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I restarted brewing just over a year ago after a 20 odd year gap. You can do things very cheaply and produce very drinkable beer. I made my first kit (second time around) without spending much at all. FV free large plastic bucket free, plastic bottles free (just what we'd normally recycle)...

Cheers Lampie. I bottled it in the end, put two brews on this morning but just replicated the one I bottled the other day which tasted magnificent. Think there were just too many factors that I don't really understand with the Tea. I was just going to add it when dry hopping. Your answer raised...

Cheers to all who offered an opinion. Just bottled the follow up batch and it is magnificent. As good as the last one was bad, I must have been fortunate I've never really encountered a major problem before. I use the Wherry(its the cheapest two can kit I can get my hands on) as a base and tweak...

Hi Lampie, incase you don't read my thread I'm thinking of trying Tea in an IPA attempting to mimic a New Zealand Ale I've enjoyed this year. I'm looking to use Blue Flower Earl Grey Tea but have no idea how much to use any ideas?

Hi all I'm interested to learn what could possibly have gone wrong with one of my brews. I used exactly the same ingredients and methods as with most my previous brews but this one is very cloudy with a slightly odd burnt taste. Its a Wherry brewed a little short 21ltrs with 500g of medium spray...

I'm really happy with the taste of my beers (various kits) sometimes slightly disappointed with head retention particularly when using tap water. Does anybody have any tips for solving this issue as using bottled water obviously increases cost.

Hi can anyone fill me in on the merits of the two main stabiliser/fermentation stoppers, I see Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite excuse the spelling if its off. I would like to know how the different substances affect the end product so I can decide which to get, I'd like to get a...

Sorry it took so long for me to review this kit after asking to do so. I've done two of these now, neither are what I'd call Red Wine so not a great start. I brewed the first one adding 4 litres of red grape juice but then after being disappointed with it. I messed about with it after...

Well I've been back to brewing for about a month and got nine 23ltr brews on so far 3 ales, 2 wines, 2 TC's, a WOW and a ginger beer. I don't think I've been slacking.

I've gone for option 3. I put my first into secondary and let it get very cold, it was slow to carbonate and had me worried for a while but produced a very satisfactory pint saying I brewed it to the instructions. I decided it was an unnecessary additional step and dispensed with it for my...

Sorry if this is a bit thick of me. I'm only brewing kits which come with yeast, is there any advantage in re pitching yeast from the bottom of the FV over using whats in the packet?

I've recently started sampling my initial Wherry, it was my first brew for about 20 years. Its bloody marvelous, nowhere near enough conditioning time but I've put a large box full of bottles away to condition properly now its all about keeping my hands off it. I was drinking it earlier in the...

Good advice I think that will be my next step.

Paper labels, In the bath with hot soapy water allow to soak for half an hour to an hour scrape labels off with knife(be careful) paper into a bucket, put bottle back into bath, when finished scraping all labels off get any remaining bits off your soaking bottles with green scourer, rinse...

I'm pretty sure what I'm doing with the hydrometer is OK. Its just not as exact as a lot of you boys. Its got a band for starting beers and a wider band for starting wines OG and a band for bottling SG as I say I go roughly by these bands but would not bottle until reading is steady for at least...

Yeah cheers I did all the hydrometer stuff. not the numbers I have a Wilko one with coloured bands it was in the correct band prior to pitching yeast and was in the correct band and steady when I first racked it. I then put it outside in the garage as I'd read on here and it went really still...

Cheers I'll take a look at them. Hope Wilko stock them. I like to get my family discount there.

Not tried a WOW yet, Have done a VimtoTC as a bit of a trial sort of thing which seems to have gone quite well. May try a WOW for my next experimental effort. I'll also try your other suggestions for improving the kits as I'm not dissapointed with the taste, as I say its the colour and body...

OK but I've already got another one ready to put on. Is there anything I can tweak to improve the next one. Would the GJC do any better used in the next one, I'll definitely brew it short by at least 3 litres . By the way can you reccommend any better quality kits that are not daft prices, the...

Hi all. I've got a batch of Wilko Merlot nearly ready to bottle. Its not a bad taste but lacks a bit of body and is a rather pale colour for a red. I've got a small bottle of Wilko red grape juice concentrate and am wondering whether adding that to the wine will improve the character or am I...