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That's the answer I was looking for! Just out of interest, is it a really bad idea to use a pump to get from boiler to FV? I know there is a serious issue with post-boil sanitisation, but can it be done easily?

pjbiker - sorry, I wasn't very clear. What I was trying to say was that with a 15mm valve fully open there is going to be a maximum rate at which fluid will flow out of it naturally (fed by gravity only). What I wondered was - will a pump be able to suck the fluid through its input at a higher...

If it's finished, I normally just put mine straight into the barrel. If you want to give it that little extra something, then prime with DME if you can. One good trick also is to let secondary fermentation go (2-3 days), leave it another few days where it is indoors and then transfer to a dark...

Should be alright. If this happens again, just make sure that you put it somewhere warm. Making a kit from fresh gives you a nice warm wort, as you have used some boiling water in there at the start. Overnight yours will have dropped to the ambient temperature of your house. You want your...

Should be alright. If this happens again, just make sure that you put it somewhere warm. Making a kit from fresh gives you a nice warm wort, as you have used some boiling water in there at the start. Overnight yours will have dropped to the ambient temperature of your house. You want your...

This is fine. Wort is wort, and as long as a lid was on it and nothing nasty got in, it doesn't matter. ALSO - as long as your spoon was sterile and you stirred it adequately hard to get all that lovely oxygen into it, then the yeast will be happy. The advantage of pitching straight away is...

It depends on the yeast that you use to an extent - I have swapped out for alternative liquid yeasts and dried ones that don't go quite as hard! I stand it on a big folded towel, which insulates the business end of the FV and absorbs any spills! You could always short-brew and not quite add...

The Caxton's kits are all nice, and I have had some nice results from Youngs Scottish Heavy and their Harvest Bitter. I have always used half demerrera and half DME instead of brewing sugar, and always use liquid yeast that compliments the style - this gives a much nicer result. Yes, two...

Yeah, it will! All beer gets better if you leave it for a bit in the barrel/bottles!

Wherry is great, but does need a LOOOOOOOOOONG conditioning period. It was 9 weeks before I was happy enough to start it and 12 weeks before it got a proper thumbs up and I was actually pleased. If you can wait that long, it is a cracking brew. It came out very nice with Windsor dried yeast...

Am I right in saying that once you open a barrel, it doesn't condition anywhere near as quickly? If air gets in, doesn't it stop conditioning? I am not sure about that at all, but I was under the impression that was the case. Please correct me if I am wrong!

Liquid yeast should make a big difference. I did my first Irish Velvet with dried Nottingham, which was great. Second go was with White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast - bloody superb. Well worth the investment.

I will avoid this too then! I haven't tried the Coopers one yet, but I do like the Irish Velvet stout kit, which, if you use a bit of black treacle and dark spraymalt, comes out a cracker.

I had the same experience with Wherry, a 2-can kit that can be amazing. Wherry is notorious for needing a VERY long conditioning period to get sorted - up to 3 months is not unusual. It might just be that it needed a lot longer to mature. Could it be flat? Maybe it didn't carbonate...

That's the one I'm keen on, but didn't know whether to get the 6,8, or 14 watt version, as I didn't know what the likely maximum rate of flow out of a 15mm ball valve was. Does the pump pull the fluid faster from a vessel fitted with a ball valve, or do you have to match the output to what it...

Indeed! Sitting in the garden with home-brewed beer sounds lush. I have even planned loads of brews and named them all with the help of the kids. I also decided to get 3 people to randomly come up with a verb, preposition and noun to come up with the name of a super-strong ale to christen the...

Hi! That seems a shame - it's supposed to be able to support a 2.3m head at full flow rate. I would be pulling up about 1m at the most, so maybe that would be better. I will chat to Wendy1971 some more too. Cheers for the response! Counting the days to Christmas now :cheers:

Just out of interest, I was wondering what the flow rates would be for liquid coming through 15mm and 22mm pipe, assuming there is a good quantity of liquid to provide decent pressure? The reason for asking is to help me determine the model of pump to get, as Solar Pumps (20/20 model) come in...

Okay, a silly question coming! The solar pump 14/10, I am guessing will fairly easily fit to 15mm copper pipe, although I don't really want to use 10mm pipe at the other end, but understand you can step up and down to fit using fittings. There is also the 20/20 pump, that allows for more...

Oh bother! Well, I did end up delayed on the start of the build, but I have managed to practise some soldering of copper piping on scrap borrowed from a mate, and his spare (but rather temperamental) MAPP torch. Good heat from those! :o Think I have the hang now, so will not be scared of...