Hi from Ballymena, Northern Ireland

[Brian Harradine]

Hi. My name is Brian and I am new to this forum thing but I will try.
I have been brewing my own beer for about a year now and, like most I suppose, i started with the two can kits. Then moved on to extract brewing using a big saucepan and a Callor gas burner with some degree of success,according to my friends. I have now decided to go all grain and am sitting here waiting for a brand spanking new Grainfather to be delivered.
I am looking forward to getting advice from the expertise from this site and will post my first experience with my new toy.

Cheers.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum Brian.

 

[Lawrence22]

Welcome to the Forum, another grainfather brewer here from NI.

 

[strange-steve]

And another here :hat:

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to The Forum!

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi from another NI brewer. Good luck with your new toy...

 

[Brian Harradine]

Many thanks for the welcome and I am sorry that bit has been a while since I have been on. I live in Ballymena and was wondering if anybody else in Ballymena makes there own Homebrew, if so maybe we could meet up and swap ideas. I am retired so time is not a problem. Please let me know.

 

[Gerryjo]

I think @Lawrence22 is up your neck of the woods and there's a few up around Belfast as well.

 

[Lawrence22]

I’m in Mallusk. So not that far away. Won’t be back brewing till September though as it’s too much hassle when my lads off school.

 

[Brian Harradine]

Yes Lawrence22 kids can be demanding especially when you need to concentrate, I am not encombered like that, all my kids have grown up and flown the coup and being retired am able to brew almost when I want (wife permitting).

Do you know if there are any Homebrew clubs near us as I could do with some people to bounce ideas off and some one to try my beer?

 

[strange-steve]

Have a look at the Irish homebrew club forum here, there is a Belfast subforum and I'm pretty sure there's a guy there from Ballymena.

 

[Lawrence22]

Yes Lawrence22 kids can be demanding especially when you need to concentrate, I am not encombered like that, all my kids have grown up and flown the coup and being retired am able to brew almost when I want (wife permitting).

Do you know if there are any Homebrew clubs near us as I could do with some people to bounce ideas off and some one to try my beer?

As Strange-steve says there is a group of Belfast brewers on the Irish home-brew club forum. I've threatened to turn up on a couple of occasions but as yet haven't made it. I'm semi retired myself but as I started my family late I still have quite a few years to go before he flies the coup. I generally brew on Tuesdays (wife permitting) as my son usually has after schools then, so it gives me plenty of time to do a brew and clean up. I believe there is someone on the Irish board who organises a bottle swap in the Coleraine area. I'm sure you could bring beer there for sampling.

 

[Gerryjo]

Have a look at the Irish homebrew club forum here, there is a Belfast subforum and I'm pretty sure there's a guy there from Ballymena.

Aye there is a guy called CeeDee on the NHC who comes down to our Maiden City brewer's club when it meets up and there is another guy in Coleraine.Bazza would be your contact for the Belfast club

 

[Brian Harradine]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have taken your advice and joined that NHC so i will see how that expands. I have been brewing for about three years and started, as I guess everyone does, with extract kits in the bathroom but now have moved on to converting my garage so that i can do AG. I use a Grainfather setup compleat with there Conical Fermenter that i find very good. Having the temp control has made my beer so much better or so i am told.

I am now in the process of building a fermentation chamber so that I can get the same result from my plastic bucket fermenter, we will see how that pans out, DIY is not my strong point.

 

[Brian Harradine]

As Strange-steve says there is a group of Belfast brewers on the Irish home-brew club forum. I've threatened to turn up on a couple of occasions but as yet haven't made it. I'm semi retired myself but as I started my family late I still have quite a few years to go before he flies the coup. I generally brew on Tuesdays (wife permitting) as my son usually has after schools then, so it gives me plenty of time to do a brew and clean up. I believe there is someone on the Irish board who organises a bottle swap in the Coleraine area. I'm sure you could bring beer there for sampling.

Yes I have herd about the bottle swap that I think is in Portrush as well.I will look into it as that could give me some useful feedback

 

[Lawrence22]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have taken your advice and joined that NHC so i will see how that expands. I have been brewing for about three years and started, as I guess everyone does, with extract kits in the bathroom but now have moved on to converting my garage so that i can do AG. I use a Grainfather setup compleat with there Conical Fermenter that i find very good. Having the temp control has made my beer so much better or so i am told.

I am now in the process of building a fermentation chamber so that I can get the same result from my plastic bucket fermenter, we will see how that pans out, DIY is not my strong point.

This is incredibly similar to me. I brew in my garage with my grainfather and conical too, then Keg my beer mostly now. I rarely use my plastic bucket fermentors now, but if I do it will be an ale with temperature maintained in a water bath.

 

[Brian Harradine]

This is incredibly similar to me. I brew in my garage with my grainfather and conical too, then Keg my beer mostly now. I rarely use my plastic bucket fermentors now, but if I do it will be an ale with temperature maintained in a water bath.

That’s how I have been fermenting with my plastic bucket and controlled the heating with a fish tank heater but I have had problems of late keeping the temp within the range required hence the fermentation chamber. Being of English decent my main brews are Ales with Bitters at the top of the list. I also have made a Milky Coffee Stout recently that has gone down a storm. I do not have the equipment to use things like corney kegs but do use a King Keg pressure barrel but mostly I bottle with flip top bottles.