Home Brew Questions

[UnderOpenSky]

Oh, the labelling bit I love. It's getting the fucking things off the pre-owned bottles that gets my goat.

When chucking out a fair bit of my failed home brew it wasn't the beer that went that upset me, but the bottles I'd removed the labels from. I've kept back 40 but there isn't that much storage free for more if they aren't being used.

 

[existentialist]

When chucking out a fair bit of my failed home brew it wasn't the beer that went that upset me, but the bottles I'd removed the labels from. I've kept back 40 but there isn't that much storage free for more if they aren't being used.

You mean there's a big stash of clean de-labelled beer bottles hanging around unwanted...?

*sob*

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You mean there's a big stash of clean de-labelled beer bottles hanging around unwanted...?

*sob*

I am going to try again. Just need to brave the cold and finish the dam patio and get the new shed up.

I've still got a few kits floating around. Thinking next time a little aquarium heater in a tub of water so it's a more constant temp in my kitchen and buying a different yeast strain. And only doing one batch until I know it's alright.

Annoyingly my cider was alright. I'm just not as keen on cider.

 

[TopCat]

I went feral with last two brews. Forty pints of stout and 40 of bitter. Couldn't be bothered with syphoning off and bottling up.
Left in the cold for two months then just dug a carafe in repeatedly till gone.
Tastes lush though.

 

[Athos]

Whilst kegging is easier than bottling, I've now got some rust inside some of my kegs, which is a pain in the arse!

 

[DaRealSpoon]

We've just started on the first few bottles of last years 'Slider'.

Cider made with left over gin-soaked sloe berries chucked in for good measure.

Tasting report = Dangerous, very dangerous

 

[TopCat]

Might start cleaning kit in the hope of warmer climes...

 

[sunnysidedown]

Might start cleaning kit in the hope of warmer climes...

I use one of these and an old heat mat that used to keep my GFs dog warm. Keeps a brew on all year round.

 

[TopCat]

I use one of these and an old heat mat that used to keep my GFs dog warm. Keeps a brew on all year round.

I was so skint a year or so ago that I had 120 pints in secondary fermentation and then had no gas or lecy to keep the brews warm enough to get the fizz. I tried cuddling the barrels and encouraged the cat to do the same but alas it was not enough.
I want in short the weather to do its thing.
2 big brews, early summer and autumn.

 

[seeformiles]

This thread has reminded me that last year’s cider needs bottling - all 42 gallons of it. Bottle conditioning will be done in a few days in this weather

 

[friedaweed]

I've got this on the go currently.

It's nice to be brewing again.

 

[seeformiles]

Just sampling last year’s bottle-conditioned scrumpy - dry and checking in at 8% abv it goes down a bit too easily

 

[campanula]

Embarking on cider...but also thought I might do some nettle beer again. Not as horrible as it sounds.

 

[TopCat]

Going to start the cleaning process tomorrow. Thinking of a bitter and a stout for Christmas.
I'm a bit more wary of brewing after a few years. It's sometimes easy to get into necking it at an alarming (even to me) rate.

Plus I start far too much in a manic enthusiasm and, given the last batches which never got bottled as I had no energy when it was time, I don't want to over reach.

I ideally need a South London based beer partner. Split the costs, work and beer.

Anyone?

 

[Scaggs]

I've gone a bit overboard stocking up for Christmas

Got 4 gallons of apple and fruit juce wine and three 5 gallon beer kits on the go

 

[TopCat]

I've gone a bit overboard stocking up for Christmas
View attachment 148525
Got 4 gallons of apple and fruit juce wine and three 5 gallon beer kits on the go

I lurve the crochet work.

 

[Scaggs]

I lurve the crochet work.

I'm trying to do one for my 5 gallon carboy but I've run out of wool. Did them on a round knitting loom.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Today I threw out:

Two fermenting buckets.
Six demijohns and airlocks.
Two pressure barrels.
Eighty pint bottles.
A heating belt.
A heating pad.
A Leibig's condenser.
A box full of assorted odds and ends, a hydrometer, a thermometer etc.

Loft clearance, no one round about wanted the stuff.

 

[friedaweed]

Cracking this one on the hob today.

Liberty Golden Ale Partial Mash Kit

 

[Scaggs]

I've got this maturing in bottles:
Homebrew Shop | West Coast IPA All Grain Ingredient Kit

and this one fermenting:
The Big Belfast Blonde All Grain Ingredient Kit | Blonde Ale Mash Kit

 

[kwaimaisabai]

A Leibig's condenser.

I'd have had the Leibig condenser. I have absolutely no use for a Liebig condenser and no intention of finding a use for a Leibig condenser but I love glassware.

 

[existentialist]

I'd have had the Leibig condenser. I have absolutely no use for a Liebig condenser and no intention of finding a use for a Leibig condenser but I love glassware.

Probably the least postable bit of the whole kit and caboodle, though

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Anyone do the Cooper's stout from a kit?

Used to love making it a few years ago but haven't brewed in a long while. It was the only kit that used to turn out great every time. Also did Woodefordes Wherry regularly which wasn't bad either.

 

[friedaweed]

Anyone do the Cooper's stout from a kit?

Used to love making it a few years ago but haven't brewed in a long while. It was the only kit that used to turn out great every time. Also did Woodefordes Wherry regularly which wasn't bad either.

Yep. Both of those do really well every time for me.

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Just ordered some Cooper's stout, 1 kilo of extra dark spraymalt, a new tap for one of my old pressure barrels and some yeast for a couple of old kits I found in the cupboard.

Got some Wilko bitter and golden ale, both the two can versions, and a Coopers wheat beer one can kit, all about 4 years out of date, but they should be fine with new yeast, shouldn't they?

 

[friedaweed]

Just ordered some Cooper's stout, 1 kilo of extra dark spraymalt, a new tap for one of my old pressure barrels and some yeast for a couple of old kits I found in the cupboard.

Got some Wilko bitter and golden ale, both the two can versions, and a Coopers wheat beer one can kit, all about 4 years out of date, but they should be fine with new yeast, shouldn't they?

Yeah, make sure you get a new yeast and they'll be fine I did the golden ale in a barrel a while back and everyone I gave some to loved it.

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Great, looking forward to it, made the Wilko kits before and had decent results.

Wasn't the two can bitter kit just Wherry in other packaging? Tasted very similar if memory recalls.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Anyone near Stockport and want some supplies? I've got some kits and sugar and don't think I'll try beer again. I'm drinking less anyway and tend to buy nice little ales. Even with a load of practice I don't think I'll ever compete.

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Nice of you to offer, used to live over that way, if I still did I'd take you up on it. I'm sure someone will be happy with some free stuff.

Just checked those Wilko kits in my cupboard and they're best before April 2015...

Will need to clean up my pressure barrels and maybe get a second fermenting bin to get two on the go at once. Any tips on how to effectively clean a manky looking pressure barrel? It's one of the Wilko ones with the small opening, so can't get my hand in.

 

[pug]

I think you can get a specially shaped brush.

I've just bottled up a kit brew, I made a brewing fridge a couple of weeks ago so getting going with that I did a geordie bitter. Once the bottles have conditioned I'll be doing a St Peter's Golden Ale kit.