Stonch and Goon's Third Brew

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
Stonch

Post by Stonch » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:43 am

Steve, we used the Hop & Grape stuff and have kept it in the fridge.

If desperate to get it clear, would adding more isinglass be possible / help?

fivetide

Post by fivetide » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:46 am

Call me old fashioned, but I reckon taste is more important than clarity and time might deliver both. Maybe. Or not.

I noted the weather forecast is crap all week, so I'm going to try another one smartish, are you?

steve_flack

Post by steve_flack » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:47 am

Not being a kit expert....would it be better to boil that much spraymalt before using it? Will it cause hazes? DaaB, over to you!

Stonch

Post by Stonch » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:54 am

steve_flack wrote:Not being a kit expert....would it be better to boil that much spraymalt before using it? Will it cause hazes? DaaB, over to you!
We boiled all the spraymalt for this brew, I believe

Stonch

Post by Stonch » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:55 am

fivetide wrote:I noted the weather forecast is crap all week, so I'm going to try another one smartish, are you?
Probably not - we don't have any more kits to brew! :(

In any case we're itching to do a mini mash now. Problem is we'll need to get in all the stuff before we can...

Stonch

Post by Stonch » Mon Jun 25, 2007 12:16 pm

It's a shame this one won't drop bright, as the dry hopping (thanks Fivetide) has done a wonderful job and it's just a gorgeous pint. We want to serve it up at a party and you know what people are like about cloudy beer... :(

fivetide

Post by fivetide » Mon Jun 25, 2007 1:50 pm

It'll happen in time I'm sure! Maybe just not for the party, you could always just give 'em a sneak preview.

My Smugglers was put in the shed weeks ago now and isnt bright yet. Fortunately I have plenty of other stuff to drink while I'm waiting.

Stonch

Post by Stonch » Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:55 pm

This brew cleared in the end - and tastes lovely - seven weeks in the barrel has worked wonders:

http://stonch.blogspot.com/2007/07/cler ... s-sgb.html

Wez

Post by Wez » Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:01 am

Good write up and pic! 8) I like : To those among you who are disinterested, I say this - skip this article, you heartless rotters. Begone.

Vossy1

Post by Vossy1 » Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:10 am

Love the shield on the keg :lol:

Stonch

Post by Stonch » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:37 am

Yes. What it has taught me is that many of the dodgy flavours that I had put down to these being kit brews and/or us perhaps doing something wrong are in fact just an immature brew.

On Monday we (myself and Dave) cracked open two bottles of our latest brew - Brupaks Scammonden Dark - which so far has had two weeks in primary, one week at room temp, and one week at 12 degrees celsius. I amongst some absolutely lovely malty richness, the familiar slightly iffy flavour was there, but now we know that'll be gone entirely in three or four weeks.

Now of course you guys told us that from the beginning, but you never really know until you've tasted the stuff at different stages and learned by trial and error!

jaytee1

Post by jaytee1 » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:24 am

Great write up, good looking beer, barrel label and name!!

fivetide

Post by fivetide » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:40 am

Yeah, that patience thing really is a virtue - annoying isn;t it?

I have left my recent brews for a couple months and have been rewarded with very clear, mature beer that veryday homebrew virgins are impressed by.

BUT i couldn't do this until I had sufficient brewed to be able to have at least one drinker for each keeper :) My first brew got great for the last pints, I remembered someone warning this might be the case and have kept my sticky fingers off since.

I think using Cornies will help with this. I filled a Corny a couple of weeks ago with beer that had dropped bright and didn't prime it. I will carbonate in another couple of weeks and until then I can't steal any even if I wanted to. :)

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