Thoughts from a newcomer.

[HarrowBrewer]

Hello all. I've recently returned to home brewing after a gap of twenty odd years, and these forums have been a great help to me. I'm four brews in, and looking to expand into ag brewing as soon as I can, just getting back into the swing of it by trying some of the kits out there. I've been astounded by the difference in kits since I last made them, the range and the quality have improved dramatically. I used to be limited to whatever Boots had in stock, there was one homebrew shop a long drive away with a few dusty old bags of hops in it, there was certainly no access to the amount of advice and experience to be found on thses forums, and indeed no internet to order equipment or ingredients, so things have certainly got better! I've so far made two Festival kits - the Landlords Finest, and a Father Hooks, and I've been very impressed by both. I've got a St Peter's Ruby Red conditioning and a Cooper's Stout in the FV, along with a made from scratch ginger beer thats I've just racked off and sweetened ready to bottle in a couple of days, so I should have a good amount of stuff to drink pretty soon! My thoughts about my return to the hobby so far are this:

Sanitation - no change here, still vital. Starsan looks like a good product and I might have to invest in some, otherwise I'm stil soaking nd rinsing in VWP as I did twenty years ago. Its can be a bit laborious, but I've yet to lose a brew or bottle so its worth the effort.

Fermenting time. In the "old days" (I'm talking about 1990!) it was a week in the FV, then maybe two weeks in the bottle. And most of the time it wasn't so great. The kits weren't as good, generic yeast etc, and I was less discerning in my taste, so I could stomach a batch of pretty underwhelming bitter more than I might now. I've now been leaving the kit brews to ferment for at least two weeks, three if possible, and then trying my hardest not to touch them for a month after that, the wait is really worth it.

Adapting. Thanks to the reviews on here, I've been very happy to tweak the kit recipes, try different fermentables, and brew a few litres shorter, I think it makes a real difference.

Storage - bottles are still best, as far as I can tell. I'm willing to be proved wrong (and the Cornelius kegs look great) but I still don't think a pressure barrel can keep the stuff as long or as fresh as I'd like.

I'm hoping to try clibit's simple ag soon, I've got a couple more kits I'd like to try out as well, just thought I'd share these random thoughts!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum. :

 

[DoctorMick]

I was reading something the other week which suggested cans are quite a bit better than bottles for storage, although I have no idea how much it would cost to get all the kit.

 

[ericmark]

My first was 1981 and very simple kit which all went wrong when the tap which should have been open some how got closed and beer sprayed out under my bed and ran into next door cabin and that was end of my brewing.

Sanitation - I am aware I am using tap water so can't see point in going OTT as however careful still using un-boiled tap water. I do wash well and use a proprietary sanitizer but don't worry too much.

Fermenting time - Even with temperature controllers still 12 days is about the minimum time. Has been 28 days.

Adapting - Time between stat and drinking is a problem here and one has to often wait 3 months before you know result so careful record keeping is required. This includes temperature. Add too much sugar or let the temperature rise too much can both spoil a brew. So before experimenting one has to have adopted a system to produce the same results every time so you know it the change in taste is due to what you added or simply the temperature.

Storage - I now use pop bottles. One they seal well, two if I make an error and bottle too early I can feel the pressure without opening the bottle. I have had bottles leak, and found not cleaned well enough specially when trying to use old Baileys Bottles. Some times it works out well I used some old orange juice bottles with very good results clearly not cleaned well enough. But not tried keeping for much over the year. Normal storage is 3 months big problem is snails eating label and it may taste really good but no idea what I had done as only part of label is left. Kept in shed so temperature is a problem. At moment drinking a Geordie Scottish Export started 2 June 2014 transferred 9th June and bottled 18th June I think around 5.4% ABV so likely added extra sugar my notes tell me start s.g. 1.048 weather records not that good 4 June 10.4[FONT=&quot]ºC and [/FONT] 8th June 21.6[FONT=&quot]ºC and in door temperatures were around the 21.8 ~ 25.2[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ºC upstairs in my office [/FONT]which would have been hotter than my kitchen but by how much is anyone's guess. 22nd July recorded 23.9[FONT=&quot]ºC while beer was conditioning in the shed. The beer tastes great a lovely clear amber liquid slightly on the bitter side but to my taste. Bottle was ex-fortified wine screw cap glass green. Hardly any head remains 5 minutes after pouring. I am sure it tastes better now that two weeks after I bottled it but by how much and what the storage conditions effected beer by really no idea.

Today my beers are brewed in an old fridge with a old underfloor heating tile (18W) connected to a temperature controller keeping the temperature to -0.5[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC to setting so start at 19[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC ramping up to 20[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC but even that has changed started at 18[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC ramping to 22[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC and found no real gain between 20[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC and 22[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC so reduced to 20[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC and at 18[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC it was very sluggish but at 19[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC not far below 20[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC rate. But until August I will not have tasted the results of the more stable temperature so can't say if this will improve the beer.

What I can say is I can predict when the brew is ready to bottle to within a couple of days. I know 14 days from start ready to bottle. OK could be 12 but better too long than too short. But until the standard brew with standard sugar and standard amount of water has been tried I can't say is using other sugars or more or less water or any other variation will improve or destroy the beer.

I have been lucky. Only the lager I tried to lager has failed. OK one or two bottles where I had not cleaned well enough went down the drain every one an ex Baileys bottle but the only whole brew to fail was lager brewed with lager yeast at around 12[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC. Adding [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Liquorice root worked very well as did extra sugar the latter 1.5kg instead of 1kg worked well but 2.5kg made it very bitter. Had I used some other sugar be it treacle or any other will clearly alter the results. But I have realized everything else has to remain standard. And also very good records need to be kept.

Hind sight is easy. I now realize many of my brews were damaged by over heating. I had a tile 18W which would take 12 hours to raise a brew from 17[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC to 24[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC and I tried to manually boost temperature when it dropped too far. But with a stick on thermometer reading of 24[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC the center was likely 26[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC and off tastes were being produced. The beer was drinkable but not to standard I wanted.


Getting kicked out of the kitchen was likely the best thing for me. Once in garage I had to use a temperature controller. Outside the fridge just 10[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC inside 19.5[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]ºC ~ [/FONT][/FONT]20[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]ºC at least at moment so using a bitter and lager kit together with 1.5kg sugar and over filled to 27 liter I will know in August if this worked without having to consider if it went over or under temperature. I clearly hope it will be the best beer I have brewed it will be the most expensive and the highest ABV but I will compare it to a standard bitter with standard sugar done the brew before.

Is it worth leaving the instructions well I clearly think yes. As to brewing from scratch I take my hat off to them. It's hard enough to learn using a kit concentrate never mind starting from scratch. To me far too many variables, from the malting to conditioning has far too many variables and at a brew per 14 days and 63 turns to the coil I just don't have enough years to learn it in. To brew from scratch it's a case of from father to son. Jumping in part way along then to me it's the concentrate kit. As you try to progress so the options expend to a point where you can't keep track enough to know what are the best options without spending a fortune on the failures.

So for me it's the simple kit. [/FONT] [/FONT] [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT] [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

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[rodwha]

I highly recommend Star-San sanitizer! I love the stuff!

I typically ferment for 3-4 weeks followed by another 3-4 weeks of conditioning and then a full week in the fridge. Of course a cut corners (a few days) on beers I'm really excited about and also tried 2 recipes for a quick turn around blonde and honey wheat to see if I could have god beer ready to drink in 31 days (2 weeks/2 weeks/3 days). I'm on the side of time though, which is why I extended my times to 4/4 as an IPA I made changed a week after opening the first.