Recent content by ericmark

Link here went yesterday, two bars, 8 miles apart, lovely trip between the two bars, but one end three beers, other end one beer and a cider on tap, not what I would call a beer festival, I travelled 1/2 mile to get there, and I know the three local pubs also have an event on, but no live music...

I am wondering is it worth it? May be better to buy cans? I walked around a museum in I think Hereford and it seems cider making is a lot more involved than I thought. given up making from apples, although I have loads. I was looking for a quick method in my time, and it seems using cider kits...

Thank you all, I don't have a local brew shop any more, all I have is Charlies also known as Coed Dinas who do kits and some of the hard wear but basis one shelve in the organic foods section, they do a better range of tractors. There was a good shop in Saltney near to where I use to live, and...

I bought a cider kit, the can did not contain the thick syrup normal with beer kits but a very watery liquid, so thought was any cordial would do instead, seems I did not consider what potassium sorbate and the brewing was as a result slow, so round two was to brew the sugar then add flavour...

Well ready for round two, I bottled a beer, then used the fomenter without cleaning out with just sugar and water, and it is fermenting well, idea is when next beer is bottled to transfer the sugar water into a clean fermenter to finish off, then add flavours. The main concern is with ciders...

I would agree, brewing takes time, but most important it seems is the temperature, too hot and a bitter after taste, too cool and it can get other things growing instead of the yeast, I found around 19 deg C to start, and after five days it can rise to 24 deg C without the bitter after taste, if...

Thank you, glad I have not spoilt it. Cooled down a bit now, but still to hot to start a beer brew off.

Wilko white wine kit, wife has worked out how to brew it, shame me into doing it, so temperature too high for a beer brew, want 19 to 20 degs C, but wine said 20 - 25 degs, so that seemed OK, however it started to raise reached 27 degs and I decided must do some thing, so dish cloths over the...

Mixed two ciders, one too dry, and other the one with potassium sorbate in it too sweet, together, and wife likes the balance, so sorted. But in the future will ensure no potassium sorbate.

Well I did share the packet of yeast, and the result was near enough instant, now bubbling away as expected, in future I will ferment the sugar then add flavour. Thank you all for your help.

It is slowly speeding up, but very slowly, but did not have any stock of yeast to start with, so de-cantered last bottle of beer which had more yeast in to the rest, and put in the dregs, so not that much yeast to start with, I have the yeast from a beer kit, I could only uses half for each, but...

As you all have predicted it is fermenting, but very slow, setting off a beer today, so will likely bottle both at the same time, I have two fermentor's so I can spare one for a time with a slow ferment.

You are correct, just read the bottle from Tesco and yes preservative in it. It does however seem to be fermenting if a little slow, so need to wait and see if I get sweet fruit juice or cider?

If it runs, even for a short time, I would say either the over load is faulty, or a valve is not opening which means the pressure builds up too fast, and over loads the motor. However unlikely to be a cheap cure, the thermostat went in mothers freezer, tried to get a replacement fitted, quoted...

My wife came home with a beer kit for me, and cider kit for her, on making her cider kit, the can contents were like water, not the treacle like consistency of the beer kits, plus more expensive. So looked at a bottle of cordial concentrate and wondered what is the difference? Cordial...