Hello From Bristol

[mikep42]

Hi guys,

I've got a thread going in the Brewdays section (Muntons Gold IPA Kit) but thought a few words here would be appropriate.

I started brewing years and years ago when a neighbour gave me a Boots Lager kit as a birthday present - quite odd, as in all the times we'd been drinking together, I never had lager, but there you go.

That one turned out awful, so it was a few years before I tried again, and that was with a Munton's kit (sorry, can't remember which one) purchased as a result of trying the brew at the (now defunct I think) Bristol home-brew festival.

Sadly, after a couple more brews, my kit got shoved into the cupboard under the stairs until a couple of months ago - SWMBO and I were in Gardiner Haskins (Bristol's equivalent of Mecca) and next to their fantastic selection of bottled beers, they also have a home-brew section. After playing shopping basket ping-pong with a better brew IPA, beer lust overcame good sense and now I'm back into the hobby full swing.

Just put another BB IPA in FV #1, with a King Keg of St Peters reaching two week maturity and a Muntons Gold IPA just put into my second King Keg.

Which means in two weeks time I'll either be desperately looking for another keg, or frantically washing bottles!

Aside from beer, I've also got three DJs of real grape wine on the go, using grapes from a friend at work who had a bumper year on his vine. I'm also chasing some other DJs as I want to get a WOW on the go at least, and maybe some tea wines as well.

So there you have it....

 

[bobsbeer]

Welcome. :

 

[Jeltz]

Hello neighbour, welcome to the forum.

Charity shops are worth a trawl for demijohns as is freecycle/freegle. I picked up a few on there myself and if you are ever down this way (Radstock) drop me a message. I'd have to check I haven't given it away already but I think I still have a spare one in the garage, albeit one that needs a damn good clean, but you would be very welcome to it.

 

[Bobw]

Wot no Turbo Cider :shock:
Gardner Haskins doe's have a nice selection of beers don't they? There's Brewers Droop on Gloucester Road as well (left hand side abit past the arches as you go uphill), also The Home Brew Centre Keynsham but they don't sell beer.

Welcome to the Forum :
bob

 

[Wendy1971]

Hi and welcome to a great forum :thumb:

 

[joe1002]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[mikep42]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the great welcome - really appreciated!

Bobw: I think Gardiners is the best/worst kept secret in Bristol - although the wife and I did get locked in once, but that's another story! Brewer's Droop is a fantastic resource, and all of my proper kit has come from there. Sadly the temptation of cheap Wherry and sugar from Wilko's means I don't buy from there all the time, but it's my first choice otherwise. Lots of good places for Saturday lunch round Gloucester Road too, so I've been able to combine the two recently to wifely happiness.

The other place up there that has literally been around at least 20 years is Scoopaway - big bins of all sorts of bulk dried goods at bargain prices. Fantastic!

As regards Tubro Cidre, funnily enough I've now got that on the go along with 5L of WOW. I went with 3L apple to 1L cranberry, and it looks wonderful.

There is something very satisfying about turning dirt cheap water bottles and juice into 4.5L of bubbling goodness!

Sadly, SWMBO has cottoned on to what I'm up to. My next brew needs to be something resembling a nice rose - I'm sure there's a recipe on here somewhere that will bail me out!

Jeltz: Thanks for the offer - might be down your way the first Friday in December, so I'll drop you a PM. Charity shops in my area seem devoid of DJs :-(

I think word about home brewing might be spreading....