Home Brewing

[malt_boy]

Anyone done it?

http://direct.asda.com/23-litre-Beer-Brew-kit/001656753,default,pd.html

This looks quite interesting, as well as the different types of beers/ales that you can attempt to make. Note the word attempt

I would love to do this but I don't know if its a demanding task or a case of 'just add water' I wish!

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Making beer is easy. Making good beer takes some effort. Making really good beer is hard.

I made about ten batches in the early '80's. One was total crap, one was really good--sheer dumb luck--and the rest were somewhere in between. Around then, microbreweries started to boom in the US, and there no longer seemed to be any point.

[olikli]

I've always wanted to give it a try but in the end chickened out because of the work involved and the risk of producing crap. Local outsourcing is so much more convenient - especially if you live in beer-land

[Mark C]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as there's a homebrew shop on the corner here. Lots to consider such as space, time, hiding it from the other half...

[badgerbrown]

Me and a friend make home brew, it's good fun. We spent about £150 on the equipment and so far we've made 4 brews. It's a bit of fun really, copying/adapting recipes from a CAMRA book. In fact our latest brew, The Xmas Bastard, should finish maturing this weekend (bit of mis-timing regarding the name!). Give it a go, but make sure you have plenty of willing drinkers to drain the keg, unless you're going to bottle it (haven't tried this yet).

Oh, and don't let anyone drink the dregs as they might hallucinate a bit, as happened to our plonker mate!

[Pete Smoke]

The Xmas Bastard, should finish maturing this weekend (bit of mis-timing regarding the name!).

Can you send a keg to my local, it would sell like hot cakes.

Oh, and don't let anyone drink the dregs as they might hallucinate a bit, as happened to our plonker mate!

Did he enjoy himself?

[badgerbrown]

Only the one keg brewed sadly, Pete, but will keep you in mind for the next batch!

I wouldn't say he enjoyed himself, but we enjoyed it!

[Mark C]

Which CAMRA book was it?

[Jimmy321]

I've made beers from CAMRA books and they have been superb. Brew Your Own British Real Ale at Home & Classic European Beers at Home are the one's I used.

[malt_boy]

I think if I done it I would need a garage or something, wouldn't want want my room smelling like a brewery. That smell plus the numerous whisky bottles would be the point where my parents got help for me

[Mr Tattie Heid]

You need a kitchen, and you need to hog it for some hours. And you need to clean it up when you're done, or the help you get may be in moving out.

[malt_boy]

You need a kitchen, and you need to hog it for some hours. And you need to clean it up when you're done, or the help you get may be in moving out.

Sounds like a bloody full time job this home brewing! Think I'll leave it to the experts until I can get my own 'test lab'

[badgerbrown]

The book we used was Brew Your Own British Real Ale at Home. Have now got a sample from The Xmas Bastard (based on the Timothy Taylor Landlord recipe in the book) but infused with cinnamon nutmeg and cloves. No head on it as I think we let it get too cold, but it's clear as a bell and tastes pretty good. Bit worried that it hasn't fermented properly though as it doesn't seem that strong. More sampling needed I think!