Home Brew

[RichFN2]

PositronicRay said:

Some advice from you chaps

A few yrs ago I used to brew Woodfords wherry from a kit. Results were variable, temperature control was the problem I think, first ferment was OK, I had a cupboard by a hot water tank, a constant 25c. Conditioning was more of a problem, I used an unheated West facing bedroom. Generally OK in the winter, but late sun could spoil things.

Now I have a well insulated integral garage, with boiler and hot water tank. Sits around 23c,
Ideal for the ferment, but could I condition in this temp? Would it just take a little longer?

I know a brew fridge would be ideal, but I'm unwilling to go to all the bother.

(I've still got all the kit in the attic so a few new seals and a clean and I'm good to go)

As someone else said and as you know a brew fridge is the answer (allows for lagering too), My mate swears by his.

However i am yet to commit to one and liking all beer types i brew in accordance with the season. Summer is only good for saison, Kveik (something i have not tried) or Belgian yeasts as they perform better in warmer conditions (24-28 degrees depending on the strain) but only a saison can handle up to 30 degrees. Kveik yeast can handle extreme heat if you wanted to brew in a heatwave.

I find ale yeast is best at 18-21 degrees and most kits will use ale yeast, best saved for autumn and winter, if your garage is well insulated then winter should be perfect for conditioning.

[PositronicRay]

RichFN2 said:

PositronicRay said:

Some advice from you chaps

A few yrs ago I used to brew Woodfords wherry from a kit. Results were variable, temperature control was the problem I think, first ferment was OK, I had a cupboard by a hot water tank, a constant 25c. Conditioning was more of a problem, I used an unheated West facing bedroom. Generally OK in the winter, but late sun could spoil things.

Now I have a well insulated integral garage, with boiler and hot water tank. Sits around 23c,
Ideal for the ferment, but could I condition in this temp? Would it just take a little longer?

I know a brew fridge would be ideal, but I'm unwilling to go to all the bother.

(I've still got all the kit in the attic so a few new seals and a clean and I'm good to go)

As someone else said and as you know a brew fridge is the answer (allows for lagering too), My mate swears by his.

However i am yet to commit to one and liking all beer types i brew in accordance with the season. Summer is only good for saison, Kveik (something i have not tried) or Belgian yeasts as they perform better in warmer conditions (24-28 degrees depending on the strain) but only a saison can handle up to 30 degrees. Kveik yeast can handle extreme heat if you wanted to brew in a heatwave.

I find ale yeast is best at 18-21 degrees and most kits will use ale yeast, best saved for autumn and winter, if your garage is well insulated then winter should be perfect for conditioning.

Thanks, garage is well insulated, still pretty static @ 23c. I'll monitor it during the autumn.

[Jambo85]

I agree a brew fridge is a game changer - the other thing you have to remember is that fermentation is a process which generates heat, so the vessel will often be a couple of degrees above ambient. So a brewfridge with the sensor measuring the temperature of the fermentation vessel is the answer. In practice my temperature sensor is taped to the FV with a couple of layers of bubble wrap over it to insulate it

[marksx]

Brew fridge is far and away the one piece of equipment that will help you consistently make good beer.

[scottyp123]

I would like to get into this and have had a look at the kits on Amazon but they all look a bit naff.

My dad used to brew it all the while when I was a kid and by all accounts it was pretty good, I was allowed the odd glass of it.

This what I remember, he had a big white bucket that he filled with water, he added some yeast and the brew syrup, he then added some sugar and he reckoned that adding twice as much sugar to the mix made it twice as strong. There was a small heater in it like a fish tank type one and he used to drop a hygrometer? into it until it read 00. When it did he siphoned it into about 20 glass lemonade type bottles which needed about 2 weeks to settle.

So I need a big bucket, heater, hygrometer, the syrup, yeast and twice as much sugar. Are there any decent beer shops in Manchester that anyone knows about that can set me up as opposed to Amazon or Ebay?

[Turn7]

Homebrew is very well served by online companies, have a google....

Basic starter kit will be a Fermenting bin and storage keg...

Dont bother with PET bottles....

[RichFN2]

scottyp123 said:

I would like to get into this and have had a look at the kits on Amazon but they all look a bit naff.

My dad used to brew it all the while when I was a kid and by all accounts it was pretty good, I was allowed the odd glass of it.

This what I remember, he had a big white bucket that he filled with water, he added some yeast and the brew syrup, he then added some sugar and he reckoned that adding twice as much sugar to the mix made it twice as strong. There was a small heater in it like a fish tank type one and he used to drop a hygrometer? into it until it read 00. When it did he siphoned it into about 20 glass lemonade type bottles which needed about 2 weeks to settle.

So I need a big bucket, heater, hygrometer, the syrup, yeast and twice as much sugar. Are there any decent beer shops in Manchester that anyone knows about that can set me up as opposed to Amazon or Ebay?

Sugar is the cheapest and most effective way to bump up the ABV% however it is one i would generally suggest you avoid, it offers nothing to the brew except alcohol and the result is generally a thin tasting beer with a homebrew 'twang' that is just bad practice. No offence to your dads method as years ago that was how homebrew was promoted and my dad did the same,these days the aim is more at Quality.

The best way for someone in your position to boost the alcohol content would be liquid malt extract, this will give a decent ABV boost and improve the beer at the same time. Liquid malt is the most concentrated source of malt which will improve the malt flavour, mouthfeel, colour and strength. There is also dry malt extract and a combination of dry malt and sugar but i much prefer liquid.

For kits i highly recommend the Beerworks range by Love Brewing. Something like this gets you a huge amount of liquid malt and 20g of yeast which is rare on kit beers :https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/wills-olde-english-ale-beerworks-craft-brewery-series/ . I now do extract brewing but used the Beerworks range for several years and i feel they are the best on the market.

For equipment then i recommend this package which served me very well and the taps allow you to take readings/transfer/bottle with minimal contact which can lead to infection: https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/BREW...

You only need a heat tray if your brewing somewhere that is going to drop below 18, or you want to do a saison, Belgian or kveik beer where higher temps are preferred.

2 weeks in a bottle is a good starting point but many kits need much longer. There is a common approach of 2 weeks fermenting, 2 weeks carbing and 2 weeks conditioning when it comes to kit brewing (all grain can be ready much sooner) but you generally find the beer improves after a few months

[PositronicRay]

PositronicRay said:

RichFN2 said:

PositronicRay said:

Some advice from you chaps

A few yrs ago I used to brew Woodfords wherry from a kit. Results were variable, temperature control was the problem I think, first ferment was OK, I had a cupboard by a hot water tank, a constant 25c. Conditioning was more of a problem, I used an unheated West facing bedroom. Generally OK in the winter, but late sun could spoil things.

Now I have a well insulated integral garage, with boiler and hot water tank. Sits around 23c,
Ideal for the ferment, but could I condition in this temp? Would it just take a little longer?

I know a brew fridge would be ideal, but I'm unwilling to go to all the bother.

(I've still got all the kit in the attic so a few new seals and a clean and I'm good to go)

As someone else said and as you know a brew fridge is the answer (allows for lagering too), My mate swears by his.

However i am yet to commit to one and liking all beer types i brew in accordance with the season. Summer is only good for saison, Kveik (something i have not tried) or Belgian yeasts as they perform better in warmer conditions (24-28 degrees depending on the strain) but only a saison can handle up to 30 degrees. Kveik yeast can handle extreme heat if you wanted to brew in a heatwave.

I find ale yeast is best at 18-21 degrees and most kits will use ale yeast, best saved for autumn and winter, if your garage is well insulated then winter should be perfect for conditioning.

Thanks, garage is well insulated, still pretty static @ 23c. I'll monitor it during the autumn.

I've found space for a small fridge.

Before getting a gumtree special I'd need to measure the inside to make sure my keg fits an I'm good to go.

Does anyone have a link to thermostat/switching arrangements? I'm guessing the internal fridge thermoset will either be broken or be too low.

[RichFN2]

PositronicRay said:

I've found space for a small fridge.

Before getting a gumtree special I'd need to measure the inside to make sure my keg fits an I'm good to go.

Does anyone have a link to thermostat/switching arrangements? I'm guessing the internal fridge thermoset will either be broken or be too low.

My knowledge on brew fridges is very limited as i brew with saison and Belgian yeast in warmer months but from what i understand you need something like this Inkbird which i use with my heatpad if i want to just plug it in and forget about it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Temperature-Contr... These are handy as the sensor can be submerged into the beer or taped to your FV and will simply cut the power of the heat source once you reach target temp. The same applies to cooling which that can control both.

This is a guide to a basic brew fridge https://www.instructables.com/id/Converting-a-frid...

I know 2 people who use a standard bulb as the heat source.

[Jambo85]

The two most common approaches are STC-1000 or inkbird. Inkbird is way less hassle, you can get them with two sockets on them so you simply plug the fridge into one and the heater into the other. You’ll need to figure out how to get the heater cable outside the fridge other than that it’s easy.

The STC-1000 will involve a lot more hacking and joining of cables and will only end up cheaper if you already have everything you need lying around!

[Hoonigan]

I run both but the ink it’s is the better one imo, the STC1000 proves don’t seem to last as long in my experience.

Also do check if you go the STC route as there are different versions with differing levels of switching, programming and possibly more importantly voltage and current load...

Jambo85 said:

The two most common approaches are STC-1000 or inkbird. Inkbird is way less hassle, you can get them with two sockets on them so you simply plug the fridge into one and the heater into the other. You’ll need to figure out how to get the heater cable outside the fridge other than that it’s easy.

The STC-1000 will involve a lot more hacking and joining of cables and will only end up cheaper if you already have everything you need lying around!

[SwanJack]

There are two types of STC one has one control, heat or cold, the other has two controls heat and cold. Not hard to wire either up. Make sure you buy a fridge without a freezer compartment as the fermenter might not fit. I can get a 45l bucket into my £1 ebay under counter integrated fridge, which is handy as I brew up to 40l batches.

I use one of these to heat https://www.toolstation.com/dimplex-thermostatic-t... can't remember which wattage I have though

Other advantages of a fermentation chamber is you can cold crash, essential for massively hopped beers, you can open ferment if it takes your fancy and you can gradually increase the fermentation temperature on Belgian beers.

Edited by SwanJack on Sunday 2nd August 21:55

[soupdragon1]

Falconer said:

Turn7 said:

The American IPA from Youngs was very nice, so much so, its all gone now.....

So today I put a Courage Directors kit into the fermenting bin.....

The Malt was very dark and smelt lovely, so fingers crossed.....

I tried the Directors, very disappointing not at all like I remember. Maybe the different water is the reason, soft Scottish water instead of hard London water.

https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/

Water is obviously a key ingredient. Link is for a very high quality water filter. Good for regular water drinking as well as brewing. Expensive, but gets rid of all the crap from tap water.

I also recommend this site for home brew.

https://www.geterbrewed.com/beer-kits/

Mangrove Jacks stuff is A1

[Jambo85]

soupdragon1 said:

Falconer said:

Turn7 said:

The American IPA from Youngs was very nice, so much so, its all gone now.....

So today I put a Courage Directors kit into the fermenting bin.....

The Malt was very dark and smelt lovely, so fingers crossed.....

I tried the Directors, very disappointing not at all like I remember. Maybe the different water is the reason, soft Scottish water instead of hard London water.

https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/

Water is obviously a key ingredient. Link is for a very high quality water filter. Good for regular water drinking as well as brewing. Expensive, but gets rid of all the crap from tap water.

Unless your water is utterly disgusting I can't see how it matters for kit brewing? If doing all grain then mash pH - which is greatly impacted by water hardness - is important however.

[RichFN2]

soupdragon1 said:

I also recommend this site for home brew.

https://www.geterbrewed.com/beer-kits/

Mangrove Jacks stuff is A1

Only heard about them recently on THBF but they get very good reviews and seem to be very cheap for all grain/extract, will have to order some malt and hops from them when i run out

[soupdragon1]

Jambo85 said:

soupdragon1 said:

Falconer said:

Turn7 said:

The American IPA from Youngs was very nice, so much so, its all gone now.....

So today I put a Courage Directors kit into the fermenting bin.....

The Malt was very dark and smelt lovely, so fingers crossed.....

I tried the Directors, very disappointing not at all like I remember. Maybe the different water is the reason, soft Scottish water instead of hard London water.

https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/

Water is obviously a key ingredient. Link is for a very high quality water filter. Good for regular water drinking as well as brewing. Expensive, but gets rid of all the crap from tap water.

Unless your water is utterly disgusting I can't see how it matters for kit brewing? If doing all grain then mash pH - which is greatly impacted by water hardness - is important however.

Could be overkill I guess. Its surprising what you find in the water through the tap. Would make your toes curl. Been drinking it all my life mind, never done me any harm I suppose!

[soupdragon1]

RichFN2 said:

soupdragon1 said:

I also recommend this site for home brew.

https://www.geterbrewed.com/beer-kits/

Mangrove Jacks stuff is A1

Only heard about them recently on THBF but they get very good reviews and seem to be very cheap for all grain/extract, will have to order some malt and hops from them when i run out

Yeah, some real quality ingredients available. Having one right now - 5.6% american IPA - very easy on the tongue.
I'm not into high strength stuff too much - mid strength hits the spot for me, 5 to 7% - and I don't feel as guilty opening the 2nd or 3rd one

[SwanJack]

soupdragon1 said:

RichFN2 said:

soupdragon1 said:

I also recommend this site for home brew.

https://www.geterbrewed.com/beer-kits/

Mangrove Jacks stuff is A1

Only heard about them recently on THBF but they get very good reviews and seem to be very cheap for all grain/extract, will have to order some malt and hops from them when i run out

Yeah, some real quality ingredients available. Having one right now - 5.6% american IPA - very easy on the tongue.
I'm not into high strength stuff too much - mid strength hits the spot for me, 5 to 7% - and I don't feel as guilty opening the 2nd or 3rd one

I've been using geterbrewed for quite a while, their build your own recipe kit function is very good and amazing value for money. I tend to build three kits at a time to make the postage cost go further

[Swervin_Mervin]

After some advice gents. I've not brewed in 10years - used to do full grain brews. I still have all my homemade kit, including tun, kettle etc, but it's been lurking in a combination of garages and sheds all this time and is looking both a little sorry for itself and a bit Heath Robinson.

With that in mind, and keen to get brewing again, I'm thinking of getting some new kit. Has anyone got any pointers of where to look and what's available these days? I imagine things might have moved on a bit.

I've got some Prima Donna hops growing and have some in the freezer from a couple of years ago (last year was barren for some odd reason!) and I'm keen to use them. Hence I want to get cracking soon-ish so I can get my eye back in if you like, before using the homegrown hops.

[Jambo85]

I suppose the new stuff would be the all in one devices like the Grainfather, and also the Fermentasaurus. I think though I’d be tempted to stick with your old gear if it works as the process hasn’t changed!