My brewing memoires thread - Ale Kit brewing

[MR2Jay]

Brewing Diaries - My first delve into the black art of home brewing

Having looked around the site, I have noticed that none of you keep what I would call a brewing memoires thread going. Not sure why, maybe you are precious about your "secret recipes", maybe you don't want to show disaster, maybe (which is probably the truth) you can't be bothered...

So, as this is a completely new venture for me, I introduce my alcho-memoires. I intend to list what recipes I try, document the progress on each batch, document any errors I make (so I can learn and not do it twice) and report on how badly this stuff effects my ability to walk. Obviously, any hints and tips you guys can throw my way to improve my brews will be much appreciated.

So, where to start?

I suppose a background.

I have recently moved from the depths of Devon to the East Midlands, a move that was necessary due to work (as in there isn't any down there). Things have been going well but no matter where I look, I can't get what I would consider "proper" cider - Strongbow just isn't cider. What is the answer? To brew my own of course.

I have spent many an hour trawling the internet for tips, recipes and equipment needed and I am still learning fast. Eventually took the plunge and invested in a 1 Gallon Starter kit on eBay for £30 - first mistake. I could have bought the lot separately for under £20 - Oh well, got it now.

Decided that I would keep it simple to begin with so decided my first batch would be a shop bought apple juice based cider. Bought 5 litres of Morrison's finest (OK, 100% concentrate with nothing else in it) and a bag of sultanas.

First step was to sterile everything, the demijohn, bung, airlock, funnel - the lot. Once sterilised and completely rinsed (don't want to kill off the yeast now, do I?) I began.

Was a little tentative to begin with as I had read that some juices can foam horrendously so put one litre into the demijohn with a handful of sultanas, added the yeast sachet and plugged the neck. Wrapped it up warm and left it overnight. Come morning, we had bubbles breaking through the airlock and a little froth on top. Good news....

So, added 2 more litres, nothing serious and left it for another few hours. Still had plenty of room in case it went nuts and watched it start its bubble fest once more.

Come lunchtime, I summoned up the courage to go for it, filled the Demijohn up to just below the neck and crossed my fingers. And here it is now, happily bubbling away at a rate of about 2 bubbles per second!!!!

I have now acquired through Freecycle another 3 Demijohns and bought enough airlocks on eBay for all 3 (with a spare left over). Also got myself a hydrometer to test (no idea how it works yet or what it will tell me but everywhere says you really need one if you are experimenting - another thing to learn). Been asking on here for ideas and know what I am going to do with each one now....

Demijohn 2 will be an Apple and Pear juice combination to make a cider

Demijohn 3 will be the Toffee Apple Cider recipe I have found on here

Demijohn 4 will be a Fiery Ginger Beer - again a recipe given to me on here.

So, that brings you up to date - next update on Saturday when I start cooking......

 

[MR2Jay]

In for a penny, in for a pound.....

Decided that if I am going to do this, I had might as well do it right :thumb:

Just ordered a beer making equipment kit and a Midland Ale kit to go with it.....

Dining room is going to smell interesting :party:

 

[alphacento]

Hello,

sounds all really good. You might want to consider using some finings such as tannin and malic acid next time to see if it works any better for you.

 

[bobsbeer]

Hi Mr2Jay,

Good idea. Although I think you will find that lots of people post on success and disasters but in a different format. Just a small point. Tanin is not a fining as may be deduced from the post above. It adds astringency not clarity. But good luck with your venture. Don't expect your cider to be drinkable straight away. It takes a few months before it comes good, so stick with it and enjoy.

 

[screamlead]

I keep a large book with all my brews listed over two pages consisting of recipe on first page with ingredients listed and methods used, then on 2nd page i keep a diary of events like racking, clearing, bottling, conditioning and of course qual control! All with dates etc so i can easily replicate anything i consider superb and if it happens any faults,cures and solutions. :

 

[pittsy]

i just keep all my past recipes in my head and i've a terrible memory lol think i will start to keep records (prob won't) but i do have most on my pc .

Keep up the good work :thumb:

 

[MR2Jay]

Thanks guys, this thread is almost going to be an electronic version of what you keep on paper but also show the learning curve (hopefully proving any muppet can do this with a bit of persistence and an ounce of intelligence)

I need to sit down and write myself a crib sheet with all these chemicals you all keep mentioning and what they do. I'll never remember it otherwise.....

Cider is bubbling away nicely and had an email this morning telling me my ale kit is being dispatched today...

Also, today is shopping day so I have added the following to the normal list.

Dried ginger
200g of fresh ginger
Cream of tartar
1 lemon
1 lime
500g sugar
8l fresh, pure apple juice
500g honey
1x14oz tin of pear halves
Vanilla extract
2.5kg fresh pears
4l bottled still water

Going to be cooking up some fruity stuff this weekend :thumb:

 

[evanvine]

You might want to consider using some finings such as tannin and malic acid next time

Sorry alph, but tannin and malic acid are not finings!
Gelatin, Isinglass and Bentonite are!

 

[alphacento]

Sorry alph, but tannin and malic acid are not finings!
Gelatin, Isinglass and Bentonite are!

oops, absolutely true! I should stop writing messages before 07.00 am and let my brain wake up first

 

[alanwh]

i just keep all my past recipes in my head and i've a terrible memory lol think i will start to keep records (prob won't) but i do have most on my pc .

Keep up the good work :thumb:

:lol: Me too, I live in an alternate universe where I can remember every detail of the recipes and tweeks I make. The real world is much different. I must get organised and write things down as its only going to get worse to closer to 50 I get :lol:

 

[MR2Jay]

So tonight I went shopping - bought LOADS of goodies to make some happy juice :grin:

So tonight I have made a start on my first experiment - My pear and apple concoction. I started by sterilising the demijohn and all the other kit needed. Takes a while but worth the effort.

Job one was to juice the pears. I got 2.5kg of sweet pears from Tesco while shopping and stuffed them through the juicer to produce this lovely smelling pot of fresh pear juice

This was transferred straight into the demijohn along with a handful of sultanas and given a good shake

Added the apple juice and ran a test with the hydrometer - no idea what the reading actually means but I got a reading of 1.061 after using the calculator on this site for temperature compensation.

Anyhow, then added the yeast

Now topped it up and seen the first bubble through the air lock so fingers crossed - my first TOTAL experiment :

 

[evanvine]

Well done, there's going to be no holding you now!

 

[MR2Jay]

You're right - no stopping me now :

A little worried about my cider though as fermentation has almost stopped. Although, I do fancy it is starting to clear. Going to leave it until next weekend and then rack it into another demijohn for the secondary process....

Anyhow, demijohn number 3 is now on the go with the ginger beer recipe I was given when I joined

Started by sterilising as usual and then got the ginger grated in a pan with half a lemon and half a lime. This was added to 1/2 tsp of ground ginger and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. This was topped up with boiling water and allowed to simmer. The smell was amazing :party:

After about half an hour I dissolved 600g of sugar (to make it a sweeter ginger beer) into the liquor and transferred into the demijohn. This was topped up with 2l of still water and shaken like hell. I then added a handful of sultanas and topped up the demijohn. Another good shake and I added the yeast.

Stuck in the bung and airlock and now placed it with the others....

Half an hour in and I have had my first couple of bubbles from the airlock :party:

The pear and apple I did last night is steadily bubbling away and looking fantastic - a really rich caramel colour. Bubbles are probably one every second and a half :thumb:

Going to get the last one on the go with the toffee apple cider recipe I have found on here

Think I can safely say I have the bug :whistle:

 

[pittsy]

great stuff, be aware that adding more sugar will not make it sweeter , the yeast will convert it to alcohol so just stronger brew unless you either stop fermenting before it gets too low and don't have any fizz in your ale , if sweet ale wanted you can use splenda so ferment all the way and use splenda when bottling along with sugar for priming (splenda won't ferment ) :thumb:

 

[MR2Jay]

I was chatting to a guy that runs a brew store and he suggested the extra 100g but to bottle it before it completely finishes brewing. Wait for the bottles to harden and then chill....

He made a similar brew and did warn that it can be quite lively :rofl:

Anyhow, Toffee Apple Cider now fermenting as well :party:

Started by sterilising (going to omit this stage from here on in - pretty obvious stuff)

I then put the honey into a pan and "burnt" it - judging by the colour, probably not as long as some of the other guys have.

As this was cooling, I blitzed the tinned pears

Once cooled off, I gentle stirred in the yeast nutrient, 1l of apple juice and the blitzed pears to create a liquor

This was transferred to the demijohn and topped up with apple juice

Now it is sat with the rest of the collection and bubbling nicely

 

[alanywiseman.]

They all look good :thumb:

Just be aware of using a wooden spoon to stir the liquor post boil as they can infect your brew. You are better to use a metal or plastic spoon.

 

[yellafella]

They all look good :thumb:

Just be aware of using a wooden spoon to stir the liquor post boil as they can infect your brew. You are better to use a metal or plastic spoon.

Columbo has nothing on you!! Well spotted :-)

I must admit I have become a little addicted to starting new brews, its starting to not become all about the wine at the end of it but the actual process and seeing the airlock *blub blub blub*

 

[cf.]

Looking good I'm also from deepest darkest Devon MR2Jay

 

[MR2Jay]

Thanks for the tip - will invest is a stirring spoon especially for the brews :thumb:

 

[MR2Jay]

Looking good I'm also from deepest darkest Devon MR2Jay

I used to hail from there - been in the East Midlands for all of 8 months now....

Do miss certain things about living there though.......