Summer Lightning Update

My first all grain beer has now completely cleared (although the pic doesn't make it look clear) and is tasting lovely!  Unfortunately, it's nearly gone.

Not a problem as AG#2 (another Summer Lightning clone but only 5.2% this time) is priming in bottles as we speak and #3 (my own Blonde ale recipe) is ready to be bottled in a couple of days.

#4 will be brewed mid-week, a Hobgoblin clone.  Pics to follow.....

Quick Update....

This is what I woke up to this morning.......!

 



 

 

 

The yeast is obviously doing its job well.  Also, the bitter aroma it had yesterday has been replaced by a lovely fruity/spicy aroma.  If it tastes half as good as it smells, I'll be chuffed :-)

 

 

 

Between all the beer-making shenanigans yesterday, I managed to mince the wheat to add to my banana wine.  

It has formed a crust on top of the wine and will need stirring once or twice a day to keep everything moist and get the flavours working.  I'll ferment it 'on the pulp' for about a week before straining into a demijohn. 

King Keg Sparkler Tap

I never really got on with the standard fit drum taps on my King Kegs.

The taps seem to have 3 settings;  full on, dripping, or off.

Actually, 'off' is a harder option than it seems and you'll find yourself wrestling with the keg trying to hold it down (especially when under half full and not weighing much), all the while gripping the tap as hard as you can (usually with a towel) to turn it off that last hundredth of a turn to stop it dripping all over the floor.  By this time you've worked up quite a sweat so the beer is swiftly drunk, only then the process has to start over again.

Pouring a decent pint is hard work too as you'll end up with either a pint full of foam, or a half hour wait whilst the beer drips into the glass.

I recently purchased 2 sparkler taps, and what a difference it has made!! 

They fit the King Keg perfectly, it's a simple case of locating the tap in the original hole (making sure the seal is in place) and tightening up the nut at the back.  Then, fill the kegs with water and pressurise with co2 to check for leaks. 

Here is a video of mine in action.  The head on the beer is slightly larger than I would normally pour, I was just trying to demonstrate how quick and easy it is to pull a pint  :-)

 

The nozzle can be adjusted to give different pouring speeds for more/less head which is ideal as it can be adjusted to suit the lower pressure in the keg as it empties and, with the lever in the forward position, the tap will remain open.

They are easy to find, just Google 'brewgas deluxe sparkler tap for king keg' or click here

It's Been A While.....!

I've not really made much wine or beer over the last year or so, only managing a couple of gallons of Rhubarb wine and three gallons of Blackberry (plus one Blackberry and Apple which smells delicious!)

 

It's a great time of year to be starting again too, with Dandelions almost ready for wine.

 

I have also decided to have a go at all-grain brewing and I'm just getting the gear together

to start my first brew.

 

There's a lot to learn and I'll keep you posted with the ups and downs of the process.

 

First things first;

 

Buy some books and read them.  Then read them again.

 

Visit one of the online forums like this one

 

 

This is going to be my new 'brew shed'

 

 

 

 

Over the next couple of days, I will give it a coat of paint and add some electrics.

I'll also stick a worktop and some shelves up too.



Bitter Bitte! (Part 1)

(36p a pint)

Well, not German, but Yorkshire Bitter.  Young's Harvest Yorkshire Bitter to be precise.  I haven't tried this kit before and, in addition to this, I am also substituting my usual Spray Malt for some Geordie Beer Enhancer.  A 1kg bag of enhancer costs £4.49, instead of £4.75 for 500g of Spray Malt (of which I would need 2), thus a saving £5.01. The beer kit cost £9.99.

Boil up about a gallon of water.

Put beer kit and beer enhancer into a sterilised fermenting bin.

Add boiling water, using part of it to rinse out the beer kit tin.

Give the mixture a good stir.

Fill up with cold water to the 5 gallon (40 pint) mark.

Rehydrate the yeast in lukewarm water for a few minutes.

Pitch the yeast and give the liquid a good stir, adding some air to aid fermentation.

It should now look something like this =====>

Put the lid on, leaving one part cracked open to allow

Co2 to escape (or cover with a large towel).

Leave for roughly 5 days in a warm place to ferment.

Some people recommend you scrape off the layer of 'scum'

that appears on the top after a couple of days.  I have never bothered,

and don't really think it will make any difference to the beer's taste.  

I could be wrong though.

TBC..........



Start Up Costs For Making Beer

Having been quite surprised by the final figures for starting up in wine making, I thought it only right that I should find the cost for making 40 pints of beer.

Again, my figures are based on buying everything from new.  I use King Keg barrels, which are more expensive than other barrels, but I have read that they are one of the best barrels for homebrew.  You can, of course, buy a cheaper barrel, or even a secondhand one.  Also, the price of beers kits can range from £8 to £22 or more, but most kits are around the £12 mark.

I use Spray Malt, as it gives a better flavour and more body, but if you are on a budget you can use 1kg of sugar instead.

King Keg Pressure barrel  £45.99

Fermenting Bin  £8

Beer Kit (incl yeast)  £12

Spray Malt  (1kg)  £9.50

Sterilising Powder  £2.75

So, that’s £78.24 for the lot, which is £1.95 a pint!  Still as cheap as buying a bottle of beer from the supermarket.  Subsequent brews will cost 53p per pint. 

It certainly beats paying the government MORE money, surely?

The Story So Far......

Fermenting/Maturing In Demijohns-

(In Gallons)
2 Wheat (lighter than the Wheat I made before, but nice taste)
2  Barley (Similar to Wheat, but heavier & slightly bitter. Early days yet)
1 Apple (Lovely Cider smell & taste)
1 Pear (Lovely smell, flavour will improve with age)
1 Banana (Only just started, looks vile, smells lovely)
6 Elderberry (2 yrs old in November, 1 gallon drank already, well worth the effort)
1 Elderberry & Raspberry (As above with handful of Raspberries)
1 Rose Petal (Tastes like Turkish Delight, early days, should be lovely when ready)
1 Strawberry (Always a good one, although I used more fruit this time, it has a harsh edge, may mature out)
1 Apricot Sherry (Sherry yeast, fruity but not very Sherry!)
1 Peach Sherry (Lovely Peach flavour, again, not Sherry)
2 Elderflower (Lovely, one of my faves, although this one is quite sweet)
9 Rhubarb (varying ages, fantastic and easy to make)
1 Carrot (Very big flavour, very strong, worth the effort of boiling)
1 Blackcurrant Ribena (Not sure about this, bit sweet, think I topped up with too much juice)
1 Barley Tea (From tea bags, nearly 4 years old, odd one)
1 Plum (won't clear despite being over a year old)
1 Spiced Plum (as above)
1 Plum & Wheat (and again)
1 Mandarin (Another that won't clear, but nice flavour)
1 Citrus (Recipe says sweet, but couldn't be drier, nice though)
1 Spiced Beetroot (Strange one, lost it's lovely purple colour, now brown)
1 Gooseberry (harsh, needs to mature)
2 Rowanberry (Haven't tried this for ages, very bitter when tasted a year ago, must rack off!)
2 Dandelion (Still in bucket, no yeast added, smells of....well....Dandelions)
1 Gorse (Nightmare to pick flowers, too many thorns, hand stills hurts)

In Bottles-

25 Rhubarb (From 5 gallon batch, only 8 months old but very nice, will leave some to mature)
4 Chilli  (My recipe, lovely colour, fruity, very very hot)
1 Wheat  (Lovely, last one left so leaving until 2 years old)
1 Rosehip (Again, leaving longer, lovely wine, be a bit sad to finish it)
1 Marrow (Marrow? Yep, bloody lovely, would make again if I could get hold of enough Marrows)
5 Ribena Strawberry (Too sweet, but nice mixed half & half with Rhubarb)
3 Citrus (Nice, but not sweet as the recipe says, far from it)


Beer-

About 10 pints of Harvest Stout left (Not really my drink, but thought I'd try it.  Made with medium spraymalt. Tastes a bit like Coffee. Better tasting slightly less cool)
40 Pints of Coopers 'Real Ale' (My favourite kit so far, must be made with light or medium spraymalt and NOT sugar)

Other-

About 1 gallon of Plum Brandy (Had spare plums.......)
About half a gallon of Rumpot (Heaps of fruit, bung it all in, lovely but probably won't bother again as no one's drinking it!!)