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I’ve dropped the rusty/grubby shed keys in my fermenter on brew day just before pitching the yeast. Shoved my unsanitised arm straight in to retrieve them. Made no difference to my finished beer. Maybe I was just lucky but I do read a lot of people do similar things and get away with it.

I’m in please.

Yes I will use the app. Need to do everything we can to get to some kind of normal, whatever that might be. I’m pretty sure the other apps on my phone are more intrusive than this new one.

I cold crash and only use kettle finings, nothing in the keg. My beers vary in time it takes to clear completely, not sure why? Usually from 2 weeks but sometimes as much as a month. I find this out as I pour the last few pints..... They always clear in the end, time is king.

I am watching the many videos on Mike Barns Drums as I am learning the drums during lockdown. He is very good at teaching via a video, no waffle, straight to the point. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClk5TDjgalQjYvmKcaAx_2g

I use a 100ml syringe to draw up a sample and then empty it in to the trial jar. It’s so easy and reduces contact with the wort. I overfill the trial jar so any bubbles disappear and makes taking a reading easy.

I am usually between 2.5 - 3.0 litres per KG of grain.

Yeah, there are lots of different manufacturers such as Grainfather, Robobrew, Klarstein etc. They vary in price but typically you are looking at least £300+ going up to £700+ and even more for the top end systems.

I use a 3 vessel system. A kettle for heating the mash water and sparge (strike) water, a mash tun and a boiler. You can get away with just a mash tun and boiler and use the boiler for your strike water, but you need to store the wort from the mash tun whilst sparging (you can use any pot or...

Mashing can be really simple. I use a picnic cooler box. I just fitted a tap myself, but as above, you can buy them ready to go. You don’t need shiny, but shiny is nice......

I always work better from home. Too many idiots at work distracting me with stupid comments or actions. But management don’t believe me and think I’m on a skive when I say this.

I bought one from Beer Hawk. It’s really well made and is much better than all the previous ones I have bought. It takes a little longer as the bore is smaller, but other than that it’s really good. I have had it for a couple of years now and no problems so far.

I don’t know why copper is ok to use. But I made my own coiled chiller from 10mm copper pipe from Screwfix. I bent it round an old paint tin. I have been using it for a few years now with no ill effects. I put it into the boil for the last 15 mins to sterilise it. It is easy to clean afterwards...

I actually enjoy the 5 or so hours it takes me to brew. It’s a relaxing time for me in a hectic world (not so hectic at the moment). I don’t see it as a waste of time.

For measuring the FG, I use a 100ml syringe and a measuring tube/cylinder. It cost a few quid from ebay and it’s so easy to use. Just suck up about 90ml from the fermenter and squeeze in to the measuring tube.

I started on kits, only did a couple before moving on to AG. I did Festival kits and they were very good. My first couple of AG brews were ok, probably on a par with most kits. Now I am 4 years into AG brewing and have got the process and recipe spot on. There is now a big difference in quality...

It's a lot of money for a gadget I don't need. I always leave my wort to ferment for 2 weeks before taking a reading and its always finished by then. I have no desire to know what its doing during the two weeks of fermentation. So for me, it's solving a problem that doesn't exist.

I’m in .....

I’ve tried them and found they don’t add the hoppy taste that we look for. They are called aroma oils, so I guess they are supposed to add aroma rather than taste? They certainly don’t replace a dry hop in my experience.

I agree with RichardM I bought a mill so I can alter my crush size as I use a bag in my mash tun and can go a lot finer with the crush. My efficiency has gone up and I really enjoy milling my own grain as its another part of the brewing process that I have control over. I have a 2 roller mill...