First brew excitement!!!!!

[Spadds]

Hi All

After some 18 years (whilst I was a student!) I decided to get the home brew kit out and give it a go again. My early attempts weren't too bad, but my mates who tried the ale at the time don't seem to agree!

Anyway - I've started off plain and simple.

- Geordies 40 pint kit with some of that malty sugar suppliment by Muntons.
- Fermented it - got it to SG of 1.008 after about 4 weeks - It was too cool to start with (14c) - I have now bought a FV belt warmer for my next brew (yes I want to do more!)
- Transfered it to my pressure barrel and primed - gave great gas off to start with - kept it at 20c for one week.
I've now moved to to a cooler place (14c) for it to mature.
but I can't wait!

I tried some. It's got a lovely tight white head on it. It's taste blooming good - much better than I was expecting - similar to worthingtons (not my fave but very drinkable!) but it's very cloudy. I'm wondering if a) it's way too early yet, and b) can 14c be too warm for it? The only other cool place I would have is the garage but don't really want to put it out there.

Comments would be welcomed on what I should expect for the last few weeks of my brew! If Ieave it longer does it get even better?

Also one other note - I bought a brupack kit to try next. I can't wait to start it off. However, my question is, what is better - to keg it, or to bottle it? Obviously I'll need the bottling kit which is more involved (which I quite like) but I could store the bottles in the garage. I have fears about the keg loosing pressure and spoiling the beer?

Comments welcomed

thanks in advance - and thanks to Jim and his forum for re kindling an old flame (much to my Mrs approval)


Adam

[Ditch]

Christ almighty, Spadds! Yeah; I'd say that post qualifies as " Excitement "

Now, when ye get ye breath back ..... Perhaps ye could tell us exactly what " some of that malty sugar supplement " amounts to, please? I'd guess ye meaning a Beer Kit Enhancer (called BKE, round here ) Nothing wrong there then. Already ye get a pint ye student days wouldn't even recognise as Home Brew.

Fermented down in Four Weeks?! F*** me! Where were ye doing this? Vladivostok?! Only, shame about the Heat Belt. Now, before ye come back here asking what in hell to do with the damn thing to make it work right? I'd suggest ye give it to the Mrs, to keep her feet warm on, while watching the TV, or something. Get a German made 50 Watt fish tank heater / thermostat combo, with a sliding temperature gauge, instead. No more worries.

Now, I can't personally help ye on this cloudiness issue. I drink Stout. Wouldn't know if it was cloudy or not as it's black as my Lab's armpit in this glass. But, I believe your problem is a very basic and easily solved one. I read of it a lot on here and the guys are well able to advise, as they doubtless will, shortly.

Brupak? Excellent kits, by all accounts. Good choice. Bottle or keg what ever it is ye have there? Partly dependent on what one ye have, isn't it? Wholly dependent on what you like in the style of beer the given kit creates.

Garage stored kegs going off though? Why should they? My stuff sits and waits in an unheated room in a stone built cottage, look. Come to that; It then (now) gets humped into another unheated room, and there is is gradually sacrificed at the alter of my neck.

Nothing what so ever wrong with it. Wouldn't mind it a degree or two warmer. But, then, I wouldn't mind my body being so either. Just not That fazed that I can be arsed to light the stove over it. Beer or my bones.

[Spadds]

Thanks for the reply Ditch. BKE it was!

I've taken my first pint tonight. Looks like something Vera Duckworth would have pulled put of the Newton and Ridley tap in the Rovers Return.

It's two weeks in the keg now and no clearer than when it came out of the FV. I will give it a couple more weeks as it tastes ok, but doesn't make me want to gulp gallons of the stuff. Tha could just be my taste buds though.

I will try to post a pic.