" Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Want to experiment with additions and tweaks to beer kits? This is the place to post.
Post Reply
Geezah

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Geezah » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:03 pm

Get a hand held steam cleaner...... makes very light work of cleaning an FV before sanitation. ;)

User avatar
Ditch
Five figured forum fanatic
Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
Contact:

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Ditch » Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:49 pm

Had one for some time, mate. Stopped using it the minute the electric bill came in! :shock:

Hengoedbrewer

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Hengoedbrewer » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:10 pm

Ditch wrote:A word to the wise, about FTH's: They get cruddy. The Brain / Spew crawls over them and the residual crud tends to bake on around the top. The part where all the fiddly, twisty little bits are situated. That has to be removed, obviously.

A nail brush is the answer to so many nooks and crannies. Only, a nail brushes bristles can quite possibly nudge some setting dials a bit, either way.

What are we to do? I've found that 1/ Submerging the head of the FTH in the bleach bucket ends up stripping the numerals off the thing. Ye don't know What f**king temperature it's supposed to be set at then! :roll: Chaos!

2/ Ye scrub away with the nail brush, under a flowing tap. See above; Ye risk knocking the temp' out of true.

3/ What I'm testing now: Soak the dirty FTH in a bucket of clean water.

I'm looking at trying long soaks in cold water. Short soaks in hot water. Maybe a dash of washing up liquid. The important thing is to get that sh!t off the plastic parts ~ thoroughly and quickly.

Beauty of this thread, see? It's not just how some random bloke happens to make his chosen kit. It's a journey through a life! :mrgreen:
Ditch; have you tried Oxi-Clean as a cleaning method? I use it for my fv's (and it brings them up sparkling using very little and absolutely minimal elbow grease needed! You can get own brand versions in places like B and M Bargains, or the pound shops, and it lasts ages as you don't use much. Worth a go perhaps- you want the unscented one though. I have never used it on a FTH as I use the water bath method, so mine don't get that mucky, but I don't think it would do them too much harm....

demig
Hollow Legs
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:04 pm

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by demig » Sat Oct 03, 2015 7:44 pm

Don't own a nail brush, maybe the misus has one... Anyway some good tips in here as fths are a nightmare to clean. Judging by the lovely smell this is giving off any hard work cleaning will be worth it. Temp was a bit low the first couple of days but steady at 22 since Friday morning, still bubbling away through airlock as fth through gromit in lid. Slowed down a lot today so maybe heading towards the end. Can't wait, weather is turning so it's nearly time for stout :D

Demig

Mr. R. Soled

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Mr. R. Soled » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:16 pm

Ditch & Gents.
Just finished reading through the thread and registered here to say my thanks.
I started knocking up Coopers Stout about four years ago, soon started tinkering with it and soon thereafter discovered the famous 'Ditch's Stout' recipe online somewhere. These days it's only the true Ditch recipe I follow. I don't throw in a Cadburys CurlyWurly or a bag of Aniseed Balls just for the fun of it.
It's always a cracking brew, never fails.
Due to work, I have to leave home for a fortnight or so, Three or Four times a year. It's this time of year I get the brews on the go.
Day before I leave, I clean, bleach and rinse my Three FVs in the bath, and leave them there. Mix up the Three kits, lob in the yeast and put lids on. For the time I'm away, I have a small oil filled radiator in the bathroom on a timer, it comes on max setting for Eight hours a night. That seems to sort out any temperature problems. Upon my return I'm greeted with Three FVs full of Stout. I'm also often greeted with a bath resembling a dirty protest, but nothing a bottle of bleach doesn't sort.
So, Thanks a billion Ditch for the recipe, Thanks for continuing to update this thread with your escapades and Thanks everyone else who contributed along the way.
This is the bottom line bit.
If anyone reads this and is thinking of having a go for the first time. Please do so. To the letter.

User avatar
Ditch
Five figured forum fanatic
Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
Contact:

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Ditch » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:52 pm

:shock: Oh dear! That'll have the haters foaming at the mouth! Their little heads will get all hot and tight feeling as their blood pressure goes stratospheric. Make their ears pop, it will Image Belter of a post anyway. Thanks.

Delighted to see ye aboard anyway, Mr Soled. How intriguing that ye say ye came across this recipe, " Somewhere on line ". Not here then? Well I'm blowed. I wonder if someone's lifted it and put it else where then? Must admit; I don't go anywhere else, so I wouldn't know.

Three FV's, three or four times a year though? Isn't that a bit boom and bust? :|

User avatar
Ditch
Five figured forum fanatic
Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
Contact:

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Ditch » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:58 pm

Demig; How the hell are ye functioning with a FTH flex through the lid? Do ye take the bloody plug off every time, to clean it? Or do ye clean with it all flapping about together?

Anyway; Dumped my Fluval, head down, in a bucket of water the other day. Left it there overnight. Crap was all soft next day. Rinsed off a lot easier than the usual, backed on stuff. And that's meaningful too. Because it means less digging and scrubbing. Less chance of knocking that heat control knob out of true 8)

demig
Hollow Legs
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:04 pm

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by demig » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:20 pm

Ditch, not through how to deal with it when it comes out but yes I took the plug of and stuck it through. Stupid I know but got me a brew fridge build in progress now so the fth ain't gonna be around for long. That's if I can work out why the free fridge I got trips my rcd of course! Still got the odd bubble going on, 7 days tomorrow should I call this done?

Cheers

Demig

User avatar
Ditch
Five figured forum fanatic
Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
Contact:

Re:

Post by Ditch » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:55 pm

demig wrote: Still got the odd bubble going on, 7 days tomorrow should I call this done?
Demig; What the F*** have " Bubbles " got to do with this thread?

Ah, yes. I see ..... You've got a 'Wine Makers Colon' attached to your FV.

Why, Demig? Where, in this entire thread, do I advocate the use of a plastic colon?

Do I not stipulate the temperatures. The volumes. The times required to reproduce clones of what I like to drink? And no where do I advocate or suggest the use of a plastic gut. Do I?

Have you access to a shotgun, Demig? Shotgun and a camera? If so; You Know what ye have to do with that plastic pretender. Show us the film.

If not? Send it to me. I'll do it.

F**k it; Everyone send me their f**king air locks! I'll make Babi Yar look like a picnic!!! :twisted:

demig
Hollow Legs
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:04 pm

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by demig » Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:45 am

Ditch wrote:
demig wrote: Still got the odd bubble going on, 7 days tomorrow should I call this done?
Demig; What the F*** have " Bubbles " got to do with this thread?

Ah, yes. I see ..... You've got a 'Wine Makers Colon' attached to your FV.

Why, Demig? Where, in this entire thread, do I advocate the use of a plastic colon?

Do I not stipulate the temperatures. The volumes. The times required to reproduce clones of what I like to drink? And no where do I advocate or suggest the use of a plastic gut. Do I?

Have you access to a shotgun, Demig? Shotgun and a camera? If so; You Know what ye have to do with that plastic pretender. Show us the film.

If not? Send it to me. I'll do it.

F**k it; Everyone send me their f**king air locks! I'll make Babi Yar look like a picnic!!! :twisted:
Tremendous reply, I deserved that :) Airlock is on cos the bucket is new and I didn't know better ;) Also because it blocked a hole in the lid and stops dust and crap getting in as I am demolishing a wall right next to the fv and I don't want brick dust in my pint. I will get this out and start drinking and get rid of the bubbler before I get in more trouble!

Cheers

Demig

demig
Hollow Legs
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:04 pm

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by demig » Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:46 am

Oh and no shotgun but I could use my longbow for some old school destruction.

User avatar
Ditch
Five figured forum fanatic
Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
Contact:

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Ditch » Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:50 am

Cellotape over the hole.

And Long Bow destruction of a bubbler would be absolutely f**king Epic! =D> [-o< :mrgreen:

bquiggerz

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by bquiggerz » Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:42 am

Ditch wrote:
And Long Bow destruction of a bubbler would be absolutely f**king Epic! =D> [-o< :mrgreen:
I second this, I'd love to watch this!

Mr. R. Soled

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by Mr. R. Soled » Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:13 pm

Ditch - I found your recipe on a bloke's blog or a kit review site. Something like that. When I was first tinkering with the kit, I think I googled Coopers Stout and Spray Malt. Something like that, but it's a few years back so not entirely sure. But. No, it wasn't on this here site.
The three FVs at once? Well, I have to do that really. I don't have room to get three FVs on the go anywhere else and when I want to make a batch up of Ditches, I ain't piddling about with one FV. I do also knock up another kit of something else once a month, I have room for that in the kitchen. Presently, my Christmas brew is on the go. A three can affair from Wilkos. A Stout, a Brown Ale, a Pilsner with 1KG of Spraymalt. Awesome stuff. Very naughty. I've no idea how strong it is, but my brother who's a big bloke, a big drinker, knocked back nine or ten pints of it a few Boxing Days ago. Since then, my Christmas brew has been named 'Bed Wetter'
Before I forget. Fish Tank Heaters. I used to soak mine overnight in cheapo cola. You know the stuff I mean. 20p for 2 litres stuff. Worked a treat.
Finally, one to send the Health and Safety airlock brigade (and most sane people really) running to the hills...my pal brews his bitter in a kitchen bin. He bought it, chucked the lid away and knocks up two kits in it to 40 odd litres. The lid? A towel held in place by a bungy cord. When I asked him if it was food safe plastic?...."Fukked if I know" :shock:

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: " Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

Post by WalesAles » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:03 pm

Mr. R. Soled wrote: my Christmas brew has been named 'Bed Wetter'
The lid? A towel held in place by a bungy cord. When I asked him if it was food safe plastic?...."Fukked if I know" :shock:
Rsole,
This is what we want! :D
Wimps and Airlocks have no place on this Thread! :D
Brew like a Man ( or Lady). Follow the Rules, Throw it all in, forget about it for a couple of days, drink it as you like! :D
Game On! :D =D>

WA

Post Reply