Home Brew Forum

Hello everyone,

To introduce myself, I'm Matt I live in Guildford Surrey and have been brew for about 2 months.

This is something I have always wanted to do ever since my I help my dad sterilize 2l 'pop' bottles in the bath when I was younger.

My first brew was a John Bull Larger kit that I brew at 18l instead of 23l giving me a higher ABV. This went very well and got 8 x 2l out of it, some of the bottles did not carbonate as well as I liked but the overall taste was not really affected by this.

Now being a bitter and ale man I decided new brew would have to be summer ale of sorts, being in the (so called) summer. So this brew will consist of 3 x Brewferm Amber, the official blurb on it is:
"
"An amber summer beer with a red copper tint, that has a slightly acidic palate at first and a sweet after taste.

This kit contains 1.5kg malt extract.
Approx ABV - 6.5%
This kit makes 15 litres.

Sugar required - 1.075kg during fermentation + 3oz for priming. For best results use Brewferm candi sugar for the fermentation and Body Bru for priming, as this aids head retention"

I will be using the ME from this however I have bought in addition
2 x Young’s Ale yeast
5Kg x Dextrose (Not going to use all of it but cheaper to buy this amount)
100g x Goldings Hops. (Going to try dry hopping the brew)

This will all be done in my newly converted airing cupboard that I now call the Brewery-Biltong box (Also have the Bilton drying in a box in there)

I have made my own Fermenting bucket using a Clinical waste 70l container 15mm tank connecter and a 15mm qt. turn valve.


This is the container, nice and bright so you can miss it.


On the inside I have 'jiggery pokery' a street elbow into the back of the tank connector so not to disturb the sediment when bottling.


Then on the outside is the qt. turn valve.

This set up allows for easy cleaning as all the parts are compression and can be taken apart. The 15mm copper can have a hose tale put on the end or have a hose wedged over then end for bottling. Also the qt. turn vale allows for very fine adjustment for bottling.

All this is now in place and I'm just now waiting on the beer kits to arrive and then I'm ready.

There will be updates with lots of pictures to come.

Matt.

What sort of plastic is the CW container? Just concious it might not be food grade, don't want any leeching.

"Biohazard Brewery"

Good luck - looking forward to the pictures

The container is made from PET

I have use the 30l vertion for my last brew and the 70l for water changes on my marine fish tank, all with no ill ecffects.

For this reason I have decided to it.

Good stuff. Make sure you post up some brew pics!

Good to have you on board Matt. I used to live in Woking for many years and worked in Guildford. Still have many friends in that neck of the woods, in fact, I'm taking one of my kegs to a BBQ in Jacobs Well at the end of this month.

Good luck with the brewing

You've probably checked already, but what temp is the airing cupboard?

Most airing cupboards are a little warm to ferment in.

Many thanks for all the posts.

The hops and yeast have arrived however I'm still missing the ME, a phone call to the online company confirma there are out of stock and they it will be delivered Tuesday. Is it too much to asked that the site in question lets people know if they are out of stock?

Anyway to address you point jonnyv when I say airing cupboard, I meen it was: When I move into my current property I installed a combi boiler and did away with all that junk in the attic and airing cupboard. So this leves me with a 7'x3' (floor plan) cupboard to used for suff.

Buzz, Jacobs Well. very close indeed. Hope it all goes well

Just checking

Good luck with the brew!

Hope all goes well Matt. There's a cracking home brew shop just down the road from you in Farnborough that stocks most things.

Booldawg> Please do tell more. does it have an website?

Matthew,

the shop Booldawg refers to is:

www.thehomebrewshop.co.uk

Also are you aware of The North Hampshire Brewers ?? www.northhantsbrewers.org.uk

We meet the final Tuesday of each month at the Queens Arms by Basingstoke Station from 8pm (ish) onwards.

Alton_bee> Many thank for the info, had to scout in out for future ventures nice shop looks as if they have lots of toys and kits in stock. For further down the road they have grain and hops so a full mash could be done.

Thank for the heads up on the club, I went to BCOT and did my work experience at Lilly’s so I’m very familiar with the area. Is it a drop in thing or would I need to contact some one first? I feel brewing is something I can really get into (If alcohol is involver then I usual can) so would be nice to meet some other brewers and get some hints and tips before progressing to full mash.

To update the brew day is still not upon us, the website I got the ME from have let me down on delivery now and it will be tomorrow. This puts me behind a day.

Update soon (I hope).

Matt

Matt,

Just come along - No need to contact anyone - we're not some private club with dodgy handshakes.....

Anyone is welcome - Next Meeting is on August 26th

Would you believe it I have been let down again on the delivery from an internet site. I'm not one for bad publicity but man these guys are going the right way for a slating!

This is one annoyed brewer!