What I think about this home brew stuff so far

[ChrisG]

Well I have only been brewing since Feb 2008 and I thought I would share my views of this hobby.

So far I am on my 5th brew and it have been a very interesting, eye opening experience.

The first was a Scottish Heavy of which I'm down to my last 3 one liter bottles. An excellent first brew but I should have filled the bottles to the correct level.

I have tried and IPA, Coopers Mexican Lager, Nut Brown Ale and have a Geordie Lager on the go just now (taking its time to ferment though but down to 1010 so nearing the finish line).

The Coopers Mexican is great better than most shop bought beer and the wife loves it, so does the father in law. I still have a few bottles left of this but don't think it'll last till summer.

The IPA, hmmmm this was interesting! I used my barrel instead of bottling this one and at first I wasn't too happy with the taste, seemed too sweet.....but........! After a few weeks, may be a month it is the best brew I have! The taste is amazing and I could really get use to drinking this from now on, I really have to get another on the go as I have resulted to tipping the barrel to get the most out of what is left. I feel sad that it shall be finished at the weekend.

So what now? Keep brewing or go back to shop bought?

You kidding? Home Brew is amazing and I'm sticking with it. I'm so glad I decided to try out this amazing hobby.

IPA up next!

Cheers

[Dennis King]

Keep going chris it`s the best hobby in the world.

[mysterio]

Keep with it! Is that the Coopers IPA? That's a good kit.

[fivetide]

Careful now. Before you know it you'll find yourself typing 'conical', 'cornelius' and 'stainless' into every search window you stumble across and discover you're bizarrely attracted to colanders, splatter guards, hosepipe and odour-free cleaning products while out in the world with normal people.

[PeteH]

Sure is a great hobby!
On a side note, Fivetide, I noticed you've got a Fixby gold and a Linthwaite light in cornies. Would you recommend one over the other in particular? I'm gonna get one of them this weekend, also, whats the score with adding hops? Is there already a post about how to do this somewhere?
Cheers

[fivetide]

I haven't cracked open the Linthwaite Light yet (it's in my remaining King Keg and I have other brews to distract me!) but the Fixby is tip top and looks like this of an evening (sorry, crap photo):



I'd recommend following the more lengthy instructions that tell you how to part boil the brew and steep the grains/hop teabags. Use DaaB's advice through the buttons top right too and sort out a procedure that works for you.

I then recommend dryhopping for a week in secondary (or the keg) with an ounce (or whatever you like) of good aroma hops. Just boil a muslin bag for ten mins to sanitise it, fill it with hops and drop into the brew. I used Styrian Goldings and my brother used Cascade - both have worked a treat. You then want a week warm conditioning and about a month cool conditioning for a bright beer that makes you smile.

[PeteH]

Cheers Fivetide. So, fully ferment in primary, then into another FV for secodary with hops in muslin bag, then bottle as normal? Also, what form of hops, the actual dried hops I assume? not pellets.
Thanks again.

[fivetide]

Oh you're bottling. Well, yeah, I would use a secondary in that case for dry-hopping. If you were barreling you could go straight from primary to barrel and d/h in there. As for hop type, I use whole cones/flowers, usually vac packs, but you could use pellets instead if your hopbag is a fine enough mesh.

[anomalous_result]

Could you not plop the hops in whilst you ferment? After the frothy head's died down at the start.

[fivetide]

I don't see why you can't dryhop in the primary once fermentation has finished, I just never have.

[PeteH]

I don't see why you can't dryhop in the primary once fermentation has finished, I just never have.

I suppose there's a risk of the beer being in contact with the spent yeast for too long though??

[anomalous_result]

I don't see why you can't dryhop in the primary once fermentation has finished, I just never have.

I suppose there's a risk of the beer being in contact with the spent yeast for too long though??

Maybe but this seems to be more of a long term thing (see Vossy's lazy brew, drinking from the FV months after fermentation's finished).

I had in mind putting hops in say 36 hours after pitching the yeast, I'm sure some on here do that. I don't use a secondary or bottling bucket see.

[jubby]

Could you not plop the hops in whilst you ferment? After the frothy head's died down at the start.

I have just done exactly this with Woodforde's Great Eastern Ale. Wait until the major yeast activity has stopped and throw in your hops. I used a goldings tea bag which remained in the FV for about seven days until I transfered into a barrel when it was discarded.

Two weeks later it tastes very good. I can certainly taste the hops.

[Chris The Fish]

i did the Great Eastern with Progress hops and it was one of the best beers ive brewed, i always do a hand full of hops in a 10min boil then the same amount in a 10min steep and then add the juice to the Fv. A brilliant brew and certainly worth it!

[Aleman]

Could you not plop the hops in whilst you ferment? After the frothy head's died down at the start.

When the York Brewery kits came out that was what the instructions said.