Kegs or bottles? Loft or garage? Fizzyness?

[Talheedin]

Hi All,

I'm the newest kid on the block at the minute and would like a little advice.

I started looking at home brewing seriously a couple of weeks ago (we found a jar of apple juice with yeast and sugar in one of our teenagers' rooms and thought we'd better do it properly before they blind themselves). I've ordered a book on the subect and have had a good look round this site and others. I've been thinking for quite a while that I'd like to have a go at making the Sumerian beer that I've seen on telly or one that they used to brew in medieavl times (I'm quite into history). However, since looking into it I've realised that I'll fail dismally if I just jump in and do it so I'm going to start off with a kit. I've managed to scrounge most of the stuff I need to start off with such as fermenting bin, tubing pans, etc but I need to know where's best to put it and where's best to keep it.

I've seen a few threads talking about kegs and bottles and mostly saying that it's better to store your beer in kegs but which will keep the beer drinkable for longer? Can you put kegged beer into a bottle later?

I'm also a bit confussed about how to make the beer fizzy. Some threads are saying put (some form of) sugar in the bootle or keg and others are talking about pressurising with CO2. My favorite beer at the minute is Lief Blonde and I'd like to make something as close to this as I can (any similar kit sugestions would be good) so will I have to carbonate or just add sugar?

Finally, I have a garage and large loft which are both full to brimming but are the only two places where I'll be able to keep the equipment set up. I'll only be able to chuck enough stuff to make room in one or the other so which would you recomend? The garage isn't attached to the house and so gets very cold in winter but it does have an electrical supply. The loft is probably fine in winter but gets very hot in summer (It also has access to an electrical supply).

Thanks

Talheedin

[Talheedin]

Thanks DaaB,

They were taught it at school in chemistry using ribena for a blackcurrent wine! It's worked out fine though, the wife is ready to finance our home brewing for Christmas. Result!

So I'd be better off keeping the beer in the garage while it's fermenting and using the heater to keep it warm. That's good, the garage is easier to get into.

Should the 80g of sugar be normal sugar or should it be malt or something else?

What size bottles do you recomend and where's the best place to get them?

Thanks

Talheedin

[Vossy1]

Welcome Talheedin

Here's my 2p.

I re-use youngs beer bottles when I have drunk the contents. You can buy bottles from HB shops for 50p each.

You'll need a crown capper of some sort (I use a twin lever hand jobby £9) and some crown caps.

For priming (adding fizzyness) I simply add 1/2 a teaspoon of glucose to each bottle, using a funnel, before adding the beer

[oxford brewer]

Thanks DaaB,

What size bottles do you recomend and where's the best place to get them?

Thanks

Talheedin

Try here http://www.majestic.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st ... ctId=11487

Buy some cases,drink the contents and then use the bottles...not a bad beer either!

Oh!...and they are brown bottles,which are more preferable i believe?

[beardybrewer]

I "earned" my bottles by drinking 100 odd Erdingers.

Vossy1: you really prime each bottle one at a time?
I did this once and have never done it again. As Daab said I boil around a pint of water, add 2/3 cup brewing sugar, and let cool. Pour this quietly in to the bottling bucket and then siphon the fermenter. This will be enough to mix the sugar in. Don't forget to take your FG reading before doing this!

[Vossy1]

Vossy1: you really prime each bottle one at a time?

Most of my beer goes into cornies so I usually only have 10 or so bottles to fill, so the faffing of priming individually isn't an issue.

Before I put my beer into cornies, yes, I primed individually.

40+ bottles sanitised in one go, a funnel and a cup of glucose with a 1/2 tsp measure in. Took about 2 mins to add glucose to the lot.

If the beer in the primary is o.k I didn't want to risk the whole batch, by transfering into another container

[Vossy1]

The last batch I bottled (my most recent batch) I added the sugar solution to the primary. Before I did that though I squirted a little co2 under the lid.

A perfect compromise

[eskimobob]

You'll need a crown capper of some sort (I use a twin lever hand jobby £9) and some crown caps.

Alternatively you can buy reusable push on plastic caps which seem to work well. I only bottle a few bottles very occaisionally but they work for me - even when there is quite a pressure in the bottle.

[Talheedin]

Thanks Everyone,

Loads of advice there. I'm hoping to start the brew off this weekend, I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks

Talheedin