Here you will find some very basic overviews to give you a rough idea of how to make your home brew, some historical information and explanations of what beer and wine really is, as well as articles looking at the different types available.
NEW - Using an Hydrometer
A Hydrometer is an essential piece of equipment for wine and beer making. Careful use of a hydrometer is very helpful in ensuring that the wine is started with the correct amount of sugar. [cont...]
Beer - Larger or Ale
Most commonly beer is categorized according to the type of yeast used and the production method. Originally the terms ‘beer’ and ‘ale’ were used to refer to two different drinks; ale was made without using hops, while beer was made using hops. [cont...]
Pale ale is popular type of ale which includes a number of different styles of ale. Pale ales are produced using ale yeasts and pale malts. They tend to be golden to copper coloured with a strong flavour as a result of the hops. [cont...]
Overview to wine making
Making wine in five easy steps. These are general steps intended to give you an idea of how simple making your own wine is. You will always need to follow the instructions contained in the wine kit you have selected. [cont...]
Overview to beer making
Making beer in five easy steps. These are general steps intended to give you an idea of how simple brewing beer is. You will always need to follow the instructions contained in the beer kit you have selected. [cont...]
What is wine?
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. However any fruits, flowers or grains can be used to make wine; but not all can be brewed into a good wine. [cont...]
What is beer?
Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented barley (or any other cereal grain), flavoured with hops. [cont...]
History of wine
The French maybe the world leaders on producing the perfect bottle of wine, but they weren’t the first to pioneer the wine making process. For that we need to go way way back in time to the ancient civilisation of Mesopotamia (what we know today as Iraq). [cont...]
History of beer
Although the British are exceptionally good at drinking beer we were sadly not the inventors of the fine drink. It is believed beer was being brewed as far back as 3000BC, well before Jesus Christ came on the scene, as the Babylonians were keen farmers of wheat and barley. [cont...]
History of liqueurs
When people are asked to name a liqueur, 9 times out of 10 they will think of the classics Irish Cream or Baileys. Liqueurs are also known as cardials. They are sweet flavoured spirits. [cont...]
‘Mulled’ simply means heated with spices. A variety of drinks can be mulled including mead (an alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water), cider, port and of course the Christmas favourite, wine. In Medieval times mulled wines were more commonly known as Ypocros or Hipocris, named after the Greek physician Hippocrates. [cont...]
Eggnog (Egg Nog)
The origins of eggnog are thought to have begun in Europe. A number of experts believe that the drink descends from a hot British drink called ‘Posset’. Posset is a hot drink made of eggs, milk, ale or wine. The drink would have been drunk by the wealthy as milk and eggs were not part of the staple diet of the poorer classes. [cont...]