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Homebrew Beer Howto

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    #92
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    noby wrote:
    bigears, to go the kegging route properly (which I woul love to do some day) you're best bet is to try to get hold of some 'cornelius' kegs and a CO2 cylinder.
    Hi guys, sorry I've been absent from this forum for a while - great to see all the replies and interest in the HowTo I started. Maybe we can even get a group together to meet up for a bit - there seems to be enough members interested in HB now- are many in Dublin or nearby??

    Anyway, I *think* that I saw some cornys on wexbrews list a while ago. Also, I *think* that cornys are used for soda fountains in eg mcdonalds and burger king etc. When I get back from my RTW trip I'm going to look into getting going with some cornys, and defo some all grain. In fact some of the idle moments on busses and trains around China and Asia have been spent imagining how I'm going to set up a 3-tier system.... But there's another 6+months of travelling before I get home.
    On the plus side, I've got a HUGE collection of beer labels which I've been collecting along the way! I plan to make a collage of them when I get back.

    Keep up the good work Noby and Bigears, dishing out super advice there!
    Grrr I miss homebrewing!
    Kenmc


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    #93
    kenmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,276 ✭✭✭kenmc


    bigears wrote:
    I have a question for all you keggers - do you use CO2 cylinders with your kegs? I would like to try kegging a stout at some point with a CO2/Nitrogen mix (used with draught stouts to give the creamy head) but I've only seen one place selling it - www.hopandgrape.co.uk. It's called a Widget system and you can use CO2 or CO2/Nitrogen. Now I don't mind ordering yeast or hops from the UK as the weight is not an issue but I don't plan on ordering this from abroad, especially seeing as refills are on an exchange basis!

    Can you use the same gas cylinders that pubs use? And where on earth would you find the suppliers? I'm probably wasting my time but I thought I'd throw it out there and see.

    If I do decide to go for a keg regardless what setup would you recommend?
    I only have a king keg, and have a CO2 cylinder with that - it helps to keep the pressure up when the level drops a bit in the keg - the CO2 starts to come out of solution and the beer becomes flat. The only problem is it's a fine line between enough pressure to make the beer come out with a head, and an explosion of foam. And that line is invisible, as there's no pressure gauge or anything. I think I can get a pressure guage for the king keg though.
    The CO2 system I have is the Hamilton-Bard system - basically a foot-long grey cylinder which I screw onto the king keg valve and give it a couple of 1-2 second bursts of Co2 until it pours ok.
    I'd also love to get my hands on a Co2/N2 system for stouts - my only stouts have been bottled to date precisely cos of this reason - I figured that an old-style-guinness from a bottle would be better than a bad head draught one. I think if you go with corny kegs then you go with the same sort of system that pubs use. I reckon if you talk to the Porterhouse or maybe the other microbrew on the quays near o'connell street, and tell them you are interested in homebrewing they may be considerate enough to offload some of their stuff to you. Worth a go. Least that;s the approach I'll be taking when I get back. Oh also there's The Brew Crew - they do keg delivery - they maybe able to help out also.... just a few ideas
    Cheers
    Kenmc


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    #94
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    noby/ken,

    thanks for all the advice with the kegging. i bottled my stout last week for the same reason ken mentions. draught style stout would be good though so i'll have to follow up on your suggestions.

    I've changed my opinion on the lager i brewed a few months back. initially i was quite pleased with it. it was slightly fruity but i thought that would mellow out over time. if anything it has got more fruity which really doesn't suit a lager so i'm giving this one the thumbs down. this is more than a mild fruitiness like you'd get in a Budvar. I used the Saflager S23 yeast which I've heard was good but maybe it just doesn't suit my taste. I'll have to try a liquid yeast next time around and see if it makes a difference.

    Conor, how did your lager turn out?


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    #95
    conor_mc
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭conor_mc


    Well, after a long days work last week, myself and a buddy were sitting out in the back garden and I decided to seek his expert opinion on my home-brew.... he'll drink anything, so I knew I'd get a favourable report!!! :D

    What with the cracking weather and all, we "tested" a little more than we should have.

    Anyway, what happened was that after I replaced the cap on the keg and re-primed, I left it a few days to ferment. We were heading off for the weekend, so I figured that be a good time to get the keg into the fridge without the missus giving out about it. ;) The end result of which was that I think it went into the fridge too soon because it was still quite sweet and while it had plenty of head, there wasn't an awful lot of bubbles in the lager except when it was agitated a bit. So out of the fridge with it and back by the radiator to get it fermenting again. That was Thursday, so I'm gonna give it a week before I chill it again.

    So the net result so far has been a sweet lager with a cidery scent, which I believe is a result of using cane sugar. Gonna use DME or something next time.

    But overall, I'm just happy it's drinkable!


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    #96
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    Seems you guys are having a rough time with the lagers. I've never tried to brew one and I'm even more apprehensive now. The pale ale I started 6 odd weeks ago is ready. Has good colour, clarity and condition but doesn't really retain a head too well. It's fairly bitter but the crap hops that I used have hampered the flavour. It's bitter alright, and it should be considering the amount of Northern Brewer I put in but there is little hop aroma a flavour. Not very happy with it, really. I suppose I could blame the materials, but I'll hold off until I brew the next one where I have fresh vacuum packed hops, some DME to help with the head and a decent dose of dry hopping to try and get some aroma and flavour into it. Also have a few yeasts to choose from. Have some London Ale WYeast and also a Wyeast that is rumoured to come from Young's Brewery in London. Should make all the difference, I hope.


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    #97
    conor_mc
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭conor_mc


    Hendrixcat wrote:
    Seems you guys are having a rough time with the lagers. I've never tried to brew one and I'm even more apprehensive now.

    To be honest, the only reason I went for a lager was because it's what I usually drink and this was only my second effort, the first having ended up down the drain. If I'd read up a bit on it before I started, I probably wouldn't have dived straight in with a lager. But having done it now, I'd have no problem doing it again. Alot of my problems were related to inexperience rather than it being a lager, and so I'm grateful to all on this thread who've answered all my newbie questions!!!

    Next time around, the first thing I'll change is to go for DME rather than sugar, just to minimise that cidery scent. This batch went straight from primary to keg, so I'd probably try to do a secondary as well, plus I'd add some finings to clear the lager a bit better. Not sure I'd use a lager yeast because I think the ale yeast is that much easier to use at room temps.

    You're obviously well-experienced so shouldn't be a bother to you, especially if someone like me is able to produce anything remotely drinkable!!!


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    #98
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    Hendrixcat, where do you get your Wyeast? I got one before and it was quite old, they have a short shelf life. Mine didn't get going at all and I ended up getting White Labs instead which worked like a dream. Luckily I was making a starter with the Wyeast so I hadn't started the actual brew itself and I could wait for the new yeast to arrive.

    I'll try Wyeast again but waiting a few days for the pouch to expand means you lose some flexibility if you decide to brew (or postpone your brew) at short notice. I've tried 2 White Labs now and you just chuck 'em in, no need to make a starter.

    I brewed a bitter recently which was a mixture of extract/steep/LME and a kit can (couldn't get DME at short notice). I used a Safale 04 packet and it took off like bejaysus and overflowed the airlock :eek: I had to replace the airlock 3 times in the first day...


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    #99
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    I got the Wyeast from the hopshop uk. I've never used it before but It's reasonably fresh (Good til Jan 2007 with a one year shelf life). It syas you can do a starter or toss is straight in after popping the pack. I'm inclined to toss it straight in because of the danger of infections from a starter. Didn't think there was any risk invloved until you mentioned it. Where can I get white labs yeast from in case it all goes arse ways?


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    #100
    noby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    There's no greater risk with WYeast. The only precaution is for every month past its use by date, you have to give it 24hours to expand. So if you kept yours in the fridge until next march, you would have to pop it 2 days before brewing.


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    #101
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    My experience with Wyeast was probably due to the way I used it. I got it from hopshop as well and they posted a note on it saying it might take several days to swell after the inner pouch had broken due to its age. It actually swelled in 24 hours but I had it in the hotpress - this was back in February - so the temperature may have got too high and killed the little yeasties. When I opened the corner with a scissors a load of it went spraying everywhere and I'm not sure how much of it got into the starter.

    I found White Labs more idiot proof as it comes in a vial and you just unscrew this and plop it in, no need to wait for 24 hours/several days. i got mine from hopandgrape, I've posted the link in an earlier post. I think they're the only suppliers on this side of the atlantic. I'm sure the yeast itself is not better but I prefer it purely based on my own experience. Liquid yeast is pricey and I don't want to take the chance of wasting it, even if it is due to my own stupidity :)


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    #102
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    I bought the follow up book to 'Clone Brews'. It's called 'Beer Captured' by the same authors. Some nice recipes in there. I did my first mini mash last weekend with some Pilsner Malt and Munich. The recipe was for 'Reissdorf Kolsch' and it seemed to go rather well. This one will take quite a while as after the primary I'll let it sit in the fridge for several weeks in secondary. It's fermenting in the shed at about 16 degrees at the moment and smells like a sulphur bath (I believe that's a good sign). I'm aiming to start drinking this in early September.

    I like the Kolsch style as a nice summer beer. Some of the off licences have 'Fruh' Kolsch if you fancy trying it out. It's more of an easy drinking style compared to a pilsner and won't scare off your Bud/Miller drinking friends.


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    #103
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    I've tried a few Kolsch beers and really liked them. Very refreshing. Kust yesterday I was thinking about starting out with a mini mash. What kind of equipment are you using. I'm a bit stuck about the proper kit to use. I've got another pale ale in the secondary with a tasty dose of Goldings. Can't wait to sup it in a few weeks or so.


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    #104
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    I'm not using anything other than I used with extract brews.

    For the mash/boil I just used a big aluminium pot on the gas hob. The pot holds about 14 litres.

    I used 1kg of Pilsner Malt and 300g of Munich Malt and put them in a big grain bag. It was a bit of a squeeze getting them in and next time I'll use two bags. If I remember correctly i used 4 litres of water - I dropped the grain bag in and heated it to about high 60s C. Once the heat was reached I turned off the gas ring (kitchen hob) and let it sit on the ring for 90 minutes. It didn't lose much heat (a couple of degrees now and again and I'd give it a quick blast of heat).

    When the 90 minutes was up I boiled the kettle and added this and cool water to a jug until I got 2 litres at 70C. I used this to rinse the grain bag through a colander into the pot. Added water to bring it up to 9.5 litres, brought this to the boil and started adding extract, hops etc.

    The OG in the recipe was given as 1.048. I only got to 1.040 but I think this was due to the grain being too tightly packed in the grain bag. Still, I'm happy enough with it - I'll get just over 4% ABV out of that with a bit of luck which is just about acceptable.

    I'm reluctant to get the extra equipment like the mash tuns/converted coolers etc. until I see how this method works.

    I reckon this worked out cheaper than using the all malt beer kits and I like the idea that I had more control over the process; most enjoyable brew day yet, let's hope the results are worth the extra time :)


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    #105
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    It's interesting that you did it without any extra kit. The simplest way I have seen so far is using a cooler box that keeps it temperature steady and has a tap on the end to drain out the wort. I look forward to seeing how it turns out. I feel that the full extract brews really lack the malty/grainy flavours that commercial beer has, even with steeping of grains and I'd like to start on the mini mash route as soon as possible. The main problem with full mash brewing for me is the full wort boil. I'm not sure if I can get 20 odd litres to boil effectively on my hob. I suppose I could go the outside propane burner option but it's not very appealing.


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    #106
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    Yeah, the full boil brings you into a new arena with extra equipment. I'm not too keen on getting into the wort chillers etc., I like being able to top up with water rather than doing full boil. If it works out OK I'll stick with it for a while.


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    #107
    Bananna man
    Registered Users Posts: 673 ✭✭✭Bananna man


    Hey,

    Has anyone on here ever made some home brew? I was thinking about looking into it a bit more, is it worth the hassle though or should i just stick to the cheap cans from down the Offey?


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    #108
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    There should be some threads about that in the Beer / Wine / Spirits forum, try there.

    I have tried making beer at home - disaster :D


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    #109
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    I used to make it quite a bit.The most expensive part is your initial outlay.You'll need a fermentation vessel,a pressure barrell,a length of syphon hose,some campden tablets,your beer kit and some sugar thats it.The barrel and fermentation vessel will last forever so you just need to buy iit once.Most kits are incredibly easy tomake,you just mix the whole lot and leave it to ferment,then you rack it into your barrel and leave it to clear..simple!Most kits make just short of 40 pints for less than 15 quid.they key to doing it right is cleanliness...eevrything needs to be sterilised or it'll go rotten.The main reason mor epeople dont do it i sthe perceived time factor but its not more than two weeks for the first batch and you can have a few on the go.Do a bit of googling to find tricks to improve the basic brew and you have a satisfing and economical hobby!


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    #110
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Have you been watching the Simpsons, "Beer Baron" episode again, OP? :)


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    #111
    beardybrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭beardybrewer


    Its totally worth it once you have the gear, which doesn't cost all that much. I average about €.60 a bottle for really nice beer.

    I've brewed everything from a pils to belgian triple. Not only is the beer I brew inexpensive but far superior to most beers available in stores; especially if you're not a huge tasteless lager fan. Take a look at my other thread on online homebrew shops, unless you're lucky enough to have one local to you. Spend then extra few quid on a 3kg kit, this requires no sugar (except a small amount when bottling) and will make a commercial quality beer. Generally from brew day it takes about 2-3 weeks for fermentation to take place. Then comes time for bottling (I put mine in the hotpress which is the perfect temp) which takes another 2-3 weeks for the beer to mature. I usually try to work it out so that on bottling day I brew another batch. So while one is maturing in the hotpress the other is fermenting. I sometimes have up to 3 types of beer to choose between. I haven't needed to buy beer for home in 6 months! Now when I do buy beer I can afford to splurge on something to aspire to like Chimay or Leffe. Its a great hobby, but being a hobby allow a full afternoon once a month to bottle and brew (having a few homebrews doesn't make it seem like work). Mopping the kitchen floor of any stickiness will also go over well with the wife/gf.

    Take a look at Palmer's very informational website and I'd highly recommend Charlie Papazian's Joy of Homebrewing.

    Always remember, homebrewing is easy. Anyone can do it. Don't worry, have a homebrew!


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    #112
    Fanny Cradock
    Registered Users Posts: 10,245 ✭✭✭✭Fanny Cradock


    i've been meaning to get into the whole homebrew thing as it seems fun and cool in a old man sort of way.

    anywho, i thought some folks might be interested in this website that i just found

    http://hbd.org/recipator/

    it has numerous recipies and a handy spread sheet to help with brewing calculations.


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    #113
    FunkyDa
    Registered Users Posts: 193 ✭✭FunkyDa


    For the fermentation stage, in the bucket, and the conditioning stage, in the pressure barrel(or bottles), a minimum temperature needs to be maintained. This would not be a problem, in the current heatwave, but would require a heating mat/heating belt for normal temperatures. Keeping the brew in a warm room is helpful, also. If the warm room is your living room, your other half might object to the gassy smell(carbon dioxide), given off during fermentation!
    Enjoy the beer, if you manage to overcome the various hurdles!


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    #114
    beardybrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭beardybrewer


    Hey, I looked around at the various starter kits avaialble. And for the money, the most complete kit I saw was here for €55:
    http://www.brouwland.com/shop/product.asp?cfid=4&id=1989&cat=86&dt=4

    I'd also recommend (assumming you are going to use bottles):
    Bottle washer
    Bottle drainer
    Bottle sanitizer - attaches to drainer
    Non-rinse sanitizer solution - so concentrated it will last you for life

    God you'd be off to a great start with all that. Broulands shipping to Ireland may seem exepensive but you can get up to 29.9kg (66lbs) shipped for €40. So while your at it this is a good time to order some Belgian kits that aren't that easy to find. Better start drinking to free up some bottles for your first brew.


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    #115
    The Sweeper
    Registered Users Posts: 10,658 ✭✭✭✭The Sweeper


    Threads merged.


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    #116
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    I've been too busy tucking into my latest brew to post much. It's a pale ale ( Again, I know, but it's easy to do and tastes great) I used plenty of Northern Brewer for bittering and heaps of Goldings for a dry hop, all of which were vacuum packed and the freshness has really made a difference. I also used a specific liquid ale yeast from Wyeast for the first time and it imparted the fruity esters that have been missing from my previous ales. It was all extract with some crystal and pale malt for steeping which helped with colour and head retention but I'm growing tired with all extract brewing because the finished product always lacks something which can only be attained through full malt mash. My next attempt is going to be a mini-mash using half and half with some new kit I've ordered from Hop and Grape. Should makes things even better providing I don't mess up my first attempt at a mash. How are the rest of you getting on?


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    #117
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    The Pale Ale sounds good. I think my next brew will be a Pale Ale; I'll shoot for an American Pale Ale style with Cascade hops I think.
    Hendrixcat wrote:
    My next attempt is going to be a mini-mash using half and half with some new kit I've ordered from Hop and Grape

    Did you order some hardware or are you talking purely about ingredients?

    My first mini mash (the Kolsch) is due to be bottled this week. It was in primary for ten days and has now been in secondary for 6 weeks in the fridge. It should be ready for drinking by the end of August/start of September. I find my patience is improving - then again maybe I'm just being lazy - and I'm quite happy to let the brew sit and mature. It's too early to say whether my 'easy' mini mash method worked but I'll take a sample when bottling and let you know.


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    #118
    Hendrixcat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Hendrixcat


    I thought about trying an American Plae Ale because I love the spicy taste of Cascade hops but I tried to source them from Wexbrew and he put me off a few times and has now completely forgotten about me, it seems. Won't be bothering with him again. I'll stick with the English sites. I've ordered a picnic cooler modified for brewing with a tap and filter. The insulation should hold the water at mashing temperature for the time needed. It's big enough to hold a full mash but the logistics of boiling and cooling that volume of water doesn't appeal to me at the moment. I'm hoping a mini mash will be enough to add the grain aspect that is missing from my brew.


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    #119
    bigears
    Closed Accounts Posts: 281 ✭✭bigears


    I've ordered a picnic cooler modified for brewing with a tap and filter.

    I'll be very interested to see how this works for you. I've thought about getting a cooler and modifying it myself but to be honest with the prices of a lot of coolers plus the hassle of modification I don't think it would be much of a saving on the one you got. Now if Aldi/Lidl are doing a cooler special it might be a different story...


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    #120
    beardybrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭beardybrewer


    Hey guys, I saw a mention of Glengarriff Homebrew earlier in the thread. Has anyone used these guys? It seems whatever web presence they had is no more.

    So what are you guys brewing? I've got another Belgian Triple and generic Dark Ale on tap, Firkin Dogbolter in primary, and planning to brew a Märzen this weekend. Also need to do a Christmas brew soon ASAP.


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    #121
    noby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    I was all set to start up brewing again after a bit of a break, and rang the guy in Glengarriff. He posted me out an updated price list. Maybe that's your best bet. I'm sure it's in the book, or else I can dig it out for you.

    I never di start up again, and hope to in the next couple of months. I always brew something for Christmas, but not really big beers, so October time should leave me plenty of time.


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