How long have you been brewing for?

[trueblue]

Ken Shales wrote two books on beer brewing. I have both in paperback editions.

Snap, evidently his Double Daphnne was his "breakfast beer", no wonder he died. This was the first beer I brewed

 

[CD]

I still have the Ken Shales book plus a number of other recipe books from around this time.

Ken Shales book first brought the use of crushed crystal malt to my notice, and I also made a version of his ‘Shales Rinsemaster’ which speeded up the chore of rinsing bottles by doing four at a time.

I made a larger version to rinse a single pressure barrel much later, which is invaluable in rinsing not only PBs, but anything from buckets to beer glasses. It is plumbed into the mains via a detachable hose and 90 degree on/off ball valve, and mounted over the sink.

 

[dave_77]

My parents got me a 1 Gallon all grain kit Christmas 2016 so just over 4 years. I have used extract a few times and brewed a couple of kits but as I started all grain I have carried on that way. Started off brewing once a month but been brewing every 2 weeks for last couple of years.

 

[Pantat]

Ken Shales book first brought the use of crushed crystal malt to my notice, and I also made a version of his ‘Shales Rinsemaster’ which speeded up the chore of rinsing bottles by doing four at a time.

View attachment 40260

I made a larger version to rinse a single pressure barrel much later, which is invaluable in rinsing not only PBs, but anything from buckets to beer glasses. It is plumbed into the mains via a detachable hose and 90 degree on/off ball valve, and mounted over the sink.

View attachment 40263

I made my own version if the bottle washer using small bore copper pipes as the up jets rather like Ken’s. I’m not sure what happened to it as now I cask up my brews.

 

[Pantat]

Snap, evidently his Double Daphnne was his "breakfast beer", no wonder he died. This was the first beer I brewed

I think I will take a look at his books and brew one of the recipes to see how it compares with the beers I now brew.

 

[Pantat]

I think I will take a look at his books and brew one of the recipes to see how it compares with the beers I now brew.

I also looking through my books have one by David Lines called ‘Brewing Beer Like You Buy’.

 

[Deadhead]

7 years. I started in early 2014 after my husband and I stumbled upon wine & beer kits in a local shop and thought we would give it a bash. I made a 'Simply Bitter' kit, which was good enough to hook me, quickly went to partial mashing, then all grain.

 

[Neil Whittaker]

Just a little over 1 year. 2 Kits then, 8 AG brews.
I feel lucky, as the internet and this forum in particular have really been a golden resource.
Also, when i was looking to buy my first FV, the gen 1 pressure FV were landing.
As a result, i've never used an air lock or syphon. Not even in the kits i did.

 

[fury_tea]

I have quite a number of these books. Let me know what type of beer you are interested in and I’ll sort out a recipe from one of them.

Is there a milkshake double Imperial butterscotch NEXPA in there?

Failing that is there a recipe for a mild?

 

[trueblue]

I also looking through my books have one by David Lines called ‘Brewing Beer Like You Buy’.

Once I bought that book my beers got so much better. Became my main source of information and recipes until Graham Wheelers first book.

 

[Bill_g]

I keep an Excel spreadsheet 'brew log' and I was quite surprised to see that I'm now on my 72nd brew. I started with a Coopers Wherry kit but very quickly went via extract brewing to AG.
My brewing history has a slow start in a way. My father brewed kits in the early 70's and made some quite appalling beer. At uni I had only 1 experience of a friend brewing some homebrew & after only a few pints I felt like my head had an axe buried in it the following day. Some time probably around 1980 a work colleague knowing that I was a DIY plumber asked me to make a wort chiller and gave me a bottle of his brew which was thoroughly delicious. So the seed was planted in my head that good home brew was indeed possible and that one day I would have a go ... on the 2nd February 2014 it finally happened and I've been brewing regularly ever since.

 

[The Cat]

I am about 9 months into my journey. Started with some kits and have now done some grain boiling in a bag with dry extract which turned out amazing.

I am finishing work temporarily in 2 months, taking perhaps 6 months out to reset everything as work became far too stressful - might go somewhere casually part time maybe September - I have enough saved up for a bit longer but not many bills at all luckily.

Am planning on starting to use my new Brewzilla amoungst many other things I have planned.

 

[micklupulo]

I started brewing in the days before it was legal to brew at home. My first beer was a recipe from a homemade wine book. The ingredients bought from Boots were sold as health products. I still have a pile of books from the early days of legal brewing. Anyone remember, Ken Shales?

Yes and can quote him " I've set the town of Boozledon awash with beer and wine
For years I've been brewing it was always tax free
Though it wasn't really legal 'till the year of '63"
For those who don't know Boozledon was Basildon.
I was given his book and even at that time it was a relic of bygone times so my guiding light was Dave Line.

 

[TonyT]

I started brewing kits 40 odd years ago, and they were mostly pretty grim. Someone once told me that home brewed beer was “a bit like a fart, you can tolerate your own, but everyone else’s is disgusting”. They mostly fell into that category and I drank them on principle. Then life got in the way and I stopped. Started brewing again 6 or 7 years ago and went straight to AG. I might try a kit again just to see how they’ve improved as I’ve seen quite a few positive comments here and there.

 

[Wherrypuzzled]

I started around 69 or 70 and did not bottle that many brews before getting my first PB. I found that liberating

Always done "kits" though as you say those back in that time were far inferior to what is routinely on offer today

I graduated eventually to 3 Aluminium Pub Barrels and a hand pump and always had Muntona Bitter in them and then eventually I sold the lot and stopped for quite a few years

I started again about 5 years ago using KKs and did "Muntons" Woodfordes Wherry which I found a great Kit and then got more PBs (currently have 5) and decided to give Admirals Reserve and Nelsons Revenge Bitter a go and was really happy with the result(s). I decided to major just on Admirals as it is that good but now I questiion whether Wherry with a dose of LME would give me that certain something

Meantime my mate next door was 70 recently and for the first time since the 70s I bottled a batch of Admirals for him and it turned out incredibly well and I was pleased with the finished product. So much so that I then did 9 litres of Brewfirm Tripel in time for Xmas and I have 2 left - and then another 9 for my own birthday now less than 3 weeks away. I use PET Bottles and they have been great and again the Leffalike itself has been incredibly good

Im getting a bit long in the tooth but quite fancied graduating to Corny Kegs - and also All Grain but I think I will just stick with what I have got used to for the moment (stuck in my ways) as I am perfectly happy with the outcomes.

 

[Pantat]

Yes and can quote him " I've set the town of Boozledon awash with beer and wine
For years I've been brewing it was always tax free
Though it wasn't really legal 'till the year of '63"
For those who don't know Boozledon was Basildon.
I was given his book and even at that time it was a relic of bygone times so my guiding light was Dave Line.

I brewed my first beer in about 1961. Things have certainly improved on the brewing front since then.

 

[Pantat]

Is there a milkshake double Imperial butterscotch NEXPA in there?

Failing that is there a recipe for a mild?

I’ll troll through the books I have and take a look.

 

[Lobolad]

Started my first kit beer in February this year, a coopers real ale made as per instructions.Expecting to pour it down the drain it turned out pretty good I think!! Now doing a young’s IPA so hoping that turns out well have added hops and now just waiting to finish so I can bottle so can’t waited have got a mangrove jacks pale ale and a pils to do

 

[Sadfield]

Mashed in the first brew 6 years, 10 months and 20 days ago. Discounting the couple of vile Boot's ferment-in-a-sack monstrosities I did 20 years previously, when I was a student.

 

[brydo]

Started with a kit for xmas about 10 years age and swiftly moved onto BIAB. Results were mixed to say the least and I stopped about 5 years ago, restarted in january when I bought a brewster beacon.