Boots Homebrew

[HarryFlatters]

the kits were *****

I think this is why I'm having a hard time convincing my older friends to try my wares; they're remembering the kits from the 1980s and assume it's going to be that same, twangy homebrew taste.

 

[Clint]

I was chatting to the old lady three doors away last year and the subject of brewing came up...her and her departed husband used to make loads of beer and wine back in the day,said all his stuff was in the garage. Sadly she died this year,her house is unsold up to now...I expect whoever clears the house will sling all the stuff..I hope it goes in a skip on the drive as I'll try to rescue it.

 

[micklupulo]

Here's a few old books. The Ken Shales one came out in 1967 but this impression only dates back to 1979 the same as the CJ Berry book. The Dave Line ones were 1984 and 1985 respectively and were the ones which got me off kits in the late 80s until I laid off for years following a few failures.

 

[Clint]

The old books...do you keep them for nostalgic reasons or do you still use them?
I have absolutely loads of fishing books dating back nearly 40 years or more..well out of date. Some of the first edition carp fishing books are quite valuable. I just can seem to get shut of anything!

 

[Cwrw666]

I remember the Boots black box beer kits being very good. First ones I ever came upon that were purely malt and hop extract. Budget kits were basically a tin of sugar with a hint of malt and surprise, surprise, made s**t beer.
Still using my twin lever capper. A substantial bit of kit.

 

[micklupulo]

The old books...do you keep them for nostalgic reasons or do you still use them?
I have absolutely loads of fishing books dating back nearly 40 years or more..well out of date. Some of the first edition carp fishing books are quite valuable. I just can seem to get shut of anything!

I've only ever done recipes from the Dave Line books and was given the other two books over 30 years ago though some of the info in them is still useful as the products may have changed but the science is the same. Having said that Dave Line seemed to take frequent gravity readings and racked off into demi johns for the final part of fermentation neither of which would I do thesedays. I have vowed to get back to AG in the Spring and have already selected a few recipes in the DL "clone" book that I can easily get the stuff for i.e. those that don't call for barley syrup or molasses!

 

[micklupulo]

I remember the Boots black box beer kits being very good. First ones I ever came upon that were purely malt and hop extract. Budget kits were basically a tin of sugar with a hint of malt and surprise, surprise, made s**t beer.
Still using my twin lever capper. A substantial bit of kit.

I think the better Boots kits you mention are the ones I was referring to earlier which I recall came with liquid yeast.

 

[Cwrw666]

I think the better Boots kits you mention are the ones I was referring to earlier which I recall came with liquid yeast.

I don't remember liquid yeast but another plus for them was that the yeast supplied was very flocculant and stuck to the bottles like glue. Cheaper beer kits had yeast that made your beer like soup.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Love the design of the glass airlock.

 

[Tommo 2]

View attachment 38020
Found this in a charity shop today, it's actually older than me! Many great recipes, including **** ale

Still got a copy of that book myself and have used a lot of the recipes for wine with great success over the years. I still have a boots wine filter which I still use today but not with the pads designEd for the said filter’ have to cut down filters used for other modern filters, does anyone else have one; if so which pads do you use.

 

[johncrobinson]

Plastic is just not the same is it.?

My homebrew shop has a vinometer i am thinking of buying.A useless bit of kit i grant you but i do collect glass.

 

[VW911]

Love the design of the glass airlock.



View attachment 38093

Got a few of these in my shed, passed down from my late father.
Daren't use them as either the wife, kids, or dogs would be sure to break them!

 

[Subtle Duck]

Really liking the recipes for wine and mead. Thinking the beer recipes are quite outdated. But might try 1.

 

[Victor Churchill]

I remember cutting my hand quite badly with one of those glass fermentation locks. I was pushing it into a bored rubber bung and it was a bit tight and short on lubricant (*). Gashed the palm of my right hand when it snapped

(*) Insert oo-err missus comment here.

 

[Jon1964]

Love the design of the glass airlock.



View attachment 38093

Had them Broke them (easily)