Homebrewing - Part 3

Do you make lager or ale or other things is there anywhere you would recommend to start although granted its trial and error
I’ve only made one lager as it is the most hassle to brew. Tasted lovely like. I tend to brew mainly pale ales and IPA styles although I do have a chocolate orange stout that’s been kegged for about 8 months which should be ready to drink now. I started with a woodfordes wherry kit which is a very good kit if you like the bitter style of beer.
 


I’ve only made one lager as it is the most hassle to brew. Tasted lovely like. I tend to brew mainly pale ales and IPA styles although I do have a chocolate orange stout that’s been kegged for about 8 months which should be ready to drink now. I started with a woodfordes wherry kit which is a very good kit if you like the bitter style of beer.
What did you use for lager, i don't usually like ale or whatever but i love chocolate orange things.
 
What is the easiest, most potent thing to make for total beginners? Sure me ma has an old secret family recipe for carrot whiskey and Irish potcheen.
 
What did you use for lager, i don't usually like ale or whatever but i love chocolate orange things.
It was all grain so pilsener malt and hallertau hops. Got to be brewed at a low temperature and then lagered which I did for about 6 weeks before kegging. Tied up my brew fridge for about two months which stopped anything else being brewed.
What is the easiest, most potent thing to make for total beginners? Sure me ma has an old secret family recipe for carrot whiskey and Irish potcheen.
You can make a 20% potion with turbo yeast which you then flavour to make drinkable. Or you could buy an air still and put the 20% stuff through that to make it 40%+ then flavour it. Obviously distilling is illegal without the relevant licence.
 
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Genuine question can you get stuff to be as nice as the stuff in shops
You absolutely can. I had a setup one level up from "the beginner kit" and I made stuff that I'd have been totally happy with if served in a pub.

Do you make lager or ale or other things is there anywhere you would recommend to start although granted its trial and error
For a novice, lager is one of two things:
1 - Rank and goes down the drain
2 - Rank and you drink it anyway cos its 30p per pint and you're not too fussy anyway.

Its hard to get real lager yeast, the stuff that comes in the kit is not lager year 99% of the time
Its hard to cool ferment - most people don't do this right
Its hard to lager it at low temps - most people don't this right either

I tried 2 lager kits. First was rank and was immediately chucked. Second was a lot better, and drinkable, but I wasn't interested in drinking it.
 
You absolutely can. I had a setup one level up from "the beginner kit" and I made stuff that I'd have been totally happy with if served in a pub.


For a novice, lager is one of two things:
1 - Rank and goes down the drain
2 - Rank and you drink it anyway cos its 30p per pint and you're not too fussy anyway.

Its hard to get real lager yeast, the stuff that comes in the kit is not lager year 99% of the time
Its hard to cool ferment - most people don't do this right
Its hard to lager it at low temps - most people don't this right either

I tried 2 lager kits. First was rank and was immediately chucked. Second was a lot better, and drinkable, but I wasn't interested in drinking it.
Its frustrating like i like ciders and vodka if that's easier or maybe try a light ale its something id like to do since im in isolation
 
Its hard to get real lager yeast,
Not true - just about every Homebrew shop in the U.K. stocks either/both the Mangrove Jacks or Fermentis lager yeasts.

If you have temperature control making a lager is no more difficult than brewing an ale -although as Wilfy says it takes a lot longer. Like him I’ve only ever done one and it was a cracker - I’ve got ingredients in for another one which I might do over the weekend.
 
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Not true - just about every Homebrew shop in the U.K. stocks either/both the Mangrove Jacks or Fermentis lager yeasts.

If you have temperature control making a lager is no more difficult than brewing an ale -although as Wilfy says it takes a lot longer. Like him I’ve only ever done one and it was a cracker - I’ve got ingredients in for another one which I might do over the weekend.
Think I’ll be waiting until October to do another lager so that I can lager it in the garage without any temperature control.
 
Not true - just about every Homebrew shop in the U.K. stocks either/both the Mangrove Jacks or Fermentis lager yeasts.

If you have temperature control making a lager is no more difficult than brewing an ale -although as Wilfy says it takes a lot longer. Like him I’ve only ever done one and it was a cracker - I’ve got ingredients in for another one which I might do over the weekend.
Total novice mate you made some good lager
 
Not true - just about every Homebrew shop in the U.K. stocks either/both the Mangrove Jacks or Fermentis lager yeasts.

If you have temperature control making a lager is no more difficult than brewing an ale -although as Wilfy says it takes a lot longer. Like him I’ve only ever done one and it was a cracker - I’ve got ingredients in for another one which I might do over the weekend.
Oh, I know what you mean. My point is that beginners tend to look at kits, and think that's lager yeast in the packet. Its not.

IIRC, lager yeast is almost always liquid isn't it?
 
IIRC, lager yeast is almost always liquid isn't it?
No. The 3 big dry yeast producers (Fermentis, Mangrove Jack and Lallemand/Danstar) each have dry lager yeasts. It’s recommended you use 2 sachets though whereas with ales just need one.

My first lager (a Mexican Cerveza) used Lallemand Diamond because it seemed to have the most neutral ester profile, but I’ve gone for MJ Bavarian Lager for my next one.
 
No. The 3 big dry yeast producers (Fermentis, Mangrove Jack and Lallemand/Danstar) each have dry lager yeasts. It’s recommended you use 2 sachets though whereas with ales just need one.

My first lager (a Mexican Cerveza) used Lallemand Diamond because it seemed to have the most neutral ester profile, but I’ve gone for MJ Bavarian Lager for my next one.
Has that changed over the last 5 years or so? I remember reading that any dry yeast claiming to be a lager yeast was, at best, a hybrid.
Mind, I dont drink lager, so I wouldn't have spent too much time looking into that.
 
has anyone tried the woodfordes bure gold kit? i've done a couple of wherries and just fancied a change.
All the woodfordes kits get good reviews so can’t go wrong really.
Found two bottles of coopers treacle stout the other day, totally forgot about them must’ve been conditioning for about a year. Just opened one it’s fantastic.
My choc orange stout has been conditioning at least 6 months. Looking forward to a pint of it when I’m back on the drink.
 
All the woodfordes kits get good reviews so can’t go wrong really.

My choc orange stout has been conditioning at least 6 months. Looking forward to a pint of it when I’m back on the drink.
What did you use to flavour the choc orange?

ive not done all grain for over a year, got enough for one batch but it’s about 2 year old now. Hopefully get time to brew it and it’s not gone stale.

I’ve had it stored in a vacuum bag for clothes so hopefully it hasn’t spoiled.
 
What did you use to flavour the choc orange?

ive not done all grain for over a year, got enough for one batch but it’s about 2 year old now. Hopefully get time to brew it and it’s not gone stale.

I’ve had it stored in a vacuum bag for clothes so hopefully it hasn’t spoiled.
Cacao nibs soaked in vodka and loads of orange peel chucked in the boil. If it’s vac stored it will be fine I reckon.
 
I haven't done it for a while but I've gone old school. 2x 21L Cantina wine kits. I've gone for volume in a lockdown.
 
Right tomorrows bottling day for my wilkos IPA, well today was but Im thinking one extra to be safe.

got a siphon coutesy of @PTR thanks again. Theres about 27 litres done. How much would you bottle? All bar the bottom inch?

Any recomendations for next one welcome, tend to drink pils or IPAs.
 
Right tomorrows bottling day for my wilkos IPA, well today was but Im thinking one extra to be safe.
got a siphon coutesy of @PTR thanks again. Theres about 27 litres done. How much would you bottle? All bar the bottom inch?
Any recomendations for next one welcome, tend to drink pils or IPAs.
27 litres? That's an unusual amount. The kits are usually 40 pints (22L) or less IIRC.
That siphon, is it the auto-siphon? The quite large one? That's not for bottling with, it'll splash everywhere and introduce air into the beer. You need a bottling wand ideally, or some ~5mm silicone tubing (or a combination of both, is what I did) connected to the spout on your bottling bucket.

The big autosiphon is to get the beer from the FV to the bottling bucket (where you add your bottling sugar).


There's more than one way to do all of this, of course.
 

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