Forgotton how to brew my beer

[Ian...]

Hi Everyone
I'm a new member and looking forward to picking up great info and tips here. I brewed beer about 30 years ago (yes.... I am getting on in years) and had a favourite brew; but time, and a few other things got in the way and I stopped. I now have more time, and less money so it would make good sense to return to this very satisfying, and economical, pass-time. My problem is, I can't remember the full details of my very simple extract recipe and method. I wonder if any of you kind people could fill in the gaps. I have never used a kit and I was really happy with my result. Here goes.

Steralise all the kit
Heat a can of malt extract (can't remember whether it was medium or dark but the finished colour of the beer was a mid-brown.)
Boil 4 0zs of goldings hops, in a muslin bag (can't remember for how long) in about 3/4 of a gallon of water.
chuck it all in the bucket along with a kettle of hot water.
Chuck in some demerara sugar (cant remember if 1kg or more)
Give it all a good stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Fill up with cold water
Make a little yeast starter and chuck it in
Cover and ferment etc (I can remember the rest, especially the drinking bit, it was absolutely gorgeous.... too gorgeous if you know what I mean).
I also used a campden tablet at some stage but can't remember when.
so to summarise:
How long do I boil the hops for?
How much sugar?
and where did the campden tablet come in?
and is there anything else I may have missed?
I did go for bottling last time but I think I will try kegging so any tips would be good.
Many thanks

Ian

 

[wilsoa1111]

well glad to hear your back to the fold- as for answers i will try and help but kinda need a inkling of what style ur aiming for...
anyway i would go for a med extract or even a light extract with all the dermera going in,
the hops tend to go in in different stages like 1oz at 60mins ie when the boil starts in a 60 minute boil then 1oz at 45 mins (ie 15 mins into 60 minute boil) then another at 15 mins then the final lot just before cooling if adding all at same time (not ideal) maybe go for somewhere in the middle...20mins of boiling maybe?

sugar wise depends on how alcoholic u fancy if only using 1.5kg of extract probably just a kilo to 1.5 kilos (2 much sugar at 2 warm a temp is bad) others to copy a speckled hen style use 454g of golden syrup and make the rest of the kilo up with dermera (makes a bit lighter)

the campden tablet for brewing tends to go into the water ur going to brew with 24hrs before u brew (displaces the chlorine and chloramides-so not essential if your tap waters ok but nice if have ability to err on side of caution otherwise might get a mettalic taste)

As for kegging i just got mine but dont exceed 100g sugar 80-90g is generally good, i put 100g in and my tap and lid were hissing beer allover the place-finally got lid on right and tap stopped leaking just before the relief valve stopped hissing so all good i hope. also a keg with a way of topping up with co2 is a gd idea-s30 valves with big tanks r more expensive shortterm but even if posting back and forth on ebay seem cheaper longterm (if havent got a gd homebrew shop)

 

[jonewer]

Ian, if I were you, I'd just brew one of the 2-can kits that are around these days and maybe add some hop tea. Kits these days are pretty good!

Then move to what you really want to do once you've got your feet back under the brewing table :thumb:

Whatever you do though, good luck and welcome!

 

[TRXnMe]

As above, take a look at the beer kit reviews on this site before comitting to an extract brew.

If you do go for an extract brew the sponsors (malt miller and homebrew company) will sell you the where withall to make a rather good beer, for slightly less than a kit will cost you, all be it you have to pay postage.

If you go for a keg then get a bottom tap keg, you'll see lots of folk pushing top tap kegs as beneficial due to you being able to drink your beer earlier, they are more complex, need more gas pressure to dispense the beer and are harder to sterilise. Get a bottom tap, preferably with an S30 valve so you can get cheap gas in the long term.

Oh, welcome to the forum, beware the hobby though, it can be addictive if you're the addictive type

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[Ian...]

Thanks folks. I'm going to pick up the gear tomorrow morning and do my first brew on Sunday. I've been reading up loads and I can't make my mind up whether to do my old-fashioned extract method or get a decent kit. I guess I'll make my mind up in the shop.
Cheers!