Newbie treasure or trash?

[Mikeshep85]

I’ve recently inherited a brewing kit from my wife’s grandfather. I’m planning giving it a go. The main reason I’m here is amongst the kit are 3 5lt demijohns with a dark brown liquid. One smells amazing the other two less so but I would say bad. All 3 are labelled brandy/brandy wine 1994. Another family member said the bottles had been there for 15years that they knew of so I’m think the date is accurate. Can anyone offer and advice if it Is safe to drink? is the age a good thing? Or is best to just pore away? I’ve add pictures to my media but couldn’t workout how to attach it to this post. I shook both bottles and the liquid looks ok.

 

[Mikeshep85]

 

[Mikeshep85]

 

[An Ankoù]

Unless your wife's grandfather was know to distill his wine and attempt a "brandy" then I'd chuck it away. If he did have a go at it then I'd still chuck it away.
The demijohns are worth keeping, though.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Keep it for paint stripper ?

 

[RichardM]

I'd have a sip of the one that smells amazing and chuck the other two.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I wouldn't drink it.

 

[TonyT]

The only way you’ll find out is by sipping them. Even if there’s anything wrong with them, a little sip won’t do you any harm. If on the other hand, you neck a pint you could regret it. !

 

[Stevieboy]

Defo try them. That amount of age goes one way or the other!

 

[Sadfield]

I'd invite those advising to drink it, around for a drink.

 

[Mikeshep85]

Thanks for all the comments, there is no distilling kit. Just a box of very old ingredients (all from Boots, who knew!) which will all need binning. And some kit which I’m Assuming is salvageable with a thorough cleaning. It’s sparked my interest so I’ll do some research and give an easy wine a go for starters maybe a mead to use what I have. Give it a try before I go buying anything.

O’ and anyone wondering, those who said to throw the contents of those demijohns 10 points each. Curiosity got the better of me

 

[Ade McDade]

I'd give that Boots 40 pint lager kit a go.

 

[Mikeshep85]

I'd give that Boots 40 pint lager kit a go.

O really, I thought that’d be no good now. I’ll try that, thanks.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I've still got the Boots barrels I bought in 1993. They still work ok but now been retired.
That's all I've left of the kit I bought back then, no surprise the glass airlocks didn't survive !
It was all a bit primitive compared to the shiny gubbins available now, but I can still remember the first beer ( Young's Scottish Heavy ) and wine ( Apple and Pear ) I made and being amazed at the standard of what I could make with simple kit.

Looks like you're going to need a FV, clean out the demi John's and you're good to go !

 

[DavidDetroit]

Sounds like the taste test didn't go well. Sorry to hear that.
Kits are too cheap to use ones that are well out of date.

 

[user 44889]

I would also throw the bubblers and bungs and get new. Not worth the risk and they are as cheap as chips lol

 

[ChrisT]

Thanks for all the comments, there is no distilling kit. Just a box of very old ingredients (all from Boots, who knew!) which will all need binning. And some kit which I’m Assuming is salvageable with a thorough cleaning. It’s sparked my interest so I’ll do some research and give an easy wine a go for starters maybe a mead to use what I have. Give it a try before I go buying anything.

O’ and anyone wondering, those who said to throw the contents of those demijohns 10 points each. Curiosity got the better of me

Ermm, I've still got some of that equipment I still use the glass hydrometer, trial jar, rubber bungs, bottle brush, demi-john brush and most surprisingly the syphon tube . Although the syphon tube is cleaned with my water bladder cleaning kit regularly. I did have one of those red/white plastic hydrometers as well but it's somewhere safe now. Still have the wine filter, although I don't use it at present, all the ingredients are long ago used or disposed of. When I started home brewing I got all my equipment, kits and ingredients from Boots.

 

[user 44889]

All my original equipment came from boots but sold it all in 2005 when we emigrated to Aus. Had to start from scratch again when we came back
in 2019. It was good kit for its day.

 

[Mikeshep85]

lots of good advice here. I’m not against buying kit but would like to try what I have first to see if I take to it. I know I need to buy a fermentation bucket and the ingredients. The water bladder cleaning kit is a great tip! . Are there beginners recipes in this forum, I’m finding it a little difficult to navigate. Looking to a small batch of fruit wine or mead, something that can be put away for bit and something that can’t be ready for drinking in short period of such a thing exists.

 

[user 44889]

Do you mean can be ready to drink in a short time. If so look at WOW blog and look at Chippy_Tea Rose' wine recipe or others. They can be drunk young i think.