Homebrew

[IrishBlue2022]

Seen a few posts about homebrew in the last few weeks and it's got the juices flowing again. I had a dabble in this about 10 years ago a had success with a lager but didn't do anymore.

I went over to the mothers house and picked up my piece of kit. This was the Coopers starter kit and has a fermentation vessel with pour tap, a collection of plastic bottles and caps, hydrometer, long mixing paddle, bottling lance, shiphon tube etc.

I did have another fermentation Vessel that was from a Youngs kit but that had been dumped. Also found a bottle capper and some lids.

Plan of action is to order some more equipment, im thinking:

1.)A primary fermentation vessel with an airlock (As the Coopers kit doesn't have that)
2.) A heat belt/mat (may be required depending on where i store the fermenters)
3.)Glass bottles ( Not sure on the plastic ones so want a collection of glass bottles also)
4.) Starsan to clean the equipment out.

Anything else anyone with experience would recommend?

I am thinking of starting with some of the Cooper kits like the Irish stout and Mexican cerveza to get back into the swing of things. So going extract kits only then if i stick at it can move towards more advanced methods.

So next question. Anyone experience with good online stores to order from?

Look forward to hearing others experiences and journeys with their homebrews.

"The greatest hobby of all is one that gets you drunk and also creates the cure" IrishBlue2022

 

[kev]

Support your local pub

 

[IrishBlue2022]

Support your local pub

My local pub supplied me with 60 bottles last time to help me in my homebrew journey. My homebrew dream is to make a brew that is stocked in my local.

 

[Moomin]

Seen a few posts about homebrew in the last few weeks and it's got the juices flowing again. I had a dabble in this about 10 years ago a had success with a lager but didn't do anymore.

I went over to the mothers house and picked up my piece of kit. This was the Coopers starter kit and has a fermentation vessel with pour tap, a collection of plastic bottles and caps, hydrometer, long mixing paddle, bottling lance, shiphon tube etc.

I did have another fermentation Vessel that was from a Youngs kit but that had been dumped. Also found a bottle capper and some lids.

Plan of action is to order some more equipment, im thinking:

1.)A primary fermentation vessel with an airlock (As the Coopers kit doesn't have that)
2.) A heat belt/mat (may be required depending on where i store the fermenters)
3.)Glass bottles ( Not sure on the plastic ones so want a collection of glass bottles also)
4.) Starsan to clean the equipment out.

Anything else anyone with experience would recommend?

I am thinking of starting with some of the Cooper kits like the Irish stout and Mexican cerveza to get back into the swing of things. So going extract kits only then if i stick at it can move towards more advanced methods.

So next question. Anyone experience with good online stores to order from?

Look forward to hearing others experiences and journeys with their homebrews.

"The greatest hobby of all is one that gets you drunk and also creates the cure" IrishBlue2022

The yield returns will be low
Make some Meth instead.

 

[IrishBlue2022]

The yield returns will be low
Make some Meth instead.

Off it for lent.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I did it for a few years - it's a great hobby as it's not hard to get good results. And with a bit of experience you can actually brew great ale. Ultimately it got too time-consuming for me (bottling got to be a chore) and I stopped. Also stopped drinking now so unlikely to go back!

Brew in a bag is the way imho. You've got simple extract brewing which is the logical place to start. But stepping up to grain and complete three vessel brewing is a lot more complex and needs more equipment. BiaB lets you do full grain extracts with a very simple procedure - the only thing you really need is a big boiler like a tea urn. Recommend looking at this method if you're getting into it.

 

[COYBL25]

The yield returns will be low
Make some Meth instead.

@Joey66 agrees with you there mate

 

[chrismpw]

I get hops off ebay- crossmuloof brewery are a good supplier on there. Ideally you'll want a muslin bag for them too. But as you're targeting lager you probably won't want flavour so forget it.

 

[perth_blue]

Have a look at this fella, breaks a lot of stuff down and can get a good beer from your basic extract.


If you're going to get a heat belt, it might be worth also looking at a temp controller, when to kick it in etc. Alternatively if you're going into your summer, perhaps just wrap it in a couple blankets etc, fermentation will always add a few temp degrees due to the activity..

 

[COYBL25]

I get hops off ebay- crossmuloof brewery are a good supplier on there. Ideally you'll want a muslin bag for them too. But as you're targeting lager you probably won't want flavour so forget it.

Would`ve thought, that there`d be no shortage of hop sellers out your way ?

 

[chrismpw]

Would`ve thought, that there`d be no shortage of hop sellers out your way ?

You're kidding. I've often said if you stick a compass on a map of Swindon with its quarter million population and drew a circle with a radius of 30 miles you'll have an exclusion zone within which there is nothing of use to anyone other than a female shopping zombie looking for handbags, makeup, hair and shoes.

Every time I do an internet search for anything slightly out of the ordinary that might be useful to me there's only ever a place outside of this zone, most often 50 - 60 miles away.

It is the most useless place in the country.

 

[tommytowne]

Like a good many have posted, I was well into it when I was younger and produced many a few bottles of stout which was very drinkable.
My crowning glory was a bitter that I brewed in time for my younger lads christening. All my pisshead uncles and cousins would be there so I mashed up about 40 litres of the stuff using numerous brewing kits.
I used the large fifty litre bin that my missus used to sterilise the lads terry nappies. All of the beer got drunk with everyone commenting on the nice sharp taste that was present in the after taste. No body died so I deemed it a success.

 

[Infernus]

Seen a few posts about homebrew in the last few weeks and it's got the juices flowing again. I had a dabble in this about 10 years ago a had success with a lager but didn't do anymore.

I went over to the mothers house and picked up my piece of kit. This was the Coopers starter kit and has a fermentation vessel with pour tap, a collection of plastic bottles and caps, hydrometer, long mixing paddle, bottling lance, shiphon tube etc.

I did have another fermentation Vessel that was from a Youngs kit but that had been dumped. Also found a bottle capper and some lids.

Plan of action is to order some more equipment, im thinking:

1.)A primary fermentation vessel with an airlock (As the Coopers kit doesn't have that)
2.) A heat belt/mat (may be required depending on where i store the fermenters)
3.)Glass bottles ( Not sure on the plastic ones so want a collection of glass bottles also)
4.) Starsan to clean the equipment out.

Anything else anyone with experience would recommend?

I am thinking of starting with some of the Cooper kits like the Irish stout and Mexican cerveza to get back into the swing of things. So going extract kits only then if i stick at it can move towards more advanced methods.

So next question. Anyone experience with good online stores to order from?

Look forward to hearing others experiences and journeys with their homebrews.

"The greatest hobby of all is one that gets you drunk and also creates the cure" IrishBlue2022

Hardly a better hobby to get into my friend. Stick with it, and before long you will be making excellent beer that you will enjoy for years to come. I got into home brewing about 7 years ago. Started really small with the bare minimum in terms of equipment, was brewing 'kit and kilo' style with extract, a plastic fermenter and bottles/a pressure barrel. Now I brew all grain from scratch on a Grainfather G30, I have the conical stainless steel fermenter and I serve from a Corny Keg. I still feel that I have so much to learn, and so much more equipment to get beore I am 100% happy, but right now I am making beer that I think it better than store bought, simply because I can brew exactly what I want using exactly the ingredients I want. Very happy to answer any questions you have or simply offer encouragement. Happy brewing!!

 

[IrishBlue2022]

I did it for a few years - it's a great hobby as it's not hard to get good results. And with a bit of experience you can actually brew great ale. Ultimately it got too time-consuming for me (bottling got to be a chore) and I stopped. Also stopped drinking now so unlikely to go back!

Brew in a bag is the way imho. You've got simple extract brewing which is the logical place to start. But stepping up to grain and complete three vessel brewing is a lot more complex and needs more equipment. BiaB lets you do full grain extracts with a very simple procedure - the only thing you really need is a big boiler like a tea urn. Recommend looking at this method if you're getting into it.

Definitely the route i aim to go in the future mate. I just want to get to grips with the simple methods first and build up my equipment then will get to that stage. Also a process to allocate space in the house for the new hobby.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

I get hops off ebay- crossmuloof brewery are a good supplier on there. Ideally you'll want a muslin bag for them too. But as you're targeting lager you probably won't want flavour so forget it.

You need to be an absolute ale wizard to homebrew a clean lager. Slightest off flavour and it's in the bin. Why do you think very hoppy IPAs dominate homebrewing?