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Brew UK Forum » Forum: Brewing Tips - Recent Topics http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Brew UK Forum » Forum: Brewing Tips - Recent Topics en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:14:51 +0000 mugins on "hop usage" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/hop-usage#post-26554 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:48:28 +0000 mugins 26554@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ how do you work out. when and how long. how much hops to add to the boil.. saracen on "water that i use" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/water-that-i-use#post-26164 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:09:02 +0000 saracen 26164@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Present for you, Seamus. Have a fish ><))))> or 2 ><))))> Does this reverse thingy have a similar effect to the £9.98 Water Filter from B&Q and so highly thought of by many on here? <a href="http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/plumbing/plumbing-supplies/hard_water_treatments/Aqua-Shield-Water-Filter-Cartridge-2000712-9271774">Click> B&Q Water Filter</a> saracen on "How to re-shape the bottom of your barrel" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/how-to-re-shape-the-bottom-of-your-barrel#post-24909 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:55:30 +0000 saracen 24909@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I thought it might be a good idea to pass on any good experiences with brewing in the form of a few handy hints. Here's the first one. When your plastic barrel pressurises during conditioning, the little plastic feet underneath rise up as the barrel 'balloons'. If you look at the bottom of the barrel when the barrel is emptied, you'll often find it is distorted and the plastic hasn't gone back to the right shape. Boil a kettle and pour the water, about 1.5 lts, into the barrel. Let it stand for a few minutes to heat the plastic of the base. Pour it away and add another 1.5 lts of boiling water. Screw a cap on loosely and give the barrel a quick swill round. Try not to swill the hot water up the sides of the barrel. You'll hear air escaping from the loose cap as the hot water expands the air. Now screw the cap down tight and stand the barrel in a cold place. The plastic of the base will have softened slightly with the hot water and as the hot air inside contracts, the base of the barrel will be drawn upwards back to it's proper shape. Keep an eye on it, because it's possible that the sides will start to cave in. If that happens, loosen the cap, pour the water out, pour in another 1.5 lts, screw the cap down and give it a good swill round. As soon as the shape returns, remove the cap. Neil on "Used Yeast" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/used-yeast#post-1876 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:03:07 +0000 Neil 1876@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hello... Another quick question i have which was going to ask last night. When it comes to the yeast in the primary and secondary fermentation. Can this be reused? If so how do you go about doing it? I committed a criminal sin in the brewing world and washed the yeast down the sink. But i know i could have kept it instead. Thanks Neil Big Al on "Cooling Beer Kegs" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/cooling-beer-kegs#post-21915 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:21:07 +0000 Big Al 21915@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Have just found this site and learned a lot from reading it so I thought I'd put something back - although it's not a very seasonal tip ! I hate warm beer in the summer months but always barrel my home brew in King kegs kept in the garage where they heat up. I came across some large flexible cooling mats in Tesco, silver foil on one side with pockets filled with a blue stuff which turns to ice in the freezer. It's sold for lining picnic baskets etc. Three mats joined together with duct tape fit perfectly around a King keg and can be kept in place with self-adhesive velcro tape or a strap or bungee cord. Put the mats in the freezer each night and wrap around the barrel in the morning. If you remember to do do this you get a nice drinkeable beer temperature through the hot weather. dandan on "Vidine" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/vidine#post-1391 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:55:38 +0000 dandan 1391@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I switched to videne many brews ago, using 1.25-1.5ml per litre of water to get a no-rinse solution. How do I use it? I use 500ml in a spray bottle to brew ( Great for spraying up taps, into tubes and bottles, for other things like FV’s I pour a small amount into it and rotate the FV, then a quick spray and tip out) make sure everything is properly cleaned & rinsed with hot water first. 0.75ml per half a litre and also add a 0.5 teaspoon (2.5gms) of citric acid to increases and prolongs its effectiveness. Best use filtered/treated/bottle water as chlorine and water hardness can effect how long the solution lasts. You can get <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/catalogsearch/result/index/?q=citric+acid&x=24&y=15&cat=32"> citric acid </a> from BrewUK, it looks a bit like table sugar, but it tastes foul if used in tea (trust me on that one I’ve made the mistake)! The solution is the colour of cold tea. Over time as it loses its sterilizing potency as it looses its sterilizing effect it loses its colour. Also best stored out of light! I tip some solution into a bowl for soaking bottle caps in to sterilise them. Bottles: 1) Put some hot water in each bottle (to clear debris) 2) Shake each one and place upside down to drain 3) Make up videne in a jug 4) Quick visable check to see for stuck muck inside, Spray two or three sprays of vidine into bottle 5) Thumb over the end, each gets bottlw shake, solution emptied into a jug, neck of bottle dipped in jug 6) Fill with beer and cap you need to make sure you buy Videne Antiseptic Solution, as there is 3 types of the stuff! What is Videne really designed for?? Videne Antiseptic Solution is a antiseptic for topical use e.g in casualty work or for pre-operative skin preparation. It will give a colour deffination to the skin which effectively indicates which areas of the skin remain antiseptic. <img src="http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss46/dandansince1986/211/67e52c4e.jpg" /> Lewisj101 on "Spirit Prohibition Kit" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/spirit-prohibition-kit#post-20368 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000 Lewisj101 20368@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi everyone, im not sure how many people buy these and who could help me with my questions about them. My friend who i am trying to start a micro brewery with doesnt like beer :-O he only drinks spirits and cider. We were doing the research for our MB and came across the spirits and he hasnt shut up about them since lol. My question is, could you get the ABV up from 22% to maybe 25-30%? would it just be a case of more sugar and yeast and longer to ferment or is there more to it then that? Thanks in advance guys <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":-)" class="bb_smilies" /> hammy1801 on "Spent Grain, here's an idea!!!" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/spent-grain-heres-an-idea#post-19529 Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:21:07 +0000 hammy1801 19529@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Done my brew today and was left with 500gm of spent grain, normally it goes in the bin but found this recipe here. <a href="http://www.byo.com/stories/issue/article/issues/283-september-2011/2449-grains-to-treats-last-call" rel="nofollow">http://www.byo.com/stories/issue/article/issues/283-september-2011/2449-grains-to-treats-last-call</a> (hope its ok to post links to other sites :?:), this works a treat my dogs love them and i used mainly dark grains like chocolate malt and roasted barley. Jim on "The Brewing network" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/the-brewing-network#post-19792 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:24:21 +0000 Jim 19792@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I've recently discovered the brewing network on iTunes and can recommend it for tips and tricks The guys that do it are based in California so it might not be to everyone's taste but certain shows such as 'can you brew it' where they get recipes from breweries and attempt to recreate them is well worth listening to. They've done some great ones with fullers esb & London pride which are worth listening to even if it's just for the interview with the brewer! Google 'the brewing network' for the website where you can download the mp3s or find the podcasts in the iTunes store Plopleuk on "Draining after fermentation" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/draining-after-fermentation#post-3209 Sun, 02 May 2010 08:53:36 +0000 Plopleuk 3209@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ OK i'm new to the site so sorry if this has been mentioned before. i have always siphoned off my beer from the fermenting bin to get the brew away from the initial yeast and have found its nigh impossible to do this without a little disturbance and some yeast gets through the tube. what i have done to assist keeping the yeast from the beer is put a large hop bag (sterilized) over the receiving bin and it strains the yeast particles out but leaves enough in the beer to let it be primed OK. this helps secondary fermentation and clearing the beer. Tony on "Brewlabs" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/brewlabs#post-11145 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:28:16 +0000 Tony 11145@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi all Last week I joined Brewlabs (well, became a 'member') <a href="http://www.brewlab.co.uk/index.asp">Click here</a> I'd heard that you can email them and ask for specific yeasts. I have it in mind to do a Jaipur clone - I have the grain bill and hop schedule pretty clear by doing a little research so I emailed them to suggest a yeast - and although they wouldn't let you know what yeast Thornbridge (or any other brewery) use, they will 'suggest'. I emailed them and said I was planning to do just a 30ltr brew and they emailed back suggesting a yeast and saying that I'd probably need a 1 ltr starter. They offered to make up the starter for me free if I paid for postage <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_biggrin.gif" title=":D" class="bb_smilies" /> The catch is that the postage is £10, but what an offer. I'll have to take them up on this! Sorry Greg... this is going the same way as Simon's bread yeast post <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_redface.gif" title=":oops:" class="bb_smilies" /> Oh - I don't think you need to be a member to do this.. and the 'forum' makes interesting reading <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_wink.gif" title=":wink:" class="bb_smilies" /> Nath on "Yeast & Fermentation Readme!" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/yeast-fermentation-readme#post-12499 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:09:00 +0000 Nath 12499@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hey guys, A few weeks ago Greg (being the nice man that he is) let me borrow a book on Yeast. This has spurred on many a conversation between us and the more I read and researched on the net the more I thought - Flippin' hell. Yeast (and the way you treat it) is without a doubt one of the, if not the, most important part of the beer and how you use it depends on how your beer could turn out to be crap to great to unbelivable. There is so much that the yeast gives you and even if you use the same strain, without consistant methods, no two brews would be the same. Temperature, lag times, fermentation vessel size, pitch rate, oxygen levels, mineral levels, fermentation times, time on yeast cake, etc etc.... - every thing (and I mean literally everything) makes a difference. Now in the following week (when the missus takes the kids down Cornwall for the half term) I will be writing a "readme" with some (hopefully) good information to digest and ponder over (if im not too drunk while they are away <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_razz.gif" title=":P" class="bb_smilies" /> ). Its not comprehensive but will hopefully give an insight to this amazing little beast which turns our yellowy/brown water to amazing crisp, malty, hoppy beer! Stay tuned and I will update over the following week. <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":-)" class="bb_smilies" /> simonb_13 on "Moving from Kits to Extract" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/moving-from-kits-to-extract#post-4658 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:44:15 +0000 simonb_13 4658@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I recently ventured into extract brewing after using a couple of kits. I thought I'd just share some learnings from that experience. 1. Additional equipment The only extra bits of equipment I needed were a large stockpan (11L in my case) and a nylon bag for holding the specialty grains. That's it! Everything else I already had from kit brewing or was readily available in the kitchen (pyrex bowl, large spoon, scales, etc.) 2. Get organised Weigh out all the ingredients and use a PostIt note to remind you what it is and when to use each ingredient. Even with simple recipes it's easy to forget when you're in the thick of it. 3. Chilling the resulting wort If you use a recipe with a small amount of water in the boil (6-10L) then the rest of the water you use to bring the volume up to 19-23L should be enough to bring the temperature down to yeast pitching. With my first brew it was a little high so in my next brew I put the topping up water in the fridge (I used bottled water). If you invest in a bigger boiler and can, therefore, boil a larger quantity of wort, you're going to need some way of cooling it down to the right temperature to pitch the yeast. For that reason I'm sticking with the stockpot for the time being. 4. Water quality I've used bottled water as I live in a hard water area. It's more expensive but you are sure of a pretty neutral water. I used the basic mineral water from the supermarkets. I've not used the bottles of Table Water but I guess they'd be OK. 5. Brewing software If you're going to experiment with recipes or make up your own, you're going to need some software (or you could calculate things by hand!). There are many out there but Brewsmith seems to be the standard. Free software if also out there, Brewmate and QBrew being two examples. With this software you can select your grains and hops and the software will show you the resulting expected bitterness, colour and strength. It will also give you the ranges that a representative of many different styles of beer. So you know what to shoot for. 6. Patience The most difficult skill! With extract you may be using various different yeasts with each brew to suit its style. Trust the yeast and let it get on with its job. Different yeasts behave in very different ways. My first brew kept a yeast head for about 10 days before dropping out. My second one dropped in less than 2 days. Hope that provides a little bit of an insight. I've loved moving from kits as you can tailor the bitterness, hoppyness (if that's a word), colour and abv% to suit your preference. Give it a go. It's not much more effort than kits. sam87 on "Summer brewing" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/summer-brewing#post-14606 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:49:07 +0000 sam87 14606@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi guys me again After my last two batches ruined due to the lovely summer weather(not that I'm complaining about the weather ) I'm seeking a method to maintain a better temp for fermentation during these warmer days I read vanish's pale ale method that state he put the fermenter in a bucket of water, would this do the trick along or would you need to add some ice to brig the temp down? I know I could build myself a brew fridge for fermenting but the SWMBO may just flip her lid if I spend any more money on brewing equipment after shedding out the dosh on a corny and co2 I'm dying to get some beer in my corny and give it a go but after my last failure which should have been in the keg this week it looks like I'm starting from scratch. So how do you guys brew in the summer ? Thanks Bodger on "When to use a campden tablet?" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/when-to-use-a-campden-tablet#post-17529 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:09:14 +0000 Bodger 17529@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Just started my WT Amarillo on the hob (Love the smell!). I've used bottled water in the past, this time I'm using 1/2 a campden tablet. Can someone tell me when is the right time to use it? I suppose the answer is either the pan or the FV. Thanks. Simzter on "Newbie - A few questions" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/newbie-a-few-questions#post-12504 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:42:05 +0000 Simzter 12504@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hey all, I'm new to all this brewing but have fancied it for a while. I bought a cheap Brew Buddy kit from Tescos (We all have to start somewhere!) and it's been fermenting for 3 days now. The fermenting whadya-call-it has a lid that seals it shut. Does this lid need to be sealed shut all the time? I've opened it at the edge to have a nosey from time to time - and there's aload of white frothyness all over it so I assume all's well. I feel I've done everything by the letter so far - however the kit says I should bottle or keg my beer. I'm going to buy a Corny (from here!) and use Co2 but that's not going to happen until next week. Will I harm my beer leaving it in its 1st fermenting barrel with the lid sealed until I get my Corny - and how does secondary fermentation work with a Corny, ie do I need to add priming sugar even though I'm planning on force carbonating? saracen on "Brewing in garage" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/brewing-in-garage#post-11814 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:46:34 +0000 saracen 11814@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi Jim and welcome. Greg noted I have purchased an ATC800+ and a 100w heater on E-bay. These are the links below. <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160490556132&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT" rel="nofollow">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160490556132&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT</a> <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290460510347&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT" rel="nofollow">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290460510347&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT</a> I made a "Best Offer" of £25.99 for the ATC800 and paid the full price for the heater. The rest you can do in the garage easily, but fermentation needs to be quite accurately temperature controlled. A 100w heater is plenty for a 5 gallon fermenter, but the same seller does 200w heaters for £1.00 more. I bought the smaller because the unit is actually shorter and will fit the FV better. If you check here Greg and I were discussing the temperature settings for the setup. <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/temperature-setting-for-heating-the-fv" rel="nofollow">http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/temperature-setting-for-heating-the-fv</a> Check here as well. Post 3. Greg explains in quite a bit of detail how his setup works. <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/how-to-keep-the-fv-warm" rel="nofollow">http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/how-to-keep-the-fv-warm</a> Fermenting in the house is an option, but if you can get a workable setup in the garage it's going to be so much better. They are usually brick and the temperature tends to remain far more constant. I wish I had a garage to brew in as there have been a few mishaps in the house. I would find an old single quilt, or new one at the giveaway prices supermarkets come up with, and wrap the Fermenter in it. That will help the temp stay up in the winter and down in the summer. Good luck and keep us all informed with the progress. Never be slow to ask a question. Better than losing a whole brew. James-Dylan on "Any advice for an overnight mash.." http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/any-advice-for-an-overnight-mash#post-10931 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:29:13 +0000 James-Dylan 10931@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Considering trying one tonight. Any hints or tips? Does anyone here do this or is this not advisable? Thanks, James. dandan on "Dan Dans Kit Tip#1- The Barrel!" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/dan-dans-kit-mod1-the-barrel#post-568 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:57:18 +0000 dandan 568@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I've got one budget barrel, When I dispense a pint it fills my glass with nearly half head and half beer. So i thought how can I make a pub style tap out of my barrel tap, Whilst using a baster to take a sample to take a gravity reading, I had a brain wave! The baster was the same shape has a pub beer dispenser so I held it on my tap and poured a better pint! but it wasn't secure, so I have searched high and low for a baster that fits the tap and Wilkos 50p!!! baster fits perfectly on the budget tap without any fitings needed! Looking on the wilkos website the basters are now 57p!! must of put the price up ready for christmas! The only tip I would give using the baster is dont open the tap full open, take your time to pour the pint! <img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m280/dandan1986/DSC_1424.jpg" /> Pint without baster <img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m280/dandan1986/DSC_1425.jpg" /> Pint with baster <img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m280/dandan1986/DSC_1423.jpg" /> 50p well spent <img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m280/dandan1986/DSC_1426.jpg" /> On the barrel! <a href="http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Utensils/Baster-Acrylic/invt/0036854?htxt=dmMFbjDCqMS07nmR%2FNbpvveQPfJqce0rqp0x5IamXzRDwZ4PC%2FRAE6GTzhmClZmpKRjlk6pxQ1lKmQ%2FkPMS5CQ%3D%3D" rel="nofollow">http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Utensils/Baster-Acrylic/invt/0036854?htxt=dmMFbjDCqMS07nmR%2FNbpvveQPfJqce0rqp0x5IamXzRDwZ4PC%2FRAE6GTzhmClZmpKRjlk6pxQ1lKmQ%2FkPMS5CQ%3D%3D</a> Neil on "Damn it i've mucked up! Help required..." http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/damn-it-ive-mucked-up-help-required#post-9401 Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:41:55 +0000 Neil 9401@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Damn and blast!!! I pitched my yeast this morning and after 12hrs nothing! So i checked the packet and found it wasn't a Wyeast Activator i'd put in but their Propagator instead. So my questions are as follows:- 1) Can my beer be rescued? 2) Have i wasted 5/6hrs of a brew day? 3) What's my next step? Thanks guys i know someone out there can help me out? I'd hate to see this go to waste because it looked absolutely brilliant too. Damn... Damn... Damn... Damn... Damn... Just for good measures DAMN!!!! <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_evil.gif" title=":evil:" class="bb_smilies" /> Neil Neil on "#2 AG Father-in-Law...Questions." http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/2-ag-father-in-lawquestions#post-7110 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:29:26 +0000 Neil 7110@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi All I have managed to get a brew day going today all be it starting very late. I have all the grains bubbling away in my mash tun as i speak. (Pictures to follow):) I have a few questions though. I managed to get the water to the required temperature of 72c however, it dropped massively after adding the grains to 59c. So i had to add some more water to try and get it back to 66c/67c. Q1. Is that normal to drop in temperature so drastically? Q2. Having added more that the required 8ltrs to get to 64c not 66c does that matter i didn't hit 66? Q3. The porridge mixture instead of being a thick consistency it was runny. Although no lumps in my mixture. Does that matter either? Apologies this has been thr first time i've used the mash tun. Last AG involved grains in a bag. Thanks Neil P.s I'll post the recipe up here too. Or the link to it. Lol on "bottles removing labels" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/bottles-removing-labels#post-5630 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:55:08 +0000 Lol 5630@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ After trying various methods, making much mess and wastage of hot water. I have found a good method to remove labels. If you have an electric steamer, put the empty bottle in and after a few minutes they peel off the lables! ** note use a clean tea towel when you pick bottle up** Its very effective and makes me thirsty. It also winds the wife up! Do you know what WIFE stand for? simonb_13 on "Water Quality in BH14 area of Poole" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/water-quality-in-bh14-area-of-poole#post-5540 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:22:17 +0000 simonb_13 5540@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Just on the off chance that there are other Poole brewers out there: Please find below the average levels for the substances you've requested. Calcium (Ca): 112 mg/l Magnesium (Mg): 3.5 mg/l Sodium (Na): 12.8 mg/l Sulphate (SO4): 16.8 mg/l Chloride (Cl):26 mg/l Alkalinity as CaCO3: 237 mg/l This was from Wessex Water who replied to my question the next day! Contacted them on <a href="mailto:info@wessexwater.co.uk">info@wessexwater.co.uk</a> You can use this info with any Water Treatment calculator to work out what treatments are needed. Greg on "Campden Tablets" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/campden-tablets#post-1382 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:18:44 +0000 Greg 1382@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Add 1/2 a crushed campden tablet to 5 gallons of water to remove all the chlorine. Makes a huge difference on any beer brewing, including kits, extract and all grain. Obviously I excluded from any prizes but this is a great tip which I thought I would share. Tony on "Free brewing software" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/free-brewing-software#post-3402 Sat, 15 May 2010 05:44:18 +0000 Tony 3402@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi all came across this a little while ago, don't know if you've seen it but by all accounts its pretty good. Free too! I haven't tried it as I have beersmith, but I know quite a few who have and they rate it. <a href="http://www.brewmate.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.brewmate.net</a> sjb on "Displacement!" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/displacement#post-4519 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:44:22 +0000 sjb 4519@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Not sure about you guys, but when fermentations finished and i go to bottle my beer i siphon off in to a separate bucket (FV) with a tap fitted, to reduce the amount of sludge i get in my beer (thanks for the tip, local brewshop!) I then fit my little bottler to my tap, and away i go - that is until the last few bottles where the level reaches lower than the tap (maybe its just my fault for fitting the tap a bit high up!) Okay - i could tip the FV to get the last in to the tap, but its hard work, bends the little bottler & nearly impossible to do on your own. I did this a few times and made a mess. I could siphon it off, but we all know thats messy and not the most efficient. so my answer dawned on me in the way only ridiculously simple things do: 1) Get some extra large 'clip lock' (like zip-lok, but without the zip) resealable sandwich type bags from your local supermarket - you usually get a fair few in a box for a couple of quid, maximum. I use these to bag all my gear after use anyway, so had them on hand! 2) Fill with water, don't overfill and try to reduce any 'air pocket' as much as possible and clip locked - no water escaping. If you've got an airpocket, hold it upright, unclip the corner squeeze it out and clip closed again. 3) Spray down with videne solution to sterilise and rinse off - then carefully lower in to the bottom of the fv. 4) Voilà - bag sits at the bottom and the beer level raised back in to the tap. put another bag in if you're using smaller ones until the bottoms covered - back pain & beer wastage minimised! finally pull the bags out carefully, rinse off, empty water & use them again to keep your gear clean in between brews <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":)" class="bb_smilies" /> Sam Tony on "severe weather warning" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/severe-weather-warning#post-4334 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:52:02 +0000 Tony 4334@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Well not so much severe weather as its effect. Am sitting in the garden in the shade as I have a rather large plaster on my face. I was moving some ginger beer bottles as the shed has gotten rather warm, two have exploded in the past week - and as I was moving one, it exploded, now rather large gash under lip. Incredibly lucky that it didn't get my eye. To be honest, its probably a casualty job, but there's no way I'm missing the england game. So... Be careful carbonating the ginger beer! Damn, writing this on a blackberry is a pain! Mr H on "Water Treatment - Fareham Area" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/water-treatment-fareham-area#post-4127 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:49:29 +0000 Mr H 4127@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Don't know if this is any use to any fellow brewers from the Fareham Area regarding water treatment? CRS - (ALKALINITY) reduce to beer style Alkalinity 291 average Bitter upto 50 ppm Mild 100-150ppm Porter/Stout 100-150ppm Pale Lager/Golden ale upto 30ppm 1.40 Ml CRS per litre req - BITTER 0.90 Ml CRS per litre req - MILD 0.90 Ml CRS per litre req - PORTER/STOUT 1.51 Ml CRS per litre req - PALE LAGER ---------------- DLS - (CALCIUM) Increase to Beer Style 107 mg/l calcium average Bitter 180-220 ppm Mild 90-110 ppm Porter/Stout 100-120 ppm Pale Lager/Golden ale 100-120 ppm 0.6 G DLS per litre req - BITTER Do not Add any DLS - MILD Do not add any DLS - PORTER/STOUT Do not add any DLS - PALE LAGER/GOLDEN ALE Cheers Howard Neil on "Hydrometer Reading" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/hydrometer-reading#post-2994 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:32:16 +0000 Neil 2994@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hello, Just a quick question. I have just put my ale into it's secondary fermentation. However, I forgot to take the second hydrometer reading. When would be a good time to do that? Could i draw some from the barrel disturbing the pressure? Or wait a couple of weeks then draw some off? Must admit having tasted it before it went in and my word it's good with coriander in it even if i say so myself. Thanks Neil koomber on "A Noobs tips" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/a-noobs-tips#post-1614 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:02:48 +0000 koomber 1614@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Rather than tips for a noob, here are some tips FROM a noob <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/bb-plugins/default/icon_smile.gif" title=":)" class="bb_smilies" /> Little tip for those who have some super tough crusts on thier kit. A little vinegar and a handful of rice swirled round will usually blast of any accumulated crud. This has the advantage of being chemical free. The obvious disadvantage is that it does need a bit of work to shake it up. When your adding sugar to anything (say during prriming), predissolve it in some boiling water. It reduces the chance of an infection being carried over on the sugar. I think above 70C should be high enough to kill most bugs. Taking the above a bit further, you could make invert sugar by adding citric acid at the ratio of 1g citric acid to 1000g sugar and boiling for 20 minutes. The yeast can more easily digest the invert sugar giving the little blighters a helping hand. Greg on "This Months Winner" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/this-months-winner#post-1747 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:39:10 +0000 Greg 1747@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ We are pleased to announce that BrewUK Management have looked over all the entries for this month and decided that the winner is DanDan with his <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/dan-dans-kit-mod1-the-barrel">tip for barrels.</a> Not only did we like the tip but post included some great photo's and links. Congratulations to DanDan and keep them coming for this month as there are some good tips coming through. Greg itsonlyme on "Kit Yeast" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/kit-yeast#post-1739 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:17:54 +0000 itsonlyme 1739@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ My tip is no matter what kit your making up, be it Werry or a Youngs cheepo kit is to replace the yeast provided with either S04, S05 or Gervin Ale Yeast. As kit manufactures tend to put a bog standard yeast in there kits Tony on "Videne help needed" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/videne-help-needed#post-1460 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:37:42 +0000 Tony 1460@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hi all Dan has said he uses 0.75ml of Videne with 500ml water - is that 3/4 of a ml...? If that's the case, I don't think I have anything that can measure such a small quantity! Can someone confirm... 0.75ml..? Thanks! dandan on "Guide to AG equipment" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/guide-to-ag-equipment#post-1447 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:22:59 +0000 dandan 1447@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ A few people are asking about AG (All Grain), Greg said he's going to gome up with a 'How To' guide after his next brew, so I'd thought I'd do a little guide on what equipment is needed. Why change from kits to AG??? Verity Its all your own work Customisation Experimentation More Fun Man take water, man make water to beer! What are the basics I need?? You need the kit what you used for making kits with (Fermenting bin + airlock, Paddlle, Syphon, Steriliser, Hydrometer and a Thermometer) What are the special AG items I need? Boiler A boiler is need to well…….boil the wort to produce a beer there a few types on the market, heres a run through of them: <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/ag-equipment/electrim-mashing-boiler.html"> Electrim Boiler</a> <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/5/3/5374.jpg" /> Good Value for money boiler Pros: Excellent Value Light Easy to fix if anything goes wrong Cons: Plastic Longer to warm up Exposed element <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/ag-equipment/30ltr-burco-water-boiler.html">Burco Boiler</a> <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/8/9/899s-a.jpg" /> From the famous boiler makers of Burnley. Pros: Stainless Steel Concealed element (makes cleaning eaiser) Cons: Need to fit hop strainer Costs more Needs slight modification of wiring to get constant boil <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/ag-equipment/brupak-boiler.html"> Brupaks Electric Boiler - Enamelled Steel </a> <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/5/1/518b.jpg" /> The one I use! Made by brupak Pros: Designed for brewing Quick boil Well made Cons: Cost Bulky Although there is a method to brewing called BIB (Brew In the Bag) where you steep your grains in a mesh bag in your boiler using the thermostat to maintain temperature, I would recommend a mash tun, the reason being in a boiler the grains at the top will be a lower temperature compared to those next to the element, this will effect the sugar taken out of the grain, in a mash tun the temperature is maintained at a even temperature through out the grains! A mash tun like this produces a constant temperature, gives a good extract and is fitted with a wort strainer! <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/ag-equipment/insulated-mash-tun.html"> Mash Tun </a> <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/9/4/948.jpg" /> What other stuff can I buy but don’t strictly need <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/ag-equipment/immersion-chiller.html"> Immersion Chiller </a> The name says it all, immerse in your wort and it chills the wort to get a cold break, before I got a IC I would drain my boiler off into a Fermentation Bucket and put the fermentation bucket into a cold bath to cool! But its best to invest in one eventually as they produce a important stage of the brewing process called the ‘Cold Break’ where the proteins coagulate and drop out of the wort, helping gain a clear beer, the IC also helps create a quicker pitching temperature for the yeast. <img src="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/9/5/950b.jpg" /> Digital Thermometer More accurate than a glass one What equipment will I need that I have already? Kitchen Scales To weigh out hops and grains. Stopwatch, kitchen timer or phone To time your mash, also to know when to add hop additions etc. Recipe There is many good books on the market: If you want one to run you through the process of AG <a href="http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/books/beer/the-big-book-of-brewing-z.html">The Big Book of Brewing by David Line </a>is a good read but some of the recipes are a little dated. If you after recipes of British ales: Brew Your Own British Real Ale By Graham Wheeler & Camra is a good choice. Some american books are quite good, some with wacky recipes in (i've got one that has a recipe that includes Hemp, Poppy seeds, Shiitake Mushroom, Bourbon, Tequila and Coca-Cola in the Ingredients) but most of the recipes don't go that far and make great beers. If you after designing your own recipe a great tool is Beersmith (a computer programme) mikehawley on "No need to syphon" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/no-need-to-syphon#post-1411 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:33:43 +0000 mikehawley 1411@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ I have discoverd a new trick to prevent the need to "syphon" conventionaly I have fitted taps to all of my Fv's now. When it comes time to move to the scondary fv, i simply: Place a sterilised tea strainer over the tap inlet. Sterilise outside of tap and rinse off. Attach sterilised and rinsed syphon tube to the tap. Pop the other end in the secondary FV with the "weight/filter" on the end Turn the tap on. No standing round holding the syphon in the FV and having it pop out. The tea strainer prevents any bits coming through Cheers Mike Greg on "Bottle Rinsing" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/bottle-rinsing#post-1392 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:03:49 +0000 Greg 1392@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ When you finish a home brewed bottle beer, rinse it out giving is a good shake to dislodge the sediment. Dried sediment is a bugger to get out later! May seem obvious but not when you first start out. Varnish on "Electric timer" http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/electric-timer#post-1389 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:56:59 +0000 Varnish 1389@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ When doing an AG brew I like to use an electric time switch to turn my hot water tank on. It means I can go out into the garage and the water will be at mash temp straight away. I usually set it to come on at 7am, and start mashing at 8-8.30. So I will have treated my water the night before and left it in the boiler overnight. I also weigh my grain out the night before and weigh hops which I put into plastic tupper ware boxes and label with times. I find this helps the brew day go much smoother. new2brew on "*TIP* - for barrel users..." http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/tip-for-barrel-users#post-572 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:46:35 +0000 new2brew 572@http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/ Hey Guys, A TIP for people who store their beer in barrels rather than bottles.. If you want to try some of ya brew but its cloudy and has bits of yeast floating in it, cover the tap with a pair of tights when pullin a pint... the ale will still be slightly cloudy, but all the bits n bobs floating in the barrel will get trapped in the tights mneaning the pint should be perfectly drinkable... Cheers New2brew