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Thanks!
Some of the brew was stored in old port bottles,but I've been drinking more plonk than port lately
So I ran out of proper bottles.

I have 8 large plastic sweetie jars, each containing about 2 litres of spirits just about ready for bottling: 2 each of Damson Gin, Damson Vodka, Sloe Gin and Sloe Vodka (we picked over 100lbs of fruit in an afternoon last year). The blackberry vodka has already been sampled and is exquisite and the residual blackberries made one hell of a pie!.

Brewing at the moment is 5 gallons of Woodeforde's "Wherry". Just gone into the cask, 36 pints of Woodeforde's "Admiral's Reserve".

The ginger beer "plant" is fermenting nicely (just used root ginger, sugar and warm water to form the culture) and I will be starting the ginger beer proper this evening

The new house's vegetable plot is almost dug and the plans are being prepared. The tree surgeon has been called to deal with the apple and damson trees.

ANd yes, .... the wonders of Freecycle. A guy answered my "wanted - beer making equipment" ad and I have just been to his house and relieved him (for free) of an FV, barrel (albeit without a valved lid) syphon tube, hydrometer, stirrer, thermometer, bottle brush and a tub of steriliser. The last brew he had done in the FV was in September 2004! But....... underneath an old towel in the bottom of the FV was a can from a kit. Expiry date - November 2007! There was no label on it but mixed up in the rest of the stuff was a label from a Youngs Harvest Scottish Heavy kit. Having spent my university days in Edinburgh I have to say I am rather partial to a "pint of heavy" (well, more than one to be honest!) so I am tempted to give this a go. I guess I should get myself a new packet of yeast although it might be worth trying to start this one off in some warm water, sugar and malt extract just to see if it will fire up.

Simon

Got a herbal tea wine fermenting away at the moment, smells absolutely delicious so far!

Ive just started some 'pink peril' plum, boysinberry, beetroot 'port' and another batch of treacle stout - a perenial favurite once it has 6 months in the bottle on it!

I have some marmalade wine on the go. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I bought (and chopped) far too much citrus fruit to make marmalade, so rather than chuck it out, I threw in some water, sugar and yeast, and set it on its way. I'm expecting it to taste "interesting"

i have 3gallon of plum and 3 gall of coffee on the go at the mo ment
jaust bottled the last gall of damson and a gall of cider
we are busy drinking 1st attempt at beer(from a kit) and i think there are still a couple of bottles of elderflower left

nothing wrong with beer kits!!

Well,that depends...

I found a kit for Muntons barley wine in the back of a kitchen cabinet.
Exp. date Feb 2000

The can looks a bit...pressurized.
Should I give it a go just for laughs or call the bombsquad?

Today we've racked
1 gallon each of
apple,
pineapple,
tomato ,
green buckwheat ,
raspberry,
cherry,
vimto,
thistle,
chickweed
herby (still may have a go at converting this to vinegar)
and 3 gallons of elderberry.

Poured the last 1/2 gallon of cider into a demijohn for cooking and started 5 gallons of pale ale to put in the pressure barrel in its place.
And started 2 gallons of elderflower, 2 gallons of dandelion and 2 gallons of rhubarb (thank heavens T***o do huge bags of sugar!)

Just started a 15 litre batch of Japanese knotweed and melon wine.

I'm very curious how this will turn out.

... and you're not the only one

Mike