Home Brewing / Micro Brewery / My own beer

[Pineapple Smurf]

Bummer.

It seems I have a few people who are interested, but they're too far away. Would a YouTube stream thing be possible for you? I'm considering it, with no idea how it'll be done.

beerguervara in Cape Town hosts beer making classes via Zoom, I think you should do something similar

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Workshops- SOLD | BeerGuevara

Interactive Workshops On Zoom HOW TO HOMEBREW JOIN FROM ANYWHERE! Join us on Zoom as owner and brewer Steve Peel of Shackleton Brewing Company will walk homebrewers through the entire brewing process, explaining the best use of their fresh malts and hops. The workshop aims to give you a better...

beerguevara.com

 

[Toxxyc]

I know about their classes, but I'm planning something a bit different. Ideally I'd like to have people with me on site who I can do a brew with, supplying a beer or two, a boerewors roll, etc.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

I know about their classes, but I'm planning something a bit different. Ideally I'd like to have people with me on site who I can do a brew with, supplying a beer or two, a boerewors roll, etc.

Well, we're in ****ing Cape Town. How the hell must us dronkies make it there for a beer, boerewors making lunch ?????

 

[Craig_]

"Start selling" - you looking at starting a microbrewery?

My website is www.lazyhunter.co.za

Yeah, already doing wine, just want to diversify into beer. And later into spirits. The spirits I'm fine with, just the beer that's an issue. All I know about beer is how to drink it.

 

[Toxxyc]

If you know how to make wine, relax. Beer is easier than wine, if you ask me. Nowhere near as finicky!

 

[Craig_]

If you know how to make wine, relax. Beer is easier than wine, if you ask me. Nowhere near as finicky!

Once you know how anything can be easy. I'll try a batch next week on my own, if it flops I'll make a plan to go on a course.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

I seriously suggest buying equipment @Cr4ig
This is what I bought 21 years ago and still have all the parts.
Nothing is wasted as you will use all of this stuff when you go grains in a brew-in-a-bag for example.

This kit even includes your first brew which will give you 2 and a half cases of beer.

It's as easy as making instant coffee, you really cannot **** it up. And it is fun. I just bottled 3 kits yesterday (just over 68 litres) and started another 3 kits this morning

BeerLab Basic Brew Kit

Our Basic Brew Kit is an easy way to start brewing your own beer and includes all the basic fermentation and testing equipment required to make your first batch. The equipment is easy to use and is completely expandable to accommodate your future brewing needs. Makes 23 liter batches. The...

www.beerlab.co.za

Our Basic Brew Kit is an easy way to start brewing your own beer and includes all the basic fermentation and testing equipment required to make your first batch. The equipment is easy to use and is completely expandable to accommodate your future brewing needs. Makes 23 liter batches.

THE BASIC BEERLAB BREW KIT INCLUDES:​

• 25 liter fermentation bucket with lid and tap
• Fermentation airlock and grommet
• Bottling tube
• Adhesive thermometer
• Priming sugar
• Emily Bottle capper.
• 50 bottle caps
• Long spoon
• Hydrometer
• Plastic measuring cylinder
• 1 kg dry malt extract (brewing sugar)
• 1 x Coopers Real Ale
• Instruction Sheet
• (bottle brush not included)

NEEDED BUT NOT INCLUDED:​

• Unscented bleach (sterilizer) or a no rinse sanitizer
• Empty glass bottles (not screw tops) or PET bottles.

Due to unavailability of plastic hydrometers some kits are sent with a glass hydrometer and separate measuring cylinder from time to time.

 

[Toxxyc]

Once you know how anything can be easy. I'll try a batch next week on my own, if it flops I'll make a plan to go on a course.

Brew from a kit first, if you ask me. You'll learn the basics (sanitising, fermenting, bottling) before you have to worry about grain crush, mash temps, grain and hop bills, boil times, etc. etc.

EDIT: And I'm not saying buy one of my kits, even just a kit and kilo kit will give you A LOT of experience you didn't have before. I'd REALLY recommend getting a Mangrove Jack's Craft Series Pouch as a first brew. Foolproof beers.

 

[Craig_]

I'll see, but I'll probably have to go with your suggestions. Suunds and looks good.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

@Cr4ig please listen to @Toxxyc
He talks sense

 

[bwana]

Will a oatmeal stout benefit from longer in the fermenter before I bottle it? I started it on Friday and the gravity has been static for three days now.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Will a oatmeal stout benefit from longer in the fermenter before I bottle it? I started it on Friday and the gravity has been static for three days now.

Nah it's done. Will continue to condition in the bottle anyway.

 

[bwana]

Nah it's done. Will continue to condition in the bottle anyway.

Ok - thanks.

I moved it to a secondary today and it looked really nice.

 

[SukkaFoo]

Ok - thanks.

I moved it to a secondary today and it looked really nice.

For what it's worth I think the brewer at RHBC usually leaves his beers for around 14 days in the fermenter. There's lots that happens even after gravity is stable. For me it's worth the wait

 

[bwana]

For what it's worth I think the brewer at RHBC usually leaves his beers for around 14 days in the fermenter. There's lots that happens even after gravity is stable. For me it's worth the wait

Isn't bottle conditioning going to achieve the same thing, especially now that I've moved it to the secondary?

 

[Toxxyc]

Yeast cleans up after itself, and it's best to leave it in the original fermenter for longer. Stable FG doesn't mean it's really done. A kveik van run through a beer in 36 hours, doesn't mean it's "right".

Also, I wouldn't do "secondary" fermentations. It does nothing. If you ask me, you ferment in primary, which is also where you cold crash and fine. From there you can either bottle or move to a bottling bucket, but it's more of the same - no secondary fermentation. Very very few beers really need a "secondary", and it just introduces risk for infection as well as oxygen, both of which you definitely don't want.

 

[SukkaFoo]

Yeast cleans up after itself, and it's best to leave it in the original fermenter for longer. Stable FG doesn't mean it's really done. A kveik van run through a beer in 36 hours, doesn't mean it's "right".

Also, I wouldn't do "secondary" fermentations. It does nothing. If you ask me, you ferment in primary, which is also where you cold crash and fine. From there you can either bottle or move to a bottling bucket, but it's more of the same - no secondary fermentation. Very very few beers really need a "secondary", and it just introduces risk for infection as well as oxygen, both of which you definitely don't want.

I'm with you on all of the above

 

[bwana]

Yeast cleans up after itself, and it's best to leave it in the original fermenter for longer. Stable FG doesn't mean it's really done. A kveik van run through a beer in 36 hours, doesn't mean it's "right".

Also, I wouldn't do "secondary" fermentations. It does nothing. If you ask me, you ferment in primary, which is also where you cold crash and fine. From there you can either bottle or move to a bottling bucket, but it's more of the same - no secondary fermentation. Very very few beers really need a "secondary", and it just introduces risk for infection as well as oxygen, both of which you definitely don't want.

Thanks - the container I moved it to is the same one I'm going to bottle with so I'll just do that on Sunday. I don't have the equipment to cold crash so that's not a consideration.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

The yeast goes into the bottle and wakes up nicely when you prime, will condition just fine in the bottle. No need to leave it sitting in the fermenter or secondary.

Exception to this would be using lager strains obviously.