154 replies to this topic

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

German wheet beer. I don't like wheet beer looks good tho

[T. Spark]

Been brewing for nearly 5 years now Good stuff! I dont seem to be as hardcore with the testing etc as you guys but it all ends in the same way... on the floor / hungover! I re-use beer bottles, and either use Sol type bottles and recap them or I use miller bottles and as they are screw on caps so keep the caps and bam winner. No idea where people are that need bottles, but I am in South Yorkshire and always have a spare 6 crates of empty millers at any point ready for a brew In fact, scrap that I am making some now! One thing I wanted to know which maybe someone with abit more experience can tell me is, is there any way to test for the percentage at the time of drinking? As I always thought mine were nearly double as it took half the amount to get pished!

[slindborg]

I think you need some funky gadgets to test alcohol in the sample... the Hydrometer gives a good clue from the Original Gravity and the Final Gravity, although does rely on some maths that brewing forums like to argue over (bit like us an remaps/brakes/exhausts )

[T. Spark]

Haha. No doubt. I am happy with the double strenght line when I hand it out to people at the BBQ

[Coupe2t]

I'm liking this thread and toying with the idea of having a go. How much overall do you reckon you need as an initial outlay to get started? Good quality stuff, nice beer mix etc? What beer mix would people recommend, from the ones that you have all brewed and tasted, any favourites?

[slindborg]

Cost me £80 for the bin, siphon, airlock, spray malt (sugar replacement), thermometer, hydrometer, beer kit and barrels and got 40 pints from it. Second brew is £20 for kit and spray malt,got free bottles from will and reusing tonic bottles, but 'only' 15 litres (high 20's on the pint level). Gonna do a 40 pint ipa or summer ale as soon as the wheat beer is done, should be about £50p/pint or less now. Tasted my first brew last night...... Wow I'm properly impressed with that!! It's a shade heavy for summer drinking though lol

Edited by slindborg, 29 July 2012 - 10:37 AM.

[Coupe2t]

That's not too bad then! Although I will have to buy a load of bottles I think, some of the Grolsch style re-usable bottles, will be good to have and easy to use I would think. 40 pints down the pub has gotta come in near on £120, so even the first brew shoudl come in comparable, then as said the following ones should be better. I was talking to a friend friday night who has home brewed a few times but he said he always struggled a bit with the sediment, he would syphon the beer out the tub and into bottles, but then after leaving them for another week in the bottles he said he got a lot of sediment in the bottom of those too. Is that normal? Or is that just because he hasn't left it long enough in the barrel to settle properly prior to the syphoning?

[slindborg]

It's part of a bottle conditioned beer. Although some are better than others as the yeast can form a hard cake to reduce sediment caught in the bottles. The yanks leave the brew bin for a month to let it settle out a treat, some even transfer it to a second bin after 2 weeks to help clean it up. If the bottle has tons of sediment then there is something wrong IMHO.

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

secondary firmantation happens in the bottle and thats why there is a bit of sedimant. The beer it still "Live".. should not be loads but some when I syphon my tube has got a guard on it so you dont suck up the sediment from the bin in the brewing process

[Rickwoo118]

I found this to be a interesting guide. Will be trying this out soon.

[slindborg]

Cracked open the wheat beer this evening. It's a touch sweet but consumed with a nice spicy kebab its just epic, I've a feeling a rough hangover is due after only 2 pints lol.

[Bumblebee]

2 pints and your already onto a kebab! Lol

[slindborg]

Was into a kebab before the beer.

[turbobob]

If you look up pikey in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of slindborg

[slindborg]

Lol it wasn't a doner

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

sounds good

[hairy]

Kits only a tenner at Wilkos at the moment inc free sugar

http://www.wilkinson...Ar IS49VztZhg==

[siztenboots]

been out and grabbed two kits, the hoppy bitter and the light golden lager

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

Kits only a tenner at Wilkos at the moment inc free sugar

http://www.wilkinson...ArIS49VztZhg==

[siztenboots]

started off the hoppy bitter last night , managed to get more water on the kitchen floor that in the brew bin , my 1L measuring jug has a useless pouring spout.