First post to say hi.

[Ken 58]

Like the way you got your school mine just sat on the shelf. Guess who will be doing like you tomorrow.

 

[Ken 58]

Sorry predicted text should be STC not school

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending, not had a bad Festival kit yet. Have had a similar run of success with Mangrove Jack Craft Series kits (Dry Irish Stout, Juicy Session IPA) which are also 3kg pouch kits made by same Bevie Products Group.

In terms of particular kit recommendations, favourites so far have been the Razorback IPA, Summer Glory, Belgian Pale Ale, and NZ Pilsner. MJ Dry Irish Stout bottled three weeks ago, just in time for St Paddys Day, is currently going down extremely well.

Many on Forum also rate the Youngs range, especially the AIPA (already firmly on my todo list).

And, get yourself a hop spider. Best investment I ever made...

Just ordered a hop spider. Along with an Agata bench capper.

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

Like the way you got your school mine just sat on the shelf. Guess who will be doing like you tomorrow.

The STC-1000 is on the shelf to the right of the fridge. Inside the fridge on the shelf I have a min/ max thermometer with a prob which is strapped to the FV with the one for the STC. this allows me to monitor the swing in temp both of the beer and the shelf the bottles are on.

 

[Poddyc]

@Bombers hoppy ending,

Just ordered a hop spider. Along with an Agata bench capper.

Agata bench capper is a good bit of kit! I have the exact same model.

If still in a spending mood, you may also want to consider getting Fermtech Auto-syphon (5 gal size), Pro-filler bottler and Thief...

https://www.fermtech.ca/

 

[Ken 58]

Nice set up

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending,



Agata bench capper is a good bit of kit! I have the exact same model.

If still in a spending mood, you may also want to consider getting Fermtech Auto-syphon (5 gal size), Pro-filler bottler and Thief...

https://www.fermtech.ca/

Hahaha. Good shout but already have those as well as a bottle rinse and bottling tree. That certainly made bottling fairly easy. But I have to say the two lever capper was the part that let the whole thing down.
It’s going to take a few brews before It all pays for itself and becomes cost effective.

 

[Poddyc]

@Bombers hoppy ending, I imagine it won't take you too long to recover your investment!

I personally resumed kit brewing myself when lockdown started a year ago. I've done 15 kits in 12 months. Not bought more than a dozen commercial bottles in the meantime. And now nothing from the usual supermarket shelves tastes as good. (Decent pub pints would though still be a challenge).

Drinking buddies are begging for samples, amazed that such good results can be produced at home. Yes, I'm sure it can go wrong occasionally. But the job is made much easier by the quality of ingredients and equipment now available to the average home brewer. (Compared to the very shady kit of the 1980's).

Keep on top of stuff you already know (sanitation, temp control, patience) and you'll have no issues. Patience, and a decent period of bottle conditioning being absolutely key in my experience, as previously mentioned.

Furthermore, I've found the latter requirement can be massively helped, of course, by having a good stock of bottles already well-conditioned, and also plenty more working their way through the pipeline for future consumption!

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending, I imagine it won't take you too long to recover your investment!

I personally resumed kit brewing myself when lockdown started a year ago. I've done 15 kits in 12 months. Not bought more than a dozen commercial bottles in the meantime. And now nothing from the usual supermarket shelves tastes as good. (Decent pub pints would though still be a challenge).

Drinking buddies are begging for samples, amazed that such good results can be produced at home. Yes, I'm sure it can go wrong occasionally. But the job is made much easier by the quality of ingredients and equipment now available to the average home brewer. (Compared to the very shady kit of the 1980's).

Keep on top of stuff you already know (sanitation, temp control, patience) and you'll have no issues. Patience, and a decent period of bottle conditioning being absolutely key in my experience, as previously mentioned.

Furthermore, I've found the latter requirement can be massively helped, of course, by having a good stock of bottles already well-conditioned, and also plenty more working their way through the pipeline for future consumption!

Yep that’s the plan. I have another kit ( Suffolk strong ale), here ready to go when this one is bottled in another couple of weeks.
I already have work mates that are queuing up for some. And I’m still around 4-5 weeks out from the first batch bottled being ready.
mid it turns out ok there may be an option for receiving donations for the cause. That will be a good test of quality, if people are prepared to make a small donation for it.

 

[Poddyc]

@Bombers hoppy ending,

I have another kit ( Suffolk strong ale), here ready to go when this one is bottled in another couple of weeks.

Further to earlier comments about bottle-conditioning Festival darker ales...

My Suffolk Strong has been in bottle for exactly 6 weeks today. Coincidentally had one last night, and only now is it starting to come good with some final balance of flavour. A month ago it tasted a bit syrupy and cloying.

I have nevertheless kept the faith though. As it was pretty much the same with the Festival Pilgrims Hope, which was eventually an excellent brew.

You'll need to pace yourself.

If in a hurry, then maybe kick off one of the Festival pale ales/IPAs now? It'll be ready for drinking long before your Suffolk. Especially if it's going to be a key part of your ongoing 'business plan' in attracting future investment partners!

MJ Dry Irish Stout, now excellent, was by comparison already good after only one week in bottle.

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending,



Further to earlier comments about bottle-conditioning Festival darker ales...

My Suffolk Strong has been in bottle exactly 6 weeks today. Coincidentally had one last night, and only now is it starting to come good with some final balance of flavour. A month ago it tasted a bit syrupy and cloying.

I have nevertheless kept the faith though. As it was the same way with the Festival Pilgrims Hope which was eventually an excellent brew.

You'll need to pace yourself.

If in a hurry, then maybe kick off one of the Festival pale ales/IPAs now. It'll be ready for drinking long before your Suffolk. Especially if it's going to be a key part of your ongoing 'business plan' in attracting future investment partners!

MJ Dry Irish Stout, now excellent, was by comparison already good after only one week in bottle.

Hahaha. I was going to ask you for some recommendations for something that tends to condition quicker, as I read your earlier posts regarding the bigger beers.
Is the razor back slow to condition.

 

[DocAnna]

Here’s a pic of the fermentation fridge I put together 4 weeks ago that got this whole thing started.
1st brew is in the top conditioning, 2nd is below it with about 17 days to go. It’s controlled using an STC-1000 View attachment 43605

Looks very tidy and organised - you're braver than me, I got rid of all my glass shelves and replaced them with wood, but seeing how this is working I see the merit in having kept some shelves.

Anna

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

Looks very tidy and organised - you're braver than me, I got rid of all my glass shelves and replaced them with wood, but seeing how this is working I see the merit in having kept some shelves.

Anna

Hi Anna, currently looking at a small mod to get the FV at the top of the fridge. Currently it’s not getting as warm as I would like to bottle condition while fermenting, as the STC is driven by the temp of the FV so shuts off too early to generate any good temp at the top.
Going to put a metal shelf in for the FV and then have the bottles at the bottom. That means the heater will be on longer due to having to heat the FV higher up, and so give more heat to the bottles.
Or that’s the plan.

 

[Poddyc]

@Bombers hoppy ending, Razorback IPA is quickish. Though not as quick as say Summer Glory or NZ Pilsner. (Or even Landlord, which although currently only two weeks in bottle is already going down well - though it's clearly much more of a session ale).

I've done Razorback twice this last year and have a third batch on my shelf waiting for FV. The Razorback IPA's choice of dry hops seems to deliver an initial harshness if brew is consumed too early.

Some have described it as bitterness, but dry-hops don't tend to deliver that - I don't think? (IBU bitterness coming from hops already in extract from boil). I think harshness is a much more accurate description.

However, the harshness disappears after a few weeks, and the brew becomes really excellent after around 6 weeks in bottle. (So, 4 weeks condition after 2 weeks prime).

My next kit to buy is the Youngs AIPA. It also gets great reviews on this forum. I'm very interested to compare the two.

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending, Razorback IPA is quickish. Though not as quick as say Summer Glory or NZ Pilsner. (Or even Landlord, which although currently only two weeks in bottle is already going down well - though it's clearly much more of a session ale).

I've done Razorback twice this last year and have a third on my shelf waiting for FV. The Razorback IPA's choice of dry hops seems to deliver an initial harshness if brew consumed too early.

Some have described it as bitterness, but dry-hops don't tend to deliver that - I don't think? (IBU bitterness coming from hops already in extract from boil). I think harshness is a much more accurate description.

However, the harshness disappears after a few weeks, and the brew becomes really excellent after around 6 weeks in bottle. (So, 4 weeks condition after 2 weeks prime).

My next kit to buy is the Youngs AIPA. It also gets great reviews on this forum. I'm very interested to compare the two.

Is that landlord 2weeks prime 2weeks condition or just 2 weeks in the bottle in total. Night order either the summer glory or landlords as my next one through the system in around 2 weeks.
Do you brew with tap water or bottled. I live in the south east so it’s very hard round here. Haven’t got anything to try yet but have read mixed reports on all forums as to weather there is any noticeable benefit in bottled.

 

[Poddyc]

@Bombers hoppy ending, in answer to your questions...

My Festival Landlords Finest Bitter was bottled only 13 days ago. So, not officially out of 'prime' phase yet, nevermind 'condition'.

Festival Landlord gets a mixed press on this forum. Some are disappointed, some say it's excellent. I anticipate being in the latter crowd of happy followers, once brew has had its further two weeks' worth of 'bottle-conditioning'. But as said, it's already good.

Think those disappointed may be expecting it to be an indistinguishably close Tim Taylor clone. I can tell already that it's not going to be that. But IMHO, I think that's a bit of a tall order from a home-brewed extract kit.

However good the quality of kit ingredients, the recipe, and homebrew process, Tim Taylors have spent decades perfecting their commercial process with specialist equipment, top-cropping their own proprietary strain of yeast for generations.

That notwithstanding, I can though already tell that this Landlord version is going to be an excellent regular 'go-to' pale ale session brew.

Summer Glory has a dried elderflower addition, (supplied in a sachet to be added when pitching yeast - as well as the sachet of dry-hops to be added, as per usual, part-way through fermentation).

The elderflower addition is not overpowering, but does make it the kind of beer to be drunk outside in the sunshine, rather than indoors during an interminable winter lockdown!

I never use bottled, only ever use tap water. But we're lucky here in Sheffield with pretty good soft water, even prior to any treatment. That said, I always treat mine with half a crushed Campden tablet per 23 litres (in bottling bucket repurposed as 'liquor tank'), to remove any traces of chlorine and chloramine.

Yours may of course be different, but I've found the half a tab makes quite an improvement to my final brews for minimal effort.

 

[Bombers hoppy ending]

@Bombers hoppy ending, my Festival Landlords Finest Bitter was bottled only 13 days ago. So, not officially out of 'prime' phase yet, nevermind 'condition'.

Festival Landlord gets a mixed press on this forum. Some are disappointed, some say it's excellent. I anticipate being in the latter crowd of happy followers once brew has had a further two weeks worth of 'bottle-conditioning' also. But as said, it's already good.

Think those disappointed may be expecting it to be an indistinguishably close Tim Taylor clone. I can tell already that it's not going to be that. But IMHO I think that's a bit of a tall order from a home brewed extract kit.

However good the quality of kit ingredients, recipe, and homebrew process, Tim Taylors have spent decades perfecting their process with specialist equipment, top-cropping their own proprietary strain of yeast for generations.

I can though already see that this Landlord is going to be an excellent pale ale regular 'goto' session brew.

Summer Glory has a dried elderflower addition, (in a sachet to be added when pitching yeast, as well as sachet of dry-hops to be added, as per usual, part-way through fermentation). The elderflower is not overpowering, but does make it the kind of beer to be drunk outside in the sunshine, rather than during an interminable Winter Lockdown!

I only ever use tap water, but we're lucky here in Sheffield with pretty good soft water, even prior to any treatment. That said, I always treat mine with half a crushed campden tablet per 23 litres (in bottling bucket repurposed as 'liquor tank'), to remove any traces of chlorine and chloramine.

Yours may of course be different but I've found the half a tab makes quite an improvement to my final brews for minimal effort.

Sounds like my next order will include a summer glory possibly a landlord as well, and some campden tablets.
I may try the bottled water for a brew as it’s only 17p/lt in Lidl.
We shall see. I have 2 weeks to decide.