Home brewing kits ....

Erm, isn't Wherry approx 4.5% when brewed at 23l anyway, so lowering the water and adding 2Kg of sugar would make it much higher abv? You didn't just use one of the two tins of hopped extract for the brew did you?
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I think I might go for the one with the beer kit included, mainly to save pennies but also because Wherry was the first ale I ever drank so it seems appropriate. Not sure when I'll get a chance to start, whether it'll be payday or if I wait until September but I'll pop in and let you all know how much of a mess I make of it ;).
 
I found the Wherry a bit harsh until it had been conditioned for a few months. It was then much more drinkable than when it was allegedly first "ready" for drinking.
 
Just removed my dry hops from the fermenter and the smell is just incredible, can't wait to get stuck into this!
Hopefully get it bottled next week with a bit of luck.
Tried a bottle of the wherry I made up earlier, still very green and young, but good carbonation and will get better given another month.
 
jsmoke said:
tl;dr

Is it worth getting one of these cheap starter kits?
Click to expand...

Honestly, depends what you are after. They've come a long way and can produce a decent beer, and if you are willing to put in a bit of time & effort, you can tweak them to make them excellent. But brewing can take quite a bit of time and commitment (as well as space).
 
We mainly use Oxyclean style cleaners to remove dried on crud, VWP as a cleaner and sanitiser, but do sometimes use diluted thin bleach. I've read advice not to use thick bleach as that can leave residue that's harder to remove. On our stainless steal boiler we use Barkeepers Friend, but we only use that for all grain anyway. Oh and starsan as a sanitiser (it's not a cleaner).
 
Bottled up my IPA today, forgot how much I hate bottling beer. Making beer is more about cleaning everything!
I've tried a sample, it's obviously flat, but tastes very much like an IPA and very tropical nose, will give it a few weeks now before sampling again.
Need to plan the next beer and see if I convince the gf to let me have a kegorator..
 
Well it's been a few weeks and the IPA is not bad, could be better with using some new hops and I under carbed it, there's always next time.. I've put on an American Mocha porter last week and ordered two more extract kits, a Dark Ruby Mild and a Theakston Old Peculiar clone.
Should help me get some "stock" going.
I've spoken with the gf and she doesn't mind me building a Kegorator as long as I replace the doors and carpets in the flat first...So a few months and I'll have beer on at home!
 
i put my first brew on last night in months, Youngs amaerican ipa. one of my favs. made a schoolboy error though and forgot to add the sugar before the yeast. seems to be fermenting away nicely though.
 
Apfelwein (German Hard Cider), thought I'd put it in this thread as there doesn't appear to be a home made wine one.
Only making a gallon, a few modifications to the one linked, not made it before may turn out rubbish, may not.
4x1L pack Tescos Apple Juice £2.60
220g of Tate & Lyles finest granulated £0.20
1 lvl tsp Youngs yeast nutrient £0.10
1 lvl tsp Biggerjugs mixed acids £0.10
1 lvl tsp Biggerjugs craft cider yeast £0.10

3.5L of AJ into a DJ (using a funnel), add sugar, swirl to dissolve
add nutrient/acids/yeast, wash through with final 0.5L of AJ, CBA to make a starter
Yeast looks like it's rehydrating nicely, will take a while as temp strip is reading 22degC.

OG 1060, will add 400mL of AJ after primary fermentation by my rough and ready calculations should end up being around 7% ABV.
 
It's been years since i've made Apfelwein, always turned out pretty good though.
I've miscalculated my empty bottles and as a result have a hard Sunday of drinking some beers to make more.
As a result though, the beer will have to stay in the FV for another few days.
Really need to build a kegorator...
 
jsmoke said:
tl;dr

Is it worth getting one of these cheap starter kits?
Click to expand...

HeadlessChicken said:
Honestly, depends what you are after. They've come a long way and can produce a decent beer, and if you are willing to put in a bit of time & effort, you can tweak them to make them excellent. But brewing can take quite a bit of time and commitment (as well as space).
Click to expand...


Came in here hoping to find a thread like this. So, as an offshoot to the question/answer above - how do the 'beginner kits' do for IPA style beers?

If I split a brew into the mini kegs you can get, what would be the shelf life of each keg before being tapped?
 
Scottland said:
Came in here hoping to find a thread like this. So, as an offshoot to the question/answer above - how do the 'beginner kits' do for IPA style beers?

If I split a brew into the mini kegs you can get, what would be the shelf life of each keg before being tapped?
Click to expand...

Depends on the kit - the Coopers IPA I used to find really pretty good considering it's cheapness. Assuming you clean the mini kegs well, and they are sound seal wise, the beer will be good for some months :)
 
i brew the youngs ipa which is lovely. i bottle it generally, but the last keg i did lasted a few weeks before it lost gas. i regassed it and all was fine for about 1.5 mths. i find bottling lasts longer.

i have a side q: how long does bottled beer last in plastic ltr pets?
 
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