Setting up, on the cheap

[Carpking]

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!

[PaulStat]

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!

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]

I was really happy until you told me that.


lol

[Kristoff]

Right, got all me equipment sorted:

Going down the Coolbox mashtun route, I've already got one, so £0 so far
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

Cooling, intially i'm going to pour hot wort into fermenter, seal and allow to cool naturally, - £0
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

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]

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]

So what are you going to brew?

Something easy - hopefully

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]

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.

[jamesb]

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.

[Kristoff]

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
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?

[jamesb]

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

HOW MUCH!?!?!?!?

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!

[Kristoff]

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

[jamesb]

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

HOW MUCH!?!?!?!?

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!

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.

[Aleman]

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..

[edit1now]

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

[Northern Brewer]

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.