Almost Off Grid Blog - Brew, Make, Forage, Grow.

  • Using a Triple Scale Home Wine and Beer Hydrometer - tips for use

    by Almost Off Grid
    If you have arrived here because you want tips for using a triple scale home wine and beer hydrometer, you have come to the right place.
    Posted in Brewing

  • Hedgerow Wine Making Journal - Almost Off Grid Journal 2 is here!

    by Almost Off Grid
    Do you want to master the art and craft of making hedgerow wines?  The  Almost Off Grid Hedgerow Wine Making Journal has everything you need to get...
    Posted in Brewing

  • Using What3words for Foraging

    by Almost Off Grid
    As I write this, I can still see sparkly crystals on the plants outside from the overnight frost, and my feet are cold. So it is hard to imagine th...
    Posted in Brewing, Making

  • Wild Plum Gin Liqueur Recipe

    by Almost Off Grid
    Here in East Sussex we really have hit the Autumn season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. We picked some wild plums aka bullaces a couple of weeks ago and made Wild Plum Gin Liqueur. It already looks deep pink and glorious! Here's the recipe.
    Posted in Brewing

  • Mead Making Journal - Almost Off Grid Journal 1 is here!

    by Almost Off Grid
    Do you want to master the art and craft of making mead?  The Almost Off Grid Mead Making Journal has everything you need to get started. After such...
    Posted in Brewing

  • Additives in Winemaking

    by Almost Off Grid

    This list contains 15 additives you will find in winemaking recipes, plus a word about sulphites in wine. The purpose of this list of Additives in Winemaking is to explain some of the options available. Then you can decide whether or not you wish to use them, or find a 'natural' alternative where one exists.

    Posted in Brewing

  • Elderflower Wine Recipe

    by Almost Off Grid
    To start the month of June we walked up to The Long Man of Wilmington with our sandwiches for tea, and picked our first Elderflowers to make this Elderflower Wine Recipe. We only picked a few, so I made a half batch. This is the recipe for the full batch, ie 6 bottles. If you too want to make a small batch wine, simply halve everything.
    Posted in Brewing

  • 10 Reasons Your Home Brew Fermentation May Have Stopped - Checklist

    by Almost Off Grid
    Sometimes you make a wine, beer, cider or mead and it starts fermenting beautifully. Then... it stops. There could be at least 10 reasons why your ...
    Posted in Brewing

  • Homebrew Tips: How to Rack - and why

    by Almost Off Grid
    Racking is a key process in home brewing and wine making. Your recipe may call for you to rack your brew once, twice and maybe even three times bef...
    Posted in Brewing

  • 10 Reasons Why Your Wine Fermentation Won't Start - Checklist

    by Almost Off Grid
    It's autumn and this is the time of year when our customers are making wine from garden grapes or country wines. We get more questions than usual about fermentation problems at this time of year. Often it is that customers are struggling to get the fermentation to begin. There could be at least 10 reasons why your wine fermentation won't start and I've put them together here as a checklist.
    Posted in Brewing

  • Rosehip Vodka Liqueur aka Rosehip Schnapps

    by Almost Off Grid
    We foraged loads of Rosehips last autumn and winter, and we made most of them into rosehip syrup. However I held a few back and made a small batch ...
    Posted in Brewing, Recipes

  • Blackberry Port Recipe

    by Almost Off Grid
    It is the beginning of August and the blackberry season is upon us. We leave a small corner of our allotment overgrown for the bees and butterflies...
    Posted in Brewing