Expanding my home bar/brewery

[woody1959]

Ordered a 2nd corny today, this time with a CO2 regulator for "pub gas" bottles.
Also ordered a heat belt and a carbonation cap.

The heat belt because my room is around 18c and the carbonation cap so friends can take a few bottles of my brews home.

It was difficult to find pub gas suppliers that will do home bars but I found Adams gas and they will do a 6.3kg cylinder for £88 delivered, this includes a £50 cylinder deposit.

Refills are £33 each but that includes VAT and delivery. they take the old cylinder away and leave a new one, no rental charges.

I can get refills for £20 if I want to take the cylinder to a welding suppliers a few miles away but TBH it's a right ball ache and would take a couple of hours so I am happy to pay to have it exchanged at home.

My cider didn't turn out as I expected, it tastes far too yeasty, but it's clear, a lovely amber colour and 4.8% ABV so like my Sig, the first pint is yuk each subsequent pint after that tastes better.

I used dextrose to carbonate it in the keg and that's worked very well indeed.

Once my belt arrives I am going to have a go with a Coopers real ale kit and see how we go with that because I am down to my last few bottles of Mexican Cerveza which turns out rather well and very drinkable, one I will definitely brew again.

 

[MyQul]

18c is fine for fermenting ales. The only reason to ferment a little warmer is if you want more esters

 

[woody1959]

18c is fine for fermenting ales. The only reason to ferment a little warmer is if you want more esters

That's 18c now, we still have mild weather, I think it drops to around 14c Jan/Feb time

 

[MyQul]

That's 18c now, we still have mild weather, I think it drops to around 14c Jan/Feb time

Your brewing area seems to mirror mine. Mine is around 18c at the moment too, and will drop to 14c/15c during the coldest part of winter. I tend to use temp appropriate yeast rather than heating my fermentations

 

[woody1959]

Your brewing area seems to mirror mine. Mine is around 18c at the moment too, and will drop to 14c/15c during the coldest part of winter. I tend to use temp appropriate yeast rather than heating my fermentations

I'm glad I'm not the only one. But I hadn't thought of temperature appropriate yeast, I need to research that.

 

[MyQul]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. But I hadn't thought of temperature appropriate yeast, I need to research that.

An example would be using lager yeast during the winter (plenty of other ale yeasts can be used down to 15C though) and kviek during the hottest part of summer