The home brew thread

[Two Gun Bob]

Think the Woodfordes Admirals Reserve is gonna get a bash, thanks Taxi.

Right, am I better off buying a starter kit, or separates? I have a list of gear needed, just a general question as to your (all) preferences).

This BrewUk place is only 3 or 4 miles up the road from where I am working in Salisbury right now, so if any of you lot wanna save postage, order it online to get picked up and I can fetch it for you and bring it up at the Liverpool game.

de niro, Danamy and a few others can vouch for me if you want.

In that case as you are only a few miles down the road.
I would go for value and quality and buy the Woodfordes microbrewery 40 pint wherry kit at £64.99
ras from brew-uk get them to put a tap on one of the buckets for about an extra £3

A final option is to buy the saint Peters beginners kit that 750 just bought

If your not kegging and using bottles just buy Tesco spring water for 17p a bottle.
Use the water for the brew and use the empties for the finished beer.


If you go down the kit route they include pressurized barrels and the Saint Peters kit uses the king keg.
These are great for real ales and ipa but are not suitable for lagers as thy cannot handle the pressure adequately.
You would need a Cornelius stainless steel keg for the lagers for about a ton -fifty
The Tesco spring water bottles does what it says on the tin

Adios pal and nice chatting.
Thanks for the offer of equipment but I am completely brewed out at the minute
Appreciated though and maybe someone else might benefit from your help.

 

[mscenterh750]

Think the Woodfordes Admirals Reserve is gonna get a bash, thanks Taxi.

Right, am I better off buying a starter kit, or separates? I have a list of gear needed, just a general question as to your (all) preferences).

This BrewUk place is only 3 or 4 miles up the road from where I am working in Salisbury right now, so if any of you lot wanna save postage, order it online to get picked up and I can fetch it for you and bring it up at the Liverpool game.

de niro, Danamy and a few others can vouch for me if you want.

In that case as you are only a few miles down the road.
I would go for value and quality and buy the Woodfordes microbrewery 40 pint wherry kit at £64.99

I would buy a 500gram pack of light spray malt add 250 gram to the mix and short brew to 21ltrs for a 4.8% abv.
Buy the Goldings hops and a muslim bag and just drop this into the fermenter in week two for 7 days.
Nothing complicated and you will have a wonderful Wherry coming out at around 4.8%
It is possible to add the full 500gram to take the ABV up to 5.2% but this would be the maximum abv to take this kit to without completely altering the balance

Another option is to buy the admiral reserve for about the £20 mark
Then buy your extras from brew UK separately for about £25-£30

Two FV buckets a paddle a hydrometer a thermometer sterilizer and a good siphon about £25.00
If you are buying the extras from brew-uk get them to put a tap on one of the buckets for about an extra £3

A final option is to buy the saint Peters beginners kit that 750 just bought

If your not kegging and using bottles just buy Tesco spring water for 17p a bottle.
Use the water for the brew and use the empties for the finished beer.

Happy days pal and no matter which way you decide enjoy yourself.
Good fun and good for the soul.

If you go down the kit route they include pressurized barrels and the Saint Peters kit uses the king keg.
These are great for real ales and ipa but are not suitable for lagers as thy cannot handle the pressure adequately.
You would need a Cornelius stainless steel keg for the lagers for about a ton -fifty
The Tesco spring water bottles does what it says on the tin

Adios pal and nice chatting.
Thanks for the offer of equipment but I am completely brewed out at the minute
Appreciated though and maybe someone else might benefit from your help.

All the best
Taxi ;

That's the kit I got from brewuk, but went for the St Peters beer.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

Many thanks for accepting me taxi. I'm glad I found this thread, as I love real ale and want to start my home brew. I want to start with kits then move onto extract brewing, and finally all grain brewing (have a gander at the speigel braumeister). My good lady wife is starting wine and cider and in the future I'll be trying whiskey and rum brewing using a distiller (a grey area I've not read too much into regarding distillers, and where they can be used).

I'll keep you informed with how things are going, and tell you of any beers I come across whilst out supping. I can highly recommend purple moose ale, black sheep ale, beartown ale and ayr brewing company ale.

A real pleasure to help you out 750.
Lots of peeps brewing on here so just shout out and they will all assist you
Black sheep is very nice indeed.
Like I said at the beginning of this thread that is where I want to end up with the extract and all grain.
But will serve my time out playing with and modding the kits first.
The wines are fabulous value for money and exceptional quality.
We err more towards the reds.

Cheers pal

 

[bumbleblue]

Taxi and Tiny and pals....god its a bit addictive this..i just bought another fermentation bucket...and pear cider kit...and a elderflower wine kit and a demi john and airlock...am on first name terms with the ladies at wilkos...they must think I am a right pisscan ...ahem
Anyway...lads n lasses got a co2 injector and some bulbs (not the first clue what they do...anyone?) I imagine they are for gassing up largers...?? I have started the wine off...as well as the wherry...er cider next....the spring water from Tesco still or fizzy taxi??? Sorry about the numbnuts questions...am gonna use bottle for cider..many thanks I really love this idea hope I can do it..thanks again all

 

[Bilboblue]

This just came to me in a moment of madness

You buy the Coopers kit from Tesco for the £50 mark
And then buy the Admirals reserve separately from brew-uk

A complete brew kit with everything required to brew your own but incorperating two different beer styles for a splash of good measure.
The Admirals reserve strong real ale and the included Australian Coopers lager kit all for £70
An absolute steal !

Choices choices choices ;

Thanks, for this and the extended reply further back, you're a great help Taxi.

I don't really want to do any lagers at the moment, so won't do the Coopers kit.

Looks like I'll get the stuff as separates from BrewUk, with the Ruby Red Ale and the IPA kits. (loved that video of the guy doing the taste test on the Ruby, fantastic reaction!). I am going away for a couple of weeks next month sometime so will get it and start the process when I return, will give me something to get over the post-holiday blues! I am taking it that it cannot be left alone for two weeks? Unless of course I do it before I go away, which will give it time to get a better taste?

 

[Two Gun Bob]

Taxi and Tiny and pals....god its a bit addictive this..i just bought another fermentation bucket...and pear cider kit...and a elderflower wine kit and a demi john and airlock...am on first name terms with the ladies at wilkos...they must think I am a right pisscan ...ahem
Anyway...lads n lasses got a co2 injector and some bulbs (not the first clue what they do...anyone?) I imagine they are for gassing up largers...?? I have started the wine off...as well as the wherry...er cider next....the spring water from Tesco still or fizzy taxi??? Sorry about the numbnuts questions...am gonna use bottle for cider..many thanks I really love this idea hope I can do it..thanks again all

Tesco still water mate.

The co2 capsules are for gassing up your pressurized barrel
Mainly for the ales and ipa's etc.
At first the priming sugar you add is enough to keep the beer in the keg happy.
About 85-100 gram for ales and their ilk
After a while though when the ale is losing its zest and energy you simply re-gas up with a co2 capsule.
For a 40 pint batch you may have to re-gas about 3 times on average.

Barrels are not really suitable for the lagers.
They can be used but the general consensus is they cannot hold the pressure well enough.
Cornelius stainless steel kegs are used instead and lots of brewers just force carbonate there batch without the need to even prime.

And yes its very addictive and also very good for your health at the same time.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

This just came to me in a moment of madness

You buy the Coopers kit from Tesco for the £50 mark
And then buy the Admirals reserve separately from brew-uk

A complete brew kit with everything required to brew your own but incorperating two different beer styles for a splash of good measure.
The Admirals reserve strong real ale and the included Australian Coopers lager kit all for £70
An absolute steal !

Choices choices choices ;

Thanks, for this and the extended reply further back, you're a great help Taxi.

I don't really want to do any lagers at the moment, so won't do the Coopers kit.

Looks like I'll get the stuff as separates from BrewUk, with the Ruby Red Ale and the IPA kits. (loved that video of the guy doing the taste test on the Ruby, fantastic reaction!). I am going away for a couple of weeks next month sometime so will get it and start the process when I return, will give me something to get over the post-holiday blues! I am taking it that it cannot be left alone for two weeks? Unless of course I do it before I go away, which will give it time to get a better taste?

Then have a think about 750's purchase .
He bought the full kit with pressure barrel and ruby red for £65 from brew uk

To the leaving question. Your initial fermentation can be left for two weeks.
The packs say a week but a full two weeks allows the yeast to complete its clean up work and make your brew clearer when you bottle or barrel.

A good rule of thumb is 2+2+2
Two week ferment two week to prime and carbonate and a minimum of two weeks to condition out in a cooler location
The longer you can leave it to condition the better your ale.

Cheers mate I'm off now putting some music on the cellar duke box.
Enjoy your trip away

 

[bumbleblue]

Cheers Taxi..will bob to Tesco for water after work and set the cider off tomorrow..happy days..thanks again

 

[Bilboblue]

Think the Woodfordes Admirals Reserve is gonna get a bash, thanks Taxi.

Right, am I better off buying a starter kit, or separates? I have a list of gear needed, just a general question as to your (all) preferences).

This BrewUk place is only 3 or 4 miles up the road from where I am working in Salisbury right now, so if any of you lot wanna save postage, order it online to get picked up and I can fetch it for you and bring it up at the Liverpool game.

de niro, Danamy and a few others can vouch for me if you want.

Go for the woodfordes/St Peters 40 pint microbrewery premium starter kit, as you get everything you need to get brewing. I got the St Peters along with some bottle caps and bottle capper.

Nice one, thanks 750... looking forward to making this.

Thanks again Taxi.

 

[Crabbers]

Thought I'd check in after having had a couple of homebrews this evening! I can certainly see what taxi means when talking about leaving the beer to condition. I've been trying 1 or 2 of my first batch each day since the kit instructions said it should be ready to drink (a week ago), and the taste has improved considerably over the course of the week. It's difficult not to be impatient (particularly with the first batch) but definitely worth waiting it out based on what I've tasted so far.