Welcome to my Blog on home brew and wine making

Welcome to my blog on home brew, wine making and all that goes with it.

I will hopefully have some useful links and a few tales of where my interest in brewing comes from. and a list of recipes that my father used successfully, and I am going to try to make, after a long absence away from any form of home brew.

Added Amazon search for those that wish to search for books and other items on or for home brewing.

Added links to some other projects I have been involved in, such as the T shirt and other items that have some logos I have created my self and some created by others. sorry about the logos I created myself, just learning as I go, which is as much learning what the specifics are that can be printed, as thinking of designs. You can find it and other items here

A lot of the T shirts are made from Organic or recycled materials so are perfect for those worried about what we are doing to this world.
The gents T- shirt shown in the example can be changed to say what you like and is available in a number of colours and sizes.

Also two YouTube selections on brewing at the foot of this page, that you may like to look over. Some are informative and others just funny, so always worth a look.

If you are eager to get started, then may I suggest adding this blog to your favourites, and trying out the searches, the google search has been set up to bring the best results for wine and beer makers, and I will be adding to it as I go, to keep it relevant. Try a search for How to make, and add your preference on the end, wine, beer, or what ever. It will give you a great selection of how too's and recipes, from all manner of websites and blogs.
If you are starting from scratch and want to start buying the kit you will need, then why not search both google and Amazon and see what deals are available, as Amazon are offering free postage on items over five pound and they have a growing selection of things you will be able to use, like home brew kits, which is great for those of us that do not feel like trudging round the various home brew stores searching for the best deal, but on saying that if you use the google search and it may find you the best on line home brew store.

I suppose I should add by giving a little advice from what little I know of making both beer and wine.

I suppose the most important thing that my father always tried to point out, was clean and sterilise everything, as if your life depended on it. Think operating theatre, when cleaning your kit, or bottles.
Every book I have read has chanted the same mantra, that anything you use that will come into contact with your mix has to be sterile, which did have me puzzled, for a long time when you consider the products in a lot of the recipes, but even though I have yet to have a problem, I do follow the rule, and maybe that is why I never had a problem.

You can read the books and find out why or the best way to clean your kit, as I will try and avoid the boring stuff, as much as possible, when I know there is a better source.

Some of the recipes I will be adding are using plants and flowers, rather than the store bought mix that some of you will be used to. May I suggest you try and take the hint from the story, if there is one, or if I don't point it out, and head for some place away from traffic and other things that may contaminate the ingredient. As with cleaning it may not have any effect, but why take the chance?

Hopefully some of what I have written will spike your interest enough to come back or at least prod you enough to try searching for things you will need for the hobby that will make you the most popular person in your street.

And as the government keep adding more and more tax, then maybe it will save you some money.