[sowitgrowit]

Morning all.

I've been thinking of getting myself a starter kit (something like this or this?) and am wondering a few things, such as where I can site it in our house, away from a curious toddler.

So; a few questions, if anyone will indulge me

1) With regards the starter kit I linked to (or similar kits), are they value for money, and the components any good in the longer-term?  I imagine all that I would need will be there, but that the actual quality of the components will be little more than adequate.  If I get into it and then have to replace half the kit, I may as well have sourced better quality components in the first place.  If this is the case, can anyone recommend somewhere good to buy all of the relevant stuff? I know Wilkos sell demijohns, etc, so can go there if their kit is of good quality.

2) I read that a stable temperature is better than a fluctuating one, this sounds fine, but what about light?  The two locations that spring to mind for my brew-making would be under the stairs (fairly warm and obviously dark), or in the "shed" (single-brick thickness, but with a perspex roof so in the summer it gets HOT (like, 40 degrees if I forget to open the windows and door).  In the shed it will be light unless I cover it with something.

I will ask more questions possibly as I read up more on what I need and how difficult it all sounds. 

[grinling]

For beer, I have a large 5 gallon plastic container with lid. I also use a plastic spoon and a plastic tube with a tap and filter pipe. (Container I had, but others from wilkos). Wheery kit is rather nice, I use granulated sugar as I am new, beer is very nice. First lot was bottled (pubs have spares), but have now bought  2 kegs and carbon injection from wilko.
I sit mine next to radiator with towel underneath as I have had a bubble over, will probably go for under stairs next time. Need a constant heat, my house stays at 14 all year so a heat belt can help.
Wine....need 2 demijohns, funnel, tubing as above., if using a wilko kit it has what you need. Screwtop wine bottles. I use a heat mat, if central heating might not need it.
For both steriliser (wilko) and bottle brush long handle.
Check wilko prices online, can be cheaper than instore, The Range also does it.
Carboots can be good or freecycle/preloved/gumtree.

[DaveJNeal]

hey there,

light, if anything, might produce something called skunking - production of some sulfar products when some of the hop extract chemicals get exposed to ultraviolet wavelengths. christ, almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about there :-) dark is good.

anyway, temperature. for beers and ales, 20 to 25, as stable as you can. of the two options, I reckon under the stairs sounds the best. if you can it's better to run it at the lower end and maybe get a brewing belt or submersible heater to top it up to 20-25. at you high potential shed temperatures you've get undesirable sugars fermenting and you'll end up with headcracking beer, not nice.

if you're thinking of trying the lager route, temperatures really need to be below 20, well below 20 ( like 10 to 15 - takes a lot longer but wont taste like wife beater or tennents sugerbrew ).

hope some of that helps, best of luck.

start saving for the full grain brewing kit now then .... ;-)

Dave

[DaveJNeal]

o, and of the two kits, I'd got with the Woodes - taps at the bottom of the keg, you you'll get good fresh beer, not oxidised beer. assuming it lasts that long, natch :-)

cheers

D