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I've had a scour through the forums - however I've been unable to find a clear, accurate and thorough guide to the differences between the various energy sources. I've been using white sugar (mostly) - plus some molasses. However, getting a clear guide to the names and reasons for dextrose...

I agree ref taste - I used some honey washings off my hive frames - which accidentally started to ferment - but it does not seem to make the beer taste much different. Decent honey is too good to waste in this way. Have a good loaf, butter, honey - and a pint - and you can savour all.

As an update on my brew; it has cleared (though it's not crystal bright) - and certainly tastes OK to me. Sediment in bottle is quite loose. I'd give it another go sometime but have picked up a Coopers Euro lager to try first

I've just done this - using molasses as sugar. It's turned out rather cloudy, slow to settle even after a month (no finings used) - does not taste like lager (or bitter) and not that much head - but quite drinkable chilled.

OK; well 5l of the honey 'washings' had an SG of 1.175 - so with the Geordie Scottish Export kit and dilution I now have 22l fermenting swiftly at starting SG of 1.050. Anyone think I should flavour it with anything else - or just leave it as kit and honey? Loads of washings left; going to see...

So many points from the above.... OK, The Alwen WTW had big investment about 5 years ago and is in pretty good shape though we are supplying a new dose system for part of the plant at the mo. Your alkalinity test kit is probably too inaccurate at its low range of 30mg/l - depending what it is...

8ppm as CaCo3 seems likely if you are NW Wales; you are correct that pH is a poor predictor. What sort of test method are you using btw? I should have stated that UK tap water standards are consistent - and very good. But due to the huge variation in sources - there are big variations in what...

Welsh Water is one of the utilities I cover; the alkalinity and pH and chlorine levels of the water you receive are very tightly controlled - and they will happily give you their data for your area. They will certainly NOT be supplying at pH of 5.0; target range will be 7.0 to 9.0 max normally...

Not sure beekeeping is worth it - largely full of retired, earnest old men. I thought it would be full of hippy chicks with low moral standards - lesson ; do more research. Good thing is that you don' t have to do much with them really if you're working. Bees that is.

As someone who works in water treatment - and with the Utilities - filtered and boiled should be fine (previous points about avoiding industrial etc waste and significant animal faecal contamination are excellent - but frankly, why bother if you have mains supply? Seriously, UK tap water is very...

I keep bees - and when you do your 'harvest' you also get a collection of wax 'cappings' and honey (and dead bees usually) which is pretty rubbish. This is used to make make mead by some folk. Any reason why I can't wash the honey out of the wax and crud; heat it a bit to sterilise and brew from...

Further update - just bottled 42 off 500ml - quite dark in colour; I dry hopped 50g of Cascade into it a week ago. It seems to taste OK atm; used 110g of molasses sugar as a batch primer. Clearly it was always fermenting - just must have been a vessel leak at the top somewhere - and no sign of...

Update - should have done this earlier - the SG is now 1.012 - so it has clearly been fermenting somewhere - though zero sign of it in the vessel, no bubbles, froth anything - never had that before. Quite a bitter flavour atm. But I reckon the vessel must not seal right. I do usually use other...

Hi there - I made this mix up with 1kg of their enhancer B that I had lying around - but I can not get it to start fermenting after 2 weeks trying. SG 1.044. Temperature is good. Everything seems fine. I started the yeast off with sugar solution before hand and it was bubbling enough. Is it time...