Hi from Stirling, Scotland

[DocAnna]

Hi my name's Anna, from Stirling in central Scotland and I'm rather enjoying rediscovering brewing after a too long time away from it. I've been brewing again for about a year working from kits through to AG now in my shiny new robobrew, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I used to brew kits when I was younger and then gave away my equipment at the time due to the space it was taking up. After rediscovering my love of brewing it has allowed me to build up from scratch and tackle things I wouldn't have before when younger. Generally these days I like brewing anything complicated and technical, preferably something that can give me an excuse to expand my brewing equipment list and experience. This year has included branching into making wines from my herb beds, strawberries, and a couple of meads that already taste pretty yummy even while young.

Sadly I'm spending far too much time reading up on the science of yeasts and fermentation, it continues to expand my awareness of my ignorance and a desire to make the beer/wine/mead all the bit better. Finding this forum on home brewing is I suspect both a blessing and a curse as it has already answered quite a few questions I had in past threads. However, I do worry that it might give more of an excuse to just have to buy that counterflow chiller I've been looking at :)

So thank you for this collected source of expertise already, and I really appreciate being able to join here even if my enthusiasm exceeds my experience.

Anna

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
You're not on your own as there are a lot of returning homebrewers to the forum that would have brewed kits from years ago but how times have changed.
This can be a costly in both time and money but very rewarding and educational by all means as the thirst for knowledge just eats you up as you buy books, watch documentaries on YouTube vlogs and scour the Web for those answers that defy you but end up being in your own hands but you just don't know it yet.
Been there, done that and I'm still doing it as everyday is a school day.

 

[AXW123]

Welcome to the forum. Its good to see another lady on here. It would seem that you and I are in a very similar place. I have been brewing again for a couple of years after a long break. I haven’t yet got a Robobrew but definitely want one!

 

[Gerryjo]

Welcome to the forum. Its good to see another lady on here. It would seem that you and I are in a very similar place. I have been brewing again for a couple of years after a long break. I haven’t yet got a Robobrew but definitely want one!

I have one 2 1/2 months and haven't had the time only to test but it'll happen.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hey Anna! Welcome. Spending time gaining the knowledge, as well as lusting after new equipment, is a big part of the fun.

There are quite a lot of Scots on the forum. Tayside area is especially well-represented. I actually have to get my CO2 in Stirling. You're lucky to have Russell Gas so near by.

 

[cheeseyfeet]

Hi and welcome!

I'm just up the road from you in Alloa, also a fellow robobrewer :)

Why not make a counterflow chiller? I hummed and hawed for ages then managed to knock one up in about an hour after I got the parts.

 

[DocAnna]

Wow what a lovely welcome , thank you. Yes the Robobrew was a bit of a treat to myself ordered at the start of lockdown and I'm slowly exploring what's possible with it, and hope to do an automated stepped mash since the new version supports timing based on reaching the mash temp so excluding the ramp up. I have also thought it would be great for poaching a turkey at Christmas in a light stock which would give a moist turkey with crispy skin once roasted in super quick time. Not normally possible to poach a Turkey due to the amount of time and hob space it would take up.

I'm planning on a Bohemian Pils lager this Saturday, but that relies on a two stage starter being put on tomorrow morning before work which might be a bit tight for time.

Anna

 

[DocAnna]

Why not make a counterflow chiller? I hummed and hawed for ages then managed to knock one up in about an hour after I got the parts.

That sounds an interesting idea - might just have to pm you for the parts list :)

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Hello Anna and welcome!
Poached turkey is a great idea (but it might make the beer taste a bit weird...)

 

[DocAnna]

Hello Anna and welcome!
Poached turkey is a great idea (but it might make the beer taste a bit weird...)

The more I think about this the better an idea it seems, the best thing about this is that the thermostat on the robobrew can maintain the bird/meat at poaching rather than simmer temp - so I can pop it in and forget about it for a couple of hours, then blast it in a hot oven just to crisp the skin up. No stress Christmas turkey and guaranteed cooked through. The potential for using this in cooking seems rather smart, could use it as a sous vide type cooker too, rather exciting really I can see quite a bit of scope for using it to cook with: long slow and low cook of meats sous vide then finish off on the BBQ or high heat.

Anna

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

If you decide to make a chiller, I can recommend using 8mm soft copper central heating tubing: it's very easy to bend by hand and relatively inexpensive (£16 for a 10m coil from screwfix).
I just run the hot wort through a coil of it immersed in a bin of cold water which works very well (and results in a big bucket of hot water for washing everything up afterwards)

 

[BeerGuy2020]

Hi my name's Anna, from Stirling in central Scotland and I'm rather enjoying rediscovering brewing after a too long time away from it. I've been brewing again for about a year working from kits through to AG now in my shiny new robobrew, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I used to brew kits when I was younger and then gave away my equipment at the time due to the space it was taking up. After rediscovering my love of brewing it has allowed me to build up from scratch and tackle things I wouldn't have before when younger. Generally these days I like brewing anything complicated and technical, preferably something that can give me an excuse to expand my brewing equipment list and experience. This year has included branching into making wines from my herb beds, strawberries, and a couple of meads that already taste pretty yummy even while young.

Sadly I'm spending far too much time reading up on the science of yeasts and fermentation, it continues to expand my awareness of my ignorance and a desire to make the beer/wine/mead all the bit better. Finding this forum on home brewing is I suspect both a blessing and a curse as it has already answered quite a few questions I had in past threads. However, I do worry that it might give more of an excuse to just have to buy that counterflow chiller I've been looking at :)

So thank you for this collected source of expertise already, and I really appreciate being able to join here even if my enthusiasm exceeds my experience.

Anna

How Do Anna ,
Welcome to the Forum
Cheers
Edd
PS: I've got quite a few good technical historic Scottish recipies

Drybrough XP from 1906

 

[Kveik Freak]

Hello there neebour! Falkirk bairn here, welcome to the forum! I'm pretty new here too, it's a friendly place with a lot of great information.

 

[AXW123]

I am definitely not a neighbour ( I live in Guernsey) but would be great to try a 1906 Scottish (or is it Scots?) recipe. Won’t be this week though as I had a total knee replacement this afternoon!

 

[DocAnna]

I am definitely not a neighbour ( I live in Guernsey) but would be great to try a 1906 Scottish (or is it Scots?) recipe. Won’t be this week though as I had a total knee replacement this afternoon!

Wow a knee replacement in the afternoon and awake and sense enough to be posting here, crikey that's a bit impressive in itself! I love Guernsey though have only been the once a few years ago to visit, I've a good friend here who still feels Jersey is home and sells both islands very well .

@EarthKveik - yes I like the idea of some historic Scots recipes too though as per my other thread I'm in the middle of making starters for a couple of lagers to go on this weekend.

Anna

 

[GerritT]

I had the BEST fish and chips in Stirling :)

Welcome to the forum! Do you already have books?

 

[DocAnna]

Welcome to the forum! Do you already have books?

Books - that'll be a slightly embarrassed yes, lots. Wine, mead, beer, fruit juices and gardening books focussed on ingredients for the same. TBH a bit too much, and they can be contradictory or use techniques I'm not convinced about eg I'm not willing to risk expensive honey with making 'Mead like a Viking'. John Palmer's 'How to brew' is my usual go to reference but it can be a bit heavy going on the details of larger scale brew houses. The books are also not that great on answering specific questions, I've already found the threads going back years on this forum a fantastic mine of useful information.

Anna

 

[AXW123]

My absolute favourite is James Morton’s ‘Brew’. It’s practical and down to earth and the recipes just work for me.