Wilfy
Striker
I would sterilise it. Blow off tube is easy like.
Homebrewing - Part 3
- Thread starter jubblies
- Start date
Been considering a go at this for quite a few years, but never took the plunge.
Then I see someone selling one of these near me for £90: Klarstein 30 litre kit
Is it worth grabbing to make things easy or are they just a waste of time?
Then I see someone selling one of these near me for £90: Klarstein 30 litre kit
Is it worth grabbing to make things easy or are they just a waste of time?
I’ve got one of those, made a few decent brews in it, I also have a second boiler to top it up as the recipes I’ve looked at recommends using half the total liquid to steep the grains. There’s a few guides on YouTube.
Worth a punt for 90 quid.
The guide I looked at just added two kettles hot and one kettle cold after the grains were removed...I think
Mickdundee
Winger
£90 for one of them is a bit of a bargain.
Those units are probably the most common of the cheaper all in ones - they are rebranded by various different brands with different names (mine is the BrewDevil from Angel Homebrew) and sold by several different companies.
You’ll need a small boiler for your sparge water (so they aren’t really “all-in-one”) but I can get away with a full-volume mash (no sparge) brew (I aim for 20L in the fermenter) if my grainbill is no more than 4.5kg.
I assume when some guides have talked about grains in a bag, are people who aren't using one of these all in one things?
Mickdundee
Winger
Yes, a BIAB set up is just a boiler with a grain bag. That’s how I started in all grain before getting my BrewDevil.
My motivation is my love of wheat beer against the rather prohibitive cost of the stuff, my favourite is £2 bottle, but generally go with Aldi at the "bargain" price of £1.25 a bottle.
Just worried my concoction will end up nowhere near as good.
Just worried my concoction will end up nowhere near as good.
Mickdundee
Winger
German wheat beers are one of the easiest styles to not mess up, because most of the flavour comes from the yeast. 50:50 wheat malt and lager malt, a very small amount of bittering hops, then ferment with a decent German wheat yeast. Once you’ve done a couple you can experiment a bit more, seeing if you prefer the yeast on the hotter or cooler end (hotter for more of a banana flavour, cooler for more clove), seeing if you like it with a little Vienna malt added etcMy motivation is my love of wheat beer against the rather prohibitive cost of the stuff, my favourite is £2 bottle, but generally go with Aldi at the "bargain" price of £1.25 a bottle.
Just worried my concoction will end up nowhere near as good.
Belgian witbiers are supposedly quite difficult to get right but I’ve never struggled and they are one of my favourite styles to brew. A lot of people (I’ve seen recipes and even commercial breweries doing this) try to make a Hefeweizen with orange and coriander added, but a Belgian wit uses unmalted wheat and Belgian yeast.
More help needed lads and lasses.
On to my fourth batch of cider. The good news is the first three batches taste like they’re going to be great. I think the first two are around 6.7% and the last batch only around 2.7% (that can’t be right?).
I was planning on making this last batch sweeter, so only letting it ferment for a few days before bottling it. But it’s developed the biggest spongy crust that I’ve learned is Krausen (?).
I started it off on Saturday so that’s only two days in. Do I need to leave it until that crust has disappeared and if so how long will that take? Or can I bottle it earlier so that it’s sweeter and if so how?
It looks like suet pudding me Nana used to make.
On to my fourth batch of cider. The good news is the first three batches taste like they’re going to be great. I think the first two are around 6.7% and the last batch only around 2.7% (that can’t be right?).
I was planning on making this last batch sweeter, so only letting it ferment for a few days before bottling it. But it’s developed the biggest spongy crust that I’ve learned is Krausen (?).
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I started it off on Saturday so that’s only two days in. Do I need to leave it until that crust has disappeared and if so how long will that take? Or can I bottle it earlier so that it’s sweeter and if so how?
It looks like suet pudding me Nana used to make.
DoctorMick
Striker
If you don’t kill off the yeast before you bottle they’ll likely explode if it hasn’t fully fermented. If you do kill off the yeast it’ll be flat as a fart.
So what should I do?
Wilfy
Striker
Let it ferment out would be my advice.
DoctorMick
Striker
And back sweeten with lactose or artificial sweeteners if you want a sweet cider I guess.
Wilfy
Striker
First brew for a few years is now being drank. Twisting my melon man (huell melon hops), need to do some line balancing to get the pour right.
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just having the first of a st. peters ruby ale i set off just after christmas. it's actually very nice and i'm quite impressed.
in fact i'm very impressed, probably the clearest and nicest tasting one i've done
in fact i'm very impressed, probably the clearest and nicest tasting one i've done
Exactly what I've just poured myself too, but from a fast diminishing keg! I like the St Peter's kits, they're excellent. Their Golden Ale is superb. My current order of kits is held up by the mayhem over here at the moment so sadly I've nothing fermenting just now. Hope it comes soon, although I've got a fridge full of bottles to tide me over.just having the first of a st. peters ruby ale i set off just after christmas. it's actually very nice and i'm quite impressed.
in fact i'm very impressed, probably the clearest and nicest tasting one i've done
i've only ever had the shop bought bottles and liked them so thought i'd try a homebrew.
there's a canny shop down middlesbrough where i went for some stuff and the wifey recommended it. never tried the golden ale kit though, is it any good?
just clicked on you're not in the uk (i presume?)
Correct, I'm in France so everything is a bit chaotic due to the strikes and demonstrations! I get my kits from the UK though, from The Home Brew Experts - Love Brewing although the extra faff and costs due to Brexit is becoming a considerable pain in the backside. Good prices and excellent service I find. Thoroughly recommend the St Peter's Golden Ale, it's one of my favourites.
Gordon Ottershaw
Midfield
Any tips for producing clearer beer? I am drinking my West Coast IPA and it looks like a UTI. I used Irish moss in the boil but there is still loads of sediment in the bottles. Tastes nice mind.
