I have a recipe for gooseberry wine, but it's blinkin long to type out, so I'm only going to type it out, if asked, very, very nicley...

I'll be interested in that Lots should my new guzgog produce fruit this year. I planted a new one "Pax" about November but don't know if I'll get any fruit.

Mind you the chap on the next plot, who hardly ever shows up, has got loads of em so I dare say I could borrow some of his

Post away then Lots

Scan it in!

Wards... by the time I've got hold of the electrician to refuse the house, made the fireman a cup of tea, removed the debris from the scanne, think it'd be easier to type it..... OK Here goes -

GOOSEBERRY WINE.... sigh..

6lb of ripe gooseberries
2 and a half lb of sugar
6-7 pints of water
yeast and nutrient
pectic enzyme

Top, tail wash the gooseberries, put into a large bucket and squeeze by hand until they are pulp. Add the enzyme and water and stand for 3 days, well covered, stirring occasionally. Strain through muslim, and add the sugar, stirring until it is all dissolved, then add the yeast and yeast nutrient. PUt into fermenting bottle and fit air lock, leaving until bubbles cease to pass ( ): rack off and leave to mature, siphoning off again after 6 months ( bursts out laughing...) Leave for a year ( now on the floor laughing...), supposed to be indistinguishable from a good hock....

It's a lovely old book and has recipes for almost anything, so yell if think of one...

Oh rotten eck! The demi john is on the lotty with comfrey tea in it


Thanks Lots

A goood hock eh.Hmmm

I once made some goosberry wine - it was a nightmare but not as bad as the celery wine I once drank which was too disgusting for words. I did try it in my car but after the first bit, the car gagged and I had to throw the rest away. Then I needed to buy a new sink and the waterbord came round to dig up the road.....

Did the gooseberry taste crap? Or just orrible to make? And celery wine...eeuuuuuu!

It tasted crap but it was made by somebody who didn't have a clue (me!) and then drunk quite young. I think Gooseberry just has so much acid in it that it needs laying down for a couple of years to soften off - acid in white needs the same treatment as tannin in red.

Hmmmmm probably not one to do following my 6 week rule...

It's goosegog time again ... are you doing this again Wren ??

And what is the name of your lovely old book ... is it out of print do you think ???

No goosegogs, Flo....

the book is ancient, but really really good, it's seasonal one, so gives you recipes throughout the year for anything....

"First Steps in Winemaking" By C.J.J. Berry

oo ta ... I've come across his name somewhere before !!

I know nothing about homebrew, wine etc ...

What does "racking off" mean?

Sounds like an insult doesn't it !!!

When you ferment out wine, there is a sediment forms at the bottom of the demi-john (I think it's called the lees but am not sure), after a while when fermentation is stopping, you "rack off" the wine, basically this is transferring it from one demi-john to another, usually using a syphon but leaving behind the sediment.

Ahhh ... so syphoning it then. ... remember seeing my dad do it when I was a youngster .... just didn't know that terminology

Thanks reedos

Your welcome

Gooseberry wine is niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeee