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Chaps, Thanks for your replies. A trial jar would seem to be the obvious solution, and a bit of reading on here suggests that any tall, thin vessel will work as one quite well. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probably see if I can apporpriate a vase from the missis and see how I get on with...

Chaps, I've just done my fourth brew. Previous brews have been - to put it mildly - not a roaring success. The first was undrinkable. The second suffered from a leaky keg and ended up down the drain. Number three is being drunk at the moment, but I don't get much pleasure from drinking it (it...

Chaps, Following on from my second brew, written about here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=19944 ... the batch was in the FV for a couple of weeks, the hydrometer readings suggested it should be put into the barrel and so into the barrel it went. That was about 6 weeks ago (early November). I had...

That looks better than my third brew. And you went straight on in with hops and stuff I don't understand (I just used kits). >Jealous< :? Oli.

Phil, Thanks. Yes, it's just there seems to be quite a LOT of the CO2 being produced! No, no bubbler, just a lid (with a hole in it to poke a thermometer through, which has a bit of gaffer tape stuck over it.) I've lifted the edge to allow the gas out on your recommendation - thanks. I guess...

Chaps, Following on from my brewday about this time last year (yes, really - I have been buying too much of the stuff and not drinking enough), the last batch has eventually proved to be quite drinkable. I wrote about the making of it here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=12169 .. and that which is...

Keith, Sorry - my mistake. I meant keg when I said barrel - I have another keg on order, not another barrel ... Oli.

Coming back to this thread after some time away. I'm the original poster, and the photos in the first post are mine ... ... as is the beer, which is now in a barrel in my basement! Well, most of it is. Some of it has been drunk. And it was good enough not to entice me to throw the rest away...

Ooooh ... what happens if you aerate the beer? Oli.

Chaps, Thanks for your replies. It looks like I'll be mixing the sugar with as little water as I can get it to dissolve in and putting it in the barrel. Not sure whether my spoon will reach through the barrel opening to stir, but I'll have a look. Thanks for not laughing. And for your kind...

Chaps, Are you sitting down? If not, please do sit down before reading any further. On a nice stable chair ... I don't want anyone falling off due to laughing too hard ... I brewed my first batch, from a kit, at the end of last year. Yes, a kit. A "geordie" kit. Probably the simplest...

Caerleon, Good Q! I was given the kit by my dad, but the cylinder was second-hand and not full when I got it. And I have used it a bit to test out the keg to make sure that there are no leaks anywhere. I'm still disappointed that it packed up the moment it was due to be used in anger tho'...

Caerleon, A local boy! (ish). Thanks for your reply. The place in Hornchurch is a chemist (I've just spoken with them but forgot to ask the name of the shop). It's at 67-69 Park Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1BH. Tel 01708 745943, and I've just spoken with Paula (who was very helpful). They knew...

Chaps, Slightly desperate post here ... I have a brew underway - it's in the keg at the mo - but my CO2 cylinder has run out and I can't find anyone to refill it / swap it for another one! It's a Hambledon Bard S30, and I'm in E3 (East London). I have spoken with Hambledon Bard themselves...

Chaps, Many thanks for your replies. I am encouraged by them! Bigdave, I think you are right - cleanliness is where I am failing, and I tried extra-hard to keep things clean this time 'round. (I was quite a lot more fastidious than my father was/is, but this may explain why his results are...

Good Ed, Thanks for your reply. Sanitiser ... interesting. How does this compare to campdens tablets? Does it do their job, or a different job altogether? I'm not aware of there being any brew shops near here, so I'll be buying on-line. Thanks for the recommendation about the yeast as...

QL, thanks. I bought some more tubing (from eBay - ordered and paid for 5 metres, and got something nearer 10! Cost a fiver delivered, which was much cheaper than a new syphon kit. And it was 'food grade' tubing ... not sure if this was relevant.) Oli.

Chaps, My first brewday. Well, brew evening more like. Mrs zcacogp was watching X-factor on TV, so we weren't allowed to go out, and I had been meaning to try this brewing lark for a while. And it seemed like a good excuse to get away from plastic-pop, and the kitchen was free ... OK, that's...

OK, me again. And I'm still a noob! Don't take my very occasional droppings into this thread (and whole subject area) as being any sign of disinterest; it's merely a lack of time. I have now bought another beer brewing kit, and some brewing sugar, and am thus gearing-up for a second attempt. I...

What a fantastically timely revival of this thread. I was just pondering this forum last week, and then found an eMail in my inbox telling me that there was another post on here ... I'm the guy who spoke of hit-and-miss results from his dad. Suffice it to say, the batch I put together about a...