Home brewing

[Grolsche11976]

I do all grain brewing. I have 3 100l brewing pots.

 

[Sandra6]

Mr 6 has recently taken up home brewing, I'm not a fan, but I don't like ales to start with.
Kits that are just " add this to that" will taste vile. You need something with actual grain to produce anything half decent.
He recommends crafty fox as a good supplier

 

[Drago]

I'm not sure I'll ever learn to talk like a brewer - all this talk of "fruity, full bodied hoppy flavour, redolent of a Glaswegians jock strap with a hint of gangrene" just sounds a bit daft to my untutored ear.

 

[Bazzer]

How do you get juice from a parsnip ? Not a wind up question as never done homemade wine .

Just like making whisky/whiskey from a grain, (leaving aside the distilling process) ; a "mash" is made.
How the "mash" is treated depends upon the wine. For example with an apple wine, the apples are chopped and "mash" is made with the apples in a mixture of boiling and cold water. The water, with a few days of crushing by hand, helps break down the cell structure of the apples, so that when strained off, the juices can be extracted more easily.

 

[DaveReading]

Just like making whisky/whiskey from a grain, (leaving aside the distilling process) ; a "mash" is made.

Not really.

Mashing apples/parsnips, etc, is a purely physical process to soften them and make it easier to extract the sugary juices.

A grain mash, as used for beer/whisky, etc, serves a completely different purpose.

 

[Salty seadog]

Our school workshop (metal/wood work engineering) technician used to brew his own beer in the school boiler room. Dover Grammar, the boys one, the school, Paul Skelton the man. Everyone knew he did it but no one seemed to mind. In 1991 he brewed a couple of the boots bitter kits for me and my mate Sid, it started out as 3 but one went wrong, or maybe he took one as payment. He added black treacle to the process which added a deep flavour to it he said and boosted the ABV. My 17 year old self didn't know about that but when I pulled up at half term in my dads old ford Orion and loaded the boot with god knows how many two litre bottles me and Sid and others had many a fine old time in the local parks etc getting hammered.

 

[Bazzer]

Not really.

Mashing apples/parsnips, etc, is a purely physical process to soften them and make it easier to extract the sugary juices.

A grain mash, as used for beer/whisky, etc, serves a completely different purpose.

Which is why I put mash in quotes. It seemed at the time a simpler comment to a non brewer than, soaking in hot water, soaking in cold water etc., because for the example I used, both are used.

 

[Colin_P]

Nowt wrong with the kits especially the two can versions. They cost a bit more but are worth it. As mentioned upthread the Woodfords Wherry is rather lovely.

I've never gone beyond the kits and have never seen the need to. Nom nom nom burp.

 

[Grolsche11976]

All grain gives you more choice and you can experiment more on the flavours you like

 

[Drago]

Well, the firstt batch of Drago's 'Squeaky Arse' best bitter is now on the go and fermenting nicely.

 

[User169]

Well, the firstt batch of Drago's 'Squeaky Arse' best bitter is now on the go and fermenting nicely.

View attachment 397893

Looks quite pale!

 

[Drago]

The fermenter is on the left, headed by an aquarium heater and wrapped in the duvet. Pressure barrel on the right, standing ready to receive the brewed ale ready for fizzing up. According to the instructions it'll be ready for the barrel ant time from Saturday onwards, so I'll be keeping a close eye on it.

An unexpected side effect - the man shed now smells lime a brewery!

 

[Jenkins]

Drago, a shed, home brewing and a pressure barrel ... what could possibly go wrong???

 

[slowmotion]

Well, the firstt batch of Drago's 'Squeaky Arse' best bitter is now on the go and fermenting nicely.

View attachment 397893

Your shed is way too tidy! I'm impressed.

 

[stephec]

One thing that's puzzling me is, if you put your beer in a barrel how do you keep it cold enough at the moment?