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currently making scrumpy to Andy's recipie (to the letter) so hopefully it'll be ready for festival season. hopefully it will be an improvement on last year's batch which tasted not unlike acidic hell... i also tried out the wine from the 'taking the fear out of winemaking' posts. certainly an acqu...

I concur

All my beer is ready and drinkable in about 2 weeks. I don't bother with kits anymore as I don't like the taste. The Yarrow ale is really nice or as a variation I am trying a chamomile beer. I have made it with normal picked chamomile and this one I am trying with tea bags that I was given. Just re...

Hi If you are really looking for a forum that deals with beer and wine and so forth, try this site http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=15 This will just get you to the chatty page, but you'll find tutorials, recipes, fun and laughter there. I use it. I have nothing to do with the s...

No I'm not! D: I saw them at the shops but thought they were for beer. Here's a photo of what I have: If you have a food grade bucket pour your must into it. At the moment you are fermenting on the pulp [with large pieces of fruit in it] and a top such as you are using is okay if you know EXACTLY w...

As an internet shopper virgin, I would be very grateful if someone could suggest the best site for buying my supplies. I live about 10 miles from the nearest Wilko's and had a wasted journey there yesterday as they were out of stock of half the things I wanted! So I am going to be brave with your h...

Always ensure that everything is clean. Baking seems a little extreme but better to be safe than sorry; so hats off to you frozenthunderbolt. Remember, it is impossible to sterilise we can only sanitise. Remember, too, that we can get away with a lot more when cooking than we can when making wine. U...

I tend to leave my kit beers about 6 weeks after bottling before drinking. They are then ready for the fridge and supplying a really good pint. I bottle mine into 2 litre PET bottles recycled from soft drinks. I suggest, though, that you get a large jug - quite a lot of them will take 2 litres easil...

This is my one: 4lbs pea pods 1 gallon water 2 1/2 lbs sugar 1 tbsp yeast, activated 1lemon, sliced 2 tea bags handful of raisins or sultanas Simmer pods and water in large pan until pods soft; remove from heat, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Leave to cool to blood temp, then add rest of ingredien...

When dealing with plums, I usually individually freeze them. Place them [apart] on a tray and allow to freeze, then bag. When ready to start the wine, allow to thaw in your primary bucket (food grade only) or whatever it is that you use. Once thawed, start to stone them ... the stones will just pop ...

and it's climbing out of the top of the DJ!!! Before adding to the DJ, use a bucket (food quality grade only), or something similar, to allow the yeast to get stuck into the wine must. Stir twice a day and cover with a lid - but do not seal. Yeast reacts best in the early stages to aeration (hence ...

Just added 5 tsp of campden tablets and 5 tsp of stabilising powder to 5 gallons of carrot wine. I have 5 gallons of parsnip that the yeast is really tearing into and 2 gallons of nettle (from tea bags) that is going great guns.

You probably already do [I've not been here in a while due to illness], but if you don't, what about making wine? I have problems with my fingers due to diabetes, but I tend to manage - anything too intricate I'm sure a friend or family member can help with. As you are able to knit with four needles...

I think it would be any sort of weed for me ...

I think I'm a glorious bloom but I'm always in the wrong places