Introduce Yourselves here

[lockwood1956]

Actually thats usually just after 7

I didn't want us to look like alcoholics

allright then we are there from 7!

[lockwood1956]

Hi Tim
Welcome to our humble abode, pull up a chair and relax

regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

I have 60 bottles in the boot of my car, they need cleaning and delabelling, but they are free!
I could meet you somewhere halfway between us over the weekend if you like

regards
Bob

[13%ABV]

Hi Duffbeer
I removed everything off the screw top bottles, I intended to cork them. But I won't be doing this now. As you say propper bottles with corks is the way to go.

Mark

[13%ABV]

Hi Bob
Leaving early in the morning about 5 ish so can't meet you anywhere over weekend. If you could save me some bottles I can come over to you next weekend to get them if that's OK
Thanks Mark

[lockwood1956]

Hi Bob
Leaving early in the morning about 5 ish so can't meet you anywhere over weekend. If you could save me some bottles I can come over to you next weekend to get them if that's OK
Thanks Mark

Thats fine....

regards
Bob

[fatbloke]

FB "open source"? are you just looking for a few good mead recipes posted on this forum for free? I have one I used last year for strawberry melomel - it turned out great. Cheers
DAW

Seriously, it was either last year or the year before. It appeared all round the F/OSS (free/open source software) forums. A recipe for home brewed beer that was released as "open source". I wasn't doing home brew then so found it quite amusing.

But yes, it's mainly mead recipes that I'm looking at, though I'm also checking out fruit wine recipes (with an eye to seeing what fruit is seasonably available to me locally), then if it "catches my eye" having a go at making a gallon or so (only small batches as it's a case of experimenting as I want to establish which ones I like personally, before moving onto larger batches).

Currently, I've seen the ubiquitous strawbs, rasps, black/white/red currants, some rhubarb and one or two others (Kent Cherries, when I've been driving through Kent). The only proviso being that they're close to home over the weekend or they have a parking space for an artic' (theres one PYO type place on the A20, just west of Maidstone that I spotted yesterday that looks ideal).

Hence between these and 2 other HB forums that I've found, there should be plenty of recipes for my to have a crack at.

regards

fatbloke

p.s. Oh and if it's (i.e. the place that sells the fruit and has parking) accessible, it's also about how I'm doing workwise as the aggrevation of making sure that I'm compliant with the rather inflexible EU tachograph regs for professional drivers is a complete PITA!

[lockwood1956]

I think it's almost impossible to go wrong with blackberries (brambles) and they are freely available in just about every hedgerow in Great Britain.

Look out also for Elderberries, they make yummy wine, but it requires a bit of aging to become really good.

regards
Bob

[BamaTim]

Thanks guys. I'm just putting the yeast into a new gallon that I'm trying. It's mango, white grape and apple juices with 2 mangoes to the 1 each of the other. I found some 100% juices (Libby's) in my local grocery store that has no preservatives. It didn't take too much sugar to bring the initial s.g. up to where it will produce 12% ABV. The Campden tablets went in yesterday. As this is an experimental batch I'm using a mix of Montrachet/Pasteur Red yeast. Never tried mango before but from what I've read on a couple of posts it makes a very unique wine.
My other hobby is handturning ink pens and pencils on my lathe. I've got a collection of woods from all around the world. I'm about to make some corkscrews. When I get some of those turned and assembled I'll post a few pics.

[Duffbeer]

Welcome Tim, look forward to the pics.

[BamaTim]

Plonk, what is that exactly? That must be one of those British terms. Excuse my American ignorance on that. What I like better about the British sites like these is that the postings are better. Most of the winemakers over here are really not as friendly and most are using more kits it seems. I started off years ago with CJ Berry's books and he never steered me wrong. I spent 6-1/2 yrs in the U. S. Navy in the 1970's-1980's and every where that I went to I always went to the wineries where I could. I've been to them in Spain, Portugall, Italy, Greece, Romania, Africa, etc. Still to me some of the best wines that I've ever had are what is called "Country Wines" over here.
It just gets confusing sometimes when reading some of the recipes having to convert to metrics, Imp. gallons, and back. Most of my wines get made in the dry-very dry range. Ever now and then I'll concoct 1 with a little sweetness mainly to be given away.

[StockeyDAW]

Welcome - Cheers! I will let our British friends give us a definition of "PLONK" then our friend Hippie in the USA will surely give us his interpretation.
You have been fortunate enough to see much of the worlds wine locations. Sound like you developed a taste for it other that the free RUM? I agree to bad about all this conversion stuff from metric to imperial gallons to US gallons. I still prefer to work in the feet and inches - miles and acres but here in Canada they changed to the Metric System sometime in the 70's and after 30 some years it is still difficult for the Seniors that grew up with the feet and inches to go completely metric. DAW

[Mamgiowl]

Tim, 'plonk' is the generic name for wine, usually bog standard, not very special wine, but it's sort of derogatory as well.

It is also typical British understatment. You offer friends a bottle of homemade plonk and wait for them to tell you how utterly bloody marvellous it is, you then smile shyly and say "Oh, well, it's all right I suppose, not as good as most."

Inside you're going:-

[Duffbeer]

Tim, 'plonk' is the generic name for wine, usually bog standard, not very special wine, but it's sort of derogatory as well.

It is also typical British understatment. You offer friends a bottle of homemade plonk and wait for them to tell you how utterly bloody marvellous it is, you then smile shyly and say "Oh, well, it's all right I suppose, not as good as most."

Inside you're going:-

Absolutly spot on Mamgi, I couldn't have put it better myself

[BamaTim]

OK, got it, just an ordinary wine. Sounds about like what a lot of the cheaper wines over here are called, "Rot Gut" Not a very flattering description of a wine. I guess everyone has a wine that they will drink and enjoy. To me the worst one that I ever made was "Banana/Spice". I wanted to gag over it but a neighbor took to it "like a hog at the trough". After that first horrible batch to me, he'd buy bananas and bring them to me for me to make him some more. To each his own I guess.