What weird shit might happen?

[GreyishDays]

So far I’ve thought of:

Drug addicts that normally shop lift to get money, what will they do?

People living a double life, they’ll have to choose one family to isolate with.

Err that’s all I can think of, but surely there’s more?

I live alone!

You can brew 5 gallons of beer in 7 days ...

I know nothing about brewing and only drink wine and I have no brew equipment and I'm guessing that given that it takes about 10 years to get cask strength whisky that 7 days beer is going to be fairly low alcohol. It's probably not possible to have enough in your body volume wise to give you a hangover.

I know nothing about brewing and only drink wine and I have no brew equipment and I'm guessing that given that it takes about 10 years to get cask strength whisky that 7 days beer is going to be fairly low alcohol. It's probably not possible to have enough in your body volume wise to give you a hangover.

You don't need much to brew wine or beer - at the bare minimum a bucket. Fruit juice, water and yeast for wine, or malted cereal (barley) and yeast for ale (with hops if you like beer). Kits are available for about £12 for 6 bottles of wine or 40 pints of beer.

Leaving whisky in casks has nothing to do with increasing the strength. The base liquid is distilled (also possible at home, but that is another story ...) and left in barrels for 10 years to (a) be called Scotch Whisky and (b) undergo a complex chemical process which removes the harsher notes and mellows the final product. barrels are usually charcoal seared which helps. Then of course there was the genius who thought of using old sherry, bourbon and wine casks to age whisky - leading to some divine results.

7 day beer I've brewed from a kit is about 4-5%. Nothing too shabby if you judge drinks by strength. Wine tends to come out about 12%.

Given how few of us are going anywhere at present, taking up homebrewing is hardly a radical suggestion

Quick wine; 1litre pure grape juice, 1 litre any other juice you fancy (make sure it's pure juice, not juice drink) 700 or 800g sugar; wine yeast, and water to 1 gallon. Takes between 2 and 4 weeks to ferment. Rack off the sediment. Usually ready to drink, though it improves with keeping for a month or so.

Quick wine; 1litre pure grape juice, 1 litre any other juice you fancy (make sure it's pure juice, not juice drink)

I know apple juice is usually recommended

On my "to-do" list from years ago was make wine from scratch - grapes'n'all. Never quite got around to it. And since it's just me and DW, we don't drink anywhere near enough to really justify it.

My DF has made some wine from homegrown grapes (in London, but you can't take the Italian out of him). Ludicrously dry. Needs blending really.

It's hard to think of a higher epitome of civilisation than fine wine, fine food, fine conversation and fine company.

Do you still need a demi john for the quick wine?

4 -5% is hardly worth the bother is it?

not alcoholic yet honestly

Do you still need a demi john for the quick wine?
It's preferable, but you could manage with a bucket covered with plastic or clingfilm to keep the bugs out.

Or you could use a 5 L water bottle, if you can still get them. Screw the lid on lightly, and unscrew at intervals to let the gas out.

So fuck the humans, make sure the cats are ok?

You need help. Seriously*.

Kipperbang that's just plain nasty and uncalled for

Homebrew enthusiasts are a bit funny about using plastic, but in an emergency ...

Or you could use a 5 L water bottle, if you can still get them. Screw the lid on lightly, and unscrew at intervals to let the gas out.

I think elementary bombmaking is a different thread If you are forced to use a bottle (bucket is better) DO NOT seal it under any circumstances. You only need to prevent dust and mites falling into the brew. It will be naturally protected from bacteria by the layer of CO2 that will pool on top of the mix (don't breath it in, unless you want to do C-19s job for it ...). If you want to do it "properly" you can get an airlock and bung. Personally I love the gentle bubble of a wine fermenting ...

Worth noting that fermentation was discovered by our neolithic ancestors by accident, so it's harder to not do than do sometimes.

Personally I think 4-5% is a very respectable beer. Most people that do homebrew aren't in it for the alcohol. It's more a question of being able to make exactly what you want with the added advantage of knowing exactly what went into the drink. No sulphites or adulterants.

I have just bottled 6 bottles of rhubarb wine that I started last summer. 1 Demi John full. I normally eat the early rhubarb but use the later stuff for wine, it's a light pink colour, a bit sweet but otherwise fine.

@sueelleker - does that make really sweet wine or does all that sugar turn to booze?

700g makes quite a dry wine, as all the sugar gets converted If you use more, the yeast dies off before it converts it all.

I'm going to try and make some...