Jim's Beer Kit

I'm getting a buddy into all grain brewing and I reckon we are going to go down the easy route and buy a standard coolbox mashtun already fabricated (Brupaks) and build our own boiler/hlt. I've made up a boiler myself before so that will be a pair of cheap kettles, boiler tap and a hop strainer but ...

Thanks for the help and tips chaps. I've used the polypins quite a few times in the past and can only imagine rough housing by the movers burst a seal on this one as it is only one brew old. I transferred it via a line of tubing to a new pin with 20 grams sucrose in it in the hope of some priming ta...

That makes sense looking at the beer Jim. Odd as I usually carbonate heavy for American style ales etc. and these beers have little if any carb so I guess it has just got itself all settled out and then I threw it in the back of a moving man and shook it like a cocktail. It doesn't reach maturity un...

Ok, I think I was right in initially attributing this to the moving house as I cracked a Porter at room temperature and there was no avalanche of foaming liquid escaping the bottle. It poured normally with a right amount of head and tasted...well...like Porter. Result! I thought as I held it up to t...

I'm not even sure the beer will consume the new sugar anyway as it has been sat around happily for 8 weeks conditioning. It was rock hard for a couple of days and then on Dennis' advice I slackened her off a bit and she was plump enough when i moved house...since I got here whenever I looked over at...

I have had good success in the past but laying the blame for this one on the moving house. Beer smells fine from sniffing the leaky cardboard so hopefully with a bit of luck and crossed fingers it'll re-prime a touch to get some gas in time for Christmas. Failing that it'll be gone in short order as...

Ok. I'll sanitise another pin and tube it over into a new keg with 40 grams sucrose.

Any benefit in dropping a bit of a pack of so4 in?

Thanks for the guidance Dennis. I blame this liquid fullers, my porter turned volcanic on 80g

Crumbs! The pin has been resting tap facing up since Dennis told me to vent some of the spare gas and I just flipped it into pouring position to tape up for transport and......beer soaking through the cardboard and onto the carpet! Quick inspection shows a hair line leak in the seam at the front of ...

Here's the beer after a considerable chilling...bit too cold for my liking though:

Cheers guys, Can positively rule out infection as the beers are tasting fantastic even at this early stage and nothing in them suggests anything awry. FG on Wyeast was 1.010 and on White Labs was 1.012, these readings were consistent for at least 48 hours. Eric, I think I'll stick another of each in...

Hi all, First time using Fullers Yeasts from both Wyeast and White Labs and cracked a couple of my tester bottles (5-6 weeks in the bottle) and although nothing starts raging out of the bottle when I crack the cap...as soon as I pour I get a pint of foam. I primed the White Labs Fullers with 80g ove...

Just an update. I used the flat carbonated water for my first batch then went straight out and got the regular ashbeck that seems quite popular and apparently no issues with either having cracked my testers. On another note regarding the foam and the blast bottle Rinser: I have no issues at all usin...

Hi all, this has been batch maturing since adding Brandy in March 2009. It is now time to bottle and this is where I need some help. I have the bottles etc. but I need a few of those foil caps that shrink over the bottle neck when held over the kettle. Without wishing to buy a whole bag of them (as ...

Ok fair enough. I usually siphon the beer into a pan and heat this with priming sugars and add to the main batch. I was basically trying to save myself having to keep a pan back but I guess this is no great hardship and I'll just keep one behind. I will transfer the beer into the bottling bucket fir...

Ok, well finances and circumstances have conspired against me and I am moving home this week. Notwithstanding the heartbreak of moving 175 full 500ml bottles and a 20 litre polypin of beer to the new flat; I also have 23 litres of Black IPA almost ready for bottling. I need to be out by Thursday mor...