Jim's Beer Kit

I like it timbo - a man after my own heart, I'd been wondering how to make a cheap bottle tree. also trying to find a good plastic crate for storing bottles. Blagged a couple of poly crates http://imageshack.us/a/img268/5662/polybottlemilkcrate.jpg from my local corner shop, and they hold 12 pint bo...

Thanks for the positive comments everyone, Dean you're a genius, if you've not got copyright on that comment it's not going to be Steptoes anymore, I'm going to rename it the "Ghetto Brewery" and name my first recipe "Ghetto Beauty" after that quote! That's a glorious description of my build - cheer...

O-ring set? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbin ... 703/p80033
hth
lg

Not sure yet about first AG brew, I'm browsing through Graham Wheelers BYOBritish Real Ale, thinking about a Gales clone as I'm Hampshire based and reckon I could ignore any thoughts of water treatment because of this. Still being pulled towards Courage Directors though. Can anyone advise me on some...

Stage 2 The boiler! http://imageshack.us/a/img203/333/montagecopy.jpg Made from a beer-line cleaner bottle, I checked with the manufacturer all their bottles are HDPE, so food safe, concerns about HDPE softening were answered when I found the wall thickness is between 7-8mm, a full boil didn't softe...

Ahh you've sussed me out Hogarth ! I was hoping you'd mistake the name and think it referred to everything being built from salvaged scrap

Thanks for the encouragement! cazamodo - the MT is a snug fit in the box, but of course its a round tub in a square box, I've cut 4 triangular cross section lengths of polystyrene to drop into the corners when I close it up and cut a disc that fits snug in the lid. Having trouble measuring temp drop...

I've been longing to try AG for a while but funds do not permit spending much, so I'm trying to put together the basics for as little as possible. then I can try an AG brew or two before deciding if I want to carry on, and if I do - getting SWMBO to agree! I'd be grateful for any advice or comments ...

thanks Dr D!
lg

Has anyone used vaseline to lube the threads on the drum taps you get on king kegs and beerspheres? Mine are cleaned each for each use but trying to turn them smoothly to draw a pint gets more and more difficult, they stick, then jump and blast beer out suddenly. I'm hoping a bit of vaseline will le...

I bought a silicon pie dish from 99p stores and used that to cut out some washers for my tank connectors, the silicon won't degrade and makes a really good seal.
hth
lg

Microscopic hairline scratches caused by general usage, will fatally flaw the glass, then if it's thin enough a bit too much pressure, or a seemingly innocuous bump at the wrong point on the surface will cause it to break. Just watch how glaziers cut sheet glass with a tiny scratch!

As alix101 says maybe it's not one single cause. Taking the hydrometer reading when the wort is still a bit too warm would lose you a few points, add that to the other suggestions above and they could all start to add up to getting on for 18 points. Do your brews actually taste less alcoholic when t...

Make sure the extension leads are definitely 13A rated, There are an awful lot out there now that are only 10A rated, and have thinner conductors. I even spotted some in B&Q before christmas which were in packs printed "10A extension lead" I noticed they definitely had the thinner cable and on the p...

Good point Fil, thanks for the warning/reminder, like I say I don't have them yet, but I am driving past the site on a daily basis waiting for the builders to return. If I am lucky enough to get them I'll check them over carefully before deciding what to do, I was thinking about a bottom tap - but y...