* similar to the Antipodean concept of going Walkabout, no particular idea of where you're going or when you'll be back, but involving a slow boat.
I've mentioned something in Welshwitch's beetroot wine thread which needs explaining, so here it is:
We've got a narrowboat. Quite old, not particularly big, anything but posh, but she suits us. If anyone's got a few hours to spare, here's my build blog.
We went chugabout last week, no particular plans, no particular hurry to get anywhere, had a fairly enjoyable few days (although mostly dull and occasionally damp), met another boat and a couple of crews who have become very good personal friends as a result of that waterways forum, had a good Banter and shared around some of my home brews. Got through numerous assorted bottles of beer, several bottles of wine and a large stoneware jug of TC. Saved a small fortune, only went in one pub all week, but we know that one has proper butcher's faggots, chips & peas for £3.95 and Enville Ales at £2.05 a pint, so it's an essential port of call. The Dry Dock at Windmill End near Netherton, for anyone who might know the area.
At this time of year I knew there was a good chance that I would find plenty of free fruit, so I took along my two smaller fermenting buckets, sugar, yeast, nutrients, citric, pectolase etc.
I will try to upload photos later this evening, but my âred bucketâ started off with 10 oz Blackberries, 1 lb 3 oz Elderberries and 12 oz of Rosehips (as I hadn't yet found enough of those, and our fridge has only got a small freezer compartment, which was still full of sausages etc.). 1kg sugar added, a couple of Campdens and water to 1 gallon. As I found another couple of pounds of blackberries I rinsed them in sulphite and chucked them into the bucket, then made it up to 2 gallons, then another 3 lbs of blackberries, another 1.5kg of sugar, a few other things I forgot to write down, then I got home and added 2.5 litres of apple juice, bringing it up to 3 gallons.
Meanwhile, I did find enough Rosehips, so my âwhite bucketâ has 4.5 lbs rosehips, 2kg sugar, 1 litre of white grape juice, all the usual additives and water to 2 gallons.
And then I found the damsons, but that will be another thread.
Pics later.
I've mentioned something in Welshwitch's beetroot wine thread which needs explaining, so here it is:
We've got a narrowboat. Quite old, not particularly big, anything but posh, but she suits us. If anyone's got a few hours to spare, here's my build blog.
We went chugabout last week, no particular plans, no particular hurry to get anywhere, had a fairly enjoyable few days (although mostly dull and occasionally damp), met another boat and a couple of crews who have become very good personal friends as a result of that waterways forum, had a good Banter and shared around some of my home brews. Got through numerous assorted bottles of beer, several bottles of wine and a large stoneware jug of TC. Saved a small fortune, only went in one pub all week, but we know that one has proper butcher's faggots, chips & peas for £3.95 and Enville Ales at £2.05 a pint, so it's an essential port of call. The Dry Dock at Windmill End near Netherton, for anyone who might know the area.
At this time of year I knew there was a good chance that I would find plenty of free fruit, so I took along my two smaller fermenting buckets, sugar, yeast, nutrients, citric, pectolase etc.
I will try to upload photos later this evening, but my âred bucketâ started off with 10 oz Blackberries, 1 lb 3 oz Elderberries and 12 oz of Rosehips (as I hadn't yet found enough of those, and our fridge has only got a small freezer compartment, which was still full of sausages etc.). 1kg sugar added, a couple of Campdens and water to 1 gallon. As I found another couple of pounds of blackberries I rinsed them in sulphite and chucked them into the bucket, then made it up to 2 gallons, then another 3 lbs of blackberries, another 1.5kg of sugar, a few other things I forgot to write down, then I got home and added 2.5 litres of apple juice, bringing it up to 3 gallons.
Meanwhile, I did find enough Rosehips, so my âwhite bucketâ has 4.5 lbs rosehips, 2kg sugar, 1 litre of white grape juice, all the usual additives and water to 2 gallons.
And then I found the damsons, but that will be another thread.
Pics later.