheaply...but there’s a risk that may change???
 
Like a few others here I used to make a fair bit of wine years ago (70s for me). We had a few good rhubarb crowns in the garden so I made a lot of that and it was very good. I used to make a carrot wine with young carrots and lots of raisins, the recipe said carrot whisky but it wasn’t distilled so stayed a wine. Was very full bodied but would be too sweet for my tastes now, had a kick though.

Worst I made was a pilsner lager kit in a pressure barrel for ages before we drunk it. Tasted more like Old Tom barley wine but boy did it have a kick. No ide what strength was but when we tarmac’d my drive I opened the barrel and we only had three halves each and we were wasted. Too strong to enjoy
 

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top