I love 5 gallon batches!

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I love 5 gallon batches!

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jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:04 am Post subject: I love 5 gallon batches!

We do the National Trust/Laithwaite seasonal wine scheme.

You get 12 bottles delivered 4 times a year. They come with tasting notes, and reorder forms!

We tried a Merlot last night, in the ï¿½5+ range, even with the discount.

It was quite good, and lived up to the general point about wines from Laithwaites, that they are better than supermarket wines. Something I have certainly found true on their reds, not that convinced on the whites.

But I digress. Have tried the Merlot. We went on to a bottle of the 2004 elderberry home brew

I like to think I am a harsh critic of any craft I do, but the elderberry was easily the better bottle of wine

And we have over 30 bottles left

with this sort of batch we have been able to give a few away, put some away for the longer term, and still have a lot of enjoy now. With 5-6 bottles, no sooner do you start, but you have run out

jema

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:14 am Post subject:

Being a beginner I find 5 gallon batches daunting in case something goes wrong. I'm gradually increasing my beer to 3 gallon batches (I have a 2 gallon barrel) and I must say larger batches do tend to go better as they seem less affected by errors.

Next you'll be getting a small old oak cask for maturing your wine in.

We've not been over impressed with Laithwaites, there's one next door to a Machine Mart and it would be an ideal shopping trip if Laithwaites were better. (Do you have any good recommendations?)

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:20 am Post subject:

I worried over things going wrong, but several things convinced me to switch.

1) Space. 5 gallon fermentors take less space.
2) Work/organisation more demijons = more work.
3) Reliability - 5 Gallons is less prone to problems.
4) 5 Gallons

We have had a few very good bottle from Laithwaites a "Black Shiraz" was quite special, and as I said I would say the reds are a bit better than the supermarket. But I would not heap tons of praise on them.

jema

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:38 am Post subject:
I seem to get a letter every week from them with more offers in. I would agree about the whites but we tend to mostly go for reds. Majestic is still my favourite shop, but you have to buy 12 bottles (not hard for us )

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:46 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I seem to get a letter every week from them with more offers in. I would agree about the whites but we tend to mostly go for reds. Majestic is still my favourite shop, but you have to buy 12 bottles (not hard for us

)

We have a Majestic

I thought though that the National trust deal with the tasting notes etc, might be a little educational. I think I need it on the subtlies of wine. I don't want to be a wine snob. But i'd like to get above my Fred Flintstone level of appreciation "ug - good, pour more"

jema

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