BS: Beer Making Kits?

Subject: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 07:38 PM

Mister decided that for Christmas he would like a beer-making kit. Well, that's plenty all right with me. However, I don't know anything about home brewing. I have seen a few kits hither and yon, but I don't know what to start with. I would like to start with the least complicated thing, in case we end up not liking the process! If anyone has any recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it. Many thanks!!!! :-)

KFC

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 07:49 PM

Direct him to my web site at swordforhire.org and he'll find detailed insructions on how to brew mead... it's easier and tastier than beer!

LOL!!

;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 08:05 PM

My recommendation is Geordie Yorkshire Bitter It's really easy and tastes great

Gerry

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: John Routledge
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 08:29 PM

I must state that I have no connection with Yorkshire Bitter. I come from County Durham. Geordie

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: DougR
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 10:28 PM

May I suggest, Kim C, that if mister wants a beer making kit, you give it to him and HE learn how to make beer! :>)

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: SeanM
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:13 PM

Check your local phone book for "brewing supply stores" and the like. They became VERY popular during the resurgence in home brewing a few years back, and you should be able to find one not too far from you.

At the shop, normally they'll stock a 'beginner's kit', with substandard gear and the like. It ain't much, and it won't last longer than one or two brews, but it'll give you (or rather, him) a taste of what he's in for before the SERIOUS money starts flying.

Keep in mind that while homebrewing isn't the most expensive hobby in the world, it sure ain't cheap either. And it takes a LONG time (comparatively) to brew. I've considered it once or twice, but opted instead to deal with homebrewed hard cider. MUCH simpler process, and less equipment heavy.

Good luck in any case,

M

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:53 PM

If he really wants to make beer, I'm not sure the kits are the way to go. Friends of mine have used them and they're only good for a couple of (US) gallons then you have to buy another kit.

My advice is buy him books such as the titles authored by Michael Jackson—the real Michael Jackson, not the weird pop star—and let him choose the containers and gagets he want to use. That will set him up to make useful quantities of good beer and open many more possibilities as to types and qualities of beer. You might also get him a subscription to a periodical called Zymurgy.

When he has a good batch ready, please give me a call.

      - Mark

NB: Start drinking Grolsch at home for a while—get the bottles with the permanent porcelan stoppers—and save enough bottles to hold at least the last full batch and the new batch he's making, probably 10 to 15 gallons worth all told. You can buy new rubber gaskets for them and their much less hassle than applying bottle caps.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:57 PM

Or do you say they're much less hassle?

Tip: always do your proof reading after submitting your post.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: SeanM
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 03:45 AM

I recommend the kit pretty much only because I got the impression that this might not be someone who really knows what he's getting into. If the Mister knows his stuff already, then obviously a kit isn't the way to go - likely a gift certificate to the local brewing supply woudl be the way to go.

You can also get an astounding amount of info on the web about homebrew - I'm partial to Hopheads.com, if only because I've a friend or two heavily involved in the group.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST,Jane Bird
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:17 AM

Beer making kits are probably not a bad way to start for a first time go. The relatively small quantity Mark Clark mentions will seem less of a draw back if something goes wrong!

"Brew Your Own British Real Ale" is a useful and interesting book. You can get it from CAMRA .

Yours, Jane

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:45 AM

There's one that seems to win kudos around here (west Wales) and in the West Country - Yeo's. I think they're produced in ... Bristol? but I can buy them on the market here in Carmarthen. Possibly around £6 to £8, and recipes replicate more famous brands. There are various beers and ales, and some mild as well. If you need any info, PM me and I'll slip over to the market on Saturday ...

sian

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:11 AM

I've done a fair bit of brewing over the years, and have slowly discovered you get what you pay for. There seems to be a lot of cheap fillers, like barley syrup, in the cheaper kits, so my guidance would be to pay a big price for a malt only product (Hopped wort, that is, just barley malt and hops). I would also definitely go for a kit first time, and save the fiddly stuff for later triumphs. The finest kit (in the UK) I have found, and stayed with, is Woodfordes Wherry Bitter (produced by Munton & Fison of Stowmarket, Suffolk), available at:

http://www.woodfordes.co.uk/shop.htm

It's superb, but dear, at £15 ($22) for 40 pints. I would also guide you to buy a pressure barrel rather than mess about with bottles. Bugger real ale rules, after the barrel has used up its naturally produced CO2, fire a gas bottle into it. Also, I use powdered malt instead of sugar for priming the barrel, as this gives better head (!).

So, in summary

1. Buy a malt only (expensive) kit. 2. Buy a pressure barrel and a CO2 gas cylinder 3. Buy powdered malt for priming the barrel, instead of sugar 4. Don't hurry testing! It takes 6 weeks minimum in the barrel before the beer is worth a light. Don't use finings to clear it; makes it taste like fish oil.

Won't bore the community any further, so PM if you would like any more pointers.

Good luck, and enjoy!!

Skipjack

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 06:21 AM

It's been along while and I've only been down the kit route. Boots (UK chemist) made a "Dry Irish Stout" that I thought was excellent and I tended to stick with that.

Skipjack - Woodforde's Wherry is a Norfolk brew (and I believe a highly rated one) - how come the kits come from Suffolk?

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 06:58 AM

Ahh, Jon, a man with an eye for detail in th eimportant things in life.

It's a tale of commercial BS, I'm afraid. Wherry Bitter, produced by Woodfordes own brewery in Woodbastwick, Norfolk, is indeed a superb pint, and it was getting that product down me neck that turned me on to the possibility of replicating the product at home.

So, I found a Wherry Kit in Boots (When they did home brew - another sad tale of screwing the market and then abdicating) and brewed a fantastic barrel, very close to the pub product. BUT, there on the can, in small print, is the manufacturer's name as Muntons. I then had a look round several other home brew kits, and many were made under license by said Suffolk maltsters. So that's the tale.

Kim, the secret lies in the water. Breweries extract their water from bore-holes, so it's 'local' water, with the characteristics from the substrates giving local brews specific flavour. I have been obsessive enough to draw water from springs close to a famous brew, both in Essex (Ridleys) and the Mendips (Butcombe). But the poor home brewer has to use the shoite that comes out of the tap, that has had serious chemical intervention at the water treatment works. I'm told that all these chemicals argue with the enzymes in the wort, and gives that distinctive disinfectant taint to home brew. I avoid this by

a) When I'm rich, using bottled spring water.

b) When I'm poor, (ie always) filtering tap water through a decent quality water filter.

I promise this makes a big difference to the flavour. It may just be good ju-ju, but effort seems to equal results.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 07:17 AM

Thanks for the info Skipjack. As for the detail, Woodbastwick is under 20 miles from me so I guess there would be something wrong if I didn't spot it!

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 09:17 AM

Kim, if you can't find a local homebrew store (look in the Yellow Pages under Beer), I can enthusiastically recommend Maryland Homebrew. I have dealt with them for a few years now and have never been disappointed in their service. I started with their "America's Best Brewing System" and went on from there. They have kits which contain all the ingredients for a fairly decent brew, and you can also step up to various recipes for specialized brews. I would suggest one of their kits at first, but move up to recipes as soon as you feel confident.

Another source of information is Home Brew Digest. You can subscribe and receive the digest in your email box 6 days a week, or read it online. An incredible amount of knowledge is available from the people there (kinda like here).

Brewing and bottling is a lot of fun to do together. Feel free to PM me if you want more information (and you probably will). And never forget the mantra of the home brewer - RDWHAHB - Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.

Cheers,

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 09:19 AM

Don't know how mudcat got into those addresses, but Md. Homebrew is www.mdhb.com, and Home Brew Digest is www.hbd.org.

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Greyeyes
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 09:36 AM

Everything that Skipjack said. I brewed for years tho' not at present. Definitely a kit for a beginner. Definitely a pressure barrel rather than bottles. In practice I rarely needed to use CO2, the secondary fermentation was almost always sufficient to keep it bordering on the lively. Filtering tap water is definitely advisable. be patient. Good luck.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 09:54 AM

Wow, y'all, lots of great info! Thanks!

Mister tends to turn things into rocket science that ain't - if I let him choose his gadgets, trust me, the beer will never get brewed! lol

Clinton, I love mead, and I am going to check out your recipe. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 10:04 AM

jeffp

mudcat got into the addresses because you neglected to put in the http://

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 10:16 AM

KimC for a first timer, if it is available, I'd recommend, A homebrew on premises operation. Give him a gift certificate, he brews it on their site, makes a mess on their floor and gets help if he needs it. It'll cost more than a kit but you'll generally get better beer and the only thing you have to buy is the bottles.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 10:17 AM

That's what I get for typing instead of cut-and-paste.

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: lady penelope
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 11:14 AM

I deffinately recommend the micro - brewery option if 'Mr' turns the simple into an extraviganza ( you also end up with more beer! ) I wish there were some in London. I live in a flat with not a lot of spare space, so brewing tends to be an occasional thing,rather than continuous. Also using the micro-brewery means you don't have to find space for barrels and other equipment when he decides he can't be bothered.

When I lived with my parents we found judicial encouragement very helpful in keeping a constant supply coming. However my fahter packed it in when our consumption started to catch up with his supply, you need to watch that.

Have fun!

TTFN M'Lady P.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 11:20 AM

Pressure barrel sounds good if you're British, and drink your beer at room temperature, but if you like your beer or ale cold, wouldn't it have to be bottles? Assuming you don't have a walk-in refrigerator.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 11:31 AM

Tom Caxton kits are easy. And he writes pretty good folk songs as well...

What? Whasamatter?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 02:13 PM

Does anyone have any experience with this Beer Machine thing? It seems too much like a bread machine to me... dump in the ingredients and let the machine do the work. Ick.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST,EPL
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 02:16 PM

If you want cold bear from a pressure barrel place a dimpled pint glass in the freezer for an hour before filling it from your barrel.

enjoy.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 02:32 PM

I'd stay away from the Mister Beer-type things. I think they all want you to add sugar to the mix, which gives you a thin, cidery-tasting brew.

BTW, what type of beer does the Mister drink now? Ales are much easier to produce than lagers, and if he is used to American Megaswill (Bud, Coors, Miller, that sort of tasteless garbage.....is my predjudice showing?), he may not like what you can produce easily at home. OTOH, if he likes full-bodied beers with lots of flavor, well, come on in!

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 02:41 PM

Clinton:

I get a ERROR 502 when trying to coneect to your mead info on Swordforhire.org.

pax yall

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 02:56 PM

That should be fixed now b-catter... sorry...

;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST,Den
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 03:44 PM

Lots of good info there. Ales are the way to go for beginners, however stout is probably the easiest if you don't try to replicate Guinness right off the bat. Leave larger till you've made a few batches and/or buy a second fridge. If you live somewhere, where local laws allow you to brew on a commercial hobby brew premises this might be the best way to get started. That way you can have your questions answered quickly in real (ale) time by someone with experience. If you can't go that route then your going to need some equipment. You're better off to buy some equipment that you can use for the long haul rather than spend your money on temporary type stuff. Chances are he is quite serious about this hobby and will enjoy making (eventually) very good tasting beer.

If you need info on what a starter kit should contain you can pm me. I've been making beer for about 12 years and have a draught system in my basement. I condition my beer in used stainless steel soft drink kegs. You can pick them up for about $20 Can. I draught the beer out of the keg using C02 gas. You can pick up a bottle of gas and the regulators for under $200 Can. The bottle of gas will last you a long while and can be refilled for about $16. The last time I filled was last year some time. This type of system gets around having to clean bottles, a horrible chore. Anyway let me know if you want more info. Den

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:01 PM

heheheh We like REAL beer! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:18 PM

You are aware, of course, that homebrew is unfiltered. Therefore, it contains yeast. If you've read the Marmite threads, you know what yeast can do to the digestive system. To quote Spaw, "BRAWWWWWP!!!!!" Drinking fresh homemade tax-free beer is worth every fart, though.

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:23 PM

well... since you put it that way.... and thanks for all the other info, jeffp. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:25 PM

Glad to help, Kim. It really is a lot of fun to do. My wife joins me in the process and helps me drink the results too! We still bottle because we can't afford a beer fridge, even a small one.

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:43 PM

There are a lot of kits out there, that generally contain malt, hops and yeast. The type of beer/ale you end up with depends on the mix of malt and hops. You have to add sugar or crystal malt to the mix. Most kits are rated as making five Imperial gallons (since they're mostly British). The other kind of kit that you'll need is the brewing set-up, which is a big bucket, thermometer, bottle capper and various bits of tubing. I get rid of most of the residue (basically dead yeast) by siphoning from the brewing bucket into a glass carboy and botteling from there. Grolsch bottles are good, but most bottles are ok, EXCEPT TWIST TOPS. Brewing supply stores generally have them available for sale, but its much more fun to buy a selection of 6-packs of good beer, dring them, and reuse the bottles. this takes longer, but what the heck. By all means, get him a basic brewing instruction book.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: GUEST,artbrooks
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 04:44 PM

Lost my cookie...new computer. Last post was me.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:16 PM

I'd get a good beginner's kit, as it will look spiffier under the tree than a gift certificate to go brew somewhere else. Besides, then he can start brewing on Christmas afternoon. *g* Seriously, I think it would be more fun for him to try his hand with a simple, but decent quality kit. It helps if you have enough room for the rig. My house doesn't have that much available space, so the carbuoy was the centerpiece on the kitchen table during the fermentation process. It made for interesting viewing during breakfast. And of course the most important thing is to keep everything spotlessly clean. A bit of dirt (or soap) will ruin the whole project. Have fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Kim C
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:17 PM

Well, y'all are getting me really excited!

Subject: RE: BS: Beer Making Kits?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 06:33 PM

You inspired me, Kim, so I've put on me Christmas Wherry tonight. Should about clear by the solstice. There, I'm excited, too!

Skipjack