The Home Brew Thread

[blackholesun]

Something to bear in mind, don't recycle your yeast too many times.

True, particularly with yeasts from secondary. I plan to buy a stir plate, then when I buy a vial of liquid yeasts I could make a step-up starter with fresh yeast and have enough yeast for a couple of brews.

Good you have identified the source of infection. I plan on moving from oxi sanitizer to StarSan. I am also thinking about replacing my washing up liquid with something else. I read in Palmer's book not to use scented liquids and that generally washing up liquids kill the beer head. I use a non-scented washing up liquid, but maybe I will try PBW?

As you say, there is always something to learn

 

[Chumpy]

By all means, enjoy your overpriced overcomplicated home-brewing experiences.

I still advise Wilkinson 'Newkie' 40-50 pints monthly for £10 + 39p sugar - just modify their enclosed instructions by putting the 6 pints boiled water safely in 2-4 goes into their 'tin' after you have emptied most of it ...

Simplest-cheapest-best.

Experimentation is worth the price if you wish.

And for years we have been able to stop temperature-SG testing - just make-brew-store-drink in normal house temperature environment (c. 59-74 degrees over year).

 

[Chumpy]

Enjoy your 14 cheap great units weekly over about 4 days.

 

[Chumpy]

Because of my paranoia about being attacked on this fine Forum (of which I have been a paying-bony-Fido member since about 2004) by e.g. 'JB' - I have stopped enjoying monthly 40 pints of home-brew for £7-10 + e.g. 39p sugar ...

 

[Chumpy]

HB-distilling-fermenting etc used sensibly is the best value-quality for safe alcohol enjoyment.

 

[leenorris78]

Hi,

I have decided to take the plunge and have this coming tomorrow.

Apart from the sanitary conditions, what can go wrong?

 

[atomic606]

Hi,I have decided to take the plunge and have this coming tomorrow.

Apart from the sanitary conditions, what can go wrong?

you can get completely obsessed and never see the light of day again.. The upside is we will all be coming round yours lol

 

[leenorris78]

So, after reading a bit, are these assumptions right?

1) You can either use an extract to brew (like Wilco's) sugar needed Or All grain - No sugar needed

2) Lots use the cheaper wilco type kit then pep it up with other things like hops or more sugar to increase flavour/arome/ABV

3) Most use 20l to 40l buckets (not the 4l one I ordered)

4) I need a hydrometer (one is not included in the kit I bought)

5) I can use most of the kit to later make wine when I upgrade to a 20-40l kit.

 

[leenorris78]

So,

The porter - I heated the grain/water mixture, sieved it, boiled the remaining water, cooled it, fermented it, bottled it. Now waiting...............

Then I did it again using an IPA grain mix.

Its fairly easy using a ready mixed kit, just a bit time consuming. 1st brew was 3.5 hours for the first bit and 40 mins for bottling.

I am looking forward for 2 weeks time.

2nd time was 2.5 hours for the first bit.

 

[leenorris78]

Drinking it now. Palatable. Rather good. My mates said 70% as good as shop bought.

It seems I went to a car boot today. I bought a big container with a tap on the bottom and a large screw top. It can take 70L of liquid to the brim. Easy to clean.

Can I use this container for 20L or 40L or will the airspace above the beer be too big?

I am thinking of adding an element to the bucket to heat the stuff. Should I?

 

[Chumpy]

Fantastic - 6/12 since I home-brewed for £10.39 including sugar monthly for my favourite beer 50 pints.

 

[leenorris78]

I'm still brewing. Just invested in a 23L fermenter. Using this kit.

Saisons need a higher temperature so I came up with a solution

https://goo.gl/photos/m6qMgHGWmfYr8JqK6

Can extract brews be as good as al grain?

 

[Chumpy]

 ... checked out yesterday that Wilko fine Newkie 40 pt kit is up to £12 ...

Eying up my sterilised clean barrels, but think that I will refrain as in last 6/12 from 40 pts monthly home brew/pay twice as much for Aldi Taurus non-cider ....

 

[leenorris78]

 ... checked out yesterday that Wilko fine Newkie 40 pt kit is up to £12 ...

Eying up my sterilised clean barrels, but think that I will refrain as in last 6/12 from 40 pts monthly home brew/pay twice as much for Aldi Taurus non-cider ....

My issue is having a specialist beer outlet round the corner. I have been spoiled. I need the dry hopped/special porter/ barley wine stuff that I try to brew cheaper than the shop.

 

[avole]

Leffe makes this topic irrelevant.

 

[leenorris78]

I had my first gusher this morning. RIS. OG 1.116. Not good. Messy thing. Its settled down now.

Leffe makes this topic irrelevant.

Leffe can be right - this is true.

 

[Chumpy]

Home-brew suitably-everythinged great.

Given 2 pints suitably-beer on Christmas-morning!!!

 

[Chumpy]

 ... having seen that my former home-brew (£3.49 from Boots about 10+ years ago) in Wilkinson has increased from £10 to £12 for 40-ish Newkie pints.

Now drinking less at twice the price on cheapest Aldi cider-whisky ...

Enjoy-be safe-responsible etc ...

2 years since anyone made it for me/8 months since I did - will do so again when alcohol-unit price raised to 50 pennies ...

 

[D Quinn]

You do of course have to factor in the initial cost of equipment and the  "time cost"-  How much time and initial cost is involved .

p.s. is it nice ?

 

[leenorris78]

Right, serious question.

Made "Dennis King Galaxy delight" beer. All grain. It tastes quite bitter on first taste but then mellows as you get though the pint. I am still enjoying it though.

Is this me getting used to it or is something dissipating from the beer?

I did bottle these about 8 days after start of fermentation but it had finished for about 4 days.

PS - really enjoying brewing. I have brewed Punk IPA clone, Breakfast Stout, Twisted Stout, Saison, Galaxy Delight, Russian Imperial Stout, Barley wine, Black IPA and a few others, all in small batches so a 23 L kit gets brewed in Gallon batches. This is a good way to stop pontificating over Hifi and just get on with listening to your tunes.