Jim's Beer Kit

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Gives me plenty to think about. I don't have a suitable cooled cabinet for fermentation, so I'll probably wait until we get into winter when air temperatures are below those required and then use my fermentation cabinet as normal (but set to the lower temperature).

I've been brewing my own beers for more than twenty-five years and been very happy with the British styles I've made. It's rare for me to do anything other than all-grain recipes these days, fermented in an insulated fermentation cabinet, and my preference is to bottle once the main fermentation is ...

I've yet to get to grips with a 'proper'' compost heap, but as far as I know it's a bit of a dark art and requires a fine balance of various materials. I'm not sure it's really a dark art, but you do need a reasonable balance of "green" and "brown" material (about 2:1 I believe). I generally think ...

Lovely. Thank you.

James

A few weeks back when I was making my last batch of beer I brought a packet of S-04 into the kitchen to make into a starter after which point I was completely unable to find it again and nor could anyone else. In the end I put it down to having a "senior moment" and hadn't actually got the yeast in ...

I shall have to file this away to have a go at once my current plans are completed. This weekend, at my son's request, we're doing a batch of Brewdog's Punk IPA and once that's clear of the fermentation cabinet I have my eye on a batch of Seymour's Hobgoblin. Do you have a link to the original PJ re...

Hmmm.... Garlic beer...

It did take a good soak with oxyclean type stuff to get rid of the smell of mango chutney from mine, it has to be said.

James

I think they have a thermostat in (such a long time since I fitted mine I can't be sure), but that may not be that accurate or for the temperature range you want, which is why I use an STC-1000 to control mine.

James

Dave1970 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 23, 2020 5:53 pm

that's a 60 litre barrel in there.

Is that a mango chutney barrel I see before me?

James

Personally I think it's easier to add the total amount of sugar to the barrel you're bottling from, syphon in the beer, give it a gentle stir and bottle immediately.

James

Mine is a tube with electrical connections at one end and a couple of clips that allow you to fix it wherever you need. At the bottom of the cabinet here:



(The cabinet wasn't quite finished at this point.)

James

It wouldn't have been a very exciting photo with the lid on, now would it?

Once the froth has died down the lid goes on.

James

Finished up this morning. OG was a little on the low side. Not sure why.



And into the fermentation cabinet...



James

custom-built Kingspan/Celotex box That's what I did. Basically a cupboard large enough to take two fermenters with a ply inner and outer skin with 50mm celotex sandwiched between the two, 4" PC fan at the top and 40W greenhouse heater at the bottom. STC-1000 mounted in the door to control the green...

My experience has always been that it top-ferments very nicely and suddenly drops like a stone forming a fairly solid mass at the bottom of the fermenter. I've not used it for two or maybe three years though. I do have some that was delivered on Friday, so I shall watch out for changes in behaviour ...