Jim's Beer Kit

Hurray!

Proper post to come shortly.

Stupid internet.

IMG_0121 by Luke Vinten, on Flickr

Damn. How do I do it?

It's all the fault of Photobucket, those swindling scoundrels. Now I'm having to experiment with flickr... <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/153655744@N07/36540221725/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_0121"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/36540221725_b2210...

Sorry, made a boob while trying to post. Nothing to see here!

Thanks for the replies. I doubt it's infection, since I noticed it straight after the boil. And I don't think it's astringency -- it doesn't have that tongue-puckering quality. The EKGs are probably innocent and I just managed to f*** up somehow, but as an experiment I'm going to boil up various dif...

My last couple of brews have been undrinkable due to a piercing 'bitter' aftertaste that I've never had before. It tastes like that stuff they put on kid's fingernails to stop them biting them. In both brews I used the same batch of EKG (AA 5.5%) but only in the usual amounts for a pale ale. I'm won...

Cheers all - right in line with what I suspected - that the HLT is the poor relation in the world of shiny = sexy! I think the mop out with towels I'll be my preferred method until I can put a bottom drain on it. Regards, Pat Bottom drains aren't necessarily all that good at emptying the HLT. I hav...

I just leave the ullage in for next time. It's not ideal to have dechlorinated water sitting around in a tank for weeks, but whenever I've tasted it it's been okay.

One day I'll change it for a conical HLT which drains every last drop. One day.

It is relatively easy to get a seal initially ... But subsequently maintaining that seal at very low pressure, reliably over time, is a different matter. Yes, this is what happened with mine. It held the pressure fine until it was 3/4 empty, and then began leaking. I don't know why, since I didn't ...

Thanks for these, chaps. As it happens I do have some KY jelly, so I'll grease up my seals and see if that helps. In the longer term I might investigate these sankey kegs -- or maybe 4.5 gallon casks. Cheers!

Okay, I've just lost another cylinder of gas to a leaking cornie. (Only a Sodastream cylinder, but still.) Is this a common problem? Because I'm beginning to wonder if keeping low-carbonated ales in a cornie is a mug's game, if there's barely enough pressure to seal the lid, even with that initial b...

Have you taken a gravity reading?

If you return the wort to the boiler at a certain angle you can also get a whirlpool going with it. Google 'Jamil's whirlpool chiller' if you're interested.