Hi all, just signed up

mikenotts · Oct 5, 2012

Hi,

I've taken early retirement - I didn't want to, but it was a combination of redundancy followed by lousy job market, so I've taken my - small! - private pension early. I've been cutting down financially wherever I can and I thought making my own beer and wine would be a good idea - a hobby and money saving combined.

I've done some very basic booze making before. I spent 6 years in Saudi Arabia in the 1980's and learnt to make beer and wine there. The supermarkets sold non-alcoholic near beer (it wasn't labelled as beer) and red and white fruit juices that could be turned into very passable beers and wines. There were loads of recipes doing the rounds. And I did buy basic beer and wine making kits some years ago, but didn't persue it.

So I'm starting from scratch and I came across you guys via Google while searching for online suppliers. I think I'll browse this forum for a while before I buy any stuff - I see you have a section on equipment suppliers.

Its going to be a while before I have anything drinkable, but I'll let you know how the first batches turn out - I may have a few questions along the way : cheers:

(took me 5 minutes to work out how to get that smiley in :hmm: )

dennisking · Oct 5, 2012

Hi and welcome Mike. This is the not only the best hobby in the world it will save you money. Browse and ask any question you want.

oldbloke · Oct 5, 2012

I also took early retirement, a few years back now though. Luckily the pension is /just/ comfortable enough and t'missus still works.
Brewing is great, the absolute basic gear can be had for 35quid tops, much less if you scour ebay and bootsales etc.
You can add to the gear bit by bit as time goes on, very little of it costs all that much, except I recommend the 30 quid or so a proper bench capper will cost you - well worth it, trust me.
If you need to keep it cheap, basic gear will do extract beer kits, TurboCider (can be excellent, stupidly easy, amazingly cheap), and hedgerow wines.

And it's great fun and pretty easy to fit around whatever else you have going on

Jeltz · Oct 6, 2012

Hi,

I've spent a small fortune since starting in June, but once its bought its bought! That said I've acquired plenty of kit through freecycle/freegle for free and charity shops cheap.

All told I think I've spent about Â£120 and have 3 fermentation vessels, 4 pressure barrels, 8 demijohns, a boiler (for all grain brewing not necessary for kits) a bottle capper, corks and a corker. All I need now is more bottles!

I did just spend about Â£50 on enough grain, yeast and hops to make about 200 pints of beer though!

If you want to get started as cheaply as can be with kits I would suggest you need a FV, long spoon. hydrometer, little bottler, steriliser and thermometer. Bottles can be as cheap as lidl 500ml water bottles 6 for 99p and you even get sparkling water.

2 can kits are very good but dearer than one can kits, but if you go for 1 can ones using a beer enhancer or spraymalt will give you a much better beer than cane sugar.

Have fun

Stone Cold · Oct 6, 2012

tell everyone what you new hobby is! EVERYONE! because I found everyone new someone who 'did' and some would dig out random bits of kit.
otherwise ebay, free cycle, wilko, recycling centers that sell like ours (at least 4 demies a month for 2 quid a pop)

keep reading this forum is the best advice i can give, it has taken me from wilkinsons beer kit to a keg all grain brewery to a 1bbl brewery to a 2.5 and now with hmrc license to make and sell, without the hefty price of a brewers degree (stop at all grain brewery thats where the fun is at)

Ollie