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bigbud78

bigbud78

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Just completed my first kit and its in the fridge at 20 degs, hoping it'll be finished over xmas so I can put another in but looking to go biab, I'm limited to gas presently either on the cooker or butane/propane outside.

Trying to decide if I should buy the Wilko 12L pot and have a go at some smaller brews just to get a feel for it and try some differnet brews before I commit to 23L's batches but I'm also really tempted to go the whole hog and get the malt miller 50L and burner setup.

If I tried a couple on the cooker could anyone suggest some IPA recipes to try ? I like a beers like sierra nevada, Beaver town neck oil, Cannonball and alike. Eventually I'd like to do some imperials which I know I'd struggle with in the small pot.

Just feel like spending the £17 on the wilko's pot could have gone towards the bigger setup :whistle:
 
I'm around 9 kits in and feel like I'm just getting everything in terms of actually being in control of the process and getting consistent results. While jumping in head first sounds and may feel the right thing I like to add to my knowledge and skills bit by bit until everything is easy with no fuss. I will move on but for now I'm happy..
As for spending...I always think buy cheap buy twice...plus there's the danger that if you go out and buy loads of kit and find its not for you,got no time,go teetotal or whatever it could be an expensive mistake...if you still think this is for you....research,research, research!

Cheers

Clint
 
I would try stove top brewing to get a feel for all grain - you are still very early in your home brewing journey - fairplay for thinking about jumping in with both feet though and only you can decide if thats the right approach for you.

The Wilkos £17 pot wouldn't come in wrong in the future even if you did buy a bigger setup once you know you will stick with it.

Geterbrewed do some 5 litre stove top all grain ingredient kits worth a look - the Single Hop Series Citra should be good:
http://www.geterbrewed.com/all-grain-ingredient-boxes/

If buying from Geterbrewed or the HBC don't forget the discount codes posted in the sponsors forum for members.

Good luck with whatever route you decide is best mate.
 
You can do full batches in a 12l pot. Do a mini mash and add a 1.5kg tin of liquid malt to bring it up to 20l. £5 from thehomebrewcompany. I have made some excellent brews like this. As good as my all grain. There is a good thread on here about mini mash, hopefully someone can post the link. If you want i post the last IPA recipe i did like this.
 
I started home brewing a year ago, after 1 kit I bought the Wilko stock pot. After one extract batch I started doing BIAB in it. I've done a four small BIAB batches across different styles, you can just about manage a 10 litre batch if you are very careful during the boil or use top up water.

I'm totally hooked on the hobby, so for Christmas this year I'm getting an electric boiler so I can start to do bigger batches of all grain. To echo Spapro's comment, the stock pot will be useful as a hot liquor tank even if you upgrade your kit so it doesn't hurt to have it, unless like me you move to a place with an induction hob in the meantime!

Having done a few batches and been very enthusiastic about it I would also 100% agree with Clint's comments about working on the consistency of results by keeping focus on the parts of the process like sanitation and fermentation control. I find my handling processes for bottling in particular improve each time, though I also try not to bottle much and use mini kegs instead.
 
Go for it bigbud I did two kits, then went biab with the hbc starter kit £100ish 4 brews on that then got a hlt and mash tun, but I'm still using the boiler and chiller so not wasted any money. You won't regret it. All grain is a million times better than kits.
 
Ajhutch said:
I started home brewing a year ago, after 1 kit I bought the Wilko stock pot. After one extract batch I started doing BIAB in it. I've done a four small BIAB batches across different styles, you can just about manage a 10 litre batch if you are very careful during the boil or use top up water.
Click to expand...

Thats great info, I have the kit in a 30L FV at the moment but I do have two 4.5L demijohns so I could do a 9L and spilt them.

I bought a bottle washer/tree/ stc-1000 which is all set up and then the rest of the normal stuff too so I'm fairly well set up. Have been collecting bottles for a month from various sources and stock piling them.

Might just go the wilko route for now then, if I do enjoy it and get some great beer it might mean a better investment later :mrgreen:

Thanks for all the comments ! :thumb:
 
Spapro said:
I would try stove top brewing to get a feel for all grain - you are still very early in your home brewing journey - fairplay for thinking about jumping in with both feet though and only you can decide if thats the right approach for you.

The Wilkos £17 pot wouldn't come in wrong in the future even if you did buy a bigger setup once you know you will stick with it.

Geterbrewed do some 5 litre stove top all grain ingredient kits worth a look - the Single Hop Series Citra should be good:
http://www.geterbrewed.com/all-grain-ingredient-boxes/

If buying from Geterbrewed or the HBC don't forget the discount codes posted in the sponsors forum for members.

Good luck with whatever route you decide is best mate.
Click to expand...
They also do a single hop Ella kit @£9.99 which was my very first stove top and experience with grains.I added 2kg of LME to take it to 20 litres and it was nice.Ive been using 15 and 11.5 litre pots for my AG but Santa is upgrading me to a 32 litre pot for Christmas👍🍺🎅

Sent from my ALE-L21
 
I brewed extract kits using a 5 litre pressure cooker when I started, however, because something "can be done" it doesn't mean it is anywhere near perfect.

I would like to refer you to the lady at a business called "Comet" in the mid 80's when I went to purchase a microwave oven. I explained that I knew nothing about microwave ovens, hadn't got a clue what I should or should not buy and asked her advice.

"I don't know anything about microwave ovens either." she said,
"But I do know that in the last year NO-ONE has ever come back to the shop to buy a smaller one
and loads of people have come back to buy a bigger one."
​

The only thing I can add to that is that there is nothing quite the same in life as buying something that you know deep down that you really don't want! :whistle:

Enjoy! :thumb:
 
Like the idea of those kits but think I'd rather just have a go over xmas at making a couple of 4.5L brews

Been playing with BIABacus with the Mysterios SNPA which original called for

5450g Lager Malt
450g Pale Crystal Malt
Mash @66c for 90 mins
30g Northern Brewer for 60 mins
30g Cascade last 10 mins.
70g Cascade Last 1 Min
Starting Gravity approx. 1053
1 x NBS West Coast Yeast , Ferment at 19c

Running through Biabacus

Total water is 10L
958g Lager Malt
80g Pale Crystal Malt
6.5g Northern Brewer for 60 mins
6.5g Cascade last 10 mins.
15g Cascade Last 1 Min
 
So thoughts have turned to pots again as swmbo has politely asked I do all brewing in the man cave (garage) which is fair enough, the smell of the malt made her feel sick :grin:

I'm going BIAB with a view to maybe going 3 vessel later but looking at either the Bergland 50L or a 50L beer keg from a company in Preston.

Has anyone made a boiler out of the Keg ? Look like a bit of work but I'm not sure its worth the effort of going up there picking it up then converting it, with the extra time and money I could upgrade from the bergland pot :grin:
 
There's a big problem with stolen kegs in the industry see here http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55015, so generally we dont get a lot of discussion of kegs turned into boilers on the forum as unless you've bought the keg (like you intend to possibly do), it's against forum rules. However turning kegs into boilers afaik is quite popular in the states so you might want to look around our US sister form HBT http://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum.php. and there's loads of youtube vids on how to do it https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+turn+a+keg+into+boiler
You
 
MyQul said:
There's a big problem with stolen kegs in the industry see here http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55015, so generally we dont get a lot of discussion of kegs turned into boilers on the forum as unless you've bought the keg (like you intend to possibly do), it's against forum rules. However turning kegs into boilers afaik is quite popular in the states so you might want to look around our US sister form HBT http://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum.php. and there's loads of youtube vids on how to do it https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+turn+a+keg+into+boiler
You
Click to expand...

Yeah I just wondered if there was a benefit to using one, i.e. thicker material. The gauge of the Berglands does put me off a little.

The keg would be from www.morrow-brothers.co.uk so assume its all above board :)

Ahh sorry, after reading your link I release we're not allowed to discuss. Please delete posts if necessary.
 
bigbud78 said:
Yeah I just wondered if there was a benefit to using one, i.e. thicker material. The gauge of the Berglands does put me off a little.

The keg would be from www.morrow-brothers.co.uk so assume its all above board :)
Click to expand...

I dont know about the benefits of a keg over a bergland like I say have a mooch around HBT and maybe join and ask a few Q's

The link looks fine. Occasionally we have a post saying, "I recently 'aquired' a keg....." or a picture with something (boiler, HLT, etc) made out of a keg with the words Fullers or some other brewery on it, which is a no, no.
 
MyQul said:
I dont know about the benefits of a keg over a bergland like I say have a mooch around HBT and maybe join and ask a few Q's

The link looks fine. Occasionally we have a post saying, "I recently 'aquired' a keg....." or a picture with something (boiler, HLT, etc) made out of a keg with the words Fullers or some other brewery on it, which is a no, no.
Click to expand...

Totally understand :thumb:
 
bigbud78 said:
Ahh sorry, after reading your link I release we're not allowed to discuss. Please delete posts if necessary.
Click to expand...

Its only against the rules if the kegs are stolen as you are buying it legally we have no problem with the post. :thumb:

Morrow Brothers are specialists in the repair and refurbishment of all types of stainless steel and aluminium kegs and casks.


CASK & KEG SALE

Occasionally we buy stock from breweries who no longer require a particular size or style of container. These kegs and casks are fully refurbished and sold as reconditioned stock. Please contact us to see what we currently have in stock.
Click to expand...
 
Any thoughts on triclad bottomed pots? Looking at brewbuilder they have three pots

Standard 50L £52.50 (bergland)
Premium 50L £75 (Thicker pot?)
Highend 50L £90 (Thicker 1.2mm pot with 5mm bottom)

I'm tempted with the premium just as it sounds a little more robust than the bergland pot which people say is a bit thin.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 
Ajhutch said:
I started home brewing a year ago, after 1 kit I bought the Wilko stock pot. After one extract batch I started doing BIAB in it. I've done a four small BIAB batches across different styles, you can just about manage a 10 litre batch if you are very careful during the boil or use top up water.

I'm totally hooked on the hobby, so for Christmas this year I'm getting an electric boiler so I can start to do bigger batches of all grain. To echo Spapro's comment, the stock pot will be useful as a hot liquor tank even if you upgrade your kit so it doesn't hurt to have it, unless like me you move to a place with an induction hob in the meantime!

Having done a few batches and been very enthusiastic about it I would also 100% agree with Clint's comments about working on the consistency of results by keeping focus on the parts of the process like sanitation and fermentation control. I find my handling processes for bottling in particular improve each time, though I also try not to bottle much and use mini kegs instead.
Click to expand...

Did you buy an electric boiler?
 

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