Jim's Beer Kit

Can I ask if you went ahead with purchase of the Grain Gorilla? If so how are you finding it? I find myself in a similar position in France. Unfortunately shipping and import costs from the UK mean it is simply not economical to use the Malt Millar any longer and I need to get my own mill.

When brewing higher strength beers you will also want to up the quantities of hops used at all points in order to balance out the alcohol. +1. Try to keep BU:GU (Bitterness units to Gravity units) a constant for the given beer style. http://beersmith.com/blog/2009/09/26/balancing-your-beer-with-the...

Beer conditioning in a cornie will clear naturally as yeast particles fall slowly to the bottom (flocculate). This can take a while to do, sometimes many weeks. Finings typically isinglass or gelatine cause the suspended yeast particles to clump together and flocculate more quickly, giving you a cry...

I tend to set mine at 10 psi and leave it there. Connect the cornie after adding finings, burp the safety to expel any air, and Bob's your uncle until its finished. I've always found it to be quite drinkable after a week, and superb after 2 weeks. Much will depend on your own taste and how lively yo...

The golden rule is that Gravity x Volume before the boil = Gravity x Volume after the boil.

If you have any 3 of the above you can calculate the 4th by rearranging the equation.

Volume (after boil) = gravity (before) x volume (before) / gravity (after)

Use a hand blender to mix a sachet into 250 ml of pre boiled water, drop it into the Cornie and give it a gentle stir. 1st half pint pulled will be cloudy, but after that it will be as clear as a bell. Transferring to another vessel will simply increase the chance of infection and is not necessary. ...

Almost certainly chill haze given the circumstances that you describe. Whilst it doesn't taste and didn't bother me when enjoying a well earned beer at the end of the day (get yourself a tankard) the reaction of friends did bother me a little. I switched to a counterflow chiller to cool the wort as ...

I generally allow primary fermentation to run for two weeks and then rack off the beer from the sediment into the cornie. Next stage is to connect the cornie to CO2(10 psi) in the fridge chill the cornie to 5 degrees for 24 to 36 hours to promote a chill haze. After this I open the keg again, add Ha...

I got one of these through Nisbets ebay store. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manual-Fill-Water-Boiler-Capacity-40-litre-/180837741014?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item2a1ac4f1d6#ht_500wt_922 Very pleased with the performance and the price. 40l capacity has proved to be just right for managing a 25l brew...

Spotted this on another forum a few months ago but haven't got around to trying it for myself yet.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewt ... =30&t=6251

I bought a Buffalo 40 litre manual fill water boiler from Nisbets. (CC193) Only £120. Stainless steel with a concealed element. Holds a good rolling boil without any fear of boiling over. They do make a 30 litre but the saving is only £15. For me the extra capacity was well worth it. http://www.ni...