Today I went shopping and I bought...

[enitharmon]

1 x Youngs 25 litre brewing bucket
1 x Stevenson Reeves hydrometer calibrated to 1120
1 x 1.8kg tin Muntons light malt extract
1 x 500g bag Muntons dark spraymalt
1 x 100g bag Goldings hops
1 x 500ml bottle of Fuller's 1845 beer
1 x 500g bag sodium metabisulphite

To be requisitioned from the kitchen:
1 x marmalade pan
1 x big plastic spoon

To be requisitioned from my box of darkroom equipment:
1 x thermometer
2 x measuring cylinders

Anything else anybody thinks I'm missing before I start?

The original Old Buggerlugs had a grain content (3 parts pale malt to 1 part crystal malt IIRC) but I don't have the wherewithal at the moment to maintain a mash at a constant temperature. It was also started with yeast cultured from a bottle of Guinness but alas that is no longer possible, hence the Fuller's 1845. Maybe it won't be Old Buggerlugs but something else just as good. Let's hope so.

 

[alanywiseman.]

That looks pretty good to me. What ABV are you looking for?

 

[enitharmon]

That looks pretty good to me. What ABV are you looking for?

This is not going to be a swilling beer so I'm hoping for upwards of 8%. Possibly over 10%. When the first bucket brew is over I plan to transfer to demijohns and finish with a sherry yeast.

 

[31bb3]

Certainly an interesting brew im intrigued with how it comes out

 

[enitharmon]

Certainly an interesting brew im intrigued with how it comes out

I'm looking at Christmas 2015 for the grand supping so you'll have to be patient. I'm sure that there will be other brews in the meantime though. I'm not planning to be conventional in my brewing.

 

[friedaweed]

I like the sound of your jib :lol:

Brewing for 2015 :rofl:

 

[alanywiseman.]

What is your brew length? There does not seem enough fermentables for a 23L brew.

 

[pittsy]

Hi if your hoping for a high abv then i would make a starter otherwise the yest will struggle and you may end up with off flavours , good luck with your brew :

 

[Baldbrewer]

Just to confirm, you can harvest yeast from Fullers 1845 ?

I have a bottle in t cupboard hmmmmm

 

[enitharmon]

What is your brew length? There does not seem enough fermentables for a 23L brew.

Probably not but I'm not planning on brewing more than 15 litres at this time. If more fermentables are needed Then I'll get more fermentables.

 

[fbsf]

For a 22L, you are probably only looking at around 3-4% with the tin and packet of extract - you'd need to almost double it to get 8-10%.

For 15L you will get around 4-5%. I reckon you could easily do two tins and two packets to get the strength you require.

Sounds rather nice though... keep us posted on how the brew goes!

 

[EskiBrew]

Sounds interesting :thumb:

 

[Wendy1971]

very :)

 

[enitharmon]

To be honest I'm going off the idea of a first project which won't be available for drinking for another year. I'm thinking I might run with a beer at about 5% which I can have ready for Christmas or before, and once that is bottled and seems ok then I'll go for the big one.

 

[ChrisRedWills]

if it turns out non drinkable at least u can run ur car on it