Just an idea

[frederick]

Hi all....I think as a beginner that this forum is excellent except for one thing. There is no "Beginners" section. This means that raw beginners like myself must engage ourselves in the various sections with those who I myself regard as experts who very often reply to our queries as if we are also experts and very often the answers are miles over our heads. For myself I am on my first brew and therefore am not familiar with all the words and expresions that the experts use. I think that if we had a beginners section any help could be in the form of an idiots guide.
I expect I will be shot down but it is just an idea.
Take care all..... Frederick

[frederick]

Hi Daab.... I look at these forums as you suggest but looking at the inputs I fail to see that these are sections for the beginner... some of the inputs are even from members who have what one can only regard as a full blown bar in the garage!!! The result is that any answers are too complicated. I must say however that this forum is an excellent one and providing the beginner can cope with what very often are high tec answers can help.
Many thanks... Frederick

[GTOrichie]

When you need a question answered make a post and mark it as "Beginner" and ask for it in layman's terms, people will always try to explain things as simplistically as possible once they see that

[SiHoltye]

Just keep on asking. If you don't ask you don't get! Also buy a book if you haven't already, I found them quite useful for the technical terms at the outset. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[MightyMouth]

Good to see another Hinckley face in the crowd.

There is plently of beginner information on this site though it may not be labeled as such as it applies equally well to non beginners too. I have just begun the process of trying to collate a lot of information I have come across here into a beginners brewers guide. It will be available at http://www.brewersguide.org but there is nothing their yet but a skeleton of a site so far as I only started it yesterday.

[GlossopTiger]

Fredrick
Please dont be off put by some of the responses, i returned to homebrewing, after many years off, the world has changed gratly. I started using this forum, a wealth of knowledge & experience can be found, but you will come across the odd curt response, het but you get that every where
Keep asking your questions, and as a previous Hinklyite, good luck

[prolix]

if the answers are to high tech just "quote" them back to the forum highlighting the bits that you want expaining further.

It would then help others as well because as you say there is a lot of jargon that people just get used to and forget that we didn't know what it meant once either.

[scarer]

Good to see another Hinckley face in the crowd.

I used to work in Hinckley and live in Barwell

[frederick]

Hi all...many thanks for the replies and I must confess that on consideration a "Beginners" section would rarely if at all be looked at by the experts so any help would not be forthcoming.
My problems at the moment are that due to lack of space and keeping the peace (!!!) I am restricted to brewing in the simplest manner ie cans. The result of this is that any referance to hops etc cannot apply to me.
However I press on and I must confess I have broken every rule in the book but I think the brew is ok and I have transfered it to my small shed to finish off in the Keg.Due to handleing problems (lifting 5 gals at 84 is a problem) I intend in future (following the rules) to do all the brewing in my small shed so my next move is to find a method of heating the brew and I think an Aquarium heater would do the trick.
I would appreciate any ideas as to how I can initially heat the water to add to the must. Are there any kettle type elements that would do the job??
Many thanks once again.... Frederick

[frederick]

Hi Daab.... yes as you say the barrels are very heavy and I must confess they made me grunt !!!
Daab you are a mine of information and all very helpfull and I confess I am running out of paper due to printing all the information. Your help is very much appreciated and all is now stored.
Many thanks all.... Frederick