The Homebrew Thread

[kakkapo]

Haven't had a go at home brewing yet. I was talking to a bloke who's been doing it for years and he said when he bottles his brew he adds a teaspoon of salt. This sounded extremely unusual to me, but he reckons his brews tasted heaps better when he started adding the salt. Do any of you homebrewers do this, or know of anyone who does?

 

[GPW1]

dont do it and havent heard of anyone doing it.

 

[lemon chicken]

Spent a fair bit on all the stuff for this a couple of years ago but just gave up after a while. Lot of trouble to go to if you make a bad batch and end up tipping it all down the sink. Could never get it right every time, some batches where pretty good but others were horrible even when trying to follow the same formula.

 

[Farcanal]

My homebrew set up continues to grow.
Started doing kits and bits, but i did not like the smell the cans give off - (twang)
Now i use mainly grains, and dry malts. I have a fetish for red beers (all my IPA's have a red tinge to them) Not really to style, but to my eye they are fantastic.
I also LOVE HOPS. Cascade, Mount Hood, Chinook, Centenial, Fugglesn are my favs, but i am fond of others.... Every IPA i make generally has over 140g of hops.
At the other end of the scale - i dont reckon you can beat a nice ice cold hefeweizen, not too hoppy or malty, just of really good session beer. on a Hot day it is sensational.

This is my setup at home.
Generally on tap there is a Hefe and an IPA of some description.
You can do anything you want with beer, experiment and learn what YOU love, not your mates.

 

[sniper77]

Was right into it about 5 years ago, but lost interest. However am getting back into it now as I am sick of paying $40+ for a slab of Vic every week.

I used to brew into bottles but invested in 2 18l Schweppes Kegs which is mint. It also allows me to brew 2 batches at a time which is handy. You can find these at swap meets or is you're lucky a contact at Schweppes or CUB.

Have myself a chest freezer, which I converted into a fridge by picking up a thermostat (Got mine from Kirby Refrigeration for around $20).

If you are really keen on brewing it is well worth invest in a fridge/freezer and keg setup.

 

[fairdinkum]

you can get the coopers microbrewery kit for about 70 bucks from kmart and big w. that would be the best place to start. it has everything you need to make beer.

whether the beer ends up any good is another story.

I wonder whether they are still this cheap. Will investigate on the weekend.

 

[Scotland]

I wonder whether they are still this cheap. Will investigate on the weekend.

I've got one of these at home somewhere. Last I checked they were still around $70 or so, even in Perth.

If you follow the instructions and keep it clean and at a relatively constant temperature you can end up with something drinkable. You can also end up with something rank, but that's half the fun for trying to produce a carton of beer for next to nothing.

 

[fairdinkum]

I've got one of these at home somewhere. Last I checked they were still around $70 or so, even in Perth.

I hope so. $70 for the kit and enough ingedients to make a slab sounds like a bargain to me.

If you follow the instructions and keep it clean and at a relatively constant temperature you can end up with something drinkable. You can also end up with something rank, but that's half the fun for trying to produce a carton of beer for next to nothing.

Yeah, as long as it is not poisonous, it is 'drinkable' to me. In a former life I was a poor Arts student so my palate has adjusted to enjoy the subtle beauties of drops like fruity lexia.

The temperature thing will be the only problem. I might have to invest in a cheap fridge or something.

 

[cammo84]

I hope so. $70 for the kit and enough ingedients to make a slab sounds like a bargain to me.

Yeah, as long as it is not poisonous, it is 'drinkable' to me. In a former life I was a poor Arts student so my palate has adjusted to enjoy the subtle beauties of drops like fruity lexia.

The temperature thing will be the only problem. I might have to invest in a cheap fridge or something.

Actually, it will make 60 stubbies. Pays for itself by the time you've made your second batch.

Re: temperature - unless you're in northern Australia you shouldn't need a fridge. Ale yeasts are active between 18 and 30 degrees.

 

[fairdinkum]

Actually, it will make 60 stubbies. Pays for itself by the time you've made your second batch.

Re: temperature - unless you're in northern Australia you shouldn't need a fridge. Ale yeasts are active between 18 and 30 degrees.

So as long as the temperature doesn't dip below 18 and doesnt go above 30, it'll be right?

Or does it have to stay constant?

I'm in Brisbane by the way.

 

[cammo84]

So as long as the temperature doesn't dip below 18 and doesnt go above 30, it'll be right?

Or does it have to stay constant?

I'm in Brisbane by the way.

I was told the optimum temperature is in the 18-24 range. If the yeast goes below 18 it will just go dormant, it can be reactivated by bring it back up to temperature. However, if it gets too hot it dies. Ideally you want a constant temperature. Keep it somewhere in the house where the temperature doesn't fluctuate, and definitely keep it out of sunlight.

 

[Caesar]

Every housemate I've ever had has owned a homebrew kit. Pretty much all of them used it once and then gave up.

Our year 12 chemistry teacher was really into homebrewing, and we did a batch as part of our work on hydrocarbons. It was fun but I would never bother doing it myself.

Would probably recommend you do it if you're also looking for a hobby, rather than just simply wanting cheap beer. The people who stick with it tend to really enjoy the craft of it, which makes it worth the effort.

 

[monty1104]

Did my first coopers HB today. So far so good (I hope). Gonna try a couple of kit brews next and if all turns out well, I'd really like to try some malt extract brews.

Will the coopers HB kit have most of the equipment needed for this? If not, what extra equipment is needed?