The economics of homebrew - recipes

As mentioned on another thead, I view recipes falling into 3 categories:

1) Kits consist of those that need additional sugar (because they're not 100% grape juice and rely upon 'flavouring' AKA F Pack, those requiring no additional sugar (which might have been 'boosted' with concentrated Glucose) right up to those costing several pounds a bottle and comparable to wines costing many times that. But that's not what homebrew is about for me unless I find some reduced bargain kit (and I've got a shed load awaiting fermentation).

But (other than equipment) and sugar, you normally get everything in the kit apart from steriliser AKA sanitiser for the equipment.

2) 'Country Wines' are a bit messier as they normally require a bucket of free, foraged fruit floating around fermenting in a bucket http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories equipment/wilko-fermenting-bin-and-lid-25lt/invt/0022555 @ £6.80, but generally all you need is 1Kg of sugar @ 80p/gallon plus steriliser/sanitiser, campden tablets, 'stopper' potassium sorbate, yeast, Pectolase (to destroy haze causing pectin found in fruits and vegetables to varying degrees) and acid (and there is other stuff), but many can be made for less than 33p/bottle

3) Carton Juice wines cost more because they generally use 1L of grape juice containing 160g of sugar/Litre costing approx. 90p/L and 1L of another juice containing 110g of sugar/Litre, but there's the reduction on added sugar, so these can only cost 40p/bottle if buying ingredients when on multi-save etc.

But the advantage of these wines is that you can have something drinkable in a few months whilst your other stuff is still fermenting, so getting a payback from all that kit you've invested in.

Adding one teaspoon/gall of Glycerine (cheapest from Boots) per gallon makes a distinct difference to cheapo wines.

 

Nice one Scrunge

I also make wine from Hi Juice squash, the ones that contain sugar NOT the "No added sugar" ones which contain sweeteners.

They do need boiling for 20 mins to destroy the preservatives though.

3 Bottles of Blackcurrant Hi Juice is enough to make 5 Gallons of wine.

 

A bit 'thin' for me as 3 one litre bottles of 50% blackcurrant 'High Juice' in 5 Galls is the equivalent of only 13.5 ozs of fruit/gall in a pulp fermentation.

 

I use 4 if i'm feeling flush That is to say I usually buy 4 (buy 2 for £2.50) but end up keeping one to drink as squash.