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So, as far as I can see there are three occasions when drinking in the morning is mandatory. Yes, there are plenty more times when it's acceptable, but I think people must drink at an unfeasibly early hour if they're: a) in an airport; b) doing a long slow meat smoking session; c) brewday and...

In the summer of 2018 I made a Brett Pale Ale. The grain bill was Maris Otter and Pale Wheat, and I chucked in a small amount of Citra and Simcoe at Flame out, keeping the IBUs low. I fermented it with US-O5 and WY5526 (Lambicus). Fast forward to March 2019 and I tasted it. It was dull, like an...

A bit of a heads-up: Nisbets are currently running offers on the Buffalo 3kW induction hob (I personally recommend this to anyone going the induction route) and the Buffalo 30 and 40 litre boilers (well, all the boilers but those are the ones most people will be interested in). They also have...

Go for John Guest fittings; barbs are a pain and prone to weeping. Okay, I found my old shopping list from when I first started. You'll need the following. Kegs: As many as you can afford (and that won't be enough, trust me). CO2 Bottle: You need one. I have three; one is in use, one spare and...

I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to perfect a brew day process that makes life simpler and more enjoyable. For the past year, despite having a converted stable serving as a dedicated brewery, brew days have not been the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Far from it...

We're all capable of an impulse purchase when it comes to brewing. Often, we'll also come up with some fantastical trail of logic that justifies the purchase, albeit somewhat tenuously. For example, I knew I could make good beer with my 28 litre plastic boiler. I did make good beer with it. It...

I come from an age when homebrew was the staple reserve of Boots, John Bull kits and beer with a nasty twang, no matter how hard you tried. As more quality ingredients became easily available, the average homebrewer could make better beer, but there was still a lot of style limitations. Hops...

It's been established that WLP644 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois is actually a Sacc strain which displays Brett characteristics, but my question is for those who use this particular strain. Do you treat it as dirty or clean? I've so far used it in new fermentors, but should it reside on the...

I've finally finished the pressing of this year's orchard crop and have end up with 50 gallons of must. I was somewhat tardy and I reckon if I'd been more organised the orchard would have yielded around 80 or 90 gallons. Having only moved in this year, I'm still feeling my way. The intention...

I don't know about most brewers, but one thing I seem to miss on occasions is the correct mash and sparge water volumes. I know what they should be, but due to a lack of attention and the fact that few measuring jugs are accurate, I tend to overshoot. This weekend I was aiming for a final...

Styles for the HBF Brewing Competition are general and encompass a number of sub-styles. As such, some variations from the following will exist. However, submitted beers should always adhere to the core principles of the style. Styles will be added as and when new categories are introduced to...

Just noticed this when looking them up for another thread on equipment. Nisbets are currently offering white Hygiplas thermometers at £4.99 instead of the usual £14.99. I use these for both my brewing and charcuterie, and they're accurate and good value at the full price, so £4.99 is...

Just noticed this when looking them up for another thread on equipment. Nisbets are currently offering white Hygiplas thermometers at £4.99 instead of the usual £14.99. I use these for both my brewing and charcuterie, and they're accurate and good value at the full price, so £4.99 is...

As a fairly new face around here, one thing that has struck me in a short time is that many brewers seem to be in a race to get the beer out of the FV and into bottles or kegs. There are so many questions about whether a beer is finished in 3 or 4 days and people are messing with their wort on...

When I first ventured into the world of homebrew, I must have been in my early teens. The Father forbade us children from drinking; he was good like that. Homebrew, however, was a hobby, and a hobby gave you something else to do with your hands other than the thing that all 13 year old boys...

Hi all, I first registered here about three years ago when I was based 'darn Sarf'. Back then I was happily brewing away and involved in a project to get a cider club sort of thing off the ground. Life, as they say, was sweet. During trying to clear a field to create an orchard, I managed...

First off, I just want to say sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place. Also, I must stress that I'm not selling anything; I just want some feedback to a germ of an idea. I have a plot on a private allotment; we basically lease a field from a farmer and the rents from the plots pay the...

Hello all. Figured I'd get signed up here. I've been brewing since the early 1970s. I started as a young lad when my mate and I made a John Bull beer kit. It tasted like an otter's ballsack, but it did the trick. Since then I've had lulls and peaks, but for the past five years I've been brewing...