Newbie here with no experience

[David Hancock]

Hi folks
I have just acquired a second hand wine making kit, 3 fermenting bins, 18 glass demi johns and countless other accessories all for £20.
I will probably sell some of the demi johns as there is no way I have space or use for them all.
I am a complete novice so I will be using this forum as much as possible and probably become a supporting member in the coming weeks.
I have already started my wine making journey.
I have a parsnip wine and a blackberry wine both of which have spent 7 days in a fermenting bin and are now in a demi john. The parsnip has slowed down considerably but the blackberry is still fizzy away.
I also have a blackberry and sultana wine fermenting in the bin since Sunday.
I found the initial making the wine quite easy, although the proof will be in the final product, but it is the next stages where I feel that I will need all the help advice from you guys.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I can get 6 DJ's on top of my fridge freezer and a 23 litre FV on the end of kitchen counter I prefer the FV for ease of use (30 bottle kits) and use the DJ's for experimenting.

If you haven't already seen it have a look at this http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

 

[David Hancock]

I can get 6 DJ's on top of my fridge freezer and a 23 litre FV on the end of kitchen counter I prefer the FV for ease of use (30 bottle kits) and use the DJ's for experimenting.

If you haven't already seen it have a look at this http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

thanks this is great, I am off to aldi now

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to The Forum. :thumb:

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome,looks like you'll be busy for a bit...

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[DavidDetroit]

That is quite a score on equipment.

When someone says, "demijohn" are they automatically referring to a 20L?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Demijohns are 1 gallon or 4.5 litre.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Demijohns are 1 gallon or 4.5 litre.

Okay, just so I actually understand what I think I'm understanding, is the 20L glass container called a carboy in the UK? I appreciate it.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Most of our stuff is either 1 gallon/4.5 litre or 5 gallon/23 litre.

Have a look at this -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0057VXNZ6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

.

 

[Dutto]

In the UK, almost any glass container bigger than a gallon (+/- 4.5 litres) is called a "Carboy".

Traditionally, the mid-sized ones were protected with grass or raffia plaited around them and the bigger ones were nestled into a bed of straw and protected by a steel cage.

Plastic may be poisoning the planet but they are much better than glass carboys when it comes to accidents! When you dropped a glass carboy, or dropped something on to one, then regardless of the "protection" it never seemed to bounce!

I hated them!

 

[DavidDetroit]

In the UK, almost any glass container bigger than a gallon (+/- 4.5 litres) is called a "Carboy".

Traditionally, the mid-sized ones were protected with grass or raffia plaited around them and the bigger ones were nestled into a bed of straw and protected by a steel cage.

Plastic may be poisoning the planet but they are much better than glass carboys when it comes to accidents! When you dropped a glass carboy, or dropped something on to one, then regardless of the "protection" it never seemed to bounce!

I hated them!

I haven't used a glass carboy in four years. I wouldn't say I "hate" them. It's more like we're not on speaking terms. I still have one in the basement, nice and dusty.
In general, I did not like cleaning them out. I did not like carrying them. I do like the big buckets for dumping the cooled wort into because you can't miss and it aerates at the same time.
I do one bucket, three weeks and then into the bottling bucket. I also dump all the trub into the primary fermenting vessel.
So, thanks for the info!