DIY All Grain Brewery

[mdex]

Can never have enough pics

[garwatts]

Finally my All Grain kit is complete.

20l stainless steel Burco boiler as my HLT, courtesy of Freecycle

Old 7 gallon Burco Boiler, again courtesy of Freecycle

Andrew

You must live in a damn good freecycle area

[Benson_JV]

Can never have enough pics

+1
We all like brew pr0n

[farmhousekeg]

I've been following this thread for a while and collecting equipment bit by bit.

Struggling to find a plate for my false bottom mash tun which is holding things up. Wanted to get a brew on tomorrow too!

You should be able to find one easily from the likes of Millets or Blacks. Failing that, anywhere selling camping supplies should be a good bet. Try to go for something with a little bit of flexibility. The first "hard" plastic plate I tried to use just shattered after I had drilled a few holes in it.

[mdex]

I've been following this thread for a while and collecting equipment bit by bit.

Struggling to find a plate for my false bottom mash tun which is holding things up. Wanted to get a brew on tomorrow too!

You should be able to find one easily from the likes of Millets or Blacks. Failing that, anywhere selling camping supplies should be a good bet. Try to go for something with a little bit of flexibility. The first "hard" plastic plate I tried to use just shattered after I had drilled a few holes in it.

Cheers,

Managed to pick one up from Decathlon which is a sports store in sheffield which also sell camping gear.

Really want to get a brew on this weekend!

[farmhousekeg]

Good stuff mdex, hope you get the MT finished and get brewing on the weekend!

[adodman]

You must live in a damn good freecycle area

I have been really lucky with Freecycle. Most of my brewing kit has been had off there. The most I have had to pay in one go was £45 for a job lot of almost brand new kit off ebay, this included two top tap king kegs and three fermentation buckets and all three buckets were full of kit.

The old Burco Boiler I received off a bloke who, as I posted a request for a boiler he posted winemaking equipment. He saw my post and I saw his post and we both emailed each other at pretty much the same time. Was very lucky. He used to be an amateur winemaking federation judge and had decided to clear out all his winemaking kit. The Burco was something he just had and wasn't part of his original offer but he threw it in. On top of the boiler and a number of fermentation buckets, I now have loads of those lol, he gave me a load of demijohns, a large five gallon glass carboy and four crates of one and two pint screw stoppered flagons with the original stone screw tops, they just need new rubber washers. I drive a Citroen Picasso and even with the back seats down I only just managed to fit everything in.

He also gave me two beer making books that I don't think he had even looked at -

"Home Brewing - The CAMRA guide - 1993 - Graham Wheeler"

"Brew your own real ale at home - CAMRA books - 1993 - Graham Wheeler and Roger Protz"

Both of these are in virtually brand new condition. I have seen on this site that the first book has been reissued. Is it worth buying the newer version or will the beer recipes I have between the two books still stand today. The info in them is around 17 years old now so I don't want to use them if they have been largely superceded. I suppose really, in view of the fact that I have been very lucky and had to spend comparatively little cash, I have no excuse really for not buying the new version and seeing for myself.

I have been lucky and have found people to be very generous. I intend to reciprocate the generosity buy sorting out any duplicate equipment I don't need and offering it on Freecycle myself, but that will have to wait for nearer summer. A lot of it is in the garage and I will have to empty it to get at it.

Cheers once again for all the advice and support.
Andrew

[edit1now]

Is it worth buying the newer version or will the beer recipes I have between the two books still stand today

Buy the newer version because we want to support Graham

The recipes in the old one will all be fine, and both malt and yeast for homebrewers are much better now.

[adodman]

I ordered the book almost immediately after posting that comment for exactly that reason. I thought that it would be best to read an up-to-date book rather than try and rely on an older book that had been given to me, I also wanted to support the author by buying a copy.

Can't wait to try out my all grain kit.

Cheers
Andrew

[Chiltern Brewer]

He also gave me two beer making books that I don't think he had even looked at -

"Home Brewing - The CAMRA guide - 1993 - Graham Wheeler"

"Brew your own real ale at home - CAMRA books - 1993 - Graham Wheeler and Roger Protz"

A mint copy of "Home Brewing" ?

That is a rare find, an excellent book and worth a bob or two!

[adodman]

"Mint" doesn't even cover it. Both books look like they have just come from the supplier that printed them. I must admit, when I was looking for the most recent edition, I did notice that a couple of people were selling copies of the one I have ranging from around £50, for a dog eared copy with beer stains up to just over £100 for what they describe as mint. Couldn't for shame sell either of them...well not without splitting the cash with the fella that gave them to me.

Mind you, I just keep reading them and reading them, but instead of just reading them I should buy the grains and get cracking. Trouble is, my King Kegs are full with what I hope will be my last kit beers, so I need to get them drank first

Did anyone see Roger Protz on Heston Blumenthals progaramme where they made 'Butterbeer', I think it would've been interesting to try the drink.

Andrew

[Chiltern Brewer]

Mind you, I just keep reading them and reading them, but instead of just reading them I should buy the grains and get cracking. Trouble is, my King Kegs are full with what I hope will be my last kit beers, so I need to get them drank first

Sounds like a good excuse to get another keg to me! How about a corny?

[mdex]

Mind you, I just keep reading them and reading them, but instead of just reading them I should buy the grains and get cracking. Trouble is, my King Kegs are full with what I hope will be my last kit beers, so I need to get them drank first

Sounds like a good excuse to get another keg to me! How about a corny?

Its now your fault when his missus kicks him out!

[Chiltern Brewer]

Its now your fault when his missus kicks him out!

[adodman]

To be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't already tried to kick me out.

I have taken over the consevatory with my all grain kit. There were bits of pipe, two boilers and a cool box, all in various stages of being 'fiddled with'. She was just going mad with the mess.

Well at least it is all done now. As I've said I just need the spare barrels before I try my first all grain attempt.

I have considered the Cornelius keg route but really dont have the space for all the stuff associated. I think that the barrels are just easiest for now. I've seen some pictures of people who have drilled holes in fridge doors and stored their kegs in them with proper beer taps on the door. I made the mistake of showing my wife and she gave me a firm 'no'. Perhaps I just need a new house and we could live together for some of the week and then I could live on my own for the rest of the week with the freedom to make and drink as much beer as I like. At least then I wouldn't have to hear her complaining about the amount of snoring i do when I've had a skinful

I received my new copy of Graham Wheelers book today. Impressive to say the least. Has a recipe for JW Lees bitter which is one of my favourite pub beers. I just love the stuff. One query though, in the recipe where it says dry hop, it just says "Dry hop with some hops" but doesn't state which ones like it does in the other recipes that suggest dry hopping. Is it just use the same hops as the ones in the boil or just that opinion is that it doesn't matter which hops you use. I know that Lees bitter has a bit of a reputation for being variable and maybe that is why it just says 'some hops'. It is certainly one recipe that I want to try.

Anyway, back to work.
Cheers
Andrew