Hi all again,
As it has been a few weeks now i thought i would post an update.
My first kit, a "make your own" Pilsner Lager from The Range,started on 12 th feb i think and is now in the garage.
My second kit, a woodfordes wherry, from wilcos is also in the garage, just.
My third kit a John Bull bitter is bottled and in the airing cupboard, and my 4th, a apple cider from wilcos is in the bucket.
Firstly i would like to thank everyone who has answered my previous posts on here, offering help and advice, and i would like to extend the hand of gratitude in the hope that other new brewers can take something away from this post with a little more knowledge.
Firstly i got all worried about making sure i stuck to the "7 Day" or "10 Day" instructions on the packets. The one simple thing that i have learned from others and from doing constant hydrometer readings, is this, chuck the instructions away, far away. I now do everyting on a 2 week cycle. 2 weeks in fermenting vessle, then 2 weeks in bottles in airing cupboard, while the next brew is in the bucket, then transfer to garage (cold).
Secondly, my house temperature fluctuates day and night, so i enlisted the help of a submersible aquarium heater, set at 20 degrees whilst in the fermenting vessle. i now have no temperature issues at all, as its kept constant.
The results. After a week of being in the garage,temptation engulfed me, and i cracked open a couple of bottles of the Pilsner. I was suitably impresed, a little fizz on removal of the cap, a loveley clear pint, with a good head that stayed in the pint glass right down to the last slurp, but it smelt very homebrewy.
Fast forward a couple of weeks to weekend just gone and i had some friends round. The pilsner was our choice, and my goodness, what a transformation. Looked like a proper pint still and no smell, just a cracking pint. I , and my customers were well impresed.
So we tried a couple of bottles of the wherry. this promises to be a great pint if you like fruity tasting beer, and although not conditioned enough yet you could see and taste the potential.
I have now got the homebrew bug and have just got another fermenting vessle and heater so am going to carry on my 2 week cycle but have 2 brews going at the same time, alternating weekends.
I have 500 bottles now, 380 of which are still empty and need filling.
Cider kit next for when my son comes home from uni for summer.
I might have a look at the proper homebrew, rather than kits in the future, but for now i am very impressed with the kits, and myself.
Thanks to everyone on here for your help and inspiration
Jim
As it has been a few weeks now i thought i would post an update.
My first kit, a "make your own" Pilsner Lager from The Range,started on 12 th feb i think and is now in the garage.
My second kit, a woodfordes wherry, from wilcos is also in the garage, just.
My third kit a John Bull bitter is bottled and in the airing cupboard, and my 4th, a apple cider from wilcos is in the bucket.
Firstly i would like to thank everyone who has answered my previous posts on here, offering help and advice, and i would like to extend the hand of gratitude in the hope that other new brewers can take something away from this post with a little more knowledge.
Firstly i got all worried about making sure i stuck to the "7 Day" or "10 Day" instructions on the packets. The one simple thing that i have learned from others and from doing constant hydrometer readings, is this, chuck the instructions away, far away. I now do everyting on a 2 week cycle. 2 weeks in fermenting vessle, then 2 weeks in bottles in airing cupboard, while the next brew is in the bucket, then transfer to garage (cold).
Secondly, my house temperature fluctuates day and night, so i enlisted the help of a submersible aquarium heater, set at 20 degrees whilst in the fermenting vessle. i now have no temperature issues at all, as its kept constant.
The results. After a week of being in the garage,temptation engulfed me, and i cracked open a couple of bottles of the Pilsner. I was suitably impresed, a little fizz on removal of the cap, a loveley clear pint, with a good head that stayed in the pint glass right down to the last slurp, but it smelt very homebrewy.
Fast forward a couple of weeks to weekend just gone and i had some friends round. The pilsner was our choice, and my goodness, what a transformation. Looked like a proper pint still and no smell, just a cracking pint. I , and my customers were well impresed.
So we tried a couple of bottles of the wherry. this promises to be a great pint if you like fruity tasting beer, and although not conditioned enough yet you could see and taste the potential.
I have now got the homebrew bug and have just got another fermenting vessle and heater so am going to carry on my 2 week cycle but have 2 brews going at the same time, alternating weekends.
I have 500 bottles now, 380 of which are still empty and need filling.
Cider kit next for when my son comes home from uni for summer.
I might have a look at the proper homebrew, rather than kits in the future, but for now i am very impressed with the kits, and myself.
Thanks to everyone on here for your help and inspiration
Jim
