Home Brew Questions

[sojourner]

I know it's not strictly brew, but I did make some elderberry syrup today. Tested it, and oh my fucking lord - almost can't wait to be ill to test its efficacy Got an icecube tray and a half of it int freezer for winter.

Mmm think of the hot toddies that's gonna make

 

[Mapped]

If taking fairly recently brewed beer into hot places my advice is to find some way to keep them cool, or you could end up with a situation like this

Multiple bottle bombs. I was in the stationary car when it went off and I thought someone had chucked a rock at my back windscreen.

Also in areas where you need to take your own water sterilised FV's come in very handy

 

[diond]

If taking fairly recently brewed beer into hot places my advice is to find some way to keep them cool, or you could end up with a situation like this

Multiple bottle bombs. I was in the stationary car when it went off and I thought someone had chucked a rock at my back windscreen.

Also in areas where you need to take your own water sterilised FV's come in very handy

Blimey. At least no one was injured. I've just finished bottling some home brew but always crap myself whilst walking with the crate to the shed in case one of the bottles decide to explode in my face.

 

[badseed]

Fuck, lucky nobody was near the box.

This is why PET bottles are a good idea. Kegs are even better but obviously less practical for a camping trip.
I am mourning for the ruined beer

 

[Cid]

Has anyone tried converting a hot water cylinder into a mash tun or boiler? The mash tun should be a piece of piss, just slice top off with an angle grinder, remove elements, add sparging thing, false bottom and tap, replace top and neaten insulation where needed.

The boiler is a bit trickier, part of the domed top needs to remain to maintain structure in a rolling boil (not too much of a problem really) and it needs to be possible to maintain the temperature. Second part is tricky, most of the cylinders on ebay are indirect (they have a big copper coil in the bottom that has hot water from the boiler running through it - this will be bonus wort cooling coil) so a) they need to be upside down (thus putting the boost heater at the bottom) or b) they need an extra immersion element, bit of a faff. Then need to override the immersion safety cut off (pretty easy I think), but that needs to be replaced with a thermostat that will cut out at 110c or so. Would also be useful to be able to set it at 70-80c for sparging water. Get something off a tea urn maybe? Any plumbers around?

 

[rr22]

Has anyone tried converting a hot water cylinder into a mash tun or boiler? The mash tun should be a piece of piss, just slice top off with an angle grinder, remove elements, add sparging thing, false bottom and tap, replace top and neaten insulation where needed.

The boiler is a bit trickier, part of the domed top needs to remain to maintain structure in a rolling boil (not too much of a problem really) and it needs to be possible to maintain the temperature. Second part is tricky, most of the cylinders on ebay are indirect (they have a big copper coil in the bottom that has hot water from the boiler running through it - this will be bonus wort cooling coil) so a) they need to be upside down (thus putting the boost heater at the bottom) or b) they need an extra immersion element, bit of a faff. Then need to override the immersion safety cut off (pretty easy I think), but that needs to be replaced with a thermostat that will cut out at 110c or so. Would also be useful to be able to set it at 70-80c for sparging water. Get something off a tea urn maybe? Any plumbers around?

Have a look here,

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33903

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33556

If you ask on that forum you will get informed replies.

 

[Cid]

Have a look here,

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33903

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33556

If you ask on that forum you will get informed replies.

Cheers, certainly looks like it's worth a go (at least for mash tuns/HLT). Will see what comes up on ebay etc and wait for plumber mate to get back from his holiday I think.

 

[TopCat]

Just about to start 40 pints of pear cider and 40 of so called lager.

 

[mr steev]

I finally got round to bottling my damson wine the other day.... 81 bottles I've still got 3 gallon left to do as we thought we'd run out of bottles (but I've since found a few carrier bags full in a cupboard)
It was started last year and is already pretty drinkable (we've had one bottle).
I've got a stout kit I want to start soon so it's ready for xmas. I quite fancy making a chocolate stout. Has anyone got any advice?

 

[TopCat]

I used spray malt plus brewing sugar in the "lager". The spray malt went a bit claggy but I bunged it in any way.

 

[Mapped]

Fuck, lucky nobody was near the box.

This is why PET bottles are a good idea. Kegs are even better but obviously less practical for a camping trip.
I am mourning for the ruined beer

It was in the boot of a sedan. Thank god I didn't buy a hatchback. I've got loads of bits of glass to clean out tomorrow.

My next brew will have to wait until I get my UK house back in Nov

 

[fractionMan]

I've got a spare pressure barrel if you want it when you're back

 

[Mapped]

I've got a spare pressure barrel if you want it when you're back

Thanks for the offer, but I can't see myself using it. Possibly for the same reasons you don't want it?

It's bottles all the way for me.

 

[fractionMan]

Thanks for the offer, but I can't see myself using it. Possibly for the same reasons you don't want it?

It's bottles all the way for me.

I've got 4!

 

[Mapped]

I've got 4!

Fair enough! [emoji2]

I'll have to pop round yours and you can try and educate me in the ways of the pressure barrel (as well as trying to flog me your banger)

 

[fractionMan]

Fair enough! [emoji2]

I'll have to pop round yours and you can try and educate me in the ways of the pressure barrel (as well as trying to flog me your banger)

I picked up a couple recently at the car boot. I'm hoping my next batch works properly - I think it's down to getting a decent seal to stop the CO2 leaking out.

 

[TopCat]

I used them in the past, the gas always leaked out and the beer got flatter the more you drank. It went from froth tastic (the first few pints) to flat bag o' shite (the last draggy pints).

I am going to bottle up a lot of the beer and cider in demi johns and get very drunk.

 

[TopCat]

My beer is bubbling away nicely buy the cider is flat and doing nothing. I have put the fermenter into the dregs of my bath to warm it up a bit and added more yeast.

 

[TopCat]

Stirring it appears to have been the wrong thing to do. I am going to lob in another yeast starter and add to the fuck ups.

 

[butcher]

I picked up a couple recently at the car boot. I'm hoping my next batch works properly - I think it's down to getting a decent seal to stop the CO2 leaking out.

I now use plumbers PTFE tape on the barrel threads, which helps a lot. Also I only vaseline the lip of the barel, not the cap seal which also seems to help.

The trick seems to be to not over-tighten, and if necessary refresh the cap rings with a 5mins in boiling water (ie straight from the kettle).


hth

 

[badseed]

Black lager with Saaz hops fermented with Urquell yeast for 2 weeks at 10 deg then chilled and lagered.
Goes down very well.

 

[Mapped]

It's home brew cocktail time round here

I cracked open a bottle of my coffee wine, it's 14% and very, very bitter. However it is very drinkable with milk and a few sugars. I'm on my second and I think I'll need some sleeping tabs tonight.



I've got some OK(ish) WOW to polish off soon as well.

 

[TopCat]

Oh my head. The Perry is delicious and very strong.

 

[badseed]

Productive day yesterday. I kegged a Pilsner and made a Bright Ale.
I also made a cider, which is new to me. I have a 10l fermenter which is perfect for making small experimental batches.
8l Cloudy apple juice
1 tea bag
2 crushed cinamon sticks
s04 yeast
I boiled the tea and cinamon in abou 200ml of water and chucked it all in.
Hydro read 1050.
Hydro sample tasted good.

 

[friedaweed]

I've just taken delivery of 300 of these lovely bottles.

Time to get some brews on

 

[Mapped]

I've just taken delivery of 300 of these lovely bottles.

Time to get some brews on

Where did you get them from? I need to start a serious bottle collection again. It's even affecting the beer I buy at the supermarket, there's too many clear bottles used

This was my Aussie collection all packed up last week. About 180 750ml bottles and I was sad to see them go. No homebrewer in Perth wanted them, I ended up giving them away to an art project and they're going to be melted down in a kiln.

 

[doddles]

Where did you get them from? I need to start a serious bottle collection again. It's even affecting the beer I buy at the supermarket, there's too many clear bottles used

This was my Aussie collection all packed up last week. About 180 750ml bottles and I was sad to see them go. No homebrewer in Perth wanted them, I ended up giving them away to an art project and they're going to be melted down in a kiln.

That's a shame - those 750mL bottles are great. My mum still has a bunch (including some still full ones) from my dad's homebrew (he passed away last year). Seems a shame to get rid of them, but to ship them to the UK would cost an arm and a leg.

 

[friedaweed]

Where did you get them from? I need to start a serious bottle collection again. It's even affecting the beer I buy at the supermarket, there's too many clear bottles used

This was my Aussie collection all packed up last week. About 180 750ml bottles and I was sad to see them go. No homebrewer in Perth wanted them, I ended up giving them away to an art project and they're going to be melted down in a kiln.

Mate works for the black stuff

 

[Mapped]

That's a shame - those 750mL bottles are great. My mum still has a bunch (including some still full ones) from my dad's homebrew (he passed away last year). Seems a shame to get rid of them, but to ship them to the UK would cost an arm and a leg.

They are great, not so great for strong brews if you're not in company though.

We had 3 cubic metres for our stuff in a shared container and as you can see there wasn't much room for bottles (I was thinking about it though). The FV's got used though. There's 2 more of them behind that one packed full of clothes, sheets etc. I'm hoping customs don't open it as there's kilo bags of malt and dextrose in there that look slightly dodgy.

 

[Mapped]

Mate works for the black stuff

Very handy connection