Hi, I have just discovered your fantastic site.....it has really got me wanting to brew again! The last brew I did was interrupted by the birth of my son William....I had to rush my wife into hospital just as I was preparing to mash....talk about bad timing. I rushed back at 4am to try and save the batch but it never worked! I never EVER managed to do a successful kegged brew and after failing about 4 times I gave up. If I bottled I think I always got a decent pint. So I would like to know where you think I was going wrong ( I used David Lines big Book of Brewing) and my keg was one of those ...ah rotokegs I think it was called, with an oval sealed lid. I am keen to set up a dedicated site perhaps in the garage.
Is that a sensible plan?
What keg do you reccommend, as I want to crack it this time, and do you use a co2 injector to keep the pressure up after alot of the beer has been drawn off
I used fresh yeast from my local brewery , is that OK? Any advice would be gratefully accepted Cheers Stabber
After 13 Years I want to mash again, but try and keg it
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stabber
Thanks Daab........my memory on what I actually did is a bit hazy....but I don,t remember a 5 demijohn system. I will have to try and find my notebook. I think I just fermented the brews down to the reccomended SG then after mixing the priming sugar transfered to the keg. I seem to remember that it just never got any pressure up. I am pretty sure that I will have kept it warm to induce the 2ndary fermentation I am a bit loath to use the same barrels ( still got em) as I was always suspicious that they leaked! I was mucho impressed with the rapid cooling system that you have pics of on the site...I only had a copper coil that i put in a barrel of cold water....yours must be much more controllable. Do you think that i am more likley to get infections if I brew in a garage?
Given Stabbers description of the keg it sounds like the beersphere I had, made by Hambledon Bard.Daab wrote: I guess you're happy with the actual process of brewing as your bottled beers were fine so what was wrong with your kegged beers?
This had a rubber seal for the oval hole and two plates with a bolt system to join them and gas injection system. Mine only sealed once after brute force, it also corroded and spoilt many beers. If this sounds like yours - junk it
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stabber
Yup... cheers Wallybrew sounds like the one I had...I will not use it again...could you suggest a make that you reccommend?
I will root out all my stuff ASAP....it will all be filthy...what steralising fluid is best I read a bit on this site about some stuff that did not need rinsing?....I presume it does not leave a taint
Where can I get the rotating sparging arm from... I used a watering can rose. Also I used a bruheat mash tun can you get ready made filters for the bottom? I think I made one. Is the thermostat on it not fine enough to keep the mash within tollerance, as somebody said they had taken it off and replaced it with some other gizmo?.....sorry about all the questions but I am all fired up now!!!
I will root out all my stuff ASAP....it will all be filthy...what steralising fluid is best I read a bit on this site about some stuff that did not need rinsing?....I presume it does not leave a taint
Where can I get the rotating sparging arm from... I used a watering can rose. Also I used a bruheat mash tun can you get ready made filters for the bottom? I think I made one. Is the thermostat on it not fine enough to keep the mash within tollerance, as somebody said they had taken it off and replaced it with some other gizmo?.....sorry about all the questions but I am all fired up now!!!