Colchester Homebrew Supplies Ltd

24/05/2025

The Elderflowers are now in bloom. If you are considering making Wine or Champagne from them, please read/download our "How to" guide (and then order the yeast, nutrient, campden tablets, wine enricher, champagne cages and corks from our site if you don't already have them).

It is nearly that time of year again when the Elderflowers start to bloom and people want to make "Elderflower Wine" and "Elderflower Champagne". If you have made wine before, it is relatively straightforward to make both of these varieties, but many online (and TV) guides suggest that it is really....

27/03/2025

Change of Opening Hours

After 30+ years of self employment, I've decided that working 6 days a week is no longer as much fun as it used to be.

For the next few months (basically throughout the summer), I'm going to trial opening longer hours for fewer days a week, so that I can spend a bit more time with Sam at the "weekends". With immediate effect, my opening hours will be as follows:

Mon - Closed
Tues - Closed
Wed - 09.00 - 15.30
Thu - 09.00 - 15.30
Fri - 09.00 - 15.30
Sat - 08.30 - 14.30

We will still ship online orders on Monday and Tuesday, but the shop will not be open. These opening days may well alter again if Sam gets fed up of me being around on her days off, or the summer is a washout.

17/03/2025

I will be closed all day on Tuesday 18th March, but will reopen as normal at 09.00 on Wednesday 19th.

07/03/2025

I’m heading to the North West tomorrow after the shop closes for a family event. I’ll be coming back on Monday, but don’t expect to be back before lunch, so if you are planning on visiting, it may be better to come after 12.00 noon.

14/02/2025

One of our major suppliers has introduced some pretty massive price increases over the last few weeks.

The Festival, Mangrove Jacks and Coopers Beer Kits have all seen substantial uprates. The Beaverdale and Wine Expert Wine Kits have also increased, as have many of the Still Spirits products.

I have absorbed as much of these as I can and am still well below the RRP on all of these items, but you will, sadly, notice some increases in store and online over the next few weeks as I replace products and these new prices start to filter through.

Sorry.

03/01/2025

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

We are now closed for a short break and will reopen at 09.00 on Saturday 11th January.

06/12/2024

Christmas Opening and Shipping

We will be opening the shop as normal for "Walk in Sales" until 12.00 noon on Christmas Eve and then until 12.00 noon on each of the working days between Christmas and New Year.

For online orders, the last dates for pre-Christmas deliveries in England and Wales are:

Standard Service - Thursday 19th December
Express Service - Friday 20th December

The last dates for Scotland and the Highlands and Islands are:

Standard Service - Monday 16th December
Express Service - Tuesday 17th December

These dates are subject to freight volumes and weather conditions, so it might be worth allowing an extra day to be certain.

We will continue to ship orders after these dates and between Christmas and New Year, but deliveries will be slower than usual and you may not receive your orders until the start of the New Year.

22/10/2024

Christmas Beers

Following the withdrawal of the Muntons Winter Warmer, we are a little bit light on seasonal kits for Christmas this year. We have decided not to stock the Hambleton Bard Yule Brew or the Festival Spiced Winter Ale as neither have traditionally sold well, so this year we are limited to the Woodfordes Tinsel Toes and the Geordie Winter Warmer kits.

The Woodfordes Tinsel Toes is a two can, 40 pint kit that comes in at around 4.4%, but can be made at 36 pints if you prefer a richer, fuller flavour.

The Geordie is designed to be a single can kit that makes 40 pints at around 4.0% when made up with 1kg of beer enhancer or sugar. You can however make up two kits at once (without any additional enhancer or sugar) to make 40 pints at around 4.2% or you can reduce the volume to 32 pints to increase the abv to around 5.3% if you want to make a reasonable approximation of the Muntons Winter Warmer.

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/colchesterhomebrewshop/prod_5480345-Woodfordes-Tinsel-Toes-Winter-Ruby-Ale-40-pint-beer-kit.html

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/colchesterhomebrewshop/prod_7676101-Geordie-Winter-Warmer-40-pint-kit.html

Woodforde's Tinsel Toes Winter Ale is a medium bodied, ruby red ale with sweet fruity flavours and hints of Christmas Pudding and has been specially produced by Muntons in conjunction with the brewers at Woodfordes to provide a smooth, malty beer that is perfect for the long winter nights. This two....

04/09/2024

One of the most recognisable features of Colchester's skyline is the 131' tall Victorian water tower known as "Jumbo", the tallest such structure in the UK. Despite being a Grade 11* listed building it has spent much of the last 40 years looking for a new purpose and suggestions for its redevelopment have included conversion into executive flats, a restaurant, an arts venue and a visitor viewing platform.
As part of the fund raising and community awareness effort by its current managers, North Essex Heritage, it is occasionally open to visitors on pre-booked tours available via a free ballot. I have been lucky enough to obtain a place on the next trip, so will be closing the shop at 13.00 on Saturday 7th September to climb the 150+ steps to view the inside of the cast iron water tank and see the progress being made to protect it for its next 150 years.

29/08/2024

Bevie have released their latest "Limited Edition" beer kit. Inspired by Sharp's Doom Bar, the "Dune Bar Amber Ale" is a medium bodied, sweet malty beer with spicy/resinous hop flavours from the included Northern Brewer, Fuggles and Chinook hop pellets. It makes 40 pints at approx 4.2% ABV.

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/colchesterhomebrewshop/prod_8192934-Festival-Dune-Bar-Amber-Ale.html

23/08/2024

We will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday (especially as the weather forecast is hopeful).

Hope you all have a great day.

20/07/2024

The Youngs Harvest Stout and Harvest Mild kits are now back in stock.

Also, to celebrate a the long awaited arrival of summer, I have the Betterbrew Export Lager on offer at £12.99. Just use the code 3daysofsun within the next 72 hours to receive this special discounted price.

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/colchesterhomebrewshop/prod_1874165-Better-Brew-Export-Lager.html