Reply With QuoteI've been thinking of doing this for a while now so would also be interested to hear some recommendations.Originally Posted by alexaff
I know 'The Range' sells some basic kits but have no idea if they are any good at all.
I fancy a go at making my own beer/lager 🍺🍻🍺🍻🍺🍻🍺
Can anyone recommend a good starter kit and offer any tips please?
Thanks,
Alex
I've been thinking of doing this for a while now so would also be interested to hear some recommendations.
I know 'The Range' sells some basic kits but have no idea if they are any good at all.
A friend and I have done a bit of this, recently graduated to full mash (using malted grain, hops & water). Great fun!
We've used this stuff with success in the past:
https://www.fruugo.co.uk/woodfordes-...QAPRoCefXw_wcB
Generally, if you can find a kit that is associated with a specific finished beer rather than generic, those are usually better. Also any that use dried hops as a separate additive will give better flavour. Also separate finings are good.
We've bottled and used king kegs- the former are better in terms of longevity, but a pain at filling (you'll need a capper) and especially washing; the latter is alot easier, but the beer won't last as long, and you will need to gas it with CO2 at some point.
Big tip is go heavy on the cleanliness- use proper brewers sterisliser and wash everything thoroughly!
There are some good fora around- try Jim's Beer Kit as as start.
http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/index.php
Great hobby, very enjoyable!
I was bought Woodfordes wherry real ale kit for Christmas 2014. Have only just got round to doing it and had my first bottle Easter Sunday. Absolutely lovely. Depending on how you do it depends on the type and strength. I went for the full 40 pints.
http://www.wilko.com/cider+beer-brew...g/invt/0207610
Yup, I've been doing it a couple of years now, it's that good I haven't bought any beer from the shop in the time I've been making my own. Forget lager, I've tried pretty much all of them and they don't taste like any lager I've ever drunk. If you want to do kits ( very easy, just boil some water and chuck in the malt, leave it 2 weeks and bottle it) stay away from the cheap 1-can-kits and start with the good stuff or else it will put you off.
My favourites are the Young's and Festival ranges, I prefer lighter beer as I drunk lager for years so stick to golden ales and IPAs. Try and find a local homebrew shop rather than Wilkos or the Range as the quality in beer is unbelievable
Give it a go, costs peanuts to set up and the beer is fantastic, far better than I was expecting and for 50p a pint it doesn't cost a lot to get steamers
^^
Thanks lads.
What stuff do I need to buy to get going?
I've always used 'Art of Brewing' & can highly recommend them...
http://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/reviews/vi...anyId=16820608
They're enthusiasts & supply everything needed for home brewing including very good quality own brand kits.
Came on here to suggest Wherry, already been done twice :)
Its very easy to do. I haven't Brewed in ages but got into all grain brewing small batches, loved it.
The best thing to do is see if there's a local home brew shop near you. They're a dying breed but they are out there. This place was a 5min walk from me until I moved, really good: http://www.thebrewmart.com
I used to bottle it as I had a mate who worked in a pub save me all the brown magners bottles. Never really took to Kegs, but other folks swear by them.
In terms of equipment, not much really. Something to brew in and something to store in. Some optional stuff you will want to add as you go along. Do it, it's good fun :)
I haven't done any beer for many years, and these days stick to wine from kits. I agree with everything Mickylall says... avoid lager, I tried many and not one of them was anything like acceptable. My 'lager taste' runs to Becks and Stella so you can see why I was disappointed. Avoid cheap one-can beer kits from Wilkos... they all tend to taste like Double Diamond. Spend a little more and get a good bitter. Young's is a well recommended brand and you won't go far wrong with them.
Rob
Disappointed to read that the lager is poor! I mainly drink lager and only like a few beers.
Anyone tried making cider? Is that the same sort of process as making beer?
Genuine lagers need to ferment at colder temp than ale yeasts, so most of the home-brew 'lager' kits are actually 'lager style ales' rather than genuine lagers. There are lots of good kits around nowadays though, but the investment in the kit required makes it more expensive than just buying beer from the supermarket unless you do several batches to recover the cost of the initial investment.
I have now brewed my own beer for the last 2.5 years and much prefer it to the commercial brews available. There are also lots of good forums available for help and advice, so if you want a pointer just ask.
The biggest lesson that I learnt (quickly) was to take the kit instructions with a pinch of salt. They will suggest that you can ferment the beer in around 4 days and drink it about 4 days later, but if you want to drink NICE beer, then leave it for 2 weeks to ferment then 2 weeks to warm condition, followed by around 4 weeks to cold condition - that way you may have beer that you may actually want to drink again!
If you like strong Belgian style lagers, then Brewferm do very good quality kits, but do give them some generous time to mature, as they get better the longer you leave them.
As others have already said, Wherry is the standard starter kit and is a very nice beer. If you like stouts, then Coopers Stout is bomb-proof and is ready for drinking very quickly as it takes very little time to mature.
Many moons ago I did and it was one of the more successful attempts I had (I did this when I lived with my parents - Over 30 years ago - I never had an airing cupboard big enough after that!) and tasted pretty good.
The process was the same as Lager (which wasn't generally as good, but an interesting experiment).
It was from a kit, though, not from home scrumped apples.
M.
Went through a little phase of home brewing a few years ago.
Started with cider, didn't use kits, just supermarket apple juice, bung in a demijohn with a sachet of yeast, airlock on top, leave to do it's thing. Then once finished, chuck into 1L bottles. Was great stuff, rocket fuel. In the end though, i thought the effort that went into making an 8 pint demijohn wasn't worth while,m when i would polish it all off in 1 night.
I then moved on to making mead, a touch more effort up front and a longer ferment, but results were very drinkable.
With beer and the price it's available in supermarkets now, i think unless your doing homebrew as a hobby for fun, the costs and effort in per pint out, just don't stack up
Brighty
Wasn't a cost thing for me it was the hangovers,bloody horrific hangovers. Been a lifelong lager drinker but tried everything else and always ended up with terrible hangovers. Gave the homebrew ago and haven't had one for almost 2 years while drinking my own stuff.
Back to the cost thing, I was drinking Morretti in the house, bloody loved it but for 9 bottles I think I was paying £18. For £22 I can have 40 bottles so it does stack up if cost is an issue.
I partly bottle and use mini kegs for the rest, so for less than a fiver you can have 5ltrs of really good draught beer
I don't really class it as a hobby as there is so little effort but the end result is well worth it.
Great advice from Maysie, it does take time for the beer to come good especially the Brewferm kits which are really good Belgian type beers.
I think the golden ales and the new IPAs are aimed at lager yobs like me, I drink mine well chilled and they are like a really tasty lager, sort of
you can make home brew lagers /beers taste a bit better by using less sugar (about a quarter less than it tells you) , the trouble with home brew lagers and beers is that they are usually somewhat stronger in alcohol - which makes them taste like a cross between special brew and petrol , lowering the sugar content lowers the alcohol which in turn makes it more quaffable (you will still end up with a lager/beer of 4/6% )
*ignore the above if you have a regular intake of special brew or white lightning as you are drinking more for effect than taste.
Last edited by pugster; 6th April 2016 at 18:53.
Interesting thread, I may have to look deeper into this
I remember my old man brewing when I was a kid, Demijohns covering the kitchen worktops and sneaking a warm bottle in the garage
Make a lightly hopped golden ale and serve it quite cold. Like lager but easier to drink :)
Cider is even easier (Google turbo cider). I used to make a load of mixed fruit turbo cider up in the large water containers (5 litre?). Quick, easy, good for getting battered....again serve chilled. Before the accusations of being a cheapskate pish head come in, I did also make small batches of fresh fruit cider. I also made some very pleasant spirits, but that's another matter altogether.
I've started with a rather large keg of strawberry cider. The kit I bought didn't come with an airlock but I've read if you crack 6 inches open around the rim of the drum it's fine, Fingers crossed.
I can't see this doing my drinking habits much good but good fun all the same ;)
Anyone know the best method of carbonating the cider once fermented?
Are you bottling or kegging it? The principle is the same - secondary fermentation. You prime the bottles or keg with a little extra sugar and the additional fermentation = CO2.
In my experience with turbo ciders they didn't need much at all...
If you were doing beer I would suggest doing it properly with an airlock, but cider is hard to get wrong, it pretty much takes care of itself. Try to keep the temp consistent ish.
I'm going to bottle it mate, I think this would be easier to chuck them in the fridge to keep cold. The above will be ready in 7-10 days so I'll order some bottles. Do you carbonate once bottled then bottle top on?
Sorry for the silly questions, I'm brand new to this.
Edit- regarding temp- I've got it next to the fridge in the kitchen where temperate can vary but better than the garage I'm guessing?
Edit again!! So a bit of extra sugar in each bottle and further fermentation creates the bubbles?
Last edited by alexaff; 12th April 2016 at 17:10.
Room temp is fine. Within reason the warmer it is, the more activity but extremes of temp (or swings) aren't good for fermentation.
You can add priming sugar to each bottle, or to the fermentation (or bottling) vessel. Your kit should have a recommended amount. I would wait until it's stopped bubbling for a day or so then prime directly into the FV. Cleanliness (and sterilisation) are important for the bottles. For priming into the FV directly for 5 gallons of fizzy cider I would dissolve about 100g of sugar in a pint of boiling water, let it cool then gently pour it into the bucket. You then need to use a siphon to get the cider into bottles without disturbing the sediment - make sure the bottom of the siphon is held an inch or so off the sediment. Don't shake it about too much or try to get every drop off as the sediment is rank (dead yeast and stuff).
Your kit kit should explain some of this, but you can't go too far wrong doing the above. There's probably a starter guide somewhere on the web.
^^ thanks Mike :)
Very helpful :)
just make sure you use decent bottles that can take the pressure ( random exploding bottles does not go down well )
personally after having multiple bottles of elderflower champagne and cider blow up i used to put the cider in one of plastic pressure barrels that had a safety valve that you could charge with a co2 canister , it also had a floating pull ( it always drew from the top of the contents of the barrel so you did not pull any rubbish into your drink )
like this >
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/...S30_Valve.html
I got a kit from Wilkos for Christmas. Been thinking about doing it, but I can't help but feel the end product will be a big disappointment. If it's drinkable id be surprised!
I hear what your saying and taking it on board but keeping it nice and cold would be impossible in the summer, or do you have a cunning plan?
The only reason I never bothered with King Kegs was keeping them cold, I like my beer chilled ( none of that room temperature nonsense for me) I don't have a spare fridge for the keg so went with the mini kegs and bottles. Don't forget to store your bottles upright Alex as you will get a tiny bit of sediment in the bottom although I've never done cider so no sure on that
^^ cheers Mick.
The mini keg could be a good idea. I like the thought of drinking my own home brewed bottle of whatever for some reason though :)
Would these bottles solve the capping problems?
Home Brew Online Clear Swing Top Bottles 500ml 12 Pack https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TZT1S..._0avdxbSBWYEW6
Yup, they're the same as I use. They'll be cheaper from a home brew shop or if you're lucky some may turn up on ebay local to you and usually cost peanuts
Home brew shop http://burnleyhomebrew.co.uk/index.p...product_id=314
Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40-x-450ml...kAAOSwBLlVZiHR
^^ brilliant. Thanks again Mick :)
I think I'll enjoy doing this 😊
yes as you say - keeping it cold is a problem if you dont have a second fridge in the garage etc (tbh i was drinking it el magner style and throwing ice in)
you are going to get sediment in the bottom of the bottle regardless of what you make 'sparkling' as you are starting a secondary fermentation by adding more sugar.
i'd start off by finding a kit you like the taste of then adding small amounts of sugar till you get it right , always use the hydrometer to check theres no sugar left after your first fermentation (00) dry otherwise you will end of with what sugar is left from the first fermentation+what sugar you add in the secondary bottle (this is when things blow up).
i went from beer /ciders/wine kits to making it from the natural ingredients , i still make the odd spirits and gallon of wine now and then but pretty much gave up drinking some time ago and only drink occasionally now - having so much booze about can be somewhat dangerous :)
If I only had the space :-
https://youtu.be/pqlYSDyD07o
http://www.grainfather.co.uk/
Here's our mash tun, made from a plastic picnic container, with some mods.
^^^ please explain??
Mashing is getting the fermentable sugars from grain rather than malt extract as you get in kits. It's great fun but it's definitely worth doing a few kits first - you need some more kit and there's more that can go wrong. I always wanted a mash tun but had a huge stainless boiling pot that I used instead :)
Thanks again Mike. Am I right in thinking that I leave well alone while fermenting? Do I need to give it a stir or anything?
I've bought a load of bottles with grolsch style lids and 2 spare demijohns with air locks so ready for action!
A really useful guide is here which was like a home-brew starters bible for me when I started.
http://forum.craftbrewing.org.uk/vie....php?f=9&t=201
When fermenting, try to keep the temp as stable as possible (usually around 19C) and leave it well alone as that is the point when it is VERY susceptible to infection.
^^ cheers I'll have a look at that :)
It's been brewing a week now and it's very active! It was overflowing this morning!
A few questions for the experts if I may :)
1. How do I know when it is "ready" to bottle up? I've got a hydrometer but not a clue what to do with it!
2. I've bought 2 glass 5 gallon demijohns and wondering whether to do the second fermentation in the demijohns or go direct from the bucket into bottles?
3. How do I know what % alcohol the cider is?
Thanks,
Alex
I've started with a rather large keg of strawberry cider. The kit I bought didn't come with an airlock but I've read if you crack 6 inches open around the rim of the drum it's fine, Fingers crossed.
I can't see this doing my drinking habits much good but good fun all the same ;)
Anyone know the best method of carbonating the cider once fermented?
Do you mind me asking which kit you went for? Quite fancy giving cider a go to see how it turns out.
1. When it stops bubbling, it's done, that's when all the sugar has become alcohol, that will give you a dry cider. if you stop it before it's finished, leaving some sugar in there, you'll get a sweeter cider. The hydometer will tell you how much sugar is left if you want to aim for a certain sweetness.
3. The only way to know how strong it is is to use the hydrometer at the beginning, too late now. Sugar content alters the density of the liquid, the hydrometer basically measures the density, telling you how much sugar is in there. So you measure at the beginning, you then measure again at the end, the difference between the 2 readings tells you how much sugar has become alcohol, therefore what % you're at.
The other way is to drink it, a pint at a time, and see how long it takes to fall over ;-)
Enjoy.
Cheers
Foggy
Never done cider so don't know if it's the same but I bottle up when the hydrometer is reading 1010 or under
I go straight into bottles/ kegs, remember to prime the bottles with a little bit of sugar, a full t-spoon suits me fine. I've never done secondary fermentation in anything else so not too sure about that
I know it sounds obvious but what did it say on the can? Usually if the can says 6% it's pretty much bang on, the only time I've got a higher percentage is when I've added more fermentables like dried or liquid malt extract or extra sugar.You can also make it stronger by just not adding as much water as it tells you
Or you could do it like Brighty says, works out very accurate that way
Good luck!!
Ha, Foggy's way is more fun though
Don't drink enough beer to bother about all the hassle with home brew kits.Single malt is my drink when home.
I leave beer for the pub times.....so much better.
Another option if it is too dry for your tastes when done is to add some non fermentable sweetener - often called 'back sweetening'. Stuff like Canderel, Splenda etc will work fine for Cider but don't overdo it. First time cider, unknown sugar content, still live yeast and glass bottles seems like a recipe for small explosions :)
I would let it ferment fully first time round and take it relatively easy on the priming sugar - experimentation can come next batch!
This mate -http://www.thebrewmart.com/a-beginners-brewing-kit-for-making-home-made-apple-cider-copy-i604278.html
I'll let you know the outcome of this batch before recommending it though ;)
Thanks everyone once again for the help with this, I do appreciate it.
Al
When you say ferment fully Mike, what do you mean?
Stop bubbling :)
More or less, when it calms down and you haven't seen any bubbles rising for a day, it's done with fermenting.
Great! I reckon it should be ready by the weekend.
So, once it's fully fermented prime each bottle with a little sugar and leave for a day or two then it's ready for drinking?
Also, I'm assuming you have to sterilise the bottles and clean with cold water?
Last edited by alexaff; 18th April 2016 at 13:19.
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