Home Brewing / Micro Brewery / My own beer

[Necropolis]

Lament - where are you based?

 

[Gothan]

Fark this is confusing, okay so i dont have to boil the entire 30L only 2L. so if i want to use a 60L drum do i boil 4L "Wort" or still just 2L but add more ingredients?

Well kits are most of the time only for a total of about 23 litres. Thus you are 2liter boiling water and then usually cold water to get it down to a room temperature (between 18 and 30 degrees) for the yeast. Adding more water will dilute it and affect your gravity readings

 

[Noob-Noob]

Lament - where are you based?

Pretoria Moot

 

[Necropolis]

Pretoria Moot

Maybe try and come through to one of the beer schools at the Beer Keg. www.thebeerkeg.co.za

Vincent really knows his stuff - you will learn a lot.

 

[Noob-Noob]

Well kits are most of the time only for a total of about 23 litres. Thus you are 2liter boiling water and then usually cold water to get it down to a room temperature (between 18 and 30 degrees) for the yeast. Adding more water will dilute it and affect your gravity readings

Gravity, Gravity was not mentioned in that video, i hope this only sounds complicated...

 

[Noob-Noob]

Maybe try and come through to one of the beer schools at the Beer Keg. www.thebeerkeg.co.za

Vincent really knows his stuff - you will learn a lot.

Im not seeing beer school on the website :-/
How much is it, and how long is a class?, this is definitely something i will like to do.

 

[Gothan]

Gravity, Gravity was not mentioned in that video, i hope this only sounds complicated...

Nah, not complicated at all, might be intimidating but not complicated. Gravity readings help you in determining your alcohol level. You get an original gravity, the reading before you chuck in your yeast. Then your get a final gravity reading, the day your fermentation is done (you also use your gravity readings to determine if fermentation is done). Then some maths and viola you have your percentage alcohol

 

[Noob-Noob]

Nah, not complicated at all, might be intimidating but not complicated. Gravity readings help you in determining your alcohol level. You get an original gravity, the reading before you chuck in your yeast. Then your get a final gravity reading, the day your fermentation is done (you also use your gravity readings to determine if fermentation is done). Then some maths and viola you have your percentage alcohol

i believe it just sounds difficult, but this school things sounds promising, if i can see someone actually do it, it will be a breeze

Whats this Wort Hogs Summer Beer Fest ?, i always go to the normal October Fest, is this similar?

 

[Gothan]

i believe it just sounds difficult, but this school things sounds promising, if i can see someone actually do it, it will be a breeze

Whats this Wort Hogs Summer Beer Fest ?, i always go to the normal October Fest, is this similar?

The copperton kit has a nice little how to get started manual, that explains some of the basics you need for kit brewing, so if you think about starting at kit level, invest in something like that, you get all the stuff you need for kit brewing, and most of the stuff you will use all the way up to all grain

 

[BCO]

I won't miss it!
Have no pledge though, hopefully next year I will show a great brew!

Cool! I've pledged a robust porter that I still need to brew this weekend. I also have tickets available if anyone wants.

 

[Necropolis]

I still need to get properly involved with Wort Hogs...

 

[BCO]

i believe it just sounds difficult, but this school things sounds promising, if i can see someone actually do it, it will be a breeze

Whats this Wort Hogs Summer Beer Fest ?, i always go to the normal October Fest, is this similar?

I'm brewing on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. If you'd like to learn a bit about brewing you're welcome to come by. I'm in JHB though.

 

[Necropolis]

My 45l pot and immersion chiller, finally, arrived from Vincent today

Just waiting for some hops and then I will be brewing a Black IPA sometime soon.

On a side note the service from Vincent has been less than wonderful of late - there is very little communication from his side and unless you actively get hold you have no idea of what the status of your order is.

His stock control is also less than ideal - there have been several occasions recently where myself or one of my colleagues have placed orders for items that are in stock on his website only to be told that there is in fact no stock.

 

[acidrain]

I just use the old hops in a stocking technique during my boils

Does it not affect the effectiveness of the hops if its in a bag or free otherwise bag is a winning idea.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I'm brewing on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. If you'd like to learn a bit about brewing you're welcome to come by. I'm in JHB though.

Thanks bud, will be in contact if i can make it!!, which section of JHB are you in?

 

[Necropolis]

Does it not affect the effectiveness of the hops if its in a bag or free otherwise bag is a winning idea.

It might do a little bit - but with a nice rolling boil I wouldn't imagine that the difference is huge.

 

[acidrain]

It might do a little bit - but with a nice rolling boil I wouldn't imagine that the difference is huge.

Ye now just to find some proper elements then for my boiler cos did a partial pilsner over stove top and it only managed a slow roll boil.

Learnt a very good lesson though when I decided to check up on the fermenter... don't stick your head in the freezer... damn the fumes almost got me lol.

 

[Necropolis]

I've got a gas burner - was a big step up from using the stove top.

Next on my list of brewing related toys is a cooler box converted to a mash tun.

I'm thinking of getting a 45l cooler box for this - what do you guys think?

 

[acidrain]

I've just finished making my mash tun. Here's a very neat guide. Came to about R400 complete. http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-Your-Own-Brewery-for-Under-100-STEP-1-/

My tun is around 30L ( the gap under the false bottom bucket is around 5L worth )... haven't seen a recipe yet requiring any more capacity yet unless you brewing >20L batches.

 

[Necropolis]

I'd like to start brewing 40l at a time