that home brew taste

[nicktherockstar]

2) The 1/2 a campden tablet won't affect the yeast at all, you need to use it at 10 times (1 tablet per gallon) that amount to stun commercial beer yeast.

oh dear oh dear

i just used them as per the instructions of one tablet per gal

am i screwed? to put it bluntly?

fermentation has been very vigorous mind!

so in future 5 gals should only use half a tab? then how long should it be left for?

[David Edge]

i just used them as per the instructions of one tablet per gal

That would be for wine, their usual use.

am i screwed? to put it bluntly? - fermentation has been very vigorous mind!

Evidently not! It might even smell like decent Pedigree.

so in future 5 gals should only use half a tab? then how long should it be left for?

A few minutes so long as you crush them first.[/url]

[nicktherockstar]

cheers david! from one derby man to another!

fingers crossed it hasn't caused any ill harm then. its been a good 48 hours now and its still bubbling away so I may, just may of got away with it!

[Orkney_Rob]

I used 1 tab for 5 gallons, the instructions fom Art of Brewing didn't say to crush it, but I figured that it a) would do no harm to do so, and b) would seem to make sense given my tenuous grasp of chemistry - so did so with a rolling pin

The kit came with 1 tablet with instructions to use the whole thing so it seemed the right thing to do at the time

[johnmac]

So, you pay £14.99 for a kit. It tastes crap; you never buy another.

Alternative: You pay £15.00 for a kit, it includes a campden tablet and you're hooked!

[delboy]

So, you pay £14.99 for a kit. It tastes crap; you never buy another.

Alternative: You pay £15.00 for a kit, it includes a campden tablet and you're hooked!

Sadly all too true, also about 5p worth of yeast nutrient would probably eradicate the dreaded beer kit 'stuck ferment', sometimes i can't believe how short sighted the kit manufacturers are

That said its probably the crappy instructions, lack of water treatment advice, stuck ferments etc that leads new brewers to look for advice on forums like this, where they receive top notch advice and almost invariably end up coming to the dark side , at least thats how it worked for me. Thanks again muntons .

[prodigal2]

That said its probably the crappy instructions, lack of water treatment advice, stuck ferments etc that leads new brewers to look for advice on forums like this, where they receive top notch advice and almost invariably end up coming to the dark side , at least thats how it worked for me. Thanks again muntons .

The words out of my mouth Delboy
Cheers Muntons, your loss is AG g(r)ain

[drsmurto]

Thought it about time for me to wade into this debate.

I havent brewed anything aparts from kits but i learnt very early on that you removed the label on the kit before soaking it in hot water and throw said label in the bin. Dont read the instructions.

Since joining beer forums like this one my kit brewing has gone from "thats drinkable" to "shit mate, thats beer!"

I dont treat my water by adding anything, i do buy fresh liquid extract, add spec grains, plenty of hops, use a good dry yeast (the stuff under the lid is my yeast nutrient - throw that into the boil and never have a stuck ferment). racking, dry hopping (if appropriate).

I have tasted many AG beers and yes, they are a lot better hence the reason my AG equipment is on order awaiting assembly but a good kit and bits recipe will out perform most commercial beers, especially here in Oz.

AG is a time consuming process so i doubt i will have time to only ever brew AG so its nice to have a group of kit recipes i and my mates are very happy with.

Cheers
and beers
DrSmurto

[nicktherockstar]

sounds like your extract brewing then?

thats the next step for me, unfortunatly the place we are renting at the moment is cramped with just my kit setup in the spare room, AG is a no way. but when we buy a house in the next year or two its on the list that there must be a good brewing room for myself!!!

untill then i think I might play with extract/partial mash brewing after I have pulled off a few 'perfect' kits

[MickyD]

Yup like you Nick, I want to get the kits working for me first, then maybe step up a level, but AG is a while away for me at the moment.

The TC was easy , the Wherry is a learning curve, and with help and information from you lot on here, the Admirals Reserve should be a good second beer attempt.

So I'd just like to say many thanks for the help and advice so far from everyone.

[nicktherockstar]

here here

people show alot of patients, I am sure many have answerd the same questions over and over

so thanks guys!

[Orkney_Rob]

Nick - I know the feeling, we just moved from a cramped 2 up 2 down about 8 weeks back, and I had been promising myself that homebrewing would start post move (egged on by my mate in Adelaide swearing that his Coopers kits were coming out grand). We accidentally bought the biggest house in the world, but I will have to spend the next several years sorting it all out (only 10 years old, but the previous/original incumbants made a pigs ear out of it - hence why we could afford the leap up the property ladder from 2 beds to 5!)

Going to have to find a place to make a better brewery than in the cupboard of my office though.... perhaps if I could "borrow" a bit of the spare bathroom behind, loosing the shower (not like we don't have 5 loos, 3 showers and a bath as it is), to extend my cupboard, plumb in some water and add some electric, get a decent work bench in there, tile the walls and floor... probably add a drain in the floor like a wet room... now that could work! And it would still be a distraction from doing what I am supposed to be doing too!

[CrownCap]

Whoa! Thats some serious brewery plans there Rob I sense we have another stainless steel hoarder in the making...

[nicktherockstar]

THATS SOME SERIOUS HOUSE

makes me feel kinda unmanly with my 2up 1.5down

I think I need to go and by a 4 litre 4X4 to compensate!

[delboy]

I dont treat my water by adding anything, i do buy fresh liquid extract, add spec grains, plenty of hops, use a good dry yeast (the stuff under the lid is my yeast nutrient - throw that into the boil and never have a stuck ferment). racking, dry hopping (if appropriate).

I think the whole too treat or not too treat is dependent on where you live, some water sources will have the bare minimum of chlorine etc some will be packed to the rafters with it.
Where i am it stinks to high heaven of it and without the campden i was making expensive medicinal mouthwash .

Apologies if we may have wandered into what seemed like kit bashing territory and maybe started to sound a bit evangalical about AG.
I think we all started with kits in the beginning and when you get the hang of them (ignoring their instructions for good info from the likes of this forum) i'd agree with you that they can rival and sometimes surpass commercial beers.
If i found i was unable to find the time to AG, i would have no problems converting to an extract brewer