Making Wine from Grapes

It is fairly straightforward to make wine from your own grapes and there are many online guides showing you how to do it. Unfortunately, many of them “over simplify” the process or take a “natural” approach, which is absolutely fine if you are prepared to gamble with the results, but not much use if you are hoping to produce consistent, repeatable, drinkable results.

In essence, many guides suggest that all you need to do is:

Making Cider or Perry from Apples and Pears

It is fairly straightforward to make cider or perry from your own apples or pears and there are many online guides showing you how to do it. Unfortunately, many of them “over simplify” the process or take a “natural” approach, which is absolutely fine if you are prepared to gamble with the results, but not much use if you are hoping to produce consistent, repeatable, drinkable results.

In essence, many guides suggest that all you need to do is:

This year's crop of Elderflowers have finally blossomed, so its time to consider making Elderflower Wine and Elderflower Champagne again. There are many different recipes and methods available on the internet,

As Summer is now upon us, Still Spirits have released  a new product called "Summer Cup" essence which is based on a Pimms style mixer.

While we were away on holiday, we dicovered Rum Cocktails in a big way and have started to work our way through the Still Spirits Range to make up some batches of Rum and Liqueurs to use in homemade cocktails.

The Classic Range of flavoured essences are the easiest to use as you simply add them to 1ltr of

To celebrate Andy's 50th Birthday later this year, we are planning a special holiday to Jamaica in April and will be closed for 12 days from the 5th to the 18th.

Following the success of the Ritchies Festival Ales and Hambleton Bard Bulldog kits, Youngs have launched a range of American Style Craft Ales using specially selected Malt Extracts and Hop Pellets to encourage homebrewers to try and replicate some of the popular American Craft Ale styles.

Having finally got hot enough air temperatures to stop our barrels losing pressure due to the cold, we have suddenly gone full circle and are suffering from unseasonably high temperatures. These are likely to start causing problems with pressure barrels as the gas heats up and creates excess pressure, which can easily lead to loss of pressure as the valve tries to vent the excess gas, leaks from the tap, leaks from the barrel body and, oddly, cloudy beer as the sediment gets stirred up by dissolved CO2 coming out of solution. The hot temperatures are also causing beers and wines to be reluctant to clear, even with the addition of finings.

Ritchies, the sole importer and distributer of the Beaverdale range of wine kits, has advised that due to a shipping problem encountered by the Canadian producer of these kits, stocks of some of their kits, especially the 30 bottle White Wine Kits, is either very low or non-existant at the moment.

This year's crop of Elderflowers have finally blossomed, so its time to consider making Elderflower Wine and Elderflower Champagne again. There are many different recipes and methods available on the internet,