A newbies first set of questions!

[PaulStat]

cool . I actually have a HBS just up the road (5-10min walk) called Brewers Droop so I suppose I could get any extras I need there, which would be handy.

How does that strainer thing work in the boiler then? I presume it's connected to the tap somehow?

How do you store your beer when it's fermented? In a keg or bottles?

How long does the beer keep for when it's been kegged/bottled?

[adm]

The hop strainer just screws into the back of the tap. it's just like a small version of the strainer in the bottom of the mash tun.

Personally, for storage I use Cornelius Kegs - which are 4 gallon stainless steel kegs. This is an expensive and complicated way to store your beer, as the kegs are £30 each, then you need a bottle of CO2 to pressurise them, gas regulators.....and then when you've got that, you'll want a temperature controlled fridge to keep them in...and some pub style taps to dispense from........so you're looking at around £100+ to get set up this way. However, once you are set up like this, there's no going back...it's probably the ultimate solution and gives you effectively your own pub!

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/cornelius.htm

(Yes - this hobby can take over your life. I got bit badly by the bug after I made my first brew and tasted the result. Still - I think of it as an investment with a good return, not a cost!)

I don't know how long beer will keep in these as it's never been around long enough for me to find out - but I would imagine 6 months or so easily.


The cheapest way is probably just to bottle your beer though. You'll need....bottles of course. And a crown capper. I've never bottled any, so someone else might like to chime in here.

Another options is plastic pressure barrels. These can be pretty reasonably priced.

[stevezx7r]

As ADM has said, corny kegs are v. good but the initial outlay can be a bit prohibitive. If your a lucky git like me you may find a nice 11 gallon pub keg "kicking about" then all you need is a fitting to get your hard earned out of it

To start with though, a decent budget pressure barrel will suffice for ales but lager isn't realy an option here as lager needs higher pressure than a budget barrel can safely take.

If you have a pub/alcoholic mates close by then you can usually get free bottles from them. Simply soak them (plus your caps) in thin bleach in the bath, rinse several times then soak in sodium met solution for 30 mins, rinse again and box them up ready to be filled. They need priming with sugar too so that they create a little c02. Then cap and leave for several weeks.

With the barrels you can get the widget world gas system and use soda stream gas bottles to prime the barrel, this saves using any sugar and you end up being able to drink your beer a bit sooner

[PaulStat]

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/cornelius.htm

ooooo that's pretty lol what have I started!!!!

Any pictures of your pub at home?

[adm]

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/cornelius.htm

ooooo that's pretty lol what have I started!!!!

Any pictures of your pub at home?

Just a couple of old pics of my original keg and fridge setup.....it's ugly as sin and the freezer bit died after a few weeks.


The box at the top is a digital temperature control device that lets you set the temp you want. Under that is a gas manifold (high pressure CO2 in from a pub gas bottle with individually adjustable low pressure outlets. Bleow is a manky old chest freezer that I modified with a bit of police accident barrier as it wasn't deep enough for the kegs.


4 kegs in place, 3 connected to gas. One connected to tap....

I now have a nice much newer, bigger, clean and shiny chest freezer that fits more kegs, is deep enough that there's no need for the collar mod, and all the plumbing is pretty...but the builders are in the garage and there's all kinds of crap stacked up against it right now.

It's addictive i tell you....

[Matt]

How long does the beer keep for when it's been kegged/bottled?

For brews around 4-4.5% ABV I'm finding they peak at 3 months and then deteriorate after 5 months. I brewed several running beers earlier this year and they went a little bland after 5 months storage. 5% + brews seem to last quite a bit longer.

Just my obs to date.

Matt

[PaulStat]

well I know what to look out for when moving next time, somewhere I can keep my own brewery

At the moment the only possible place I could put that is in a covered space outside that measures 1.4m wide * 2.3m long. And most of that is being taken up by two bikes

[adm]

Ask your wife if she really, really needs a fridge.....

[PaulStat]

Ask your wife if she really, really needs a fridge.....

hehe well I'd conflict with myself then because food and cooking is my other love. I wonder can you compare brewing to cooking?

[adm]

It compares very well indeed.

I also love to cook and eat, and brewing seems to be half art and half science....very much like cooking, but without the sharp knives.

[PaulStat]

I have another question, water treatment? How necessary is it? I haven't seen it mentioned in this thread.

[maxashton]

hehe well I'd conflict with myself then because food and cooking is my other love. I wonder can you compare brewing to cooking?

I'm the same. New le creuset or a corny keg? Tooth dryer!

[adm]

I have another question, water treatment? How necessary is it? I haven't seen it mentioned in this thread.

Simple answer is "I don't really know!"

All the beers i have brewed so far have been great - but my water is OK anyway. There's no chlorine smell or taste to it straight from the tap ad it's not particularly hard or soft.

I normally just add a teaspoon of Sodium Metabisulfite (same thing as Camden Tablets) to the water I am heating (c.46litres or so), as that knocks out any chlorine. If I remember, I fill the boiler with water the night before and do it then so it has some time to sit.

There are lots of threads on here about water treatment, but I haven't been brewing long enough to have got into that level of detail yet.

Lots of people here also swear by Camden tablets - crush half a tablet and add it to 25 litres of water.

Personally - that's what I'd do if I were you just to be safe....half a Camden tablet in the water, then brew away and see how the beer tastes.

If you have extremely hard or soft water, then others can recommend what to do..

[stevezx7r]

Just concentrate on making the beer, once you've got that sorted then you can start thinking about water treatment.

As adm says, a crushed campden tablet is the usual minimum that people tend to do (i've not even bothered with that tbh).

If your interested in treating/knowing whats in your water, give your local water co. a ring and ask for the details of the water in your area.

The first thing re. water is to check the mash ph and adjust that if needed.