Beer newbie

[GilBrew]

I usually do ciders and wines with the odd dabble in sloe gin and bramble brandy etc.

I am seriously considering a tentative footstep into beers for Christmas/New Year drinking.
I am not a beer drinker myself but hubby, brother in law, Father in law and Dad are. We are in Scotland so Dad and Father in Law both drink 'Heavy' Dad will drink Irish Stout (i use it to cook with) Hubby and Brother in Law drink bottled lagers like Sol, Estrella etc etc. Can anyone recomend a decent couple of Kits to have a go with. Also can I use the FV i use for cider or will i need to buy something else.
Also when will I need to start to have a drinkable supply for the festive season?

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to the Forum. :thumb: :thumb:

When to start? The absolute rule of thumb minimum is:

o Two weeks fermenting.

o Two weeks carbonating.

o Two weeks conditioning.

There are hundreds of variables to this "rule" but the latest you should start a brew for Christmas would be the 1st of November.

Before then it might be advisable for you to do a couple of brews to get your hand in by starting with a simple (and cheap) "one can kit" and see how it goes.

Best of luck. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[GilBrew]

Hey Dutto, Looking at the Wilkos Mexican Cerveza kit just now. Think that will be my first 'beer'

 

[dad_of_jon]

dark malty strong xmassy beers benefit from more conditioning time, 8-12 weeks with them getting better over the following months. many brewferm kits which are superb btw need 6 months+ to reach awesome status. wheat beers 4-6 weeks. so apart from lagers put your darker stronger beers on first.

Don't know about the cider question i've never done cider. If you were making sour beer that kit should be just for sours.

 

[ericmark]

There are three reasons to select a kit, one it's an old favourite, two it's on offer and much cheaper than normal, and three suited to climate.
I find the Youngs Scottish heavy is slightly better than the Geordie Scottish heavy, but there is very little in it. Following instructions the Youngs has 1.5 kg of sugar and Geordie 1 kg of sugar so using same sugar in both the Youngs is slightly less bitter. Using dried malt extract or a mixture of brewing sugar and dried malt extract is claimed to improve the pint, however I was rather disappointed in the results using brew enhancer all it seemed to do was raise the price. And using dried malt extract the kit costs the same as a two can kit so may as well just get a two can kit, rather than bother with dried malt.

The last point at the moment 3 am in the morning I am looking at 18.8°C likely in North Wales tomorrow we will have a warm day and unless I was to use a yeast selected for high temperatures I will need to use refrigeration to stop off after tastes creeping in. Time helps, but they never completely go away. First 10 days are important for temperature after that it really does not matter, not sure of Scottish temperatures, but you are looking for most beers for an average of 18°C for first 10 days, after that even 24°C is not a problem. I say average as 40 pints takes a lot of heating and cooling.

In the main brewing beer needs 20°C, but the fermentation gives off heat so 18°C ambient temperature. Coopers kits seem to advocate a higher temperature so likely starting a kit tomorrow a Coopers kit would be better. They recommend 21°C-27°C (70°F-80°F) with UK kits 18°C~24°C. During winter months the UK kits better suit the temperatures we tend to set central heating at, but still may need a body warmer to keep them warm enough.

Over the years Wilko, Tesco, and Morrisons have all done cheap kits. Couple of years ago Morrisons were doing Geordie Scottish Export at less than £7, then stopped doing beer kits, Tesco last year also did the Geordie Scottish Export cheap before Christmas seem to remember around £8.5 order on line and collect in shop, just a couple of weeks ago Wilco was doing Coopers Stout, Larger, and English bitter at £10 with a two can Woodfords Werry Bitter kit at £16.

Even without being on offer the Geordie Scottish Export is just £12. But in local brew centre Geordie and Youngs Harvest as same price so from that shop I get the Youngs Harvest Scottish Heavy, Tesco even not on offer the Youngs Harvest Scottish Heavy is £10.50.

Yorkshire is most bitter, English in middle and Scottish heavy the least bitter of three, both Geordie and Youngs. It really is hard to tell between the two makes.

Before temperature control my biggest problem was being under temperature so what should take 30 days before being ready to drink took 60 days, and if bottled too early the pressure could build up, moving to plastic pop bottles was a great move, A mistake bottling too early and simply slack off cap and release pressure, today with using refrigeration I can set watch by when the beer is ready, but a stick on temperature strip is very handy and an air lock well sealed means less testing with hydrometer. Today I just stick the fermentor in the freezer with temperature set to 20°C and return in 10 days to swap fermentor to reduce sediment, put in fridge set at 21°C and after a further 10 days I bottle. But before I got the fridge/freezer it was in kitchen and every day I was monitoring its progress. I made some classic mistakes, when under temperature normally in second 10 days I would set heater and forget and then over temperature, but never poured a brew away, they may have varied in quality, but still drinkable.

Before refrigeration I would stop brewing June, July and August. Now I don't need to. You are in Scotland so I assume cooler I can only say what I did in North Wales.

 

[Personal91]

I usually do ciders and wines with the odd dabble in sloe gin and bramble brandy etc.

I am seriously considering a tentative footstep into beers for Christmas/New Year drinking.
I am not a beer drinker myself but hubby, brother in law, Father in law and Dad are. We are in Scotland so Dad and Father in Law both drink 'Heavy' Dad will drink Irish Stout (i use it to cook with) Hubby and Brother in Law drink bottled lagers like Sol, Estrella etc etc. Can anyone recomend a decent couple of Kits to have a go with. Also can I use the FV i use for cider or will i need to buy something else.
Also when will I need to start to have a drinkable supply for the festive season?

do you have a pressure barrel or do you bottle ?

if you want get use a pressure barrel the brew will be ready earlier ( if you have 1 that siphons off the top as it clears from the top )

but be warned you will probally see the brew 'sampled' more often in this circumstance !

 

[Dutto]

Hey Dutto, Looking at the Wilkos Mexican Cerveza kit just now. Think that will be my first 'beer'

A nice light beer that clears and conditions quickly. Go for it! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Also, check out rehydrating yeast here ...

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53150

to get the brew off to a flying start.

 

[GilBrew]

do you have a pressure barrel or do you bottle ?

if you want get use a pressure barrel the brew will be ready earlier ( if you have 1 that siphons off the top as it clears from the top )

but be warned you will probally see the brew 'sampled' more often in this circumstance !

I bottle, not against aquiring a pressure barrel though

 

[rubby]

I Bottle every good condition yeast. The first choice is predictable.

 

[terrym]

Gilbrew
One of the best kits out there is Coopers Original Stout which you could try (at least one in your group drinks stout and you could be a convert too instead of cooking with it!)
Anyway this kit is widely available and often on offer at Tesco and Wilko. Coopers kits and the yeast especially are usually very reliable.
Many people add ingredients to put their own stamp on the brew (look at the kit review section). Mine is one kit can plus 500g Golden Syrup, 500g Dark Dried Malt Extract, 100g Dark Muscavado sugar and three shots of strong Italian coffee all brewed to 19 litres. If served from a pressure barrel it comes with a creamy head like wot you get in the pub.

 

[Personal91]

I bottle, not against aquiring a pressure barrel though

its ALOT easier to sample your brew, which is the problem in all honesty

 

[Slayer]

terrym
This recipe sounds good.
Excuse my ignorance but what did you excatly buy? Was it the Coopers Original Stout and added the extra ingredients? Do you need to but the yeast seperately when buying Coopers kits?
Cheers.

 

[Slayer]

Gilbrew
One of the best kits out there is Coopers Original Stout which you could try (at least one in your group drinks stout and you could be a convert too instead of cooking with it!)
Anyway this kit is widely available and often on offer at Tesco and Wilko. Coopers kits and the yeast especially are usually very reliable.
Many people add ingredients to put their own stamp on the brew (look at the kit review section). Mine is one kit can plus 500g Golden Syrup, 500g Dark Dried Malt Extract, 100g Dark Muscavado sugar and three shots of strong Italian coffee all brewed to 19 litres. If served from a pressure barrel it comes with a creamy head like wot you get in the pub.

terrym
This recipe sounds good.
Excuse my ignorance but what did you excatly buy? Was it the Coopers Original Stout and added the extra ingredients? Do you need to but the yeast seperately when buying Coopers kits?
Cheers.:thumb:

 

[terrym]

terrym
This recipe sounds good.
Excuse my ignorance but what did you excatly buy? Was it the Coopers Original Stout and added the extra ingredients? Do you need to but the yeast seperately when buying Coopers kits?
Cheers.:thumb:

I have previously only done the Original Stout, which seems to be more readiliy available than the Irish Stout. That said I have an Irish Stout in the FV at present with the same additional ingredients to compare with the Original Stout.
All the additions are just ordinary shop bought items which go in at the beginning.
I never substitute the yeasts that comes in Coopers kits, since they perform reliably and predictably.

 

[Robin54]

Gilbrew
One of the best kits out there is Coopers Original Stout which you could try (at least one in your group drinks stout and you could be a convert too instead of cooking with it!)
Anyway this kit is widely available and often on offer at Tesco and Wilko. Coopers kits and the yeast especially are usually very reliable.
Many people add ingredients to put their own stamp on the brew (look at the kit review section). Mine is one kit can plus 500g Golden Syrup, 500g Dark Dried Malt Extract, 100g Dark Muscavado sugar and three shots of strong Italian coffee all brewed to 19 litres. If served from a pressure barrel it comes with a creamy head like wot you get in the pub.

I would say Terry, you are spot on with that tweak.

 

[Slayer]

I have previously only done the Original Stout, which seems to be more readiliy available than the Irish Stout. That said I have an Irish Stout in the FV at present with the same additional ingredients to compare with the Original Stout.
All the additions are just ordinary shop bought items which go in at the beginning.
I never substitute the yeasts that comes in Coopers kits, since they perform reliably and predictably.

Can't wait to dash down to Wilkos!
So, did you use one kit can plus 500g Golden Syrup, 500g Dark Dried Malt Extract in the FV. Then the 100g Dark Muscavado sugar and three shots of strong Italian coffee added to the keg?
Or smash it all in the FV and keg the result.
The reason I ask is that other kits I've researched require sugar for the secondary fermentation.:-?

 

[terrym]

I would say Terry, you are spot on with that tweak.

Well thanks for that. It certainly works for me :thumb:

 

[terrym]

Can't wait to dash down to Wilkos!
So, did you use one kit can plus 500g Golden Syrup, 500g Dark Dried Malt Extract in the FV. Then the 100g Dark Muscavado sugar and three shots of strong Italian coffee added to the keg?
Or smash it all in the FV and keg the result.
The reason I ask is that other kits I've researched require sugar for the secondary fermentation.:-?

Just to be clear kit plus all the ingredients go in the FV.
Then, when ready, it goes into the PB with 90g table sugar, which as normal brings along nothing except CO2 and a bit of additional alcohol.
I suppose you could add the Muscavodo (as a substitute for the table sugar) and the cooled coffee to the PB but I haven't done that so far. To keep the gravity up you could then increase the golden syrup from 500g to 600g.
And my OGs are about 1.047ish, FGs 1.011.