Any one else home brewing?

[leenorris78]

Hello home brewers,

I home brew. As you will have seen, I like home brewing and cooking  as much as music.

It would be nice to start this topic off again.

 

[StingRay]

I used to do full grain mash brewing at home. 

Where do you get your supplies from these days.

I'm considering starting again but nothing locally available and some of the online prices look very expensive. 

 

[leenorris78]

I used to do full grain mash brewing at home. 

Where do you get your supplies from these days.

I'm considering starting again but nothing locally available and some of the online prices look very expensive. 

Hello stingray,

I usually get my stuff from malt millers. They sell some very acceptable ready made mixes but they have been having supply issues recently meaning there is little to choose from. For example, here are a few `I have made several times now. Either they are cheap and tasty or more expensive and amazing.

 https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/dennis-kings-vic-secret-delight-3/

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/oatmeal-stout-jon-finch/

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/son-of-punkie-ipa-v2/

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/teasel-best-bitter-jon-finch/

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/two-hearted-american-ipa/

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/verdant-pulp-vicsecret/

 

[Ron Hilditch]

Did it for years with and without brewing kits.  At its simplest, A tin of malt extract from Boots (not the one with olive oil), sugar and brewers yeast.  It made quite an acceptable brew.

 

[leenorris78]

Will be bottling some mead tomorrow. Brewed last September and should be about 12-13% ABV. One has been infused with raspberries.

The large carboy has been stabilised and will be back sweetened with honey. The other two will be made into sparkling mead.

 

[leenorris78]

I found this in the home brew shop. Having brewed several sour beers using kettle souring, this seemed a bit easier to brew with.

3kg Maris Otter

1.5kg Wheat Malt

200g acidulated malt

Mash aT 65OC FOR 60 MINS.

30 minute boil with 15g Fuggles added at 30 mins and 500g dextrose at 5 mins. SG was 1060.

Fermentation began after 12 hours. After 36 hours, signs of fermentation stopped. Gravity read 1040. This stuff now begins its second phase of fermentation.

Tastes sour so far. looking forward to 10 days time, after the slower bit of fermentation.

 

[leenorris78]

So this yeast has just about finished. I checked today and its at 1011. For the last few days it has shown no bubbles through the airlock but that might be because my warlocks might not be that airtight. Thats just over 6%abv. 

Taste seems good. I'll leave it a week before carbonating it by adding some US05 into the bottling bucket. 

As there are little hops used, the ingredients come out fairly cheap at about £12. £10 for yeast means it costs £1 per litre.

 

[leenorris78]

I'm still brewing.

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

I'd have thought you'd drunk it all by now

 

[leenorris78]

Not yet. Just finished a DIPA with centennial and citra hops. I have been making IPA's mostly, recently.

The surprise brew was a mead made with sour dough starter. Nice, with a little sweetness and a little sour. I'll make again.

 

[leenorris78]

I just bottled a kettle soured Gose. Actually, I bottled half, with the other half now sitting on a load of mango to make a mango Gose.

I'm surprised its still just me home brewing? Almost free quality beer.

For those that used to home brew (in the days of the Boots home-brew kits) but the beer tasted crap, there is no-rinse sanitiser available now that means that I have only had one contaminated beer in 6 years, and that was in my first year.

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/chemsan-no-rinse-foaming-sanitiser-1l/

 

[StingRay]

I just bottled a kettle soured Gose. Actually, I bottled half, with the other half now sitting on a load of mango to make a mango Gose.

I'm surprised its still just me home brewing? Almost free quality beer.

For those that used to home brew (in the days of the Boots home-brew kits) but the beer tasted crap, there is no-rinse sanitiser available now that means that I have only had one contaminated beer in 6 years, and that was in my first year.

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/chemsan-no-rinse-foaming-sanitiser-1l/

I used to brew beer, full mash not from kits but its a lot more expensive now.

 

[leenorris78]

I don't think it is expensive to use grain to brew. I have tried using brew kits but, as you know, using grain gets better tasting beer.

I think to make 23l of beer for £20 is pretty good going, but I suppose it depends what you like to drink. I still buy some beers (such as proper job) as its not worth the hassle of making (for the cost of ingredients and time) but most of what I brew would generally cost about £5+ from a craft brew shop. And it doesn't take too long to make.

I like to use the BIAB method as it has the least chance of contamination and also uses the least equipment and takes up least space.

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/brewinginabag.html

 

[StingRay]

I don't think it is expensive to use grain to brew. I have tried using brew kits but, as you know, using grain gets better tasting beer.

I think to make 23l of beer for £20 is pretty good going, but I suppose it depends what you like to drink. I still buy some beers (such as proper job) as its not worth the hassle of making (for the cost of ingredients and time) but most of what I brew would generally cost about £5+ from a craft brew shop. And it doesn't take too long to make.

I like to use the BIAB method as it has the least chance of contamination and also uses the least equipment and takes up least space.

https://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/brewinginabag.html

Not heard of BIAB before but its similar to what I did. I did rinse the grain otherwise you loose too much.

Never had a contaminated brew.

I used to get my malt from a local brewery, it was £5 for 25 kilos.

Just bought hops fm home brew shop. Boots yeast was fine.

some of the yeasts costs loads now.

I brewed bitters and old ales.

I was in Essex, water was hard but Suffolk the water is extremely hard.

Im also on a water meter now.