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Just throwing this out there as a possible idea. With the thought of allotments, community involvement and it becoming more of a community off-grid type of affair, the idea struck me that allotments generate woody waste every year that results in bonfires - much to the annoyance of anybody who...

I came up with this yesterday as I had to move two DJ's out of the brew fridge. It all runs off a standard 12v power supply. I used a 2A rated one but it draws just under 1A so should be fine with that type too. It uses a pair of 12v handlebar heaters - available as two for £3.80 - Linky And...

I came up with this yesterday as I had to move two DJ's out of the brew fridge. It all runs off a standard 12v power supply. I used a 2A rated one but it draws just under 1A so should be fine with that type too. It uses a pair of 12v handlebar heaters - available as two for £3.80 - Linky And...

Does anyone know the law on inviting a few friends around to sample homebrew? If for example people brought bottles with them to a BBQ that they had brewed themselves - can they share them? What if someone doesn't bring any and offers to pay for the next set of ingredients? Can they legally have...

I've used heat shrink caps on mine and they do look nice, but I just hate buying the things. I've also used old foil caps but they seemed fiddly, bits get stuck but I can at least recycle them. Has anyone used wax on their bottles? It dawned on me that if I did then I could just save up the wax...

Interesting article. Basically using rooibos (redbush) tea and wood in standard wines. They are patenting the process....but doesn't affect us homebrewers! Seems it may skip the step of adding sulphites for those who are allergic to them. Clicky linky ;)

Using up a bag of shelled pea pods from the garden, I added them to a basic tea wine recipe. 600g pods, 200g of raisins, 1 thin sliced lemon, 10 twnnings assam tea bags and left overnight to steep. Removed lemon and tea bags. 1 kg of sugar heated with some of the juice to dissolve with 1tsp of...

I had a terrible time corking my last batch of 30 bottles. Please tell me where I am going wrong. I've bought a Ferrari corker - two handled with a circular spring that grips the bottles. This seems to work well, but it's the corks which are letting me down. I had various corks to use up as I'd...

I'm just about to start a wine based on about half a kilo of my own pea pods, but fear it will be too light. I am thinking of combining it with a teabag recipe but don't know what to pair it with. Any ideas welcome. Also how do you calculate the Original Gravity using fresh pea pods? Thank you.

This one has been a nightmare. First it was an old one can kit with yeast. that I added a kilo of dextrose to. OG 1.036. It failed to start within 24 hours so I dumped a jar of mostly yeast trub from a saison into it and it did get going after that - but stopped again well short of target at...

All things Keykeg. What are they, how to use them, and can we re-use them? "Ideal for homebrew" as one ebay seller says or a pain to dispose of as one bar found? Seems to be like a giant "sub" using a bag in a pressurised cylinder - but can we re-use them? Has anyone tried?

I've just read a review of celery wine here , and it turned out rather mild, and wondered if it may benefit from additions such as nettle, pea, (also green) and a few herbs. The question is - which herbs? Thyme & mint come to mind.

The best bread I have ever made was with fresh & sticky bakers yeast from Asda. I can only get the small packets of dried yeast and so far most of my bread has been on the heavy side. Has anyone tried culturing and growing bakers yeast, and if so what did you use as the culture medium? How do...

If supplies are in high demand, then we really should be getting the most out of our grains. I've just brewed a London porter all grain, and am now setting up the day after to mash the grains a second time for longer to make the most of them. I am thinking of making up the gravity with...

This turned out like a crisp chardonnay but without any grape juice. 3L Aldi apple juice from concentrate 1/3 of a 500ml bottle of Belvoir Elderflower cordial (Morrisons) 800g white sugar 1L water 1tsp Pectolase 1tsp yeast nutrient (dap) 1tsp bentonite 1tsp youngs GP wine yeast 1/4tsp grape...

Bokashi composting of food waste is a method developed in Japan and is basically an anaerobic fermentation method to compost food waste. It relies mostly on lactobacillus to do the work so it is usual to use a "Bokashi Bran" as an activator and inoculant. In use you add food waste to a sealed...

Probably the worst part of brewing for me is bottle washing, but I do like beer in glass bottles, and they are easy to store in odd corners. I must have spent a good hour just cleaning the sink area down and cleaning bottles. I do have a dishwasher but is pretty bad at getting the inside of...

I've done a few ciders from supermarket apple juice and although decent and well carbonated I am now looking to improve things. They just seem lacking in body and a bit thin compared to commercial ciders. I've been using GV13 cider yeast and not turbo or champagne yeasts. First thing I have...

Just about to buy a load of whirlfloc tablets for a tenner and thought hang on a minute - what is Irish Moss? If whirlfloc is pure Irish Moss, then it is a species of seaweed Chondrus crispus—commonly called Irish moss or carrageen moss (Irish carraigín, "little rock")- a species of seaweed...

Just bought a kit from Brew2Bottle to make up the free shipping. Makes 23L Cost £13.95 "Hercule Saison: A Belgian Style Saison. A golden beer with spicy notes and a peppery Great British finishing hop. 4.7% ABV" Think the hops are Target. Not tried this style and was having real problems...