Radchenister
New Member
...well, erm, it's a whopping 35 years since I brewed some beer as a teenager with my old man.
I can only vaguely recall the memories, but I still had an old beer sphere from back then, so with a bumper crop of apples in the garden, plus access to a marcerator and press on a relative's farm this year, I used it as a fermentation vessle to do 25 pints of cider.
It was seat of the pants stuff, as once pressed it just sat in a few buckets with clingfilm over, whilst I ordered a hastily delivered champagne yeast. That went in a few days after pressing when the juice was beginning to fizz a bit, so I was worried it wasn't going to ferment.
After some quick Googling to learn what to do about my concerns, I tracked down some Wilko's yeast nutrient in Chepstow, then popped a teaspoon in daily for 3 days. We were off, the airlock gurgle was so satisfying I was hooked.
A while later I blagged some demijohns off another relative to rack it into and pretty soon we were enjoying the summer of 2020 in a glass; a hugely sattisfying experience and probably the highlight of a dire year.
So onwards... I got hold of a further beer sphere and a King Keg, plus a few other bits off eBay, this forum gave me the idea for where to head next and I have just baralled the obligatory newb's Woodfordes Wherry. I've also purchased a Cwtch to do next as they're pretty local. We're just across the bridge in South Glos, so it would be rude not too.
Anyway, enough waffling, hello folks, apologies for my long absense!
I can only vaguely recall the memories, but I still had an old beer sphere from back then, so with a bumper crop of apples in the garden, plus access to a marcerator and press on a relative's farm this year, I used it as a fermentation vessle to do 25 pints of cider.
It was seat of the pants stuff, as once pressed it just sat in a few buckets with clingfilm over, whilst I ordered a hastily delivered champagne yeast. That went in a few days after pressing when the juice was beginning to fizz a bit, so I was worried it wasn't going to ferment.
After some quick Googling to learn what to do about my concerns, I tracked down some Wilko's yeast nutrient in Chepstow, then popped a teaspoon in daily for 3 days. We were off, the airlock gurgle was so satisfying I was hooked.
A while later I blagged some demijohns off another relative to rack it into and pretty soon we were enjoying the summer of 2020 in a glass; a hugely sattisfying experience and probably the highlight of a dire year.
So onwards... I got hold of a further beer sphere and a King Keg, plus a few other bits off eBay, this forum gave me the idea for where to head next and I have just baralled the obligatory newb's Woodfordes Wherry. I've also purchased a Cwtch to do next as they're pretty local. We're just across the bridge in South Glos, so it would be rude not too.
Anyway, enough waffling, hello folks, apologies for my long absense!
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