Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site          NEEPS Forum Index -> The North Eats........ Stonehead Scrumpy time We've picked and processed 110kg of apples, turned them into 30 litres of juice, and now the yeast has gone in. Yes, it's scrumpy season. This batch shoulder be a corker as the specific gravity is 1060 and that means a potential of 7.8% ABV. As I like my scrumpy dry and full fermented out, it should be interesting.... http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/cider-making-2/ Best of all, we still have about 20kg of apples left over for jams, jellies and eating. wildgarlic That sounds very promising - let me know if you need a taster aritchie71 ME TOO!! i am always up for helping out a fellow neep with any problems that they may have, this would of course include the horrible job of making sure that the produce is not poisonous or dodgy in any way, but i do have a pretty strong constitution so it may take a while and lots of  it to make sure it is ok for you to drink.........!! Stonehead Ask WildGarlic about my nettle ale... IainC aritchie71 wrote: ME TOO!! i am always up for helping out a fellow neep with any problems that they may have, this would of course include the horrible job of making sure that the produce is not poisonous or dodgy in any way, but i do have a pretty strong constitution so it may take a while and lots of  it to make sure it is ok for you to drink.........!! Yeah, I'm with you on that one... wildgarlic Stonehead wrote: Ask WildGarlic about my nettle ale... Hic...    It's FAB - and the barley wine! IainC wildgarlic wrote: Stonehead wrote: Ask WildGarlic about my nettle ale... Hic...    It's FAB - and the barley wine! Hmmm... I think we need a full on tasting day of the various types... and a taxi/bus/designated driver for later   Stonehead I'm brewing 5 gallons of stout next, then four gallons of elderberry wine, then four gallons of potato wine. I might make some plum wine, too, if the plums last. Parsnip wine gets made early in the New Year—once the parsnips have been frost nipped. I make about 30-35 gallons of booze a year. In fact, when the doctor last asked me how many units of alcohol I drink, she was flummoxed when I said "I don't know, I measure it by the gallon."   wildgarlic Stonehead wrote: In fact, when the doctor last asked me how many units of alcohol I drink, she was flummoxed when I said "I don't know, I measure it by the gallon."   Hahahaha   I'm in the process of a major declutter (yeah yeah you've all heard it before) but I plan to make room so that I can try some wine making at last. My last attempt was pathetic and undrinkable. Also would like to have a go at cider. Ina Has David started on the beer yet? wildgarlic Ina wrote: Has David started on the beer yet? Drinking it, or making it? Yes to the first, no to the second. Ina It was the second I had in mind - after I'd dropped off that beer making stuff from M&L... Must remember to bring the rest of the winemaking kit next time. There's filters etc that I don't think I'll ever use. IainC Always fancied having a go and making my own as well but never really had the ingredients IYKWIM... seems a bit of a waste buying everything to make it yourself instead of just buying something that's already made. Would be a lot better if we had plenty of stuff to make into wine/cider/beer though. Ina Wine isn't that difficult, as you can use just about everything... So this year I'm making wine with whatever I happened to have plenty of - raisins, raspberries, red currants, rhubarb... Maybe another year it'll be brambles or elderberries - who knows! Beer is, I suppose, a bit more difficult (unless you go for stuff like nettle ale). Welly A couple of our grape vines did quite well for us this year, so we've got about 20 litres or so of red grape wine on the go at the moment (almost finished fermenting, next to the rayburn). The green grapes were a let down unfortunately, but we had a couple of bags of last year's gooseberries in the freezer, and have just started off 8 litres of gooseberry wine. Elderberries make nice wine, although I always give in to the temptation of putting too many in.  You need very few to get a delicate taste, so mine can sometimes turn out a bit strong. Luckily, in my vocabulary there no such word as 'undrinkable'...   Welly IainC Welly wrote: Luckily, in my vocabulary there no such word as 'undrinkable'...   Welly That's something I'm sometimes accused of as well Ina Cairn o'Mohr has a wonderful elderberry and black currant.... Like port, only better! Cassiepod I still have my two stone of apples to process... however I now have a honey press (courtesy of the helpful man in the antiques shop in Dinnet) so come the weekend with two converted chopping boards I should be hopefully juicing my apples to start proper cider alongside the 'ish' stuff started last weekend.... And there's more apples if that's successful . I bottled my first beer at the weekend too.. treacle ale (recipe courtesy Stoney) it seemed quite robust prior to bottling.... bracken cider I don't know if this is useful to anyone.... but many years ago I saw an old stainless steel sink with a 'garbage disposal unit' attached. The fruit was chopped up on the drainer, pushed into the sink then down the disposal unit and out from the waste pipe came the crushed fruits ready for pressing. It seemed to make the whole job cleaner and quicker.... flingdizz Well I FINALLY got my brewing gear this weekend so I shall be brewing ale on one side of the kitchen and cyser on the other! i Btw, any good suppliers for malt and hops? My Dad has given me enough for one brew to get me going but that wont last me long...hic! Stonehead I get mine from Arkwrights. Nice people who send friendly hand-written notes with your order. http://www.arkwrightshomebrew.com/ Smooth Hound it seems to have been a good yr for apples IainC Smooth Hound wrote: it seems to have been a good yr for apples For my folks, yes, for us, no. We've 1... thats ONE apple on our tree Sassinak That is 1 more than I got off my 2 trees Ina And one more than I got off my three trees! Sassinak That looks like a really good site Stoney - Thanks for that link A bit disappointed though, with a name like Arkwright and selling various West Riding Beers and Scammonden Bitter etc, It was  disappointing to find that they are actually in Wiltshire Smooth Hound looks like weve got them all here then,       you need to get the bugs in, the insects,   get them polinating Sassinak Loads of pollinated flowers, but the wind just blasted them and blew all the babies away Smooth Hound mmmm  i can see you need some of my willow screening   flingdizz Thanks for the link Stonehead! IainC Sassinak wrote: That looks like a really good site Stoney - Thanks for that link A bit disappointed though, with a name like Arkwright and selling various West Riding Beers and Scammonden Bitter etc, It was  disappointing to find that they are actually in Wiltshire Was more disappointed with a name like that, that it didn't say B-B-B-B-Beer (will see who's old enough to remember watching Open all hours first time round )        NEEPS Forum Index -> The North Eats........ Page 1 of 1