Home-brew wine

retired_member36 · Oct 12, 2014

Im thinking of doing some home-brew wine to give to friends and family this xmas for stocking fillers...

There are quite a selection of brewing kits to choose from, and was just wondering if anyone on here has tried any of them and if so what do you recommend??.. Im thinking of doing a selection.. white rose and red

bonusmedia · Oct 13, 2014

suggys said:
Im thinking of doing some home-brew wine to give to friends and family this xmas for stocking fillers...

There are quite a selection of brewing kits to choose from, and was just wondering if anyone on here has tried any of them and if so what do you recommend??.. Im thinking of doing a selection.. white rose and red

Haven't done this for a few years but I used to make a lot, it's good fun and saves a lot of cash.

The kits have improved massively over the years but you get what you pay for. At the bottom end you get powdered grape juice - best avoided.

Most of them use concentrated juice which is much better - they're heavy though, I used to go to a local place but postage must be expensive.

You can get kits that work out anywhere between 50p and £4 per bottle.
Costs a bit more to start out as you need the buckets, fermentation lock, hydrometer, thermometer etc. It's worth buying a corker and a bottle rack if you're going to do it regularly.

I used to do batches of 30 bottles for about £1 each - and you honestly can't tell the difference from a £5 supermarket bottle. I did blind tests

You're using basically the same ingredients and process on a small scale, so there's no reason you can't make quality wine.

Cellar 7 is very quick and easy. If you start it on Xmas day you can get pissed at New Year

California Connoisseur is a quality brand if you're willing to put a bit more time/effort in.

Start saving your bottles... No point buying them!

spiderspider · Oct 13, 2014

suggys said:
Im thinking of doing some home-brew wine to give to friends and family this xmas for stocking fillers...

For Christmas next year? This year is leaving things a bit tight, unless you're going for the 'just add water and sugar' kits (which taste a bit like weak squash).

Best bet is to hit the hedge rows now. Get as many balckberries, plums, apples as are left, and use them to make a good strong brew ready for next year.

Or get some sloes for gin.

bonusmedia · Oct 13, 2014

spiderspider said:
For Christmas next year? This year is leaving things a bit tight, unless you're going for the 'just add water and sugar' kits (which taste a bit like weak squash).

Best bet is to hit the hedge rows now. Get as many balckberries, plums, apples as are left, and use them to make a good strong brew ready for next year.

Or get some sloes for gin.

I'm guessing you haven't tried it for a long time. The kits use concentrated juice these days, no sugar needed, and they taste very good.

spiderspider · Oct 13, 2014

bonusmedia said:
I'm guessing you haven't tried it for a long time. The kits use concentrated juice these days, no sugar needed, and they taste very good.

I haven't tried the kits in about 10 years, since I moved to a place where the hedgerows are packed with wine making fruit

I just have some elderberry bubbling away. If you leave it a year, it tastes really great. The wife says as soon as I bottle it its good enough. Some people!