Home brewing kits ....

For lager you need cold temps 2-8 deg to condition it after the primary fermentation. Anywhere between 18-25deg will be ok for you ale though, the wort will probably be a bit cooler than the ambient temperature anyway so unless its like 28deg + in your room then you should be ok, although ideally you want to keep as near to 18-20deg as possible as you create less undesirable chemicals when doing so.

Most of the kits will give you weak/watery tasting ale, for £250 i would splash out and get an all grain setup, for example a mash tun, glass carboys(demijohn), wort chiller, thermometers, stockpots etc etc, will be worth it and you should actually save a bit as the kit require you to add addtional DME(dried malt extract) anyway which isn't particulary cheap.

If you do go kits, buying a 5 gallon glass DJ is advised as i find the buckets tend to leak plus you can't see whats going on without opening the lid.

But for a bog cheap setup the brewbuddy from tesco is about as cheap as you'll get.
 
Google it, find your local brewing shop. They'll set you up.
Thats how I set myself up, the bloke who owns my store is a legend, turns out he used to sell my grandad winemaking stuff as well!

Edworts apfelwein is great stuff, cheap to make and when it's ice cold it's so so refreshing. And so simple to make.

I personally think wine is ulimately more interesting and rewarding to make than beer. But then again I've not tried all grain.
 
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rz30 said:
Temperature stuff etc...

brewbuddy...will check that out.
Click to expand...

My flat does get fairly warm but not too bad, so would hopefully be ok.

I'd like to start off with something dead simple and cheap because I know I tend to let hobbies and things get forgotten so I don't want to spend much just to find myself never using it.


I get around said:
Google it, find your local brewing shop. They'll set you up.
Thats how I set myself up, the bloke who owns my store is a legend, turns out he used to sell my grandad winemaking stuff as well!

Edworts apfelwein is great stuff, cheap to make and when it's ice cold it's so so refreshing. And so simple to make.

I personally think wine is ulimately more interesting and rewarding to make than beer. But then again I've not tried all grain.
Click to expand...


That's a good idea re local brewing shop, must be something about...

Sadly I don't like wine type drinks ( to me they all taste like vinegar...) tis a pity because I like the idea of trying different flavours etc etc.

Valve
 
I got all my kit from the local brew shop where the guy knew everything about homebrew!

I am just finishing off my first 40 pints of ale, my next 40 pints of stout have just finished sitting for a month so i will go taste that in a moment and I have another ale ready to start up.

The kits I am now buying wok out at about 49p a pint, bargain.....save up for a new liver now :D
 
Pictures people, we need pictures!

No recent pictures for me, as my camera has broke. But here's where my booze ferments and what it ferments in:
brewingaway.jpg


This is 40 pints of the Apfelwein. 8.5% after bottling.
apfelwein.jpg
 
I was looking at the starter kits in wilkinsons this morning (youngs lager kit) and saw a pressure barrel. Have to admit I really like the idea of having a barrel of beer, but I guess this is more for ales etc as I don't see how you'd be able to chill such a big barrel...

Valve
 
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