Do you deliver?

We deliver to UK addresses only. Prices are as follows;

Up to 1kg £2.99

1-2kg £4.99

2-5kg £5.99

5-20kg £7.99

20kg+ £12.99

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We will deliver for FREE to anywhere within 3 miles of the shop if you spend £25+

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Can I track my order?

We will send you a tracking number for your order, if you don't receive one after receiving your shipping confirmation please get in touch and we can send you one.

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Can I return/ exchange items?

Yes. The best way to do this is in store, otherwise if you have a faulty item please ring or email us asap.

You have 30 days from the day of your purchase to return an item with valid proof of receipt.

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How expensive is it to start home brew?

It all depends on your budget. If you are wanting to use kits, you are looking at anything around £60-£100 to get started to make 30 bottles of wine or 40 pints of beer/lager/cider. Once you have bought your initial equipment it costs as little as 32p per bottle of beer or 90p per bottle of wine. 

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How much does a beer/ wine kit make?

Beer kits are generally 40 pints.

Wine kits are available as either 6 bottle kits or 30 bottle kits.

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Is it legal?

Making beer and wine is perfectly legal as long as it's for personal use. If you are planning to sell it, you would need a valid licence.

You can make spirits & liqueurs legally using yeast and what we would call a 'wash' up to 20% ABV.

You can legally own your own still at home, but if you are using it to make alcohol for consumption (including personal consumption), legally you will require a distillers licence.

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Is homebrew difficult?

Not at all! All of our kits come with complete instructions. As long as you follow them, you can't go too wrong. If you do happen to need any advice give us a ring or send a message.

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I used to make home brew 20+ years ago, has it changed much?

Yes. A lot of us have memories of parents & grandparents making their own "rocket fuel" back in the day. While it is still a similar process, kits and yeasts have massively developed since then so there is a huge improvement in flavour and aromas. 

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Are cheap kits a waste of time?

You tend to get what you pay for in homebrew. Budget kits are a great way to get started without spending too much money, there are also additives you can use to improve them such as adding extra hops to a beer kit. Higher priced beer kits tend to contain more malt, a greater variety of hops and a better yeast.

 

The more you pay for a wine kit, the more juice it will contain giving you a better body and flavour to your wine.

It really depends on your taste and what you are aiming for. 7 day wine kits are still brilliant quality for the price you pay.

 

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Can I use bread yeast?

Technically, yes. It just may result in a low alcohol, cloudy, off tasting beer. Most bread yeasts will only ferment up to around 8% ABV. The yeast you use is more important than most people realise. It will effect the taste and the alcohol content of your beer which is why there are so many varieties available. 

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Why isn't my beer fermenting?

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is 'why isn't my airlock bubbling'. Just because the airlock isn't doing anything, it doesn't necessarily mean your beer/wine isn't fermenting. The air may be escaping through somewhere else if your vessel isn't 100% airtight. You can use your hydrometer (see our 'how to' page) to check whether your beer is fermenting.

 

It can take up to 3 days to start fermentation. If it's been 3 days and still no activity, make sure it is the correct temperature (usually 18-24°C, but check your instructions). Most of the time we find it is too cold/ too warm/ drops off overnight when temperatures cool down. If you are struggling to keep your fermentation warm enough, you may need to invest in a heating device such as a brew belt.

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In rare cases you may have used a dodgy yeast in which case you will need to add a new yeast to kick it off again.

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Why does my beer/ wine taste so sweet?

If it tastes sweet, it is likely the sugars have not finished fermenting yet. Always check with your hydrometer before bottling to make sure it has completed fermentation.

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Why is my beer cloudy?

While there are a number of reasons for this, it is usually the case that it just needs more time. When you bottle or keg your beer, you need to add carbonation drops or sugar to allow your beer to carbonate. Keep this at a warm temperature of around 18-24°C for around 2 weeks. Once carbonated, move somewhere cool in order for your beer to be able to clear. 

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Is my beer infected?

The best way to know if your beer is infected is by smelling or tasting it. To avoid infection, it is important to make sure all of your equipment (including anything that will touch it such as hydrometer/ thermometer/ spoons etc) is all thoroughly sterilised. Sterilisation is one of the most important parts of brewing and worth doing correctly. There's nothing more disappointing than spending all that time making your beer or wine to find you haven't sterilised everything properly and ended up with an infected batch.

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