From a few to many non wine drinks in the Railway Inn in May to racking off the Rhubarb in September. It's been a hoot. You can make wine out of anything. I got a bunch of Demi-johns [DJ] in the spring, washed and sterilized them. First I made a DJ of Rhubard, then two of nettle. Two of Dandelion and then there was a pause. As the year turned the fruit came on stream. Two DJs of yellow plum, one of damson, two of apple. And just for good measure a DJ of Sloe Gin.
My buddy Steve got a hankering for Cider. We fossicked about and got access to a small orchard. After two short outing we had something approaching 800lbs of various types of apples. We hired a muncher and a press, chopped the apples into pulp with the muncher and pressed the juice from the pulp. What a glorious appley smell. Both a ladies of the house helped as well lured into the garage with the promise of shop bought, ready to drink wine. The apples yielded 28 imperial gallons of juice. Some we set aside to ferment naturally, scrumpy. I tried 5 gallons with Champagne yeast which is called Normandy style cider and the rest was bottled to drink as juice. As is the way with mother nature neither the scrumpy or Normandy seem to be doing anything but the juice in the fridge is bubbling away!!
The Rhubarb has been racked twice and is now in bottles. The Nettle and Dandelion has been racked off twice, next stop bottling. The Apple, Plum and Damson is still merrily bubbling away. The Sloe Gin is quietly turning a deep purple. Roll on Christmas.
I totaled the drink available to me for next year at 12 DJ if wine and 10 gallons of cider. All it cost was a bit of application and 25lbs of sugar. Broad Bean wine next year. It supposed to taste like sherry!
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