Home brewing

[warrenpfo]

I just wondered if there are any home brewers on the site that could advise me as to how best to start. I know I need to get a kit and go from there but are there some kits that are better than others and what are the novice pitfalls to miss.
It is the science of brewing rather than the brew its self that interest me so am more than happy to hand out the proceeds if any good to those who like a cold one.
Any and all advice welcome.

 

[Paul]

I do a bit, best bet is to find a good local brew shop as they tend to be more than helpful in telling you what to do.

I would stay away from the very budget kits and spend a few more pounds for some quality items, still should not come to more than £100.
I use the method of preparation in a fermentation bucket with lid to kick it all off so if i was buying my kit again i would get this with a tap at the bottom so i could drain straight into the pressure vessel rather than the syphening method as this can make a mess and introduce bacteria. I also connected a pipe to the water trap on the top so the carbon dioxide that vents goes outside through a hole in my window frame rather than making the whole house stink of beer.
The pressure vessel i have has the floating pipe to the tap which is half way up the barrel, this was you can start to drink from it sooner as the final fermentation process clears from the top down.
Temperature is critical, easier in the winter as you can maintain it with a heater strap around the barrel, and choose a good place to store as you cant move it. A stick on temp gauge on the barrel lets you monitor things perfectly.

I find this guys guides very helpful when i started.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAJKWCdaPq4

 

[AndyCook]

yes a homebrew shop is best place to get the stuff and advice

i tend to mail order ingredients from "hop and grape" in Darlington or "Leyland homebrew" in NW

i started with kits and as Paul advises, stay away from the budget kits, the beer is weaker and less flavour.

These days I brew the microbrewery method, scaled down to 25 litre batches.
I buy 25 kg sacks of crushed pale malt, and a mix of other crushed malts e.g. amber, crystal, chocolate
and dried vacuum packed hop flowers

i used a custom made mash tun from a 25l coolbox, with a tap and copper draining/filter ring.
the grains ~4-5kg are weighed out and then left to "mash" in 12litres of water at 65degC for 90 mins
then sparged by rinsing with 78degC water, then the wort is boiled with hops for 90 mins

time consuming compared to kits, takes 6 hours to make a batch, but the result an excellent beer and better than the kits, in fact is same as any micro or commerical brew (i given people a pint without telling them its homebrew and they wouldnt have guessed)

pale malt

additional grains for colour and flavour and hops

mash tun

sparging

my chickens enjoy spent grains