Jim's Beer Kit

Hi, I have occasionally have had some jelly like deposits in my boiler after a boil and am wondering what it is - like perhaps, is it a protien drop out? I am brewing using a Grainfather G30, grain is Maris Otter Pale malt, Crystal Malt medium, Rice Hulls and Black malt. All hops are all leaf hops -...

I have read various threads on here re hop spiders v mesh bags v loose. I tried a hop spider, it had a 300 mesh, used it just the once, hopeless. The temperature measured inside the spider was 8-10 deg.C below than the boiling wort around it. I now use it just to strain/filter the wort when it is be...

Now reading "How to Brew" by John Palmer which goes into some detail the theory and calculations I need to know about most aspects of brewing it would appear at first glance.

Chris

Hi - as per my other current post, sorry for the lack of reply but I have been somewhat sidetracked this week. Reflecting on the comments made, it was interesting to hear that we can expect to achieve higher extraction efficiencies using todays available malts and brewing equipment. Being a relativ...

Hi - sorry for the lack of reply, have been somewhat sidetracked this week. From what you all say it sounds like I am just over priming. I started brewing using Brupaks Craftsman brew packs and similar, before moving onto other recipe bitters from GW's book and using malt extract and hops, before mo...

Hi again - second query is on barrel pressure. All my brews over the past few months have been fermented out until the SG doesn't move, then racked off into a KingKeg barrel with between 120 and 150 grams of Medium Spray Malt dissolved in about 300ml or so hot water, cooled and added to barrel befor...

Hi, I have a couple of queries so I will put them into two threads so one doesn't detract from t'other! First up is ABV. I brew all grain using recipes from Graham Wheeler's "Brew your own British Real Ale" book, typically recently has been Exe Valley Autumn Glory, Courage Directors and Timothy Tayl...

Kev - thanks for your considered discourse, gave more food for thought. Yes of course the hops will settle out in the middle, how silly of me, not thinking straight. The whirlpool will produce a centrifugal force effect, so all the heavy stuff will go to the outside and the lighter stuff (the hops) ...

I've heard of the 'whirlpool' technique but not tried it. I assume that after the wort is cooled it's then given a mighty 'stir' and all the rubbish collects around the outside of the internal circumference and settles there out the way - am I right, or how does it work? Do you use a special paddle ...

Up to now I have used muslin bags to contain the hops in my Bulldog Brewer during the boil. I have just bought a hop spider with a 300 micron mesh and used it for the first time. I wondered about how well it works. During the boil I noticed that the boil didn't seem to be happening inside the spider...

Hi John, yes the thermostat did settle down on the mash and ended up controlling at the set point quite acceptably. I think part of the problem was that it was my first go with the BB and so I had no experience to guide me on power settings. I was under the impression prior to setting off that the p...

Hi, have just had a long brewing day with a couple of firsts for me - first brew with my new Bulldog Brewer and a first total brew - start to finish - in my shed, which from now on doubles as both a brewery and a machine shop. Thought I would note down my experience, maybe of interest to someone I h...

OK Jim, 250ml it is, about, it's done and we'll see how it goes. Thanks for your help, I appreciated it. Chris

OK Jim, I can just rehydrate in cooled boiled water, let the yeast grow a bit an start adding the wort a litle at a time to get it going. What sort of quantity of water would you rehydrate the yeast in? I was thinking perhaps a litre so as to be able to add say 0.25 litre wort at a time, certainly t...

Jim, I have a couple of sachets of Gervin GV12 Ale yeast, well in date (!), the query is, what is the best way to add the yeast; directly, rehydrate first, or make a starter with it then added it? My fears regarding adding it directly or just rehydrating is that some of the brew will be alcohol and ...