Homebrew Thread

[dervish]

Few folk on here seem keen on trying homebrew. I've made a few tentative steps into it so here's a thread for it.

 

So far I pretty much stick to easy tins of extract just now, few hop additions etc but so far no all grain shit.

 

I've got 40 pints of mixed berry cider in the keg just now. Not a huge fan but made it for guests, kept it less sweet though. Got a batch of lager (Muntons Gold Continental Pilsner, first of posher two can kits) on the go and one of wheat beer (first using liquid yeast, smells way better than dry dross plus easier to culture).

[boboisared]

Skittle vodka. Mental.

[Ke1t]

Currently in the process of building myself a place to brew my beer, going to be climate controlled for the best results. Tried a couple of experimental batches, the current batch is fucking brutal strong though, but I've no means of telling how strong aside from the after effects.

 

I'm a bit of a noob at this, so I've not a lot of wisdom to share regarding brewing just yet. Seems like it'll be a decent enough hobby though.

 

Really wanted to distill spirits, but dinna fancy time in prison.

[spamspamspam]

I was given a barrel and all the shit at Christmas, need to pull my finger out and give it a go.

 

I may post some incoherent ramblings if it's any good.

[RAZOR]

I'd love to try it but feel as though I'd fuck it up through lack of patience.

[Redforever86]

Currently in the process of building myself a place to brew my beer, going to be climate controlled for the best results.

I presume you are aware of this but it's just the fermentation process that needs to be temperature controlled. I think a lot of folk convert an old fridge. You're a bit of a geek aye? You can use a raspberry pi and a few other bits and pieces to control it all. http://www.brewpi.com

 

And it you want to take out all the trial and error of the other stages buy this beauty. https://picobrew.azurewebsites.net/store/products/zymaticdetails.cshtml

 

With regard to kits I've tasted home brew fae kits and also fae fresh ingredients. The difference is like making a lasagne completely fae scratch using prime Aberdeen Angus mince, or buying a £1 ready meal fae Iceland.

 

A lot of kits mean ingredients that aren't fresh trying to recreate some real ale that is pish even when brewed commercially.

 

Unfortunately I'm too skint and lack space at the moment, in a year or so hopefully.

[Chewie37]

Could never be bothered with the faff of home brew, one of my mates does his and it tastes ok, but I'd rather let the pros do it.

With spirits a friend who works for a brewery was experimenting with gin distillation, think I might go for that, he says you can get a licence for it quite easily.

 

Has anyone ever done the bottle of vodka, chuck in a load of fruit and some sugar and leave it for a month or so giving it the odd shake. That comes out a pretty good flavoured liquor

[dervish]

My experience so far is near enough buying tins of coopers. Leaving it 3 weeks and then conditioning.

 

Basically if you measure using a hydrometer (sounds fancy but is a glass stick) before you put the yeast in then after everything has fermented out (leave it 2 weeks maybe 3, then two in a row the same = done) then you can know how much booze is in it.

 

Next choice is bottle conditioning (bit of sugar, yeast eats it up makes carbon dioxide canna go anywhere so carbs the beer) or kegging it and pumping CO2 in, when beer is cold, leaving a bit then it sooks it in.

 

Option 1 unfortunately means the bottles have yeast at the bottom so you can slug it, you need to decant it and leave the last bit of yeast in the bottle. Anyways I'm a lazy cunt and by now can do 80 pints in 30 mins.

 

Main effort is sanitising stuff, star san is the boy though (kinda hard to get think might be illegal here). Wee bit of that mixed with water and you can re-use it for ages. 4 min contact time and you're done plus it foams (inside kegs etc).

[dervish]

Currently in the process of building myself a place to brew my beer, going to be climate controlled for the best results. Tried a couple of experimental batches, the current batch is fucking brutal strong though, but I've no means of telling how strong aside from the after effects.

 

I'm a bit of a noob at this, so I've not a lot of wisdom to share regarding brewing just yet. Seems like it'll be a decent enough hobby though.

 

Really wanted to distill spirits, but dinna fancy time in prison.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing

 

Water + sugar + yeast = drink. Drink + freezing = Ice + Fucking Real Drink.

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

I have some Woodfordes Wherry Real Ale in my shed. At one point it was marvelous but I think it may have passed its peak.

 

Keeping it in a shed that has been about 800 degrees the last couple of months has been a poor call.

[minijc]

Definitely something I'd love to give a go, really in to my craft beer and just beer in general, trying to create something that people would love would be great fun and I'm sure it would bring great joy.

[dervish]

30p a pint as well not to be sniffed at.

 

That woodfordes hard to brew BBB? Did you keg or bottle it?

[Ke1t]

I presume you are aware of this but it's just the fermentation process that needs to be temperature controlled. I think a lot of folk convert an old fridge. You're a bit of a geek aye? You can use a raspberry pi and a few other bits and pieces to control it all. http://www.brewpi.com

 

And it you want to take out all the trial and error of the other stages buy this beauty. https://picobrew.azurewebsites.net/store/products/zymaticdetails.cshtml

 

With regard to kits I've tasted home brew fae kits and also fae fresh ingredients. The difference is like making a lasagne completely fae scratch using prime Aberdeen Angus mince, or buying a £1 ready meal fae Iceland.

 

A lot of kits mean ingredients that aren't fresh trying to recreate some real ale that is pish even when brewed commercially.

 

Unfortunately I'm too skint and lack space at the moment, in a year or so hopefully.

 

 

To be honest, so far I've just used the kits you can buy. Mix up the ingerdients, throw them in the barrel to ferment, and Robert's your father's brother. I mix things up and throw other shit in there that aren't part of the kit, but the kits are just the gateway drug to proper brewing. I want to make cider, mead, and different sorts of beers... and even if I'm not very good at it I can't imagine it'll turn out any worse than domestic beer... thon shit's rancid.

 

The wife just bought me a bunch of brewing equipment, so I need to figure out what everything does, what I still need, and where I'm going to be doing the brewing. Once I've got my monkeys in a row I'll have a better idea of what I'm doing.

 

The kit stuff turned out pretty decent, though.

[Redforever86]

Mead has to be the most under rated drink going, that sweet shit can get you proper hammered.

[Ke1t]

Mead has to be the most under rated drink going, that sweet shit can get you proper hammered.

 

It is excellent.

 

Got a wee bit smashed on it at New Year, Viking Blod was the stuff. Bit pricey at about 35 buck a bottle, but was well worth it.

 

It's one of those drinks that go down a wee bit too easy.

 

The in-laws keep bees, so there's a source of non-commercial honey if I decide it's something I'm going to do in bulk.

 

[Redforever86]

Just noticed Brewdog are selling a Punk IPA brew kit.

 

https://www.brewdog.com/item/740/BrewDog/Brooklyn-BrewShop-Punk-IPA-homebrew-kits.html

[dave_min]

I have that same kit but for Brooklyn Lager.

[boboisared]

Just noticed Brewdog are selling a Punk IPA brew kit.

 

https://www.brewdog.com/item/740/BrewDog/Brooklyn-BrewShop-Punk-IPA-homebrew-kits.html

So you'll be making a lesser and more expensive version of their stuff you can buy in the shop?

[dave_min]

So you'll be making a lesser and more expensive version of their stuff you can buy in the shop?

No, you'll be making a better, cheaper version.

[caledonia]

http://www.tesco.com/direct/coopers-diy-beer-starter-kit/213-7435.prd?sc_cmp=tp4_aff_1018132

[Guest]

My problem with home-brewing is in the concept.

 

I don't see the point of doing something I'm not expert in. When others have dedicated lives to making beer, what good would my half-assed amateur attempt be?

 

The attraction is easily explained. It's economy and ego.

 

The enthusiasts may indeed be saving money - I don't know - but for what cost of product quality? Surely proper beer is better?

 

Of course because they made it, they kid themselves on that it's as good if not better than the stuff we can buy from expert brewers.

 

Never met a home-brewing enthusiast who wasn't a complete wanker.

[dave_min]

I've tried to make malt whisky afore but failed. Maybe I'll try and make crystal meth next?

 

Anyone made their own ectos before

 

It's easier to make Crystal Meth than decent beer.

[Ke1t]

I've tried to make malt whisky afore but failed. Maybe I'll try and make crystal meth next?

 

Anyone made their own ectos before

 

What kind of still did you use?

 

Was considering it for a while, but the legal/financial headaches of distilling here just put me off the project. Having said that, if I decided to go for it no-one's ever going to know.

 

Got a 5 gallon batch of beer fermenting right now though. Smashing

[dervish]

http://www.tesco.com/direct/coopers-diy-beer-starter-kit/213-7435.prd?sc_cmp=tp4_aff_1018132

 

There's a whole load of 25% off deals there great find. Also you can clubcard boost so double up points on it. Whole kit for £25 worth of tesco points? Ace.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

Ive havent done much research on this yet (the forthcoming wean is eating up all my time and money - apparently its gets worse after they are born).

 

But I do fancy giving it a go; some guys I knew tried it once and produced an odd tasting liquid, full of silty stuff, but which "did the business" alright.

[Clydeside_Sheep]

Got a wee bit smashed on it at New Year, Viking Blod was the stuff. Bit pricey at about 35 buck a bottle, but was well worth it.

 

Is the high price down to cost of export to the states, or is it pricey anyway?

[Ke1t]

 

Is the high price down to cost of export to the states, or is it pricey anyway?

 

There were cheaper Mead options, but I went for the top shelf stuff because it was New Year. Usually when I'm experimenting I'll go middle shelf, but New Year you have to treat yourself.

 

The plan is that once I gain a bit of competence at brewing I'll start in amongst the Mead. The in laws keep bees, so I've a supply of honey, and there's local beekeepers around here for alternate sources.

 

 

 

But I do fancy giving it a go; some guys I knew tried it once and produced an odd tasting liquid, full of silty stuff, but which "did the business" alright.

 

Sounds like they just dumped the wort into the fermenter without syphoning. After you've heated your wort there's going to be a sediment on the bottom. The easiest way to drain from the kettle to the fermenter is to use a syphon. Makes no real difference to the taste, I believe, but you'll have a bunch of impurities (sediment) floating around in the final product once it's bottled if you've just dumped rather than syphoned. Impurities won't add to the alcohol content but they will give you a worse hangover, from what I can gather, since they add to the toxicity of the final product.

 

Congratulations on the forthcoming, btw... kids are a big expense, so maybe turning to drink is a good idea

[Clydeside_Sheep]

There were cheaper Mead options, but I went for the top shelf stuff because it was New Year. Usually when I'm experimenting I'll go middle shelf, but New Year you have to treat yourself.

A fine policy.

 

The plan is that once I gain a bit of competence at brewing I'll start in amongst the Mead. The in laws keep bees, so I've a supply of honey, and there's local beekeepers around here for alternate sources.

You should start a mail order business!

 

I cant say I have ever seen mead in the shops - it is specialist stores only or simply less common than your run of the mill stuff?

It sounds an interesting drink to try alright.

 

Sounds like they just dumped the wort into the fermenter without syphoning

Wouldnt be surprised, "diligence" is not a trait I would associate with either!

 

Congratulations on the forthcoming, btw... kids are a big expense, so maybe turning to drink is a good idea

Thank you!

Im half exicted / half terrified

Also worried it will scupper my "new car" idea lol

[Redforever86]

I'm sure the good spirits co in Glasgow would have a bottle of mead for sale Clydeside.

 

Actually just searched their website and they don't...

[dervish]

Just sampled the wheat beer with white labs liquid yeast (made a starter for 2 days) and wheat (specific) DME... not going to lie, what difference. Yeast is king for beers.

 

Tried the same LME coopers kit and was nothing like this. Also two can (think muntons) pilsner is clean as fuck too (no boil of DME like what I normally do for other extract brews). As per instructions but against youtubers that say to do that for sanitisation.