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Thanks @DavieC, I'll probably try a wee drop post fermentation but my plan is to bottle it and store it, then get the next batch on the go. Stupidly no I forgot to take an SG reading :( I'll just have to go on taste and maybe not give any away to friends "just in case" it's a bit potent! :laugh8:

Well I had a crack at the weekend. Used around 10kg of apples, got around 4.5L of juice. I've left the remainder of the apples (probably around another 10kg) in the greenhouse to ripen a bit more as some of them were pretty tough (the food processor was getting stuck!). That said it's all...

Lucky freedom thanks 🙏

cool some good info there thank you. And loving the setup! Although as a one off I quite like the idea of the 4x2 💪😂

Reading this thread with interest as I've just been given some apples from a friend and haven't made "real" cider before. I've ordered a fruit press (I was waiting for an excuse!). Should I just cut the apples into halves/quarters and then put them in the press, fire into a DJ and then add...

Welcome from a fellow Caithnesian 😉 Good job on getting the Demijohns 👍🏻 Where about are you in Caithness? I’m in Halkirk.

Had a few hours spare this evening, so after a good cleanout I've got version 2 in the fermenter. Re-hydrated the yeast this time after the last disaster although suspect something else was at play (I do wonder if the wort may have been a touch on the high side when I pitched the yeast but...

Definitely an infection of some sort in my low ABV beer. Zero fermentation activity but something nasty on top. I've binned it and given the fermenter a good clean with sodium percarbonate. Left some of it soaking and will give it another wash tomorrow. Hopefully get another crack at this...

I've been toying with a pH meter, but wondered whether the extra effort with a digital meter outweighs the more simple (if less accurate) pH strips for beer?

Brew day for me was 31st July. A good friend of mine is giving up the sauce, but will take low ABV beer. So I offered to brew some < 1% beer and liked the sound of the recipe which David Heath has on his youtube channel. First problem was I forgot to run the pump during mash! Doh - I was too...

So, I'm well overdue an update on my latest brews. Firstly, the Hard Seltzer eventually stopped fermenting, and I mean eventually. Must have been 4 weeks before I eventually pulled it and keg'd it. The benefit of leaving it so long is that going into the keg it's pretty much crystal clear and...

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to cleaning too. Once a keg is empty then I rinse it with water and a good hose to get any remnants out. Then I put a couple of litres of StarSan in it - give it a good shake. Leave for 10 mins or so, give it another shake. Leave it, then I connect it up to the...

Thanks @phillc for the info on kegs and cleaning, really interesting. And I can see how you’d get a good workout from cleaning! keep the posts coming, this is my favourite thread right now 👍🏻

Out of interest, where did you get the kegs from and how did you wash them? Does the brewery have a keg cleaner?

So, last weekends brew was interesting! Made my Elderflower ale as touched on previously (this years recipe below, last years above). Added the wheat malt to get a bit more head retention and wanted to use Northern Brewer (a) because I had lots in the freezer and (b) it's quite a nice clean...

Hey @Scott Begbie - I made an elderflower ale last year and it was one of my favourite brews of the year! This was my recipe, although I altered it a little bit this year (120g of elderflowers rather than 100g), and a couple of minor (some accidental!) changes. I'll let you know how it turns...

Thanks @Gerryjo - the bubbles continue (albeit slowly), so I'm just being super patient and taking your advice :)

So, today’s brew is an elderflower ale. Mashing in at the moment - will post full recipe later. However, my hard seltzer is still fermenting and is down to 1.00 gravity reading. That’s been two weeks now. Should I stop it with some potassium sorbate? Just crash cool it? Leave it until it...

Messing up with pressures on my system is probably my most regular mistake. But with 9 kegs those disconnects look lovely but would leave me short of about 100 quid. I’m TRYING to just think a bit more before I disconnect or reconnect any lines. The issue is when I’m brewing im not working and...

Thanks for that, now just spent money on something I didn’t know I needed! 🤣