Jim's Beer Kit

I've been brewing for 25 years and have always used a 'picnic cooler' mash tun. Recently I've been having a problem with arthritis and just don't have the strength that I used to have. I have to get my wife to help me lift the picnic cooler onto the kitchen worktop to drain off the wort! Silly ques...

Assuming you brew 23 litres, it seems you mash with 2.5 litres per kg of grain. Would it be practical to mash with 1.5 litres per kg and sparge more? Try adding 5% sugar, darker sugars in darker beers and reduce the grains accordingly. Few breweries use sugars today as malt is cheaper, but made usi...

I've been brewing for 25 years and have always used a 'picnic cooler' mash tun. Recently I've been having a problem with arthritis and just don't have the strength that I used to have. I have to get my wife to help me lift the picnic cooler onto the kitchen worktop to drain off the wort! (I calculat...

Has anyone used Harris yeast? https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/ha ... ewing.html
It's certainly cheap - but how does it compare to other, more expensive dried yeasts?

Further research suggests that the John Guest fitting that I have is a "John Guest Female Adaptor 3/8 inch Tube OD x 1/4 FFL Thread" and the thing I am looking for is a "1/4" FFL 1/4" barbed swivel nut" which are readily available on ebay.

I believe it to be 1/4". There was a John Guest connector included with the regulator, it's got a product code of (what appears to be) P NSF 51 46 3/8" on the end. I think that the 3/8" refers to the hose size. Still Googling the code, but the thread OD is approx 11mm

Thanks, Mashbag. They're coming up on my searches.

Hope someone can help. I've got one of these on my Kegland MK4 gas regulator. It's the gas out. I want to get another one - but what is it called? If I knew what it was, I'd be able to do a Google or ebay search. (Alternatively, where can I buy one.)

In early days of home brewing, when the licence requirement was abolished, glucose chips were a common addition, and I seem to recall they would provide a certain kind of additional flavour, but by recollection, that wasn't as rich as from invert sugar - it's interesting to note that on the two bot...

Yes, I've seen marmalade suggested in Mosher's 'Radical Brewing' - just never had the nerve to try it!

I've made Seymour's 'Citra Gold' a couple of times and it's come out well, but the orange zest is a bit of a pain. I buy 'easy peel' oranges regularly but they have a wax coating (it says on the pack 'Treated with wax (E904), pyrimethanil, thiabendazole & imazalil'). I have washed them in hot soapy ...

I too have been reading Ron's posts with interest. I tried making a No 1 invert using Tesco's golden granulated sugar and the method outlined here , heating to 114 degrees C. Used it in a brew with 6% invert and it'll be the next one to drink. I'll try making it using plain golden granulated sugar n...

I use a simple aquarium air pump with an aquarium air stone. I sterilise the stone after use by bubbling air through it in some sterilising solution.

I used to use Midget Widget cylinders, then when they became unavailable I got a regulator and adapter for Sodastream cylinders - but they're not really up to the job as far as I'm concerned. I'm on my third Sodastream cylinder this year, whereas the Widget ones used to last me about a year! It look...

I've tasted a bit - tastes OK but I might try steeping some as vacant suggests. (I too have used some very old dark malts with no obvious effect on taste). I presume that it would have lost some of its diastatic power but I only use about 250g of it in a 5 gallon brew anyway so that wouldn't be a co...