Recent content by 4444244

That indeed make very interesting reading and something I'd have never considered. In our house we've recently started using Fairy liquid only - it is better after all and last longer like it says on the bottle! Could this be the culprit perhaps? When I think about it, head retention seems to...

Hello all, I recently brewed an Old Ale and tried for the first time last night. The ale absolutely no head at all and reminded more of the look of a pint of Cola than beer as soon as it had been poured. I did add a generous amount of malted oats to the brew which I understood aided head...

Hello all, Been a while since I posted on here - hope you are well! Anyway, I'm planning on brewing a spiced ale (malt extract) soon ready for the winter months. I wanted to add some orange peel to the brew and was wondering if better results are achieved using peel from a fresh orange or the...

I generally leave mine about 6 weeks. Despite being technically ready sooner, I find them so much more flavoursome after the 6 week period. It's still amazes me how they mature over time. Like previous posts suggest, it's all down to patience. Well worth waiting for if you can though.

Very useful stuff, thank you! :thumb::thumb:

Thanks guys, this is great. Am I right in thinking that if using grain bags for my hops, there is no risk of contamination if adding the final bag at flame out. As I understand, during boiling the temperature will kill any kind of bacteria. However is this still the case as the wort starts...

Hello all, As the title says, just 2 questions - based on malt extract brews. 1. When adding the final hop addition at 'flame out' to steep and get aroma/flavour, how long should these hops be left in and should I remove all previous hop additions at this stage. 2. If making a smaller...

Hi peeps, thanks for the advice. I wil be leaving this one for a while then and coming back to it. In answer to the fermenting question - finishing gravity was around 1010 and I had this one in the FV for over 2 weeks, so believe it to be fully fermented. I actually remember the trial jar of...

Hello all, I recently attempted a black IPA based around malt extract. All seemed fine through the brewing process and it cleared fine in the bottle. Around 4 weeks after bottling I tried some. If had a very 'vinegar' like taste to it. It reminded me of the taste when you get a duff pint in...

So realistically, an 8 litre boil with same amount of hops and same boil time would result in the same IBU as say a 12-13 litre boil? I've now bought my large pot from Amazon and it's on it's way, but can see it would be easier with slightly less boiled liquor to get the temperature good from...

To be honest I've been meaning to get a 'dedicated' pot for my brewing. I've been using the general pot and pans from the kitchen up to now, so a larger pot of that size seems to be the answer, many thanks for that. A quick check on the IBU calculator at 12.5 litre boil seems to give the...

Hello all, I've now been brewing with kits for around 2 years. The last 3 had the addition of hop pellets and a steeping grains in hot water. In each case I added the hops I had for the last 10 minutes of the boil as wanted flavour, not more bitterness. All of these worked well and were the...

Excellent, I actually have enough for another brew, but don't want to use them again straight away on my next one, so that's handy! Thanks.

Hello, I've been away for a while and haven't brewed much recently, but just got another on the go. I've used fresh hop pellets for the first time. I've got rid of as much air as possible and sealed the packs tight. Should these be kept in the fridge or freezer now? How long exactly will...

Bottles now stored in a carboard box with extra cardboard sheets at the base to soak any spillage. So far, no more casualties and I don't actually have many left. I've drunk 3 over the last few days since this starting the post - chilled prior to opening. A little bit of 'foam over' on each one...