Jon Pickett said:Well that is the best excuse for buying grolsh I have ever heard, I recommend unwins or even the supermarkets do it these days
How much does a bottle of grolsh normally cost? the empties aren't cheap
Cheers,
Toddy
Today I ate.......
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How much does a bottle of grolsh normally cost? the empties aren't cheap
Cheers,
Toddy
Shame you aren't closer mate - I have about 200 in the shed - you can re-use ordinary crown bottles - just buy a re-crowning gun for about a tenner. Plenty of pubs will give you dozens of 1 pint empties from Newcastle brown etc. Please don't buy beer bottles - re-use is the ultimate recycle - I got my crowning gun for £4 on e-bayfalling rain said:
Red
Oh well I suppose I'll just have to buy lots of Grolsh then Jon...................dear oh deary me........ The sacrifices I have to make for my craft 
Actually I never thought of buying Grolsh
(I'm not the brightest pixie in the forest sometimes 
) Then I get the beer and bottles instead of just bottles for my nettle beer !!! Pure genius. I amaze myself sometimes
Thanks Toddy. I'll give those places a try for the jars. I've no recipes myself but should be able to find some on the internet or some of my books. I particularly like tomato chutney (baxters) so I'd like to try and make some myself.
Actually I never thought of buying Grolsh
(I'm not the brightest pixie in the forest sometimes ) Then I get the beer and bottles instead of just bottles for my nettle beer !!! Pure genius. I amaze myself sometimes Thanks Toddy. I'll give those places a try for the jars. I've no recipes myself but should be able to find some on the internet or some of my books. I particularly like tomato chutney (baxters) so I'd like to try and make some myself.
British Red said:
You have to be *very* careful of the bottles you use for nettle beer, the d*mn stuff explodes
and having had the dubious distinction of (literally) blowing up my neighbour's kitchen with home brew beer, I'm a touch wary Cheers,
Toddy
British Red said:
I didn't know such a thing existed Red, but thanks for the tips, I'll try and find one.
Toddy said:You have to be *very* careful of the bottles you use for nettle beer, the d*mn stuff explodes
Cheers,
Toddy
Strewth........I don't want to blow anything up
Any tips on avoiding this then?
Hang on mate - I'll find you a link
Try Here:
Art of Brewing
Look under "bottling equipment and accessories" for "crown capper".
As for bottles blowing, beer bottles are meant to take pressure (doesn't matter if its nettle or not - the process of fermentation is identical in grain based, fruit based and vegetaition based brews). To avoid a lid coming off, make very sure your primary fermentation has finished before bottling (you can check by measuring the specific gravity with a hydrometer - theres a picture in the "blackcurrant blog" thread), then charge your bottles with no more than half a teaspoon of sugar per pint to generate the "fizz" in the bottle. Provided you have done both these things, they will never make a mess (the ones below have cobwebs on they have been laid down that long - you can see none have blown). In fact, you are safer with bottles where the tops can come off under pressure - the last thing you want is the bottle to shatter under extreme pressure - ever seen someone drop a champagne bottle? It goes off like a grenade!
Red
Try Here:
Art of Brewing
Look under "bottling equipment and accessories" for "crown capper".
As for bottles blowing, beer bottles are meant to take pressure (doesn't matter if its nettle or not - the process of fermentation is identical in grain based, fruit based and vegetaition based brews). To avoid a lid coming off, make very sure your primary fermentation has finished before bottling (you can check by measuring the specific gravity with a hydrometer - theres a picture in the "blackcurrant blog" thread), then charge your bottles with no more than half a teaspoon of sugar per pint to generate the "fizz" in the bottle. Provided you have done both these things, they will never make a mess (the ones below have cobwebs on they have been laid down that long - you can see none have blown). In fact, you are safer with bottles where the tops can come off under pressure - the last thing you want is the bottle to shatter under extreme pressure - ever seen someone drop a champagne bottle? It goes off like a grenade!
Red
falling rain said:Strewth........I don't want to blow anything up
FR, Nothing really "blows up" in wine and beer making - what happens is that as yeast consumes sugar, it produces alcohol and gas (carbon dioxide). If the gas cannot be vented, eventually the container ruptures or the top comes out and liquid spews out. If its a glass bottle it can shatter if its a Grolsch type which is dangerous.
To avoid this, when brewing to begin with, make sure you brewing vessel is vented (gas can escape). However it must be covered to exclude vinegar flies and other stuff. Tiny holes or an air lock or a cloth covering are best. Make sure all fermentation has stopped before bottling. If you want a fizzy beer, add half a teaspoon of sugar per pint to the bottle. Thats it mate, safe as anything if you are careful and scientific about it
Red
Excellent stuff Red. Thanks for the advice. I'm on holiday soon but when I get back I'm going to give this a go. I'll let you know how I get on.
My lovely IT dudes at work have denied access to your link as it contains the words alcohol and tobacco apparently so I'll have to look at this in the library..... But cheers for the link :You_Rock_
My lovely IT dudes at work have denied access to your link as it contains the words alcohol and tobacco apparently so I'll have to look at this in the library..... But cheers for the link :You_Rock_
FR,
No worries mate - if you need any help when you get back, feel free to drop me a PM, I've brewed most things from wine, to beer to mead for about 30 years now so I've made most of the mistakes! If you need any bits or pieces, don't go buying em - just ask
Red
No worries mate - if you need any help when you get back, feel free to drop me a PM, I've brewed most things from wine, to beer to mead for about 30 years now so I've made most of the mistakes! If you need any bits or pieces, don't go buying em - just ask
Red
It was fresh ginger beer in an Irn Bru bottle with a screwtop cap. Billy drank half and put the rest in the cupboard. Four days later it went off like a rocket, blew upwards and took out a dinner plate sized piece of worktop and hit the ceiling. The rest of the bottle blowing took out a bottle of whisky, two of wine and sundry glasses. It could have been *really* bad, somebody could have gotten in the way I'd told him explicitly that it was fresh, to vent it daily and to open it away from himself or anyone else.....well he'll *listen* next time and I'll know better than trust someone else with unfinished brew
cheers,
Toddy
I'd told him explicitly that it was fresh, to vent it daily and to open it away from himself or anyone else.....well he'll *listen* next time and I'll know better than trust someone else with unfinished brew cheers,
Toddy
British Red said:
OK Red thanks - will do
Blimey you've brewed some stuff in your time. You don't have some kind of drink problem do you!! I do....... the problem is I keep spilling it when I'm out bushcrafting
FR,
Curiously, my only problem for the last year has been that I'm not supposed to drink (very boring illness with lots of medications that don't mix with booze <yawn>). Still the guys still seem to manage my share so I'm still brewing. Now when I had a hundred bottles of wine and ten gallons of beer on the go at once I seemed to be VERY popular 
Its great fun and quite addictive as well (metaphorically). I was once accused of being able to ferment anything that had sugar in it (its true of course) - but we will draw a veil of the turnip wine episode
Now given the time of year, why not get hold of some barley from a friendly farmer and malt your own "proper" beer? A couple of handfuls of hops and Roberts your mother brother! A little bit tricky to start with but actually not that hard!
Red
Curiously, my only problem for the last year has been that I'm not supposed to drink (very boring illness with lots of medications that don't mix with booze <yawn>). Still the guys still seem to manage my share so I'm still brewing
. Now when I had a hundred bottles of wine and ten gallons of beer on the go at once I seemed to be VERY popular Its great fun and quite addictive as well (metaphorically). I was once accused of being able to ferment anything that had sugar in it (its true of course) - but we will draw a veil of the turnip wine episodeNow given the time of year, why not get hold of some barley from a friendly farmer and malt your own "proper" beer? A couple of handfuls of hops and Roberts your mother brother! A little bit tricky to start with but actually not that hard!
Red
Hey Toddy, forgive my ignorance but what's bittercress?
Stu
Stu
Toddy said:Oh, and today I have eaten
Mint,
bittercress,
rasps and a *very* sour bramble
thistle nuts
reedmace pollen
Cheers,
Toddy
British Red said:FR,
Curiously, my only problem for the last year has been that I'm not supposed to drink (very boring illness with lots of medications that don't mix with booze <yawn>). Still the guys still seem to manage my share so I'm still brewing
Now given the time of year, why not get hold of some barley from a friendly farmer and malt your own "proper" beer? A couple of handfuls of hops and Roberts your mother brother! A little bit tricky to start with but actually not that hard!
Red
Now I like the sound of that.
I could call it 'Old Nicks' Devils brew
redcollective said:
It's an pretty wee weed that takes over the garden if you let it
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=84
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/hairybcrs.htm
but it's tasty, so it's a kind of weed and munch
Forgot the Fat hen too......another weed......guess what I've been doing?
Cheers,
Toddy
Toddy said:
I've just taken a surprisingly tender and delicious young bear (cull per DNR). He was breaking into the neighbor's place, with some regularity and just wouldn't behave.
Last night, my son made bear shish-kabob with sweet onions, green peppers, and wild mushrooms. Very good eating.
This morning, I picked wild raspberries which I ate with fresh cream.
Life is good!
I was thinking of getting a goat but the soution is obviously: invite Toddy round and let her loose
Toddy said:but it's tasty, so it's a kind of weed and munch
Forgot the Fat hen too......another weed......guess what I've been doing?
Cheers,
Toddy
redcollective said:I was thinking of getting a goat but the soution is obviously: invite Toddy round and let her loose
Yeah, Gavin used to joke that half a mile in the park and Mary and the boys had had lunch For vegetarian's, unless we're very well prepared, then winter and early spring are very lean times.
I think I'd have to farm or at least cultivate calorie and protein rich species to survive healthily.
Cheers,
Toddy
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