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I have the Buffalo 3kw induction hob. It's a great bit of kit but does need a 'soft' start. It needs to be powered up, then switched on. The soft start is triggered by the switch. If it's switched by mains on/off, as it will be with a timer, you might kill it! I use an old element-based boiler...

Here's the thing: most home brewers can build something very similar for around ��£10 max, and can record data on a brew sheet or in a book. The customer base make their own beer and wine; they're hard-wired to make stuff. I do a lot of meat smoking, but I don't use the same kit...

High IBUs can restrict some true Brett strains in a 100 per cent fermentation. It depends what result you want. Of course if you're using BB Trois, then IBUs don't matter as its actually a Sacc strain!

People are too obsessed with the potential for spoilage. If you're dirty or unlucky you'll get hit!!! Beer was made before VWP and Star San, even in my lifetime. I've had a few items in my FV: a watch, a paperback I found in a phone box, my spit, a bit of a cheese sandwich, a fly or seven...

Great book, a personal favourite and essential when starting out developing recipes.

The Malt Miller. If Rob ain't got it, then the Homebrew Shop.

The Clash ... up until London Calling!

Cut back a tad on the Magnum; IBUs should be low for Brett.

Ironically I hinted at socks - thermal ones mind - to everyone as I'm sick of cold feet after early morning excursions to the woods. I received some Mason jars for harvesting yeast, three bottles of calvados and two bottles of rum (all off different people), the Joe Strummer biography and...

I've finally finished the pressing of this year's orchard crop and have end up with 50 gallons of must. I was somewhat tardy and I reckon if I'd been more organised the orchard would have yielded around 80 or 90 gallons. Having only moved in this year, I'm still feeling my way. The intention...

If you're finding you're producing too quickly using kits, then that's a sign you should move to AG and get in to some of the more specialised methods. Kit beers are quick but ultimately you're just adding water and waiting the minimal time. For me, brewing is about doing things that I can't...

You're cooking it wrong; a good hot charcoal grilling will get the meat right. Greasy is indicative of either too slow a cook or reheated pig!

For starters, stouts should generally condition for 3 months or more and IIPAs the same or longer. Harsh notes will disappear. If the taste has a 'tobacco' thing you probably didn't let the yeast finish off the clean-up; that'll age out too. I have been trying to harvest wild yeast from my...

I built a press recently and it didn't cost a lot despite over engineering it as I had to press around 80 gallons of juice! It's simple and mine uses bits that were just lying around. For example the press plates are chopping boards from the kitchen!!!

Here you go then. I used Apple stuff (we called it Macs in those days because the brainwashing hadn't commenced) for donkey's years, because I work in publishing. You were pretty much tied in to them and their kit was very specialised. As things evolved the older Macs were replaced with the new...

There you go: three minutes, three replies all pointing you to the simplest solution!

When I did my calculations I needed around 12 metres of 3/8 beer line! Instead I simply ran 1 metre of 3/8 line, added a 3/8-3/16 reducer, coiled 1 metre of 3/16 line, then used another reducer to go back to 3/8 for another metre. That sorted it for every type of beer I serve. It's a nice and...

When I was in the planning stage of a keezer I got to a point where it went from making great sense to no sense at all. I was looking at running four 19L kegs. The most affordable chest freezer was around £130. Searching for a secondhand one nearby drew a blank, so I figured I'd have to go...

Lucky man; my Missus was going to get me one but dealing with Beerhawk was a bit of a nightmare. I've used them since Day 1 and they were good, but as they've grown the service has slipped a bit. I had one order when a box was totally destroyed. I had to chase them over and over again to get it...

I often lie awake at night wondering whether the poor bleeding heart liberals will find something new to be outraged about. After all, there's so much wailing, gnashing of teeth and petty miserable sacrifice that they've yet to try and foist on the rest of us. Every morning when I rise I'm...