chrisbardell
Active Member
Hi, been lurking on here some months and wanted to get somewhere before saying hi, so it might be useful to other newbies. Wanted to say a huge thanks to you all collectively; this forum is full of helpful people, advice and experiences. I've spent countless hours reading up and researching before getting started. Thank you to all people posting.
Woodforde's Wherry to start with. GF bought me the kit a while back, but a house move got in the way. Out of date (just), so when I bought the gear, I also replaced the yeast with a fresh Gervin GV12. Apart from that, totally stock. Followed the 2w+2w+Xw rule widely suggested here, and it tallied just fine with hydrometer readings. OG 1034 but the paddle was a bit flexy and I may not have fully mixed. Stuck a bit at 1012, but employed the 'gentle stir' technique also mentioned here, and got down to an FG of 1010 (it's a low-alcohol beer anyway). That one is in a PB now (really useful PB prep and testing guide found here) and is shaping up nicely after 4 weeks' conditioning - had read here that the Wherry can be a bit slow to clear. Visibly better every time. Very pleased with it; I'd happily drink it in a pub.
Made myself a brewchamber out of spare bits of plywood + foil/bubble insulation. Combination of a very small oil-filled rad with thermostat + USB fans + ice bottles have helped a lot with regulating temperature. Also knocked together a chillbox for cool conditioning from some polystyrene and cheapo wood that some furniture turned up in. Been useful in the recent heatwave. Inkbird do a cute remote thermometer with probe (ITH-20R) which is great for keeping an eye. External probe cable long enough to reach between chamber and cooling box, so I can monitor both.
Just done a Cooper's Brew A IPA and bottled that over the weekend. Kit + 500g medium spraymalt + 1kg brewing sugar. Got a stiffer spoon to help with mixing at the bottom, prior to hitting it hard with the paddle. OG 1044, FG 1004, which I believe gives 4.99% ABV. Carb drops at bottling time, seems to be carbing up fine, PET bottles stiffening up.
Next brews: Wilko Newkie Brown, then a Cooper's Stout (probably the famous Ditch recipe). Should be cool enough by then for me to do a Cooper's European Lager and leave it in bottles for months in the cold. Probably some ciders and wine after that. Addictive hobby or what?
Next gear steps: tapped FV + bottling wand to act as bottling bucket and handle batch priming. Brew fridge on the horizon. Need to build another shed for the bikes so I have the current one all to myself...
THANKS SO MUCH to everyone here. Any newbie like me just needs to spend some proper time reading and absorbing and making notes before taking the plunge. So much useful stuff to learn here. All the best!
Woodforde's Wherry to start with. GF bought me the kit a while back, but a house move got in the way. Out of date (just), so when I bought the gear, I also replaced the yeast with a fresh Gervin GV12. Apart from that, totally stock. Followed the 2w+2w+Xw rule widely suggested here, and it tallied just fine with hydrometer readings. OG 1034 but the paddle was a bit flexy and I may not have fully mixed. Stuck a bit at 1012, but employed the 'gentle stir' technique also mentioned here, and got down to an FG of 1010 (it's a low-alcohol beer anyway). That one is in a PB now (really useful PB prep and testing guide found here) and is shaping up nicely after 4 weeks' conditioning - had read here that the Wherry can be a bit slow to clear. Visibly better every time. Very pleased with it; I'd happily drink it in a pub.
Made myself a brewchamber out of spare bits of plywood + foil/bubble insulation. Combination of a very small oil-filled rad with thermostat + USB fans + ice bottles have helped a lot with regulating temperature. Also knocked together a chillbox for cool conditioning from some polystyrene and cheapo wood that some furniture turned up in. Been useful in the recent heatwave. Inkbird do a cute remote thermometer with probe (ITH-20R) which is great for keeping an eye. External probe cable long enough to reach between chamber and cooling box, so I can monitor both.
Just done a Cooper's Brew A IPA and bottled that over the weekend. Kit + 500g medium spraymalt + 1kg brewing sugar. Got a stiffer spoon to help with mixing at the bottom, prior to hitting it hard with the paddle. OG 1044, FG 1004, which I believe gives 4.99% ABV. Carb drops at bottling time, seems to be carbing up fine, PET bottles stiffening up.
Next brews: Wilko Newkie Brown, then a Cooper's Stout (probably the famous Ditch recipe). Should be cool enough by then for me to do a Cooper's European Lager and leave it in bottles for months in the cold. Probably some ciders and wine after that. Addictive hobby or what?
Next gear steps: tapped FV + bottling wand to act as bottling bucket and handle batch priming. Brew fridge on the horizon. Need to build another shed for the bikes so I have the current one all to myself...
THANKS SO MUCH to everyone here. Any newbie like me just needs to spend some proper time reading and absorbing and making notes before taking the plunge. So much useful stuff to learn here. All the best!
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