Chilling - Mashing

[pith-head]

Hi again , i wonder if someone could tell me what is the best equipment to get, if i want to start mashing my own brew, while i have brewed quite a few kits in days gone by, i have never gone the whole hog.

I think it used to be a Burco boiler, if i remember correctly, but i dont know for sure, + i think things may have altered these days.

Another thing is, i am thinking of getting some something to chill the beer/larger, could any one recommend anything from personal use, or tell me where i culd get one?

Just one more thing, would any one happen to know what the cheapest micro brewery would cost? Well i can dream, cant i?

I have thought seriously at perhaps having a pop at something like that though.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wez]

I love the last question :grin:


Basic kit to do an all grain is:

HLT - Hot Liquor Tank (plastic boiler with 1 or 2 elements fitted)
Mash Tun - Can be a coolbox with copper manifold fitted
Boiler - (plastic boiler with 1 or 2 elements fitted) - I used to double my HLT/Boiler up * you need a hop strainer in the boiler (copper with holes in)
IC - Immersion cooler - copper coil which acts as a heat exchanger - can be home made


To Chill Beer or lager - try to get hold of a second hand fridge or chest freezer of the right size - then add either a different thermostat or a more expensive temp controller.

Micro - I think most of us would love that - too many variables to put a price on

Hope thats helped mate :thumb:

 

[jamesb]

Cheapest professional microbrewery costs:

1bbl £3400
2.5bbl £8400

all ex VAT and delivery.

Porter Brewery Installations

 

[pith-head]

Is that 3,400 quid? if it is, that sounds reasonable, but could you tell me what 1bbl is.

To be honest, i was thinking of buying this ex pub building, it was pretty much run down, but it was in a lovely spot, just on the outer edge side of the estate where i live, and it was overlooking the valley out in to the countryside, it had a large car park for my Grandsons motor bike, and a field right next door with pony's grazing in it, just right for my Granddaughters, it was perfect for what i wanted, there was one thing stopping me buying the bugger...... i aint got any cash. :grin:

 

[jamesb]

Is that 3,400 quid? if it is, that sounds reasonable, but could you tell me what 1bbl is.

1bbl = 1 barrel brew length.

1 barrel = 36 gallons

To be honest, i was thinking of buying this ex pub building, it was pretty much run down, but it was in a lovely spot, just on the outer edge side of the estate where i live, and it was overlooking the valley out in to the countryside, it had a large car park for my Grandsons motor bike, and a field right next door with pony's grazing in it, just right for my Granddaughters, it was perfect for what i wanted, there was one thing stopping me buying the bugger...... i aint got any cash. :grin:

:lol:

 

[pith-head]

Thanks James, i really apreciate your help.

I hope you don't mind me asking a further question here, but have you got any idea, why all these pubs are closing down?

A friend of mine used to run the local pub, it was shut down and then knocked down, there is just an empty space there now.

But the thing is, he could not make the pub pay, because of the price the brewery were charging him for the beer etc, which as part of the tenancy agreement he was locked in to. The brewery was John Smiths, my favourite bitter, i have to admit, i'm a real beer pig when it comes to their magnate bitter.

But the other thing is, that he could buy the same beer, from the local wholesaler much cheaper than he could from John Smiths, which he did until they caught him, and then they threw him out and shut down the pub.

So John Smiths could have a good paying pub, if they had charged him the same price as the wholesaler, but they would rather shut the pub down, before letting him have the beer at the same price the retailer charged him.

Can you see any sense in that, do you by any chance have any idea why they do that?

The other pub i was joking about really does exist, and i knew the guy that run that one, he had the exact same problem but with another brewery, and since then another local pub has shut for the exact same reason, some thing just does not add up to me. And its ruddy well killing me because i cant find out why.

 

[jamesb]

It's a combination of factors.

1) Beer being sold below cost price by the Supermarkets
2) The new "temperance" movement that seems to be starting
3) Bloody Pubcos ripping off their tenants with beer prices and rent.
4) All the other overheads making beer too expensive to buy in the pub (inc. beer duty)

We've recently had two really successful pubs around here shut down because they couldn't afford the rent increase that the pub companies charged them. It seems that you get punished for being too successful.

Pub companies are property developers and nothing more.

If you feel strongly about what's happening to pubs, could I suggest that you join CAMRA and get stuck in?

 

[arturobandini]

I've run quite a few bars and Pubs in the UK and abroad and Brewery Pubs are the worst beasts. You have to shift the beer at an enormous rate in order to get their beer at a good price. The rents charged by Pubcos are exorbitant because they bought these places in a rising market so it seemed they were buying up property AND a Pub so it was win win for them. Punch for example is mortgaged up to the eyeballs and I've not read anything about them going belly-up but it can't be far off.

The Breweries make Landlords buy in for not very much so it appears a good deal but your buy in is tied to your rent and barrelage prices so you're on a hiding to nothing. They're covering their own costs by making you foot the bill for the rent repayments on the property in the form of barrel hikes or rent increases. If you can't make a living out of it then they'll stick a banner above the door calling for some other mug to come along and stick 10k of their hard earned into a non starter. Breweries are also sticklers for you not messing with the layouts of their Pubs and not providing any financial support for even the smallest of refurbs.

Brewery chained Pubs are generally big no-no for me and it's a real shame as they should be somewhere to go and enjoy a particular Breweries finest ales. Unfortunately , as is the case in my village, we have 5 pubs owned by the same chain therefore providing zero variety and despite them all being real ale serving Pubs they are just one massive yellow net curtained, frosted windowed, tired decor homogenised mess. How many Pubs serving the exactly the same House and Guest Ale do you need in one village? It was mind numbingly stupid for the Brewery in question to buy up 5 of the Pubs in a village which has 6 Public Houses.

I could go on rambling but I'm sure you're all starting to get bored!

 

[pith-head]

How do you join camra, i have heard of it of course, its the campaign for real ale, but what the heck they do, ive no idea, and its based Barnsley area i think, not too far away from me actually.

 

[pith-head]

I've run quite a few bars and Pubs in the UK and abroad and Brewery Pubs are the worst beasts. You have to shift the beer at an enormous rate in order to get their beer at a good price. The rents charged by Pubcos are exorbitant because they bought these places in a rising market so it seemed they were buying up property AND a Pub so it was win win for them. Punch for example is mortgaged up to the eyeballs and I've not read anything about them going belly-up but it can't be far off.

The Breweries make Landlords buy in for not very much so it appears a good deal but your buy in is tied to your rent and barrelage prices so you're on a hiding to nothing. They're covering their own costs by making you foot the bill for the rent repayments on the property in the form of barrel hikes or rent increases. If you can't make a living out of it then they'll stick a banner above the door calling for some other mug to come along and stick 10k of their hard earned into a non starter. Breweries are also sticklers for you not messing with the layouts of their Pubs and not providing any financial support for even the smallest of refurbs.

Brewery chained Pubs are generally big no-no for me and it's a real shame as they should be somewhere to go and enjoy a particular Breweries finest ales. Unfortunately , as is the case in my village, we have 5 pubs owned by the same chain therefore providing zero variety and despite them all being real ale serving Pubs they are just one massive yellow net curtained, frosted windowed, tired decor homogenised mess. How many Pubs serving the exactly the same House and Guest Ale do you need in one village? It was mind numbingly stupid for the Brewery in question to buy up 5 of the Pubs in a village which has 6 Public Houses.

I could go on rambling but I'm sure you're all starting to get bored!

Not boring at all, i have an interest in pubs and beer, its good to get the inside story, this has bugged me rotten for the last few years, but thanks to you guys, i'm all wise'd up.

Cheers guys.




Cheers

 

[jamesb]

How do you join camra, i have heard of it of course, its the campaign for real ale, but what the heck they do, ive no idea, and its based Barnsley area i think, not too far away from me actually.

CAMRA is a nationwide organisation dedicated to Real Ale and pubs. You're bound to have a branch near you. Basically, on the ground it's a bunch of like minded individuals getting together to get piss... erm, campaign for decent beer and a fair deal for pubs.

http://www.camra.org.uk should have details of your nearest branch.

EDIT: If you are near Barnsley, the branch there has a website here where you can get into contact with them.

 

[Aleman]

And of course eventhe 'free houses' get 'tied' as well through brewery loans . . . . We'll loan you the 250-500K to refurb your pub, and you can pay it back on barralage . . . . .of course you can't sell any other beer than ours.

When I was at Matthew Brown in the late 80's-early 90's there were one or two loans that we were making something close on 5000% . . . . . No that's not too many zeros . . . Ok they were on small working mens clubs, but still disgusting

 

[pith-head]

The brewery Mafioso eh? Although what it does do though i would have thought, is give some small micro brewery chance to step in, provide a decent pint at a decent price and make lots of people very happy.....we hope.

Thanks for the info, i'm all clued up now, as the young'uns say these days.

 

[jamesb]

The brewery Mafioso eh? Although what it does do though i would have thought, is give some small micro brewery chance to step in, provide a decent pint at a decent price and make lots of people very happy.....we hope.

Nope, it doesn't work like that. It means that even so called free houses are tied for their beer and can't buy out.

 

[arturobandini]

It's all very similar to the Mafia because as soon as you let them in the door it's hard to stop them putting their hands in your wallet. Many freehouses as James and Aleman point out are far from it either. If you've got a premises and a license you can buy from wholesalers and then you just have to cover your exorbitant rates.

Oh and Smoking definitely kills...about 50 Pubs a week at the minute.