Jim's Beer Kit

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 ...

This used to be a favourite of mine when I lived in Newbury back in the early 1990s. There was a pub that was a handy stop on the way home from the gym that served a decent pint :) Possibly the Fox and Hounds, but I'm really not sure. So, I broke out my copy of Wheeler and Protz, scaled up the recip...

Might have to try this myself, though it's getting a bit late for elderflowers here. Normally we pick bucketloads just to turn into elderflower cordial, but there must be a few left over. Or I can raid some of the ones my wife has stashed in the freezer next to my hops.

James

My spent grain also goes to our chickens. I just leave a bucket with the spent grain in by the runs and chuck a small panful into each run each morning until it's gone. Then it goes on the compost heap after the chickens have, err, "processed" it. Spent hops go straight to the compost. I have read t...

I shall certainly give that a go.

James

First post for a long time. Been busy with life and suchlike. Fortunately at no point have I run out of beer :) For many years I've used one of these twin-lever things for capping bottles: https://www.tanstaafl.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/capper1.jpg It does a good job of crimping the cap on ni...