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old tree man - I've made what I call Blackberry wine for a few years and as I pick them in hedgerows I assume that's what you (less pretentiously) call bramble wine. Last year I made 5 gallons but none of it was as wonderful (by a long way) as what I made in the two previous years. I still have some...

Thanks Maggie the stones were unmolested, so that gives me some comfort - and I won't blame you.

(Yes, I could and should find out but I thought I'd ask here.)

I'm off to transfer to the jar, during which I'll sample it. If you don't hear from me ....

I have an urgent enquiry. I've been making plum wine for some years now and some of it was really nice and some just better than ok. Several years ago I planted a damson tree to ensure supplies and last year was the first time I had enough fruit to make a gallon. This year I started the first gallon...

Courgettes, runner beans, tomatoes, peppers, plums, rhubarb

Home country wines can be good or bad but if you control your 'process' you can mostly avoid problems and it can be very rewarding. I want to encourage people who've had failures perhaps by recommending a simple recipe and keeping in touch to see how it works out. I'm in a rush now but thanks, esp B...

[I count 'Country Wines' as wine (fermented beverage) from fruit or vegetable matter and for this thread I'd like to discuss wine from grown, bought or foraged fruit and veg and steer away from wine kits. I don't think wine from grapes counts as I see 'country' is what distinguishes it from 'ordinar...

Here in Dorset, we've had very dry weather for many weeks until two weekends ago when I went camping at Larmer Tree Festival, when it was very wet for two days and a heavy downpour once or twice since. The lack of rain must have dented the crop but I expect the Autumn raspberries will produce a few ...

My main uses for raspberries is wine and jam. The last couple of years, I made a couple of gallons of wine and no jam but I may make some when I get more fruit. Actually, I prefer my other wines but most people who try it like it more than, or at least as much as the others. It's quite pleasant and ...

One year on, has anyone made any more wine from 'a bit of this and a bit of that'? The only experimental mixture I recall was Plum and Apricot which turned out very nice the first time and fairly good the second. I've never tried tea, or any veg, though I should. Next time I see parsnips I may get s...

The way I understood it Bernard, you get a grow bag about 3 feet long, cut it in half so you have 2 parts 18" long, stand them on end and you have 2 planters 18" deep. The confusing part (I think) is Elfcurry only cuts one side in half, so you end up with 2 planters 18" deep, but still joined on on...

I've heard of people using a grow-bag cut in half. Imagine the bag flat on the ground in front of you; make a cut through the upper surface half-way along (ie divide across the short axis) leaving the underside intact to keep the halves together. Lift up the (cut) middle and readjust the contents so...

I really wouldn't want to spend time, effort or ... ANYTHING doing that. I just don't want wine tasting of dairy or animal products. As an ... umm.... 'interesting' experiment, if you're REALLY bored and just wonder whether it's possible, I suppose there might be something tiny merit but it's not fo...

MKG, thanks for saying that. I didn't quite get from Bernard that the seal isn't as much an absolute requirement as I'd thought, for the complete fermentation - is that right? As a worrier though, I'd still be anxious about when it becomes important not to allow oxygen to enter. With an airlock you ...

Thanks all for your thoughts and ideas. Green Aura: he was extremely apologetic and offered to buy me some wine but I decided it wasn't replaceable, it was the time and effort I'd lost and commercial wine would be no recompense. Though I was very disappointed, it wasn't the only blackberry wine I ma...

I have two demijohns* which leak around the bung. I tried different bungs, tried pushing the bung in tighter and making sure it's moist but the glugging soon comes to a stop, a sure sign it's not sealed. Can they be redeemed somehow or should they be thrown out? If no fix is available, can they be r...