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signs warning of 'concealed CCTV in use' or something similar, with a few solar powered motion sensitive security lights. "well I can't see any cameras?... that's because they're concealed! How do I know that I'm not on camera somewhere if the camera's are hidden?! might not decide to burgle th...

not actively brewing anything at the moment, as the kitchen is being ripped out and a new one put in, but I have some 'ale' conditioning, and three DJs of elderberry cider maturing, and a PET of elderberry port maturing, and a DJ of plain elderberry wine maturing. they've been going ages, so probabl...

I've previously used champagne yeast (EC118?), and natural yeasts present on the apples, both with great results. If you use beer/ale yeast, it might finish slightly sweet (1.010 on hydrometer), and if you want a sweet cider without adding chemicals (unatural sugars), then I'd recomend that method. ...

I was waiting for Graham, but I think he's in Nid.
so I'll say Euston Sq

cool the beer down first will make it 'less excitable' - ie in the fridge/freezer for a few hours - you'd be surprised at the difference it makes. then re-close those you need for the party, and pour the rest into an FV for further fermentation, and rebottle in a few days time.

kakuro are good for testing the mind - kind of like soduko but not quite - more additions and permutations. cats cradle was something my dad tried to teach me but I think you need two people - it's string around the fingers to make interesting shapes. Do you have a scrabble set? - pick 7 letters at ...

I have 3 DJs of elderberry cider maturing at the moment, and a DJ of plain elderberry wine, and a DJ of mixed fruit (elderberry, plum, damson, blackberry) port. I have plums this year, in the freezer, along with even more of last years elderberries, which I plan to do something with. I have three bo...

everything Mike said sounds great. for more advice I'd recommend a quick read* of the craft brewing forum - I won't link to it as a simple search of your favourite search engine should find it. personally I'd use the grapes to make wine, and the apples to make cider but that's just me. * there's a l...

last year I made rhubarb and ginger wine, and it turned out to be the best wine I've ever made.

3tbsp honey per gallon doesn't seem much, and yes, birch sap is low on sugar, compared to Maple it's about 10 times as dilute. And you have to get only the sweet stuff from the top layer of the bark - if you go too deep, you get a lot more diluted watery sap. it does depend on how strong you want it...

how big are you talking? two feet high, or tall enough to walk through?

I have:
1 gal of Wilko Strawberry Rose ready for bottling.
1 gal of Rhubarb and ginger wine ready for first racking
1.5 gal of plums in first fermentation
a big bag of pears ready to juice, blackberries in the freezer, and a huge carrier bag full of elderberries

graft - keep the soil level below the graft mark

I have a Wilko strawberry wine kit on the go, and will start a fruit wine from rhubarb and ginger fairly soon.

If you don't mind going too far, head over to Worcester, The Malvern Hills, there's a road through, can't remember the name, might be the Wyche cutting, but could be British Camp, anyway, it's the one with the large car park on the left of the cut through, and the Malvern Hills Hotel (I thihnk?) on ...