The Best Equipment Investments

[ovenbeasts]

I guess its a question of what I don't want to brew rather than what I do as I have a wide variety of alcoholic drinks I enjoy and this often changes with the seasons.

I like trying new things. I'm developing a taste for Belgian beers, my favourite home grown ales tend to be towards the maltier, higher alcohol content end of the scale. I'm less of a hop head more of a malt head, if there is such an expression. That said I'm not averse to the odd IPA and love Pilsner Urquell (best drunk in the Czech Republic on draft though).

Having spent the last few years reading about beer and trying new varieties, mainly European beers and the wealth of craft brewing talent coming out of British micorobreweries it has opened my eyes and taste buds to the increasing diversity of drinking opportunities that most drinkers in this country don't get to try and often have never heard of.

This topic is motivated by my interest and motivation to become a better brewer and I can only do that by brewing and picking up good advice along the way. Hopefully with a bit of help from you guys and as I improve I'll share my experiences with everyone else.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

I totally agree with everything you've said....but ask yourself this question....What can I brew with the equipment, conditions that Ive got...If you have a spare room, with a constant temp, then go with that. I also brew a different types of drinks and very seasonal...ie...bottles in the summer...kegs in the winter

 

[ovenbeasts]

I guess I can brew most things with the kit I have now. Will new equipment make me a better brewer? Probably not.

Before joining this site I'd never heard of HERMS or some of the more technical brewing set-ups and I also hadn't appreciated the quality of beers that can be made at home. I've yet to try any of them but I take your collective word for it. I have only tried a limited number of brewing kits. I could spend the next few years perfecting kit brewing but I am inclined to tinker and analyse which is steering me towards AG at some point in the future.

Above all there is one thing I need to master, the quality of the beers/drinks I produce. The biggest constraint to being able to produce consistently good brews at the moment is my inexperience, which will only improve in time.

I like the idea of having more control over the fermentation process (via a brewfridge) and I like the idea of being able to recreate (possibly) some of my favourite drinks or create new ones using the AG approach.

I'm fortunate to have the space to brew having moved to a new house and seeing the passion and interest you guys have for brewing just makes me want to get more involved.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

You have just summed it up...its all about consistency. As small scale Homebrewers this is where most of us fall on our arses. ie...when I brew a beer I drink it and then judge it. If I was to brew the same beer again, I have nothing to compare it with. If I save a couple of bottles and compare them against a "newer" batch...the original batch is bound to be different because it has had longer to mature/deteroite (Major SP), and unfortunately there is bugger all we can do about it.

 

[ovenbeasts]

I think it was the actor Joss Ackland who , having reached a certain age, had calculated he had about 5000 more days to live if he lived to average age, and decided we wouldn't drink a bad bottle of wine again.

My motivation is somewhat similar.

If I'm going to brew beer I don't really want to produce a bad batch. I don't buy bad beer and I'd rather not have it if its going to be crap. It's highly likely I will produce some pretty poor beers. Unlike Joss Ackland I'll probably covert it into shandy if it is a bit rough or worse case scenario clean the drains. I'm sure none of us intentionally produce bad beers so anything I can do to switch the odds in my favour is probably worth doing, and doing it consistently well is my goal.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Joss Ackland was born on the 30th of Feb.....absolutely nothing to do with this post, but its some useless bit of info that Ive always known.
PS I didn't Google that fact
...................Ill get my coat

 

[johnnyboy1965]

I think it was the actor Joss Ackland who , having reached a certain age, had calculated he had about 5000 more days to live if he lived to average age, and decided we wouldn't drink a bad bottle of wine again.

My motivation is somewhat similar.

If I'm going to brew beer I don't really want to produce a bad batch. I don't buy bad beer and I'd rather not have it if its going to be crap. It's highly likely I will produce some pretty poor beers. Unlike Joss Ackland I'll probably covert it into shandy if it is a bit rough or worse case scenario clean the drains. I'm sure none of us intentionally produce bad beers so anything I can do to switch the odds in my favour is probably worth doing, and doing it consistently well is my goal.

No, your right, get your feet back under tha table..do a couple of kits, brew it , drink it give yourself a honest debrief and then move on

 

[Edindie]

PS I didn't Google that fact

Surely you should have as there can't be a 30th Feb can there?? 29th maybe, but 30th? How would that work?

 

[PD]

Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland, CBE (born 29 February 1928), known as Joss Ackland.

wikipedia

 

[fizz head1982]

Fizz.....Spelling Police Alert
You got it write the first time but then got it wrong the second time......its "lager"

but can you see what Ive done

Yes, but I am from the Olde Enlisch skool of spelling, wair we spell ow we feel. :lol:

 

[nobyipa]

CCA here
Started with AG set up
Then got a better AG
Then got a fridge
Dont think I will get a better fridge so
So safe thing to get is a fridge whatever you make will be good
And its needed in the winter what ever you brewing
Not even thinking about getting cornies

 

[ovenbeasts]

Wish I hadn't mentioned Joss Ackland now

 

[Edindie]

Wish I hadn't mentioned Joss Ackland now

He does have a habit of threadjacking.

 

[Vossy1]

If you like higher gravity beers don't overlook IPA's...real ones I mean, not the 'crap' that's associated with IPA's nowadays :lol: The Durden Park Beer Circle book has some great recipes in it for higher gravity bitters/IPA's and stouts, well worth a look.

 

[RobWalker]

All fermintation is better colder is the rule if I recall.

I'd say that's probably 90% true, certainly in the case of off flavours and those thingys that cause hangovers...what are they called now...

the main exception is bananery wheat beer, needs to be nice and high :thumb:

 

[morethanworts]

All fermintation is better colder is the rule if I recall.

I'd say that's probably 90% true, certainly in the case of off flavours and those thingys that cause hangovers...what are they called now...

the main exception is bananery wheat beer, needs to be nice and high :thumb:

Fusel thingys.

...but in my brief experience (and what I've been told) in higher temps, they're only a problem if you turn the heat up while the yeast is still dividing. Nail varnish remover being the main off-taste*, which I got in two brews I unwittingly started too high (25C) but not my two recent AGs, which I left a few days before cranking up. The higher temp then helps the yeast to attenuate (and presumably eat up any diacetyl).

*Ed: Amyl acetate too, according to recent post on here, which is the bananas, desirable in some styles.

 

[ovenbeasts]

Interestingly (for me at least) I've got an extract Weissbier in the FV right now. It was slow to start as I didn't realise I needed to keep the Wyeast in the fridge, serves me right for not checking the kit contents.

Thankfully I didn't kill off all the yeast as my kitchen now smells of banana. Just hoping the final product to not overly banana flavoured.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Just updated my profile. I'm in Barnsley and live near Barnsley Brewer and we are in contact, just not met face to face yet.

He's a good lad John, just try not to be near him if he needs to open his wallet. Never good to see a grown man cry.

Thanks' Den. :thumb:

Deff get in touch with John BB. He makes good beer, so you can learn how to make good beer without spending a fortune.

Thanks' for the kind words Bob... :thumb:

Had Steve up yesterday, nice guy.. :thumb:
What should have been an hour chatting turned into 4 hours sampling & suppin'..

I'll try get him down to the 2014 Spring Thing..

BB :drink: :drink:

 

[alby]

1. Only thing better than a brew fridge is 2 brew fridges !
Temperature control is so much better than shuffling full fermenters from garage to house just cos' the our weather changes.
Fermenting, lagering, dispensing,... not annoying the wife'ing,....

2. The 30L PolyKegs or Pertainers with sankey fittings. If you are careful these can be used many times.
I have a few for secondaries/conditioning, but you can force carb in them or use them for dispensing or even as fermentors.
1 of these costs a fraction of one cornie

3. All grain, well I sure you have it on your roadmap.

 

[Ceejay]

The very first thing, IMO, ought to be fermentation temperature control in the form of a fridge, ATC controller and heater. Beer brewing is 80% plus about fermentation. It's the thing that's going to make the most difference to your beer. You might have a room that's "always 18C" but fermentation produces heat, so your fermenter can easily be a few degrees above ambient. A fermentation fridge is a surefire way of being able to comtrol the temp to within a degree and will mean you can produce all kinds of beer.