Setting up, on the cheap

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
Carpking

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Carpking » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:24 am

Thanks NB. I just scored my 20 Liter Burco on ebay for 39 quid. Needless to say i will be brewing this weekend..... Nut Brown Ale!
8)

PaulStat

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by PaulStat » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:35 am

Carpking wrote:Thanks NB. I just scored my 20 Liter Burco on ebay for 39 quid. Needless to say i will be brewing this weekend..... Nut Brown Ale!
8)
pfft I got a 27L one for a tenner ;) (must say I was incredibly lucky to have a generous forum member offer it to me)

Carpking

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Carpking » Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:41 am

I was really happy until you told me that.
:cry:

lol

Kristoff

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Kristoff » Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:06 pm

Right, got all me equipment sorted:

Going down the Coolbox mashtun route, I've already got one, so £0 so far :D
Got make a manifold and a get a tap - £10 i recon

Stock pot for boiling wort and which i'll also use as a hlt and sparge water will go into a fermanter intially - £0 :D

Cooling, intially i'm going to pour hot wort into fermenter, seal and allow to cool naturally, - £0 :D
then if i'm happy with my first AG brew and coped with it all, i will make my own immersion chiller by using 10m of 10mm microbore from wickes for £20

So I think I have achieved my goal of setting up on the cheap
total so far
around £10 =D>

Just a thought - as i'm boiling in a pan, would it be better to put the hops in a bag, as I wont have any hop straining device, or shall I empty the wort through a sieve - also I do this do I need to use Irish moss?

Carpking

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Carpking » Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:12 pm

Kristoff. I am like you and just setting up. My brewshop suggested getting as many 2 liter bottles in the freezer as you can the night before and if its cold outside i will put three or four in and leave it outside or stick it in the bath with cold water. Cool it however you can but as i understand the quicker the better. But frozen bottles cost nothing and they will help until you get all your gear together. I strain through a sieve too!
So what are you going to brew?
Oh, irish moss, i do half a teaspoon in the last 15 mins of the boil.

Kristoff

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Kristoff » Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:29 pm

Carpking wrote:So what are you going to brew?
Something easy - hopefully :lol:

If it does all go well though, I will probably get an electric boiler or a propane boiling ring, as I want to do my brewing in the garage.
But continuing my on the cheap theme, I will be making my own electric boiler £20 i recon, or if I need to buy a boiling ring £30 delivered

Northern Brewer

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Northern Brewer » Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:05 pm

I wouldn't get stressed about cooling for your first brew. I simply point a circulating fan at my boiler for a few hours, and the beer comes out clear.

For Irish Moss to work correctly you need to soak it in cold water first. Only add it in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Personally, I seem to get better results adding it within the last 10 minutes.

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jamesb
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Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by jamesb » Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:17 pm

Northern Brewer wrote:For Irish Moss to work correctly you need to soak it in cold water first. Only add it in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Personally, I seem to get better results adding it within the last 10 minutes.
You do soak it? I (and others) just chuck it in and I've never had problems with a beer clearing.

I agree on the 10 minutes though.
James

"When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England."
Hilaire Belloc, Preface to The Four Men (1911) ...

Kristoff

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Kristoff » Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:06 pm

Hi, guys, what do you think of this,
Went to plumbase for the pipe and fittings for my MT manifold, but they only sold pipe in 3mtr lengths at £15+vat - no thanks :shock:
I explained what I was doing and the guy suggested using a Washing machine hose coiled up, which I could drill holes, connect one end directly onto the thread on the back of the tap and seal the other end, only £5 as well... I thought it was a good idea, has any one tried it or similar?

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jamesb
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Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by jamesb » Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:06 am

Kristoff wrote:Hi, guys, what do you think of this,
Went to plumbase for the pipe and fittings for my MT manifold, but they only sold pipe in 3mtr lengths at £15+vat - no thanks :shock:
HOW MUCH!?!?!?!? :shock:

8 quid for a 3m length of 22mm is more like it. Still too expensive but the price is meant to be going down...
I explained what I was doing and the guy suggested using a Washing machine hose coiled up, which I could drill holes, connect one end directly onto the thread on the back of the tap and seal the other end, only £5 as well... I thought it was a good idea, has any one tried it or similar?
Never heard of anyone trying it, but what have you got to loose? Only thing I'd be careful of is the plastic getting flexible at the mash temperature and closing it's own holes up.

You could at a push do it with the plastic pipe and fittings, they're cheap enough, but I'd be uphappy about cleanliness. But seeing as it's pre-boil...

EDIT: Changed to 22mm not 22m. Duh! :roll:
Last edited by jamesb on Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
James

"When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England."
Hilaire Belloc, Preface to The Four Men (1911) ...

Kristoff

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Kristoff » Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:54 am

Yes, i thought copper was coming down too, i'll give the washing machine hose a go, with plenty of holes OOOOOOO

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jamesb
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Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by jamesb » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:25 am

jamesb wrote:
Kristoff wrote:Hi, guys, what do you think of this,
Went to plumbase for the pipe and fittings for my MT manifold, but they only sold pipe in 3mtr lengths at £15+vat - no thanks :shock:
HOW MUCH!?!?!?!? :shock:

8 quid for a 3m length of 22mm is more like it. Still too expensive but the price is meant to be going down...
I explained what I was doing and the guy suggested using a Washing machine hose coiled up, which I could drill holes, connect one end directly onto the thread on the back of the tap and seal the other end, only £5 as well... I thought it was a good idea, has any one tried it or similar?
Never heard of anyone trying it, but what have you got to loose? Only thing I'd be careful of is the plastic getting flexible at the mash temperature and closing it's own holes up.

You could at a push do it with the plastic pipe and fittings, they're cheap enough, but I'd be uphappy about cleanliness. But seeing as it's pre-boil...

EDIT: Changed to 22mm not 22m. Duh! :roll:
EDIT 2: I might be worried about the fillers used to make the washing machine hose too. But I'm not that worried. Boil it for half an hour and all the crap should leach out. I'm sure someone will jump on me now for that one.
James

"When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England."
Hilaire Belloc, Preface to The Four Men (1911) ...

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Aleman
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Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Aleman » Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:45 am

I would suggest a stainless flexible tap connector (They are available at 1m long) cut both ends off, remove the stainless braid, crimp one end, coil the rest up and attach the other end to your tap..

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edit1now
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Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by edit1now » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:12 am

Mind out with washing machine hoses - I think they're only good to 65 or 70 ÌŠC.

Northern Brewer

Re: Setting up, on the cheap

Post by Northern Brewer » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:08 am

jamesb wrote:
Northern Brewer wrote:For Irish Moss to work correctly you need to soak it in cold water first. Only add it in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Personally, I seem to get better results adding it within the last 10 minutes.
You do soak it? I (and others) just chuck it in and I've never had problems with a beer clearing.

I agree on the 10 minutes though.
I can't recall where I picked up on this notion, but I was quite astonished at the difference it made. All I can say, is try it next time you brew and see for yourself. Soaking in hot water doesn't work the same, but I suppose that equates to just chucking it in.

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