Home Brew Forum

Well I've done it.. popped the ol AG cherry, thanks to all the assistance on building my kit on here, and with the help of my father in law (no a possible full time trusty brewing companion) have produced what I hope will be a nice beer!

I decided to brew a Hobgoblin clone for my first AG, as its a bit of a favourite when the F.I.L and I fancy a few pints, so I looked the recipe up on here and used the following:

25 litre batch
OG 1053
ABV 5.5%
41 units of colour
28 EBU

MARIS OTTER PALE MALT 5550 gms
BLACK MALT 116 gms

HOPS boil time 90 minutes
PROGRESS 53 gms

Add 10gms Goldings last 15 minutes

All went extremely well, apart from a rather "LAurel and Hardy" stlye moment when the hose came off the LHB immersion chiller and went all over the floor... All the home made kit performed well, and I even hit target OG - which I am happy with

The brew is now sat in the fermenter in my home office, and I am waiting for it all to kick off...

Pics of the momentous day are on the link below, as I know how much I enjoy oggling the brewdays pics on here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36906922@N ... 127967198/

You'll note from the last picture, I also found time to have fun with a great birthday present I received, a steak brander...

Thanks to all who helped on this forum when I had my random questions, heres to the next one!!!

Looks like a smooth brew- If something is going to spill all over the place then best it be just water, and cold water at that! I've got a couple of jubilee style clips on the end of my chiller, which I'd recomend for peace of mind (although my chiller does dangle precariously above my boil, so gushing water would be a little more of an issue for my beer!)

Where can I get a steak brander?!

J

Nice job, looks like a very smooth first brewday - great "beer porn" too- you know we love it!! I must admit I always get nervous at the sight of a plastic boiler sitting on a cooker!!

I'm sure the beer will turn out to be a goodun.

Can I ask what the container is (sitting ontop of your stove) looks like you did a good conversion job into a boiler. Just we have some very similar looking containers at work, that just get thrown away when empty - they contain a calorie enhancing powder, and I'm just wondering if this type of container is safe to use for boiling water. It's strong enough - as I have filled it over half full with boiling water - just wondering (as it's used for a food powder), if the plastic is classed as food grade and safe to use ie won't leach out harmfull chemicles during the boil. If so I'll convert it with a couple of kettle elements and a tap.

hi bornagain.
Its a 10 gallon fermenter from Hop and Grape that I have added sainsburys kettle elements and a valve tap to as per the instructions on a thread on here (I think it was thw DIY Brewery Thread)
If the container is food grade then it would be ok to hold the wort fro fermenting etc, not sure about the boil though like you say. The last thing you want is it to go all soft while boiling (ooer matron....)
I am sure there are some threads on here about the type of plastics that are ok, and which symbols and things to look for on the bottom of the containers..
Maybe have a look what the container is made out of and ask about it on the equipment section here?
I am sure I remember someone saying on here that they had the same buckets as H and G use at their work? Maybe my mind is letting me down? I'll have a poke around and see... if I find it i'll post it up here or pm you..

Hi bevanjon74 Thanks so much - that would be great.

hi Born

Here is the DIY brewery thread, it mentions another type of bucket the same as the Hop and Grape one that holds dog food, its on page 6 posted by Brewmasterflex.. it says something about "relevent PDP PEP on the bottom and is made by HK plastics, and appears identical to the ones from Hop and grape."

Might be worth checking yours at work and seeing what they say on the bottom

http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... P&start=75

Heres another thread on boiler plastic looks like it needs to be made out of polypropylene

http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... er#p175730

Perhaps check the bottom of the containers for letters etc and then ask the question in the brewing equipment section and watch the answers flood in

Bevanjon74 what can I say - thanks for the advice and direction - but also hats off to all those 'inovative people' that simply 'Find a way' to do this stuff. I am going to check my bottom (ooh err Mrs) and if I can see PEP/PDP then I'm flying - it is manufactured by HK Plastics - so that's promising, pick up my first-ever Asbo's x2 and then to HLT Heven via Screwfix Direct for my tap and Ball Valve Assembly. Who would have thought that my Bornagain Hobby would take me through 'Plastics - Electrical Engineering - Plumbing - oh and there's the beermaking too !!! But a sincere thanks to one and all

Thought I would bring this post full circle and show a pic of the completed brew... I am absolutely amazed that I have made this!! Myself, with equipment I made Myself..... WOW..
It makes the kit beer I made, and was quite proud of, seem like dishwater in comparision...
Thank you to all on here for your advice and help getting to this point!!!
To all thinking of going AG.... DO IT, DO IT NOW!!!
To everyone at Jim's I salute you with my first pint of AG beer.. Jack Hobbs-Goblin...
Cheers

Good colour, how close is the taste to the genuine article? Not that it makes any difference if the beer is delicious.

hi arturo
Not tried it "side by side" with the original, but you can definately tell what it is supposed to be... I am going to try and "slip" it in between a couple of bottles of the original to my dad this weekend and see if he notices... I will let you know
I'd say it is very close to the original..
It is a great pint if I do say so myself..

Nice on bevanjon,

A hobgoblin clone is definitely on my list but I keep getting side tracked into doing things with the ingredients I have. I've been knocking together my own recipes in the styles of beers I enjoy and beers with summer in mind. I do like the clone recipes option though and I see it as quite a useful excercise in Brewing technique and tasting ability in order to craft something with a consistent example as a reference.