Bought a Micro Brewery kit today
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TELEDU
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BIGTRACTOR
not sure if i'm allowed to say, but burgleigh homebrew are selling these micro brewery kits for £41.99 and with free postage;
http://www.burghley-homebrew.com/70091/ ... h=&sought=
just sent them an email asking what the kit contains eg. whether it is a top tap king keg and whether woodfordes wherry kit inside, but they are also they cheapest i have found for king keg top taps, £34.95, so if its a wherry, you only pay around £7 for it. will post when i get their reply
http://www.burghley-homebrew.com/70091/ ... h=&sought=
just sent them an email asking what the kit contains eg. whether it is a top tap king keg and whether woodfordes wherry kit inside, but they are also they cheapest i have found for king keg top taps, £34.95, so if its a wherry, you only pay around £7 for it. will post when i get their reply
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BIGTRACTOR
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mysterio
As the others have already said:
It's pretty bad practice to ferment and drink out of one vessel. It can be done, sure, and if you get good results -- great. But if you brew in an open primary you invariably find gunk that is lifted to the top which floats on the top or clings to the side of the fermenter, which you don't want in your beer.
That kit looks like great value, though, and Wherry is supposed to be a decent kit. In saying that, you can improve your beer by: buying an plastic fermenting bucket (~£4); buying a branded yeast (~£1). The next thing you'll want to look at is steeping speciality grain, which is as easy as making tea.
It's pretty bad practice to ferment and drink out of one vessel. It can be done, sure, and if you get good results -- great. But if you brew in an open primary you invariably find gunk that is lifted to the top which floats on the top or clings to the side of the fermenter, which you don't want in your beer.
That kit looks like great value, though, and Wherry is supposed to be a decent kit. In saying that, you can improve your beer by: buying an plastic fermenting bucket (~£4); buying a branded yeast (~£1). The next thing you'll want to look at is steeping speciality grain, which is as easy as making tea.
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BIGTRACTOR
just to add, that i have been using a bin to primary ferment, (looking at the state of it after finished with all the dried yeast and floaty bits i wouldn't fancy it in the beer. 
enquiring about grains and such, i've only ever brewed with kits, and only every come across hops in the last 2 which were brupaks. i don't really have the room or as yet the inclination for the really involved side of brewing eg mashing sparging etc, but would be interested in experimenting a bit.
what sort of things can be done to change flavour of kit beers then? if steeping grains is easy as making tea, then i'd be up for that, also maybe getting some dried hops, what part of the brewing process would the grains fit in? and could you improve cheaper kits by doing things like this.
any help would be much appreciated as i dont really have much of a clue about this side of the hobby,
enquiring about grains and such, i've only ever brewed with kits, and only every come across hops in the last 2 which were brupaks. i don't really have the room or as yet the inclination for the really involved side of brewing eg mashing sparging etc, but would be interested in experimenting a bit.
what sort of things can be done to change flavour of kit beers then? if steeping grains is easy as making tea, then i'd be up for that, also maybe getting some dried hops, what part of the brewing process would the grains fit in? and could you improve cheaper kits by doing things like this.
any help would be much appreciated as i dont really have much of a clue about this side of the hobby,
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shaunmarrison
Just wanted to let you all know, I've finally started my first Brew tonight!
I waited until the weather was a bit cooler (27 Degrees where the beer is to be left at the weekend), but now it's 22-24.
I Used the MicroBrewery and bought a Primary Fermenting Bucket, followed Daft's Instructions and it went okay...I think.
It took me about 2 hours in total, I know that's a long time, but I was very meticulous (I have a Chemistry Degree & Synthetic Chemistry PhD, which fingers-crossed has been good training for this)
It took so long becuase I sterilised the King Keg, left for 20 mins, then tipped it into the primary fermenters, rinsed the keg - added 1/2 Capden Tablet then the water for the beer. Another 20 minutes later I rinsed the Primary Fermenter, poured the Wort in, added the cold water from the King Keg (from a height to introduce lots of air), stirred and then addde the yeast, stirred & lid on (with bubbler)
The only hitch was that I was going to rehydrate the yeast then add it, but there where 2 problems:-
1. Although I bleached the Plastic Jug, which I was going to put the yeast in, for 20 minutes, it was still orange (it is old and used to microwave food), so I didn't fancy the water being food-free!
2. After 30 minutes & even placing the jug in an ice bucket, the water in it was still above 30 degrees, so I didn't want to risk de-naturing th yeast.
...so I check the wort solution was below 30 degrees and just added it from the sachet and stirred for a couple of minutes.
I know it's nothing exciting to most of you, but I just wanted to document my first beer & will let you know how it goes.
Thanks for all the advice and tips on this Forum, espcially Daft as a Brush - without your help, I'd have followed the MicroBrewery Instructions (as long as all goes to plan), the beer will be better as a result!
Looking forward to the first :beer
I waited until the weather was a bit cooler (27 Degrees where the beer is to be left at the weekend), but now it's 22-24.
I Used the MicroBrewery and bought a Primary Fermenting Bucket, followed Daft's Instructions and it went okay...I think.
It took me about 2 hours in total, I know that's a long time, but I was very meticulous (I have a Chemistry Degree & Synthetic Chemistry PhD, which fingers-crossed has been good training for this)
It took so long becuase I sterilised the King Keg, left for 20 mins, then tipped it into the primary fermenters, rinsed the keg - added 1/2 Capden Tablet then the water for the beer. Another 20 minutes later I rinsed the Primary Fermenter, poured the Wort in, added the cold water from the King Keg (from a height to introduce lots of air), stirred and then addde the yeast, stirred & lid on (with bubbler)
The only hitch was that I was going to rehydrate the yeast then add it, but there where 2 problems:-
1. Although I bleached the Plastic Jug, which I was going to put the yeast in, for 20 minutes, it was still orange (it is old and used to microwave food), so I didn't fancy the water being food-free!
2. After 30 minutes & even placing the jug in an ice bucket, the water in it was still above 30 degrees, so I didn't want to risk de-naturing th yeast.
...so I check the wort solution was below 30 degrees and just added it from the sachet and stirred for a couple of minutes.
I know it's nothing exciting to most of you, but I just wanted to document my first beer & will let you know how it goes.
Thanks for all the advice and tips on this Forum, espcially Daft as a Brush - without your help, I'd have followed the MicroBrewery Instructions (as long as all goes to plan), the beer will be better as a result!
Looking forward to the first :beer
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Bigster
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IanRMartin
QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Jul 5 2006, 09:43 PM)Sounds like it went well B)
If you have a spare few quid to put towards the HB budget getting a small pyrex jug or two will prove very useful. I think I got mine from the supermarket, they didnt cost much.
Hope it turns out well, keep us updated and feel free to ask any questions as the crop up.
Small 1/2 litre heat proof glass jug from matalan £2.00 (Not pyrek some other brand but does state its heat proof)
2 litre plastic jugs £1.50
Bargin
If you have a spare few quid to put towards the HB budget getting a small pyrex jug or two will prove very useful. I think I got mine from the supermarket, they didnt cost much.
Hope it turns out well, keep us updated and feel free to ask any questions as the crop up.
Small 1/2 litre heat proof glass jug from matalan £2.00 (Not pyrek some other brand but does state its heat proof)
2 litre plastic jugs £1.50
Bargin
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shaunmarrison
Thanks for the info.
I should have bought a pyrex one, but I got a plastic 2L one from my local Home Brew Supplier and thought the one at home would be ok (initially was going to use it only to stand the cans in with warm water).
Anyway, all is fermenting well.
I'm surprised at how much CO2 is give off. I've got a bubbler on my primary Fermenter and it bubbles every 10 seconds or so! It has been like this all day (I work from home, so am treating it like a baby, checking it every 30 minutes!)
I've got it wrapped in tissue paper with water sprayed on it and a couple of ice blocks leant against the sides to try to keep the temperature down. It is reading 23 Degrees in the room.
I'm not bothered if the flavour is spoilt a little by the heat, as long as it is drinkable this time. Next Brew will be August so hopefully it will be a little cooler.
Sorry if I'm boring you with this, but I hope that it is helpful so a newbie like me!
I should have bought a pyrex one, but I got a plastic 2L one from my local Home Brew Supplier and thought the one at home would be ok (initially was going to use it only to stand the cans in with warm water).
Anyway, all is fermenting well.
I'm surprised at how much CO2 is give off. I've got a bubbler on my primary Fermenter and it bubbles every 10 seconds or so! It has been like this all day (I work from home, so am treating it like a baby, checking it every 30 minutes!)
I've got it wrapped in tissue paper with water sprayed on it and a couple of ice blocks leant against the sides to try to keep the temperature down. It is reading 23 Degrees in the room.
I'm not bothered if the flavour is spoilt a little by the heat, as long as it is drinkable this time. Next Brew will be August so hopefully it will be a little cooler.
Sorry if I'm boring you with this, but I hope that it is helpful so a newbie like me!
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shaunmarrison
It's now been 4 1/2 days since starting the beer kit. The Bubbles where frantic over the first 48 hours (bubbler gurgling every 10 seconds!) and then it all settled down.
I checked the Specific Gravity just now and it is 1.019. Because the kit came from a MicroBrewery, it mentions nothing about the Specific Gravity, but because I'm using a Primary Fermenter, I was thinking of getting it into the King Keg sooner rather than later.
I know DaaB recommends 10 days, but I was thinking of putting it in earlier to get more CO2 Build-Up in the Keg?
What do you think?
I'll take another Specific Gravity Reading tonight
I checked the Specific Gravity just now and it is 1.019. Because the kit came from a MicroBrewery, it mentions nothing about the Specific Gravity, but because I'm using a Primary Fermenter, I was thinking of getting it into the King Keg sooner rather than later.
I know DaaB recommends 10 days, but I was thinking of putting it in earlier to get more CO2 Build-Up in the Keg?
What do you think?
I'll take another Specific Gravity Reading tonight
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shaunmarrison
CHeers DaaB,
After mentioning it before, I wasn't planning on adding any Priming Sugars.
This beer is going to be drunk earlier than I really wanted - at a party on the 30th, so it will have had only 25 Days Brew.
I'm not bothered about it being too fizzy (most poeple there only drink Real Ales).
I'm armed with some spare CO2 Bulbs as it will all be drunk in 1 go.
Something else you advised me on before was bottling. When I rack into the keg I plan on bottling 4 or 5 pints and put them aside and leave for a month. Then I can appreciate what the beer could really have tasted like!
After mentioning it before, I wasn't planning on adding any Priming Sugars.
This beer is going to be drunk earlier than I really wanted - at a party on the 30th, so it will have had only 25 Days Brew.
I'm not bothered about it being too fizzy (most poeple there only drink Real Ales).
I'm armed with some spare CO2 Bulbs as it will all be drunk in 1 go.
Something else you advised me on before was bottling. When I rack into the keg I plan on bottling 4 or 5 pints and put them aside and leave for a month. Then I can appreciate what the beer could really have tasted like!
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shaunmarrison
It will be 3 weeks this Wednesday that the kit has been going, and the beer will all be drunk on Saturday, so I took a 1/4 pint to see if it has cleared.
It is a little cloudy, but tastes fine. I then decided to take a pint as a treat and the pressure in the barrel dropped off completely from teh initial squirting out of the tap.
It is a King Keg Top Tap - the beer was still coming out, but at a trickle - is this normal???
If not, then I guess there's a leak somewhere! If that's the case - how can you tell if there's a leak when you rack the beer into it? I used loads of vaseline & secured it (not too tighly as recommended - 1/4 of a turn after a slight resistance)
Thanks,
It is a little cloudy, but tastes fine. I then decided to take a pint as a treat and the pressure in the barrel dropped off completely from teh initial squirting out of the tap.
It is a King Keg Top Tap - the beer was still coming out, but at a trickle - is this normal???
If not, then I guess there's a leak somewhere! If that's the case - how can you tell if there's a leak when you rack the beer into it? I used loads of vaseline & secured it (not too tighly as recommended - 1/4 of a turn after a slight resistance)
Thanks,
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shaunmarrison
I just tried to get another 1/2 pint out, but it stopped flowing. So I then tried to use one of the CO2 Cyclinders (I know about using soda Stream ones, but I thought I'd try these before I fork out more cash).
Anyway, I tried to screw the cylinder in and nothing happened! It seemed the holder was too big?
The needle value dented the end of the cylinder, but did not pierced it. I took this photo of the valve to make sure it is okay:-
I then stuffed a piece of tissue paper in the end with the cylinder holder to ensure it went down far enough and tried again (eyes closed, at arms length!). It worked, the gas went into the cylinder and there then a small hissing noise. I left the cylinder for 30 seconds just in case and then removed it. There was still a tiny hissing noise (and I mean tiny) which ceased when I tried to tighten the lid more - it moved a fraction of a millimeter.
I then noticed that the needle valve was much higher - flush with the top of the brass value, whereas it was about 1cm inside before.
Does it look/sound as if I'm in the clear?
Anyway, I tried to screw the cylinder in and nothing happened! It seemed the holder was too big?
The needle value dented the end of the cylinder, but did not pierced it. I took this photo of the valve to make sure it is okay:-
I then stuffed a piece of tissue paper in the end with the cylinder holder to ensure it went down far enough and tried again (eyes closed, at arms length!). It worked, the gas went into the cylinder and there then a small hissing noise. I left the cylinder for 30 seconds just in case and then removed it. There was still a tiny hissing noise (and I mean tiny) which ceased when I tried to tighten the lid more - it moved a fraction of a millimeter.
I then noticed that the needle valve was much higher - flush with the top of the brass value, whereas it was about 1cm inside before.
Does it look/sound as if I'm in the clear?
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shaunmarrison
