My first brew in 25 years..

[Harry Bloomfield]

Wilko Velvet Stout.

I have not made any wine or beer of any sort for 25 years. A few short weeks ago, I got it into my head to have another go and looked for a bargain second hand kit to buy, which I found and had bought the same evening, complete with a Wilko Italian white kit for 30 bottles of wine, which I put on next day. I then bought a Wilko Velvet Stout kit, to put on once the wine had been racked. The wine took a little longer fermenting than suggested, so it wasn't racked and the stout started until two weeks ago last Sunday. My stout fermented in just seven days, I racked that and bottled it a week ago last Sunday, so it was kept in the warm to secondary ferment in the bottle until last Sunday, then moved outside to my picnic table in the garden to chill.

I've not yet tried the wine, but yesterday evening I brought a part bottle the stout in, chilled it and tried it. I'm very impressed - I have sometimes bought the odd can or two of Guiness or Mackeson over the years, when I can get them, but my Velvet Stout tasted much better than either, despite still being far from mature. It was much more dense than either, I couldn't see light through a glass.

So will mark that a success! :-)

Quite looking forward to trying the wine..

 

[An Ankoù]

Wilko Velvet Stout.

I have not made any wine or beer of any sort for 25 years. A few short weeks ago, I got it into my head to have another go and looked for a bargain second hand kit to buy, which I found and had bought the same evening, complete with a Wilko Italian white kit for 30 bottles of wine, which I put on next day. I then bought a Wilko Velvet Stout kit, to put on once the wine had been racked. The wine took a little longer fermenting than suggested, so it wasn't racked and the stout started until two weeks ago last Sunday. My stout fermented in just seven days, I racked that and bottled it a week ago last Sunday, so it was kept in the warm to secondary ferment in the bottle until last Sunday, then moved outside to my picnic table in the garden to chill.

I've not yet tried the wine, but yesterday evening I brought a part bottle the stout in, chilled it and tried it. I'm very impressed - I have sometimes bought the odd can or two of Guiness or Mackeson over the years, when I can get them, but my Velvet Stout tasted much better than either, despite still being far from mature. It was much more dense than either, I couldn't see light through a glass.

So will mark that a success! :-)

Quite looking forward to trying the wine..

Whatever it is, however it turns out, if you like it then it's good stuff.