Home Brew Testing

[Kinleycat]

Mmmmm elderberry stout sounds nice.
I'm just supping a cherry stout as we speak:)

 

[Kinleycat]

Maybe this (if there is enough interest) could be seasonal?
Spring (anything goes)
Summer (a light sparkling summer drink, zesty, fruity, hoppy etc)
Autumn (anything goes)
Winter (a heavier, spicier, darker Christmassy drink)
Just thinking out loud!!!

 

[morethanworts]

Better start deleting brews from our signatures then (or lying)

Errhhmm
.........................
AG#563 Imperial Stout
AG# 562 Chimay clone
AG#561 Elderberry Stout


Now for my real signature:

 

[Kinleycat]

Better start deleting brews from our signatures then (or lying)

Errhhmm
.........................
AG#563 Imperial Stout
AG# 562 Chimay clone
AG#561 Elderberry Stout


Now for my real signature:

:lol: :lol: :lol:
I get your point but we are all where we are.
I'd love to go AG and at some point I'm sure I will, but I'll never be snobby over kit brewing.
I've only been at it four months and as you can see from my sig I've been busy, I've learned so much and made some really good beer and surprised and encouraged a lot of people.
Without gaining experience through kits I would never even contemplating AG at all.
I've also gained a hobby/part time job and not spent a penny in the supermarket on beer*



*spent a fortune on kits and equipment but don't tell the wife!! :whistle:

 

[alanywiseman.]

I would be interested in helping out with a brew swap depending on the time it goes (getting married at the end of the month!). So how about if a couple of people are interested in helping organise it (seemed a lot for Rob on his own at Christmas) we could include more people.

So for example if just beer then you split the entries between organisers or have some deal with beer and some with wine and possibly even cider. This way beer drinkers get beer, etc.

What do you think? Just an idea.

 

[Kinleycat]

Happy to "jobshare" :thumb:

 

[alanywiseman.]

Happy to "jobshare" :thumb:

Well maybe we can work something out. Does anyone else want to help get something organised?

 

[morethanworts]

Maybe it would be good if one chief self-nominee can come up with a definitive list of what needs to be done and get an idea of the scale of the task - with help discussing it on this thread (or a new one) if need be - and guidance from Rob last year if he wants to pass on any experience. From there it could be delegated out.

Seeing that I was so enthusiastic about it, I would be willing to be delegated a bit of admin or wrapping, posting, printing or whatever's needed, once there's a plan. Wont be offended if I'm not required! I appreciate I've not been on the forum that long.

 

[hedgerow pete]

personally i would preffer to meet up with or find a wine judge i can communicate with as i could do with a mentor rather than a bottle swap. but a bottle swap is great fun to do though

 

[morethanworts]

A Summer bottle swap looks very much on the cards. The three of us who put our hands up (above) are on the case right now. Watch this space in the coming days and weeks!

 

[cwiseman77]

A Summer bottle swap looks very much on the cards. The three of us who put our hands up (above) are on the case right now. Watch this space in the coming days and weeks!

Malt whiskey bottles are perfect for posting :drink: :whistle:

 

[fbsf]

Just one thing to be aware of guys - Royal Mail have recently doubled their prices for "Medium Parcels" - basically anything over 500g that won't go through a letterbox. The lowest price is 2nd class for 500g-1kg and this is now £5.30, or £5.65 for 1st class.

That makes for an expensive pint. Worth looking at something like MyHermes - if you drop it off at one of their parcelshops, it's only £3, or £3.30 if they pick it up from you.

Also, if you can, try and decant your brew into a plastic 500ml coke bottle or similar for posting (get it really cold before decanting, and most of the CO2 will stay in the brew).

Firstly it weighs less, so should stay under 1kg keeping costs down, and secondly - most importantly - it won't get smashed by the delivery neanderthals.

Saying all that, when it comes to the time, count me in!

 

[morethanworts]

Just one thing to be aware of guys - Royal Mail have recently doubled their prices for "Medium Parcels" - basically anything over 500g that won't go through a letterbox. The lowest price is 2nd class for 500g-1kg and this is now £5.30, or £5.65 for 1st class.

That makes for an expensive pint. Worth looking at something like MyHermes - if you drop it off at one of their parcelshops, it's only £3, or £3.30 if they pick it up from you.

Also, if you can, try and decant your brew into a plastic 500ml coke bottle or similar for posting (get it really cold before decanting, and most of the CO2 will stay in the brew).

Firstly it weighs less, so should stay under 1kg keeping costs down, and secondly - most importantly - it won't get smashed by the delivery neanderthals.

Saying all that, when it comes to the time, count me in!

Not according to the Royal Mail Price Finder. I just followed the steps and a roll/cylinder shaped parcel up to 8cm diameter and 45cm long weighing 1Kg, with a value of under £20 would count as a Small Parcel and would cost £2.60 second class. (A 45x35x8 box up to 2Kg would be the same.)

If you check and discover your info was incorrect, you may want to edit the post - we don't want people being put off and not reading further! Maybe I've missed something?

We've been in touch in the last couple of days and things are progressing well - Watch this space!

 

[fairbrew]

I really enjoyed the secret santa . I enjoyed the beer I got and posted my review. The guy who got my bottle couldn't be bothered to review the bottle I sent him , even tho I pm'd him asking him to do so! He said he really liked it and would post a review but didnt. This really pissed me off as what I hoped to gain was an independent opinion on my beer.
I would be up to doing it again , but would just say to people , make sure you follow it up with a review

 

[fbsf]

If you check and discover your info was incorrect, you may want to edit the post - we don't want people being put off and not reading further!

My info was for medium parcels and therefore was correct. If you are posting a glass bottle, it'll need to be medium-parcel sized because of the packaging required to stop it getting smashed in the post.I sent a well-packaged glass 330ml bottle at the post office yesterday and it cost me £5.30. Hence my heads-up that other postal providers are available and worth looking at for medium parcels. At only 40p more than a small-parcel cost from RM.

Of course, if people send the beers in PET bottles as I've suggested in that same post, then the packaging can be a lot less and it will fit the small parcel criteria.

I also agree with fairbrew - if you take part, please take a minute or two to post a short review. I posted mine off and didn't even find out if it had been received, let alone if it was drinkable!!

But cheers to all involved in organising the next one - it is a really good idea and usually works very well.

 

[morethanworts]

Before I split any hairs, if anyone one is bottling now for the swap, then I totally agree - consider a PET bottle!

Royal Mail have recently doubled their prices for "Medium Parcels" - basically anything over 500g that won't go through a letterbox. The lowest price is 2nd class for 500g-1kg and this is now £5.30, or £5.65 for 1st class.

Not quite. Even a Small Parcel can be up to 2Kg. Up to 1Kg can be as little as £2.60 (Cylinder up to 45x8cm) 2nd class.

If you are posting a glass bottle, it'll need to be medium-parcel sized because of the packaging required to stop it getting smashed in the post.

A 300ml Bud bottle is 5.5cm diameter, which leaves enough for a single layer of bubble wrap plus a tough tube. It's very close to the 8cm limit though, so you're right to point it out and I hadn't realised quite how close it is :thumb:

Of course, if people send the beers in PET bottles as I've suggested in that same post, then the packaging can be a lot less and it will fit the small parcel criteria.

Yes, less packaging because you don't need to wrap the PET so much AND less weight in the bottle itself. +1 for PET bottles for this, though anyone with only glass should not be put off!

Looks possible to me to safely send a 300ml glass bottle if you've got the right materials, as a small parcel, but anyone with a 500ml glass bottle will definitely be looking at £5 plus and may want to shop around.

Saying all that, when it comes to the time, count me in!

Great stuff. Whichever way we look at it, it's an expensive bottle of beer, but I know I will greatly enjoy sending and receiving one.

All matters to do with the Summer 2013 Bottle Swap, inviting further input, are now on a topic in Information and Announcements. Click Here for that!

 

[EskiBrew]

All matters to do with the Summer 2013 Bottle Swap, inviting further input, are now on a topic in Information and Announcements. Click Here for that!

To save having info in two places, I'm going to lock this thread now - follow the link above :thumb: