Homebrew beer

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ClaretMov
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Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Sun May 24, 2020 5:17 pm

Was thinking of making my own real ale, a new hobby whilst the football is off and to keep me busy lol.

Does anyone on here make their own.

fanzone
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by fanzone » Sun May 24, 2020 5:34 pm

I did once and drank 37 pints in the same week it were ready. I didn't bother again 🍻
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ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Sun May 24, 2020 6:02 pm

fanzone wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 5:34 pm
I did once and drank 37 pints in the same week it were ready. I didn't bother again 🍻
:o :o :o :o

Darthlaw
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Darthlaw » Sun May 24, 2020 6:11 pm

I've done it with varying results. First set was really good and went downhill from there.

Biggest challenge I had was maintaining temperature. Too cold and theres no fermentation, too hot and you kill the yeast.

Jakubclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Jakubclaret » Sun May 24, 2020 6:47 pm

Wilkos do some good stuff especially pressure barrels, I just to brew all the time with 1 bubbling away & 1 in the barrel, sterilise everything prior to putting a mix on, too much sugar can kill the yeast even though you may want to add more for strength.

evensteadiereddie
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by evensteadiereddie » Sun May 24, 2020 6:49 pm

I've never made or tasted a decent home brew. I can't see the point when you've such a wide choice of ales at any supermarket.
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Aclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Aclaret » Sun May 24, 2020 7:26 pm

evensteadiereddie wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 6:49 pm
I've never made or tasted a decent home brew. I can't see the point when you've such a wide choice of ales at any supermarket.
Agree with that evensteadiereddie, good prices too.

Funkydrummer
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Funkydrummer » Sun May 24, 2020 7:29 pm

Yeast is in very short supply at the moment, I believe.

Best buy the ready made stuff.

jackmiggins
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by jackmiggins » Sun May 24, 2020 7:33 pm

Did once - first bottle was like spinster’ p**s. Last bottle stunted my growth!

claretabroad
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by claretabroad » Sun May 24, 2020 8:35 pm

I've won a few brewing awards so thought I'd chip in on this.

If done correctly then the quality of beer made at home will far exceed what can be bought. This is because the home brewer can afford to use the highest quality ingredients. Commercial brewers have to bring the cost down as much as possible and a decision to take 1p off the cost per pint affects them way more than the person making very small batches.

Some quick tips:

1) Sanitise, sanitise, sanitise. Be paranoid and you'll never have a problem. Buy an oxygen based sanitiser instead of a bleach based one as they are no rinse and won't effect the flavour.

2) Make a yeast starter the day before. Plenty of videos on youtube about how to do this. If you throw in a thriving yeast colony instead of the sachet then brewing starts earlier and the chances of an infection occurring are reduced.

3) Resist the temptation to take the lid off frequently.

4) Start with a kit, move to extract brewing and then move to all grain brewing. Learn to walk before you run and then you can understand the basics.

5) Always drink a beer when making beer.
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Jakubclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Jakubclaret » Sun May 24, 2020 8:40 pm

evensteadiereddie wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 6:49 pm
I've never made or tasted a decent home brew. I can't see the point when you've such a wide choice of ales at any supermarket.
When you can go to farmfoods & buy a bag of Tate & Lyle sugar, think I used to pay a £1, doing that on a regular basis with a tried & tested mix & doing things properly, you can brew far better at home at a fraction depends what you buy in, I used to brew a geordie ale 1 & never ever deviated from the mix I knew tasted well.

jackmiggins
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by jackmiggins » Sun May 24, 2020 9:00 pm

Best yeast is from an old lady in Durham .......bu**er, wrong thread......again.

Taffy on the wing
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Taffy on the wing » Sun May 24, 2020 9:06 pm

evensteadiereddie wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 6:49 pm
I've never made or tasted a decent home brew. I can't see the point when you've such a wide choice of ales at any supermarket.
With you on this one....made Stout once it was awful!

kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Sun May 24, 2020 10:07 pm

Just got back into it after a 20 year break (living abroad). On my fourth batch now and all have tasted fine (to me, I'm in isolation so can't share :-) ).
Just doing kits which include yeast, the cheaper ones you add sugar but some of the mid range kits don't need it. I just brew in a 5 gallon bucket then bottle after about 10-14 days (check specific gravity or just taste to see if sweetness gone). Leave in bottles for at least a week but the longer the better (so pays to have a second batch going as soon as one is bottled). Then .. enjoy. There is a divine pleasure in drinking beer you have made yourself. Just ensure everything is clean and sterile. A starter kit is a good way to go, costs about £60 which will include your first brew and all equipment. Motto..no homebrew is undrinkable, some just take longer to drink than others.

tarkys_ears
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by tarkys_ears » Sun May 24, 2020 10:16 pm

i'd put my 2 penny in but this board is full of absolutely miserable c_unts and you wont get nothing out of them except a ruined thread and people like funkydrummer spouting fake news about things theyve absolutely no idea about.

Buy a home brew book. I've made about 20 and never had a bad one. It's simple and will be better than anything you can buy.

I'd give you more advice but u get c_unts like eddie on here just blathering on because they've got nothing better to do in life so already this thread will be ruined by their constant bickering.
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Jakubclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Jakubclaret » Sun May 24, 2020 10:27 pm

Homebrewing is not for everybody, you need to be patient & ideally have a understanding partner when you are in the kitchen it takes all the sink up to properly rinse off, everything you brew is drinkable & shouldn't be drainpour if doing things correctly, some obviously taste better than others & you learn from that, the instructions in the kits are so simple, a basic tip is to put the tin in water & warm it up runs better from the tin into the fermentation bin, less mess & wastage, just have a do you'll be pleasantly surprised how good it can taste & how much you can save,

ceborame
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ceborame » Sun May 24, 2020 10:30 pm

Unfortunately the vast majority of peoples experience of home brew is those hideous kits you can buy, they are awful

I've been brewing all grain beer for about 10 years and it is as good and in most cases far better than pub beer

If you know what you are doing it is a great hobby

kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Sun May 24, 2020 10:37 pm

ceborame wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 10:30 pm
Unfortunately the vast majority of peoples experience of home brew is those hideous kits you can buy, they are awful
Each to their own, I've never had any problems brewing from kits and it's far less messier than playing with your own ingredients, which I've also tried. My stepson brews from basics and although he has more control over flavours his brews are not significantly better than mine, just more varied. The mid range kits (about £25) are a good compromise.

ceborame
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ceborame » Sun May 24, 2020 10:44 pm

I'm totally sure you haven't had any problems and the mess is less.

Any comments on the taste ?

kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Sun May 24, 2020 10:49 pm

This was during my first brewing season over 20 years ago, I was boiling my own hops, can't remember the taste but can certainly remember the smell. I went from wine to beer using basic ingredients but then moved on to the kits for simplicity and time and have always been happy with them.

AfloatinClaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by AfloatinClaret » Mon May 25, 2020 8:52 am

kritichris wrote:
Sun May 24, 2020 10:07 pm
...no homebrew is undrinkable, some just take longer to drink than others.
That reminds me of an old chap who used to frequent one of my locals when I was a teenager whose one-liner I still appropriate:
"I'll tell you what young man, there's no such thing in this world as bad beer, though Vaux does come fairly close."
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kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Mon May 25, 2020 9:06 am

AfloatinClaret wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 8:52 am
That reminds me of an old chap who used to frequent one of my locals when I was a teenager whose one-liner I still appropriate:
"I'll tell you what young man, there's no such thing in this world as bad beer, though Vaux does come fairly close."
Watneys made a fair attempt too with Red Barrel, you could start a thread with this.

eastanglianclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by eastanglianclaret » Mon May 25, 2020 12:37 pm

There are some very good, varied kits available nowadays. I've made plenty of beers which I didn't like, but not because the process went wrong, they just turned out not to be to my taste. I would agree with claretabroad that cleanliness is a very important factor....don't take any liberties in this respect. If you do this and follow the kit instructions you should be OK. Personally I use shop bought mineral water rather than tap water, the tap water in Suffolk is very hard and heavily treated. I enjoy taking a basic, cheap English Ale kit (using beer enhancer rather than sugar) and then 'dry-hopping' with various hops. I've had some really nice ales doing this which taste good out of bottle and/or barrel. I have always found the owners of Home Brew shops to be good sources of advice and info. They're generally fanatics and quite happy to pass on info. The guy on Standish Street has helped me out many times.

Mick
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Mick » Mon May 25, 2020 4:21 pm

Go for it Mov. I've been brewing for 18 months and it's cracking. Far better than it was years ago. Give the blokes at Burnley Home Brew a ring. They are more than helpful and you can place an order to collect. As mentioned above, make sure you sanitize everything, follow the kit instructions and you'll not go far wrong. Works out to be a very reasonably priced pint. There are all sorts of tweaks you can make as you get in to it. Loads of advice available online. I've brewed golden ales, IPA's, lagers, stouts and they've all been enjoyable. You might get the odd mishap as you go along but that's all part of the learning process. It's also been ideal for the current situation we all find ourselves in.
Burnley Home Brew: 01282 786462

ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Mon May 25, 2020 8:12 pm

Cheers Mick, I took the plunge rang burnley home brew ordered the stuff picked it up and my first brew is on.....a copy of speckled hen I believe, took some advise from the guy at the shop and fingers crossed it turns out drinkable
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kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Mon May 25, 2020 8:22 pm

Patience is a virtue, leave it as long as you can for the secondary fermentation to give it some pizzazz, I'd recommend 2 weeks min (not one) then store in a cool place if available or just transfer to the fridge as needed. You need that "psssst!" as you open the bottle, a glorious sound. When pouring don't let the dregs get into the glass or it will cloud your beer.

Having said that if you ever have bowel issues homebrew dregs will loosen a constipated elephant.

ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Mon May 25, 2020 10:04 pm

muntons-hand-crafted-smugglers-special-ale.jpg
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This is the one I bought not a cheap kit but you don't add sugar to it like the cheap one's and its a two can kit not a one can kit. Iwas told leave it two week's at a controlled temp (using a heating belt) in my basement at around 22 or 72 old money.

Turn heating temp off and leave for another week, sypyon off into second fermenter and leave for the 4th and last week.

Add 112g of brown sugar Bottle it and put in warm place (airing cupboard) to carbonate for two weeks and then chil down for at least a week to clear.

7 weeks in total......no rush lol

kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Tue May 26, 2020 12:14 am

A bit complicated for a first brew, needing two barrels and 7 weeks. One barrel, 2 weeks, bottles, 2 weeks (min) does me and I use a belt but now it's warming up it's less necessary. It's your choice and perhaps, like my son in law, you go for quality and more input, I'm just happy with the output.

claretabroad
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by claretabroad » Tue May 26, 2020 9:36 am

Try and avoid using normal sugar in brewing and use dried malt extract instead. Yeast has to work harder to break down a sugar molecule and this can cause a number of different issues. There are styles of beer where you would use sugar but get comfortable with the basics before introducing these elements.

ReddishClaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ReddishClaret » Mon Jun 01, 2020 7:40 pm

Just finished my first ever homebrew. Cooper's Australian lager. It's not bad! Just started fermenting Wilko's hoppy copper bitter. Certainly a big improvement on what it used to be like years ago
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Svenster
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Svenster » Mon Jun 01, 2020 7:52 pm

Also, keep a brew diary, noting down all ingredients, method and outcome. There's nowt more annoying than brewing a great-tasing pint but not being able to repeat it. ;)
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ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:14 pm

I'm keeping a dairy but if its crap that page will be binned until I get it right lol

Guich
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Guich » Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:44 pm

Me and my lad have just brewed 40pts of Hammer of Thor. It's a premium lager - like a home brew Leffe, it's turned out really well and takes three weeks.

Ten days to ferment - hop pellets go in after five days - then bottle, second fermentation in the bottle and then a week later put it somewhere cold and it clears.

Put it in the fridge for five or six hours - pour it into a big wine glass and it's just like being in France! :)

claretabroad
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by claretabroad » Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:55 am

Svenster wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 7:52 pm
Also, keep a brew diary, noting down all ingredients, method and outcome. There's nowt more annoying than brewing a great-tasing pint but not being able to repeat it. ;)
+1 on the diary. I made an altbier once that was amazing but forgot to write it down. I've never come close to replicating it.

ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:27 am

:P :P
Guich wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:44 pm
Me and my lad have just brewed 40pts of Hammer of Thor. It's a premium lager - like a home brew Leffe, it's turned out really well and takes three weeks.

Ten days to ferment - hop pellets go in after five days - then bottle, second fermentation in the bottle and then a week later put it somewhere cold and it clears.

Put it in the fridge for five or six hours - pour it into a big wine glass and it's just like being in France! :)
I was looking at that
Hammer of Thor its 6%..... :P

Claretitus
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Claretitus » Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:24 am

ClaretMov wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:14 pm
I'm keeping a dairy but if its crap that page will be binned until I get it right lol
A dairy? What you brewing? Milk stout? :lol:
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Guich
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Guich » Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:34 am

ClaretMov wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:27 am
:P :P

I was looking at that
Hammer of Thor its 6%..... :P
It sure is - ice cold, small glass ...don't get carried away :lol:

eastanglianclaret
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by eastanglianclaret » Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:44 am

If you like a strong beer with a good flavour then it's worth trying Brewferm's Grand Cru, if you can still find it. 8% ABV. Slightly cloudy but a lovely fruity taste. Slightly pricey per pint though given that it's only a 20 pint kit. Brewferm's Framboos (Raspberry Ale) is also worth a go, not as sickly as it sounds!! It tastes very much like a traditional ale but with a faint tang of sour raspberry. Lovely summer beer.

Sausage
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by Sausage » Tue Jun 02, 2020 11:01 am

I’ve been brewing all-grain beers for 20+ years. Had the occasional iffy brew but nothing so bad that it’s undrinkable. Just as you’d find when going to the pub, some beers suit your palate better than others. Loving the hoppy IPAs at the moment and have brewed stouts that are genuinely pub quality. The advantage of brewing your own is that you can brew what you genuinely want to drink or try beers that are now hard to get hold of. For example, I’m drinking a 4% mild made with molasses. If you can buy that at the supermarket for less than 50p/pint then please send me the details.

You can also ensure you never run out of beer. As shown in the photo I have bottles of Social Distance IPA (so called because they’re just over 2m from my desk), a 5.5 gallon keg of Barnard Castle Bitter (at 6% it’ll make your eyesight go weird) and a half drunk keg of Molasses Mild.
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kritichris
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by kritichris » Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:07 pm

I envy you sausage, a dedicated homebrew area, dreams are made of such, that and Burnley winning the prem.

stansoffstump
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by stansoffstump » Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:17 pm

Here's a little diity to a noble art.........Hic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U7aPLX ... rt_radio=1 ;)

IanMcL
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by IanMcL » Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:32 pm

I used to make it from kits. A continental lager. Very strong. Very nice. Shared a litre with wife.

Then they changed to a different lager kit. Wife did not like, so I drank the litre. Head used to pound! Was having a wee one night and had to hang on!

Stopped after that! Lightweight!

ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:34 pm

Claretitus wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:24 am
A dairy? What you brewing? Milk stout? :lol:

Lol bloody predicted text

ClaretMov
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Re: Homebrew beer

Post by ClaretMov » Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:22 pm

Poured my first drink after 5 weeks, a little early I was going to wait 7 but couldn't wait lol......very nice.
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