Brewing Beer

[Clutch88 13]

Do we have any brewers here?

Its a great hobby, something very satisfying about using malt and hops. to create your own beer, or try and replicate one of your favourites. Not only is it cost effective (30p-ish a pint), but you can create something that tastes great, and in some cases better then what's served in your local. You don't need to spend a fortune on kit to start out, and if you brew in small batches it can be a relativity simple process.

I am currently drinking a nice hoppy IPA which is a great pint. However, I still have a couple of pints of my winter ale left, so I will try one of those next, its not for the faint hearted, coming in at 8.7%. I have just brewed a red mild this evening, which I am currently transferring into the fermenter. 

With the current situation we are all in, stocking up my beer store has alleviated some boredom, I have some alcoholic ginger beer and a proper mild fermenting on the kitchen counter. Not sure my girlfriend is too impressed, but I have also brewed her a dozen bottles of red wine, so I think I am still in her good books.

[Jonathon Gillham 3167]

Just a wannabe here. Its something which I will end up doing but at the next house with a decent shed for all my (dumb) ideas! Although a neighbour(ish, 3min drive away) has a great setup, and has even won some awards, has offered to let me use his kit and he'll teach me what to do. Just need to find the time

[Clutch88 13]

19 minutes ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Just a wannabe here. Its something which I will end up doing but at the next house with a decent shed for all my (dumb) ideas! Although a neighbour(ish, 3min drive away) has a great setup, and has even won some awards, has offered to let me use his kit and he'll teach me what to do. Just need to find the time

It certainly is easier if you know someone that can show you the basics. And, a good shed always helps!

 

Most of my kit is currently in storage, and retrieving it hasn't been an option due to lockdown measures. So, I have been brewing small 14 pint batches. You can really simplify the process and make some fantastic beer. 

[lucasan 17]

Sadly I sold my setup, over $400 worth of gear for $50 when I had to get rid of everything quickly. I had 2 carboys, a few 6 gallon buckets and bottling equipment. The most expensive thing out of the lot was a 5 gallon stainless steel pot for boiling the wort. I miss it because I made some really good brews and it was very satisfying to drink what I had made. Plus, it saved a bit of money over buying store bought beer.

One of these days I may take the plunge again, this time with full grain recipes, rather than LME.

[Mad Ax 3008]

Not something I've ever done but have thought about it a few times.  I guess I've had the misfortune to sample some rather poor homebrews which leads me to believe that you really need expensive equipment and years of experience to make a good beer.  Which I know can't be true - after all it's no different to any other creative process - passion and experience are key.

While I'm always dubious when someone says "better than what's served in your local" and 8.7% in the same post - I haven't had many strong ales that I've enjoyed - I'm sure the OP knows what a good beer tastes like

Right now I'm too crazy busy trying to finish off some RC projects (along with work and looking after a toddler) but I'm keeping it on my radar

[yogi-bear 1706]

I tried brewing when I was at uni. Ginger beer was really easy, tasted ok and cheap. The beer I tried, that was a different story! I used the wrong sugar and ended up with a badly tasting apple flavoured beer (that was not the intention ). I think I drank about half before I gave up on it. Still if you practice, you can get some really good flavours and there is a lot of things you can brew. Although I can't really recommend the tea wine I tried once 

[Clutch88 13]

2 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

Not something I've ever done but have thought about it a few times.  I guess I've had the misfortune to sample some rather poor homebrews which leads me to believe that you really need expensive equipment and years of experience to make a good beer.  Which I know can't be true - after all it's no different to any other creative process - passion and experience are key.

While I'm always dubious when someone says "better than what's served in your local" and 8.7% in the same post - I haven't had many strong ales that I've enjoyed - I'm sure the OP knows what a good beer tastes like

Right now I'm too crazy busy trying to finish off some RC projects (along with work and looking after a toddler) but I'm keeping it on my radar

I think extract homebrew kits can be an issue, they are extremely easy to put together, so great for a beginner. However, I just think the end product just isn't that great. Its also associated with the homebrew 'twang'.

 

You don't need expensive kit. I have a proper set up, but is currently in storage. I have been all grain brewing on my stove top, with a large 17 litre stockpot that I purchased on ebay for £25. The more you spend, the more you can micro manage every aspect of your brew. This can help with consistency, and makes small tweaks/changes far easier. However, the process remains the same.

 

My winter ale is a clone from the Sarah Hughes brewery, called Snowflake. Its a popular strong beer, brewed in the midlands. I am sure some of you will have come across it, especially if you frequent winter ale festivals or enjoy a strong seasonal pint!

 

There is no reason you can't make beer that is equal to what you can get in your local. in fact, there has been a surge over the last few years with micro breweries popping up, most of them were hobby brewers, who have just scaled up their production for commercial sale. 

 

I know what you mean about finding the time, sometimes you have to be selective about hobbies, but brewing is a good one to have.

 

[lucasan 17]

I've brewed about 30 batches of LME beer and at first they were "ok", but by the 5th or 6th batch they were tasting as they should. I think largely you need to pay attention to your boil, and of course washing and sanitizing bottling eq and bottles is absolutely imperative. You can ruin entire batches by not properly washing and sanitizing.

[KEV THE REV 1302]

My Mo in law used to brew home brew beer , and wine - potent stuff

[topforcein 1319]

i still have the same set-up i brought when i was 17 (49 know) and i made my first brew to be ready for my 18th i remember putting in twice the amount of sugar to make it strung

and i managed to get it ready for my 18th .....but stupid me and my mate decided to lace it with blow you head of cider(as you do ) and we got good and drunk 

the next thing i remember is being in the toilet of my brother and sister in laws house and up came the deadly concoction all over the walls the bath mainly every where  tbh

and left with out knowing what i had done until the next day i did apologise for a few days after mind i did have a hang over for about 2 days after.

i have made many brews over the years mainly larger but the last few i have tryed ipa and bitter as well.

i dont make many these days as i cant really drink due to health probs 

i do have a home brew shop about 20 mins drive fro me witch is really the only place to get home brew supplys