friedaweed
Me and me girl named Jane
Print me off a fermenting bucket mate. All mine have been used for liquid feed concoctions by the wife in the garden.
I can't wait to get back brewing. I just need to put a roof on the garage shack first.
Home Brew Questions
- Thread starter Voley
- Start date
I can't wait to get back brewing. I just need to put a roof on the garage shack first.
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Got a few buckets and a few (plastic) barrels out there in the front shed, have a similar issue to you with the back shed. Apparently the alice in wonderland construction the previous occupants made was less than watertight after the last few storms. The plasterboard and insultation on the roof (in a wooden shed?) is coming off and water is getting in, chipboard on the roof is soaked and dripping also the metal plate that was covering what was previously a stovepipe hole has blow off twice and the greenhouse extension thing they bunged on the side is rotting itself to death and mostly supported by a props and a woodpile.
Can't wait til I can tear the whole thing down and bung in a self assembling shipping container or similar. Watertight and can't rot would be fantastic about now.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
I seem to have got the hang of the King Kegs. I finished the second of the two 40 pinters a few days ago.
Somewhat alarmed that I shared not a drop and started on them at Christmas and now they are gone but hey. Both kegs kept the beer fresh. It was a learning experience to know how much gas to put in but turned out super useful that I installed pressure meters in both lids so if the gas leaked out I would know.
Both kegged brews were great. In general terms I bought some bulk malt liquid to add to the tins and some hops , one brew had actual hops the others an extract. I filled my fermenting buckets with water and put an oxygen bubbler in each one to aerate the water and help drive off the chlorine before commencing brewing. .
I adjusted the PH too, using lemon juice to bring the water down to 7.0 (from 8.2). When the brews were ready to be kegged (and a third brew bottled) I was a bit disorganised, plus dismayed that the money for the kegs could have been wasted as when I put the first brew in it would not hold pressure then my gas ran out. So I had 120 pints in three buckets needing to be racked off, plus me having covid and the place a mess.
I kept at it. Ordered new valve rubbers for the kegs. I added sugar to the keg that had beer in it for a secondary ferment to get a bit of gas over the top to keep it fresh. I then had a seemingly endless process of cleaning the first bucket, racking off another brew into the sterilised bucket and repeating till all were off the yeast. I had to clean and sanitise 40 bottles too. My bath was full of stuff for weeks.
I got a load of gas bottles and rubber seals and all was well after that. The bottled beer was left in bulk the longest and isn't the best. I'm drinking it right now though.
Both the other brews were better than down almost any pub around my way. Well there is a Youngs pub that does superb beer and fab food but their 6 quid a pint is too much for me. I am going to persevere with the King Kegs and am thinking of just getting proper kegs and dispensing equipment as I really like the convenience.
Hell for me would be an endless bottle washing job.
Somewhat alarmed that I shared not a drop and started on them at Christmas and now they are gone but hey. Both kegs kept the beer fresh. It was a learning experience to know how much gas to put in but turned out super useful that I installed pressure meters in both lids so if the gas leaked out I would know.
Both kegged brews were great. In general terms I bought some bulk malt liquid to add to the tins and some hops , one brew had actual hops the others an extract. I filled my fermenting buckets with water and put an oxygen bubbler in each one to aerate the water and help drive off the chlorine before commencing brewing. .
I adjusted the PH too, using lemon juice to bring the water down to 7.0 (from 8.2). When the brews were ready to be kegged (and a third brew bottled) I was a bit disorganised, plus dismayed that the money for the kegs could have been wasted as when I put the first brew in it would not hold pressure then my gas ran out. So I had 120 pints in three buckets needing to be racked off, plus me having covid and the place a mess.
I kept at it. Ordered new valve rubbers for the kegs. I added sugar to the keg that had beer in it for a secondary ferment to get a bit of gas over the top to keep it fresh. I then had a seemingly endless process of cleaning the first bucket, racking off another brew into the sterilised bucket and repeating till all were off the yeast. I had to clean and sanitise 40 bottles too. My bath was full of stuff for weeks.
I got a load of gas bottles and rubber seals and all was well after that. The bottled beer was left in bulk the longest and isn't the best. I'm drinking it right now though.
Both the other brews were better than down almost any pub around my way. Well there is a Youngs pub that does superb beer and fab food but their 6 quid a pint is too much for me. I am going to persevere with the King Kegs and am thinking of just getting proper kegs and dispensing equipment as I really like the convenience.
Hell for me would be an endless bottle washing job.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
It's time to rack off two forty pint brews I started a while back. I am taking advantage of the cold snap to put both fermenters outside and let them have a rapid cooling or cold crash. I don't think it will quite hit freezing in my London garden. I have the two King Kegs sanitised and ready to take the new beer. These brews were double can jobbies. No added dextrose. I noticed they did not erupt at all from the airlocks and the ferment was done in a week (very stable temps).
TopCat
Putin fanboy
The cold crash is finished and I racked off the beer into kegs. The beer was as clear as I have ever seen. No sediment apart from a thick solid layer at the bottom. I got every last drop out as it remained clear to the finish. Quite hopeful this will be nice. Both are two tin beers, one is a porter.
friedaweed
Me and me girl named Jane
You can't beat a good Porter. Which one did you do TC?
TopCat
Putin fanboy
I will have a look and come back.
friedaweed
Me and me girl named Jane
Nice brew. I've done that one. I also did another two can Porter but can't think what it was just now. It came in plastic vacuum bags. I like muntons stuff.
Funky_monks
Neo-Rustic
If you can be bothered/ find the kit it's fun to make it yourself.
Not done it for ages, but I bought a second hand tea urn as my boiler - the bit over the element could do with some mesh wielding over the holes as some malt caught on it, giving it a slightly "burnt" note which wasn't actually unpleasant.
Although I guess in these days of energy crisis, I might look for a pot I could put over a fire.
I think, cost if equipment notwithstanding, I worked out it was costing 25p a pint to make.
Not done it for ages, but I bought a second hand tea urn as my boiler - the bit over the element could do with some mesh wielding over the holes as some malt caught on it, giving it a slightly "burnt" note which wasn't actually unpleasant.
Although I guess in these days of energy crisis, I might look for a pot I could put over a fire.
I think, cost if equipment notwithstanding, I worked out it was costing 25p a pint to make.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
I was as drunk as Jack was when I posted this. I forgot to say it's a wonderful example of manky cider fermenting. Plus drinking.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
It's odd, I am getting beer but don't quite understand the issues. It's about getting the fizz into the beer. The first ten pints, not so good, the rest, lush. I might cask condition the next lot.
Funky_monks
Neo-Rustic
That's interesting - I press the apples at work to make cider with some of my students. The cidermaker we use has a modern belt press which is pretty cool. Made about 1000L this year.
kenny g
Sheeple Awake!
I just had leakage and then couldn't draw a pint off the barrel. Got one of those fancy ones that take it off the top. Now use bottles and 2 litre coke bottles. At the end of the day ten coke bottles equal one keg so the lazy option wins..
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Our scrumpy is coming of age - stuff that tasted fusty a couple of months ago is tasting quite wonderful now 
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Pics of the press please
Funky_monks
Neo-Rustic
Here you go - these are the only ones I could find without students in.
You can see the rollers that press the apples and the conveyor for the pomace, which goes into that trailer and is flogged as cattle feed.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
A wee glimpse into heaven
friedaweed
Me and me girl named Jane
Will have a look at them. Been ages since I made a good ale. What have you been making?
TopCat
Putin fanboy
I have been using malt millers. Good value and great results
kenny g
Sheeple Awake!
The £3 for 100g lucky dip hops from Malt Millers are great if you want to push things a bit. I have been using the Muntons malt extract range and different hops and yeasts. Recent was 1.5kg wheat malt extract, 1.5kg dark hopped malt extract , a french saison yeast and some 100g of a random hop. Completely strange hazy dark IPA flavour for about the same cost as a decent kit.
Currently have two tins of muntons light hopped malt, kviek Norwegian farmers yeast, 50 g of some random experimental hop pellets and 50g of Jester hops on the fermenter. The Kviek yeast erupts within hours.
Currently have two tins of muntons light hopped malt, kviek Norwegian farmers yeast, 50 g of some random experimental hop pellets and 50g of Jester hops on the fermenter. The Kviek yeast erupts within hours.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Blood red clouds in the first hedgerow plonk of the year - made from all the berries, wild and cultivated collected so far (raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants and cherries). Should be interesting
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Or, inspired by the fella who posted a chorizo cross section on line, “A photo of a far off galaxy as viewed by the Hubble deep space telescope”
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Another big barrel of blackberry started off today (that’s 15 gallons so far)
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
40+ gallons of blackberry, rhubarb, elderberry and Whitecurrant wine so far. I think this lot will have to move to the garage as there’s not much space left in the dining room
