[fluffypebble]

Me and eldest child are going to attempt making some homebrew lager.  I intend to give wine making a go once I have fruit from the lottie but as total novices in this field (and everything else I think) what do we need to start and make our first brew. Equipment, kits etc, also best places to store it whilst it is fermenting etc (we live in a new semi with central heating, no fire, no cellar, no space).

Thanks

PS eldest child is 19 so not leading the young astray - honest

[GrannieAnnie]

Why wait for the fruit off your lottie fluffy?  Because of Hayles on here, I've started making my wine again, and have just made some VERY nice carrot wine, and Ribena wine and orange juice, but the orange didn't clear properly, still a little cloudy,  but the carrot was the cheapest, I bought a 20kg bag of horse carrots for £1.80.  You only need 4.5lbs carrots and a bag of sugar per gallon of wine!!!!!

hic, hic   :oops:

[hayles62]

You will need a fermentation bucket with lid, Wilkinson’s do one for under £8-00 and a siphon tube also cheap from them and about 40 pint bottles  (Go to a pub that sells Mangers cider or any other non returnable pint bottles and ask for the empties) and some caps 79p from Wilkinson’s for 50. You can use empty lemonade bottles with lids as well. A long plastic spoon for stirring. Just stand it in a warm room on a table so you can siphon it off without disturbing the sediment and that’s about it really…
I only started last summer and now have four buckets and 200 bottles, once you have the equipment it keeps getting cheaper every batch you make, I never buy shop beer now.
Sterilising is easier if you have more than one bucket and I use the Tesco’s  baby bottle sterilising solution as it works out much cheaper. Once you have made your first batch you won’t look back…
As for kits go for a Young’s lager kit about a fiver from, yes you guessed it Wilkinson’s, they also do other kits to choose from. The instructions are on the back of the labels.

Wine can be made all year round too.

[hayles62]

Why wait for the fruit off your lottie fluffy?  Because of Hayles on here, I've started making my wine again, and have just made some VERY nice carrot wine, and Ribena wine and orange juice, but the orange didn't clear properly, still a little cloudy,  but the carrot was the cheapest, I bought a 20kg bag of horse carrots for £1.80.  You only need 4.5lbs carrots and a bag of sugar per gallon of wine!!!!!

hic, hic   :oops:

Ohhhhh!!!! I get the blame for everything

[fluffypebble]

Thank you Hayles, I noticed on one of the threads you were discussing using less water and more sugar (or something) in the kits to make them better.  Would you recommend I follow the kits instructions first then start messing about or get meddling first (we prefer strong beer).


Going to go shopping - again - my poor hubby, I think he would love a wife who did not have hobbies thus no mess and more money.

[Celtic Eagle]

Have a good look round on your local freecycle group first before you buy anything Homebrew stuff often comes up on there.

If I remember right Hayles added more Malt extract not sugar. Sugar has the same effect in creating stronger beer but at the price of quality. A sugar strengthed beer will be thin and lack body also likely to leave you with a stonker of a headache. Using malt keeps the balance in the brew by ensuring that the body is not affected . It's to do with the way the yeast ferments the sugar available. If you use granulated sugar my understanding is that it produces alcohol and CO2 but adds nothing else to the beer. Using extra malt also produces alcohol and CO2 however the unfermentable residue of the malt adds to the body and flavour of the beer It will taste more of malt

Hope this helps

[Celtic Eagle]

One more comment I've always made the first batch exactly how the instructions say to do it. After that taste it and feel free to modify maybe use less woter or more malt

for example I'm on my third batch of Barley Wine (Muntons kit)
Batch one dead to the instructions
Batch two I used brewing sugar instead of granulated (not o lot of difference)
Batch three used a Muntons beer enhancer  half BS half spray malt not tasted yet but it definately smelled maltier when bottled also darker in colour

I'll post a note of the taste when I try it

[muntjac]

i think ,,, i heard of someone making marmite beer ....anybody heard about it ?

[Celtic Eagle]

Never heard of that Karl but there is malt extract in marmite reckon it cost a bomb though think of the jar size    and a bit strong on the taste as well I do seem to remember it being used as a yeast nutrient in country wine

[hayles62]

Have a good look round on your local freecycle group first before you buy anything Homebrew stuff often comes up on there.

If I remember right Hayles added more Malt extract not sugar. Sugar has the same effect in creating stronger beer but at the price of quality. A sugar strengthed beer will be thin and lack body also likely to leave you with a stonker of a headache. Using malt keeps the balance in the brew by ensuring that the body is not affected . It's to do with the way the yeast ferments the sugar available. If you use granulated sugar my understanding is that it produces alcohol and CO2 but adds nothing else to the beer. Using extra malt also produces alcohol and CO2 however the unfermentable residue of the malt adds to the body and flavour of the beer It will taste more of malt

Hope this helps

Yes that's what I was doing  (Made me sound clever  )

[wisp]

Hi everyone,

I keep seeing the name Wilkinsons as a source of equipment ... who, what and where? Is Wilkinsons the same as Wilcos? Could someone supply me with an URL and so forth? I'd be grateful.

[fluffypebble]

Wilkinsons (aka Wilco's) is a large shop that sells reasonable quality goods at low prices.

http://www.wilko.co.uk/

Try the link, they are quite good value for money.

[wisp]

Thanks fluffypebble, I am about to explore the link now.

[seadart]

If your serious about brewing beer have a look at LINK
These guys know all there is to know about beer from kits, extracts and the traditional mashing techniques.

Enjoy!  

[Ann]

Good link Seadart