Recent content by Shominy

Just to add on to this. I've just bottled and keg this in 5l mini kegs and the taster out of the trial jar was noticeably better than the last two where I didn't use this stuff. We'll have to wait and see if that translates into the finished product.

I was just reading a thread on here about a TT Landlord clone and someone mentioned that the bottled stuff isn't as good as the cask variety which I'm sure 99% of people will agree with. They then said that most bottled ales seem to be over carbonated nowadays which I quite agree with. Now I'm...

I've added some into a Wherry that I've got on currently. Last two brews I haven't used it and there has been a hint of a homebrew twang in them (in my opinion of course). I'll let you know if this makes any difference.

Keeping the bulk of it in a more substantial container is what I was initially thinking. It's just what that container would be that I am not sure about.

I have seen a few videos on YouTube and read various guides/articles of people using beer engines to dispense their beer. Once the initial expense of getting a beer engine and the associated gubbins for it is out of the way it seems like a reasonably frugal operation going forward. If I were to...

I've done some looking into getting a beer engine at some point and have seen people using the cheap bag in boxes. Is that what you're on about or something else? I'd be interested to see how well they fair.

I've definitely read a lot about people favouring the bottom tap style as the top tap can give problems with the float system which is what I believe happened to me. I may test the waters again with a bottom tap but I won't be in any rush. It depends how many bottles I end up with in my garage!

That's the exact one I had. Managed to hold pressure but I could not for the life of me get it to dispense anything other than gas and foam. I checked the float was fully submerged in the beer and that there wasn't too much pressure but alas I could not get to the bottom of it. I'm glad you've...

I second this. I have only just started brewing again after a hiatus and purchased a King Keg which turned out to be useless. It seemed like it had no leaks but somehow the beer that was stored in it was ruined. The bottles from the same batch tasted infinitely better. As much as I would like to...

Yeah, I could almost forgive the Geordie kit as they are one of the cheapest but the Festival kit I'd have thought would've been decent. It still might be but I just cannot fathom why they've both stuck. As above posters have said I'll have to just change things in my routine until I figure it...

Very good point. I will do so and hope that I see some positive results.

I don't feel as though it can be but I don't really know what else would cause both brews to get stuck. It seems odd that both would be because of not enough yeast when they've been two different yeasts from different brands. The sanitiser that someone mentioned was interesting as I hadn't...

Yes, I aerated with a long handled spoon. I did think I hadn't perhaps done it enough the first time so was a bit more persuasive with it the second time. The kits were bought not long ago and I checked the dates and they were well in date. I did check my hydrometer in water and it is...

I actually have some S-04 which I bought for this purpose but with the Festival being a supposed premium kit I figured the yeast might adequate but it seems as though it could be the problem. I'll certainly use the S-04 with my next one. Pardon my ignorance but what do you mean by letting the...

I'm now onto my second kit brew. The first was a Geordie Yorkshire Bitter and this one is a Festival Father Hook's Best Bitter. My process is pretty standard, I rehydrate the yeast before I pitch as I had read that it can aid fermentation and I figured it can't do any harm. I have a fermentation...