goffer Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Just buy good ingredients... fresh hops... they should smell like good weed. Use malt extract it is a lot easier to deal with and might as well buy your own yeast. My dad and I brewed a very tasty imperial russian stout with a 10.2 abv with 2 20 gallon glass water jugs and some plastic tubing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 so how long will this take you reckon? likewise - my own old boy had 'explosive' dalliances with home brewing around the mid '80s. He practically blew the cupboard door off the kitchen sink unit. That may have been the proverbial straw for that marriage come to think of it... bout 4 weeks all in. my dads blew up in the garage, and a bottle exploded in his hand once. i remember he had to handle the unopened bottles with extreme care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essines Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 anyone made grain alcohol themselves? i would be in heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 disaster!! walking half asleep on my way to bed the other night i hear a worrying hissing noise coming from my spare room, poke my head in the door to see my pressure barrel spraying a fine mist of halfbrew up the adjacent wall... aagghh panic stations!! i was lucky it had just started doing this cos there was hardly any liquid collected on the floor. i threw a towel over it and carried it to the bath and dumped it there. it was leaking through the seal on the tap at the base of the barrel and tightening it didn't stop the leak. eventually i had to unscrew the top seal to let all the gas out, turn the thing on it's side to unscrew the tap, apply tonnes of thread tape and refit as tight as i could... (lucky my tool box is equipped for any eventuality) so i managed to stop the leak for now but there's no pressure in the barrel anymore and therefore no gas in my lager. the brew was still pretty cloudy so i'm hoping if i leave it another couple of weeks it'll come good... i can always add gas with a cartridge if i need to. 2 weeks into the 2nd ferment and everything had been going so well... i was only a week from taste testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ~ism Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 moral of the story: don't bother - it always fucks up. that's why they sell nice fizzy beer in cans down the corner shop/supermarket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah i'm kind of resigned to the fact it's not going to be as nice as my favourite tipples but it was a present from 'er in doors' so i'm obliged to give it a go. if i end up with a remotely drinkable brew i'll be happy. if i don't i'll try again once, then give up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ~ism Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 anyone made grain alcohol themselves? i would be in heaven. My friend's dad went on disability for a back injury. The guy is super resourceful and talented and he built this beautiful still out of copper with his new spare time. The fucker clearly works because I sampled a run and nearly lost my lips. I'm not supposed to say much about it because it's illegal; I don't know how Canada approaches that. oh aye, so his back was 'put in' enough to skive off the social, but he can still build a copper pot still eh? (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 why would you want to drink a lip and intestine burning pure alcohol? shit'll make you blind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ~ism Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 anyone made grain alcohol themselves? i would be in heaven. My friend's dad went on disability for a back injury. The guy is super resourceful and talented and he built this beautiful still out of copper with his new spare time. The fucker clearly works because I sampled a run and nearly lost my lips. I'm not supposed to say much about it because it's illegal; I don't know how Canada approaches that. oh aye, so his back was 'put in' enough to skive off the social, but he can still build a copper pot still eh? (lol) HAHAHAHA apparently! That's a great sentence; depending on how the day goes, you may bump Mosca for my new signature. it would be an honour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fox Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah i'm kind of resigned to the fact it's not going to be as nice as my favourite tipples do it right and it will be better than your favorite tipples. and bottle explosions only happen if you over prime. i highly recommend Homebrewing For Dummies if you need some reference literature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah i'm kind of resigned to the fact it's not going to be as nice as my favourite tipples do it right and it will be better than your favorite tipples. and bottle explosions only happen if you over prime. i highly recommend Homebrewing For Dummies if you need some reference literature. :omg: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 yeah i'm kind of resigned to the fact it's not going to be as nice as my favourite tipples do it right and it will be better than your favorite tipples. and bottle explosions only happen if you over prime. i highly recommend Homebrewing For Dummies if you need some reference literature. well i hope you're right. my pressure barrel nightmare was down to cheap shit plastic parts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
encey Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 bummer! you got to try again, you seem committed to this -- plus, the only way to learn is by totally fucking it up a couple times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo Strike Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 disaster!! walking half asleep on my way to bed the other night i hear a worrying hissing noise coming from my spare room, poke my head in the door to see my pressure barrel spraying a fine mist of halfbrew up the adjacent wall... aagghh panic stations!! i was lucky it had just started doing this cos there was hardly any liquid collected on the floor. i threw a towel over it and carried it to the bath and dumped it there. it was leaking through the seal on the tap at the base of the barrel and tightening it didn't stop the leak. eventually i had to unscrew the top seal to let all the gas out, turn the thing on it's side to unscrew the tap, apply tonnes of thread tape and refit as tight as i could... (lucky my tool box is equipped for any eventuality) so i managed to stop the leak for now but there's no pressure in the barrel anymore and therefore no gas in my lager. the brew was still pretty cloudy so i'm hoping if i leave it another couple of weeks it'll come good... i can always add gas with a cartridge if i need to. 2 weeks into the 2nd ferment and everything had been going so well... i was only a week from taste testing. Shit man, that sucks. I'm surprised you lasting this long without tasting it though. I'm a week into my 2nd ferment and cracked last night and tried a bit. Tasting promising, if a bit 'not quite there yet', not a massive amount of gas/head yet, but I'm hoping that will come in time. Mine has been alarmingly simple to do so far, and good fun. 2 weeks to go till o'clock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 You should drink absolutely nothing between now and then and it will just be totally fucking megagoods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 disaster!! walking half asleep on my way to bed the other night i hear a worrying hissing noise coming from my spare room, poke my head in the door to see my pressure barrel spraying a fine mist of halfbrew up the adjacent wall... aagghh panic stations!! i was lucky it had just started doing this cos there was hardly any liquid collected on the floor. i threw a towel over it and carried it to the bath and dumped it there. it was leaking through the seal on the tap at the base of the barrel and tightening it didn't stop the leak. eventually i had to unscrew the top seal to let all the gas out, turn the thing on it's side to unscrew the tap, apply tonnes of thread tape and refit as tight as i could... (lucky my tool box is equipped for any eventuality) so i managed to stop the leak for now but there's no pressure in the barrel anymore and therefore no gas in my lager. the brew was still pretty cloudy so i'm hoping if i leave it another couple of weeks it'll come good... i can always add gas with a cartridge if i need to. 2 weeks into the 2nd ferment and everything had been going so well... i was only a week from taste testing. Shit man, that sucks. I'm surprised you lasting this long without tasting it though. I'm a week into my 2nd ferment and cracked last night and tried a bit. Tasting promising, if a bit 'not quite there yet', not a massive amount of gas/head yet, but I'm hoping that will come in time. Mine has been alarmingly simple to do so far, and good fun. 2 weeks to go till o'clock! i couldn't help but taste a bit when it was spraying all over my face... tasted pretty good actually but a bit sweet, with a lot of the sugar still to transform. my little advisor guy in the shop told me for best results i should be leaving it another month after the instructions say it's ready... as if. mine had loads of gas til i had to release it all... all going well mine should be drinkable same time as yours. what type are you brewing? i'll def try again if this is shit but i'll be stumped as to what i've done wrong cos i followed the instructions to the letter. You should drink absolutely nothing between now and then and it will just be totally fucking megagoods. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
encey Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 i couldn't help but taste a bit when it was spraying all over my face... *fermentates furiously* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 lol i couldn't help but taste a bit when it was spraying all over my face... tasted pretty good actually but a bit sweet, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo Strike Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 i couldn't help but taste a bit when it was spraying all over my face... tasted pretty good actually but a bit sweet, with a lot of the sugar still to transform. my little advisor guy in the shop told me for best results i should be leaving it another month after the instructions say it's ready... as if. mine had loads of gas til i had to release it all... all going well mine should be drinkable same time as yours. what type are you brewing? i'll def try again if this is shit but i'll be stumped as to what i've done wrong cos i followed the instructions to the letter. I'm brewing from the beer in this kit - http://brew-it-yourself.co.uk/shop/catalog...products_id=568 - a Woodfords Wherry I think it's called. Mine really isn't tasting too bad either, though I'm guessing there's a long way to go as it's not a pint I'd be happy being served with right now. I'm aiming to leave it at least 3 weeks before I demolish it :) Sounds like the fault wasn't yours as much as the kegs? I'm praying that I don't lose gas, as my keg is cheaper and doesn't have a valve to push a cartridge into... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows and Labyrinths Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 roommates n' i are studying up for our own brews real soon, next week or so we're off to get started. been wanting to get into it for ages now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abusivegeorge Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Yea lay off that coffee for fucks sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DOLLA MENU Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 i did this and my beer tasted like syrup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows and Labyrinths Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Yea lay off that coffee for fucks sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltoi Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 i tested my brew last night... it worked out about 4.9% (manufacturer claimed 5% so no complaints there). it's got a really nice flavour but nothing like lager cos it's a bit hoppier, a lot darker and the gas/fizz doesn't go right through the brew so much but sits in the head. good full head though... i can't chill it in the fridge either due to the size of the barrel so it's more like a pale ale i suppose... i'm assured it'll get better the longer i leave it so i'm more than happy with the outcome at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Panoptimist Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Nice. I bet that was a fun little project. My buddies are making some pomegranate mead. Can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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