My Old Brewing Equipment - Do I Need Anything Else Guys?

[BeerGogglesReviews]

Has anybody tried one of these Brewmaster Brew Machines?

[BstrangerUK]

I'd love to be able to make some suggestions but I'm clueless myself, keep us posted though! I want to brew some beer one day

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@BstrangerUK I've had so much fantastic info just by asking my brewing friends here that I'll soon be an expert mate. LOL.

I really love that side of YouTube. The community sharing type thingy. I've put it off for 25 years yet have a chat with folks that know what they are on about and I'm up for it now.

[oOoxelAoOo]

Looks like you have everything for kit brewing. Definitely a new hose for siphoning etc. The filter is a bit surplus to requirement. All the beers I've done, whether I've added finings or not, have always cleared after a couple of days in bottles. I think the main problem with cloudy beers is when you start going down the all-grain alley.. I'd recommend adding a bit of yeast nutrient just to help them get started but that's about it.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@oOoxelAoOo Cheers for the great info. I do hope to go all grain at some point but I'm lazy so will expend all sorts of effort in figuring out how to do it with the least effort.

I want to avoid everything synthetic processed or added if possible, hence the all grain twin tin thing.

[sofakingdrunk66]

A Cast Iron gut & a Warranty for your Liver Guv...LOL

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@sofakingdrunk66 I devoided the warrenty years ago mate.

[stephenhayesuk]

all you need is home brewing by Graham Wheeler, ideally also the historical guicde to house brewing by Clive la Pensee.

and the home brew store in Farnborough, I think

leave out the campden tablets

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@stephenhayesuk Yeah I never used the Campdens for wine either except to crush up and clean equipment occasionally. Don't wanna use finings, campdens etc. Not even comfortable about sugar.

[DevonHomeBrew]

Everything = fine but if you think to bin it bin it mate.

I think you're paranoid about everything just relax new age beer kits are alot better than old age beer kits.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@DevonHomeBrew You're dead right about being paranoid or at least very worried about another beer disaster. I love good beer and don't wanna make pissy vinegar.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@DevonHomeBrew Chatting it through so that I feel I haven't missed anything is working though. Gonna dive in real soon. While my courage is in.

[TheBeebopper]

Citric acid accelerates the sulphur release from camdem tablet in warm water to sterilise. As long as everything is visibly clean then the sulphur gas itself will sterilise everything in a closed bucket without need to wet everything when left for 24hours, even the wood spoons and your polythene funnel. Don't airlock a primary fermentation, put a penny over the hole if it worries you, it never bothered me. Thermometer and new racking or bottling tube, spongecloths. Bottles, crown caps capper

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@TheBeebopper Yeah it used to bleach the bungs orange to yellow if I left one in a demijohn way back. Chatting to you guys about this stuff is refreshing my memory. Had forgotten why on Earth I had citric. Penny sound like a brilliant idea. Might buy screw top bottles. Maybe even old plastic fizzy pop bottles etc.

[TheBeebopper]

@BGR You also need a good can opener, IIRC the one in my brewing shed is a Squire butterfly type. I got myself a bottle tree to help with draining my glass bottles after cleaning, they are about £18 and means that the bottles are easily moved around from cleaning to bottling area and they go straight from the tree to fill and i leave a crown cap on loose. When I've got a few standing (say 8), I hang up the bottling rod, seal the caps and put the beer into a crate.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@TheBeebopper Sound advice as usual mate. I'm think of going (hold your ears) with plastic screw top pop bottles. Never been into aesthetics. (As you can see just by looking at me) :o)

[TheBeebopper]

@BeerGogglesReviews Why not just use your pressure barrel as I doubt plastic bottles are good for long term starage? I know there are plastic bottles in the home-brew trade but they are typically as expensive as buying new glass, adn you should have bottles from commercial brews. What have you got against glass, as it is the best if you decide to keep a beer for a long time?

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@TheBeebopper Nothing against glass. Just trying to weigh up risks of popping caps and also I'm lazy and thing screw lid may be easy. Also I'm a tight sod. Pop bottles I can get free. Obviously if this is adverse to beer quality, it's out. They store all sorts of pressurized drinks without a problem though including cheap beer and cider. I think it's more about aesthetics. I'll steal some baby bottle steriliser from Mrs Goggles. Or sterident from Grandma Goggles. LOL I'm so mean.

[TheBeebopper]

@BeerGogglesReviews There's no risks in using crown caps except for the outside rusting when kept for years in a damp cellar. A wax dip or additional paint or laquer can be used to prevent this. Intended cellaring of more than two years for specials is best done with a cork, the brewer shold use a tapered cork pushed flush and a crown cap added, that's easier and cheaper than using wired corks. Use pop bottles if you like but they do tend to raise the yeast on opening.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@TheBeebopper Cheers mate. The more info I get the more comfortable I feel. Gonna make a start this week. I'm not usually the nervous type but for some reason I'm bricking it.

[ReigningOnYourParade]

Good luck on your first brew!

CHEERS!

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@ReigningOnYourParade CHEERS MATE!

[ReigningOnYourParade]

A brand new beer brewing kit and a functioning brain.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@ReigningOnYourParade HEHEHE! Probably right but I kept some of this stuff for years. Tight bastards like me don't like to fork money out on new. I'm sure I'm gonna need new stuff though.

[fakeadam19]

You can use the same hydrometer for beer and wine. I wouldn't think your sterilizer would go off, but better to get new stuff to be safe: your gear can never be too sterile.

I'd throw that funnel out.

I think you've got pretty much everything, but I don't think you'll need to bother with the filter, after 6 weeks of sitting in warm bottles the beer will clear up just fine. You'll need a siphon if there's no tap on your bucket, but in a pinch a piece of sterilized tubing would be fine.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@fakeadam19 I'm brewing an ale. Will I still get shit on the bottom? I have a pressure barrel with a tap. I fancied using that to ferment in then running straight out of the bottom until I get to the top yeast.

CHEERS for advice mate.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@BeerGogglesReviews No mate you must ferment in bucket syphon to barrel add sugar you need to have a s-30 cap aswell so you can add gas to despence beer out of it.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@DevonHomeBrew Aha! Cheers mate. May use bottles instead. I may use old pop bottles. Not aesthetically pleasing but I'm sure they are safe.

[SpitfireK5054]

looks like you have everything. How are you dispensing the beer - bottles or keg?

[BeerGogglesReviews]

@SpitfireK5054 I have a pressure barrel that I may use at home, but I may bottle a fair bit. Again I haven't prepared well.