Aussie in Kilkenny

[tullaroan]

Well.... as they say in these parts. Hoping to learn how to make cheap enjoyable alcohol. Would love to catch up with any locals. Background: had an interest in beers, wrote part of 1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die. Started a beer website in misspent youth (back from '99), which is still up although bit ancient. Did brew some beer a while back and it went straight to keg.

Life is much more frugal now, living in a small cottage in rural Kilkenny. Interested in how I can make really cheap (I prefer the word efficient) brews - wine initially I think, that are drinkable. Surely there is a lot of experience of that here. Country wines perhaps. Some say Jail Hooch.

Anyway, any Kilkenny characters around that want to introduce me to their world? I also get around a bit. Off to Galway on Sat for example 

[Will_D]

Hi there and welcome to the site.

Yes there is lots of info here.

With regards country wines, at the moment there is lots of Furze or Gorse in flower (Big yellow flowers and large spiky thorns. Makes a great dry white wine with a hint of coconut. Add pineapple juice from Lidl and you can make Pina-Coladas.

If you like yellow flowers and hate spines then Dandelions will be along very soon!

Also in season in the shops/markets is Rhubarb - again makes great white wine.

Sugest you get hold of a copy of C J J Berry's book "First Steps in Winemaking" full of great info (maybe cut down on the sugar at first. In April he suggests a Tea wine. basically a gallon of wine for the price of a Kg of sugar and some tea!

If you like cider then search for "Turbo Cider" basically €1 a litre using Lidl's AJ

Also if you become a full member for only €10 you will get discounts from the HB shops and also be eleigible for example to get fresh pressed AJ for cider making in the Autumn

[tullaroan]

Thank you for the welcome and recommendations. In Ireland, is temperature an issue for wine making? Obviously I know it could be, but do people tend to have heating systems for basic wine fermentation here?

[Leann ull]

For everything

[darren996]

Nothing much happening in Kilkenny regarding clubs.  Hopefully there will be a club starting in Thomastown in the not to distant future. I heard that the school of food in Thomas town are going to be offering brewing courses and there is a rumour of  a 200l test brewery being finished on site there. I will let you know when I hear something more solid.

Welcome to the forums

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[tullaroan]

I would have thought that given the nature of the country and the downturn people would have been all over it! Would be interested if anyone wanted to meet up and show off their gear.

[Leann ull]

Downturn what downturn double cafe choco spressos are back?

[tullaroan]

An interesting question for many would be whether or not they have made back the cost of their kit....

[Leann ull]

2085 is when I break even
I'm not aware of anybody doing this to save money it's the fun an challenge of brewing beer better than the pro's

[tullaroan]

I love the sentiment but I have some considerations of necessary frugality to ponder as well.

I am looking for at the least satisfaction, and, hopefully, the company of like minded peers - I have been in Ireland for almost a year and a half now and thought I would try and spend time with some locals with common interests!

I'm not so hot on the turnip farming you see. Although I am putting down some spuds after much encouragement.

[tullaroan]

To expand, while I love the idea of beating the pros, so to speak, I am curious about what I can produce myself at little cost - in an efficient/frugal/self sufficient type of way. We have put down seeds to grow food, have bought the smallest cottage in the village, that sort of thing.

To this end I think my first stop will be checking out the country style wines, as well as use of fruit/grape juice from aldi/lidl. But maybe I will end up trying to brew an honest (but frugal) brown ale or stout down the track as well - again, making something better than the nitrogen bombs you find around these parts, but at a fraction of the price.

[tullaroan]

Is it fair to say most members would perhaps drink the profits through increased consumption? Certainly the risk for me! The more you brew the more you save doesn't really hold true.

[molc]

Yeah you can save money brewing if you keep things basic and don't try to over engineer.

However after last year's brewcon, I realised a little extra cost on quality equipment was worth it vs the dangers of 20L of brew spilling against me with my old haphazard setup.

I worked out the cost of 20L of good quality craft brew to be north of €120. My cost to make the same for an average beer is now 10-15, so it claws back pretty quickly if you stop upgrading bits

However, as a hobby, I really don't mind spending a bit on it and just enjoying my time tinkering

[HomeBrewWest]

This is an interesting discussion, especially for a supplier!

Looking a supermarket prices, making beer will save you money. But not nearly as much as making wine . . . . a 30 Euro bottle of wine equivalent can be made for about 3 euros, and "cheap" wine can be made for a euro a bottle or less.

But most of our customers make beer. So I have to conclude that saving money is not necessarily the prime motivation for brewing your own.

[darren996]

For me,  brewing is not about saving a few euro. Its about messing about with all the different grains, hops and yeasts, tinkering around building equipment and the waiting for the first bottle of yer latest batch. Of course, making 20 of litres of beer for 12 to 15 bucks isn't bad either..

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