Used to home brew, have been brewing professionally for nearly 30 years, 20 as a master brewer.
My two main tips would be: 1) ferment in a cool place and even better have some form of cooling, expecially in the Summer. Home brew shops do simple water coils for cooling 2) once your fermentation has finished, get the beer off the yeast asap. If left too long the yeast autolyses (the cells of the yeast break apart) and you can end up with a "yeast bitten" flavour (which is what a lot of home brew tastes of).
Oh, and drink quickly; fresh beer is the best beer!
Ah the very man! May i ask a few questions? You ferment In a cool place so it takes longer right? The best tasting stuff I've done has been lately because the room is colder and it's taken longer. Is it worth doing a 2nd ferment in another fermenter and chucking some hops in- or just bottle it for this?
Killer, is heat a problem in the UK? I've always had a problem with keeping my brew at a high enough temperature. I'm not brewing lager by the way, which is fermented at a lower temp.
Are there any decent home brew shops about in SE London/ NW Kent. I've always wanted to have a go. Years ago (1970's) there used to be a home brewing shop nr Lion Road Bexleyheath. My Day made cider and tea wine - both awful :-)
Saga you can get heat belts that go round your vat. If you need to keep it warmer. But I think I'm finding cool is better, when it's too warm it ferments quicker but doesn't taste as good.
Saga you can get heat belts that go round your vat. If you need to keep it warmer. But I think I'm finding cool is better, when it's too warm it ferments quicker but doesn't taste as good.
The same yeast based fermentation principles work in bakery (my field) - a long, slow fermentation (usually overnight in the fridge) produces a much better tasting bread than the no-time processes used in many bakeries these days. The best pizza dough is fermented (or to use the correct terminology retarded) overnight in the fridge.....
I made some home brew once. Drank it all in the end but, if I'm completely honest, it was pretty rank stuff.
Have always fancied another go at it, but have just never got round to it.
Is a question of finding what works for you, first lot I ever did was 'ok' but it's improved since- I've learnt its the little things that make a difference, like sterilising EVERYTHING, and not fermenting near any strong odours as they seem to pollute it (bins, animals, Wednesday supporters). I once worked in a pub that backed onto a car spray shop and if you went in the cellar and could smell paint, then guaranteed a lot of the cask beers would have turned.
Last couple I've done have been extremely drinkable.
Here's a question, is it true that back in the days when pubs used to serve their own beer made on the premises, some would add chicken carcasses to the fermenting beer, the principle being that the yeast would feed on the protein, along with the added sugar, and produce a tastier beer?
These pubs were called 'the cock inn' and is where the name comes from.
I've just purchased some kit to make wine at home.
I did some of this about fifteen years ago and it was not great, but it was ok. The white was drinkable and the red was ok after I'd had a few drinks already.
Apparently it is better these days. I'll come back on here and let anyone that is, remotely, interested know when they are ready to be drunk.
For something like £1.50 a bottle I can't expect too much, but as I just push paper around my desk all day it gives me something that I can say 'I made that'!
Ah the very man! May i ask a few questions? You ferment In a cool place so it takes longer right? The best tasting stuff I've done has been lately because the room is colder and it's taken longer. Is it worth doing a 2nd ferment in another fermenter and chucking some hops in- or just bottle it for this?
Yep...cooler means slower...but don't go too cold...the temperature of the brew (not the room) shouldn't go below, say 15 degrees C The yeast generates heat when the fermentation is active. A second fermentation isn't needed (usually!) but if you like hop aroma then you can do "dry hopping", just like brewers do to some cask beers. Put a handful of hops in after the fermentation is finished, after a few days your beer will have a nice hoppy aroma.
Are there any decent home brew shops about in SE London/ NW Kent. I've always wanted to have a go. Years ago (1970's) there used to be a home brewing shop nr Lion Road Bexleyheath. My Day made cider and tea wine - both awful :-)
Me and a couple of mates did a course at this place before Christmas, and collected our brew last week. I think they've just increased their prices slightly as their already taking bookings for next June. We paid £120 between 3 of us and walked away with just over 60 bottles, so works out about £2 a bottle, cheaper than the pub, a bit more expensive than the off licence, but obviously you get some good tuition and you have a multitude of different malts and hops to choose from. http://londonbeerlab.com/
It's in a railway arch round the corner from Brixton station. The blokes that run it reckon that, from the classes they've run so far, about 20% of the stuff that's been brewed has been rubbish, 60% drinkeable but average, 20% really good. It's a good starting point to help you decide if you want to splash out on your own equipment and do it yourself.
Ah the very man! May i ask a few questions? You ferment In a cool place so it takes longer right? The best tasting stuff I've done has been lately because the room is colder and it's taken longer. Is it worth doing a 2nd ferment in another fermenter and chucking some hops in- or just bottle it for this?
Yep...cooler means slower...but don't go too cold...the temperature of the brew (not the room) shouldn't go below, say 15 degrees C The yeast generates heat when the fermentation is active. A second fermentation isn't needed (usually!) but if you like hop aroma then you can do "dry hopping", just like brewers do to some cask beers. Put a handful of hops in after the fermentation is finished, after a few days your beer will have a nice hoppy aroma.
Happy Brewing!
Lol, sorry for laughing but RedMist asked the question back in January 2012
Here's a question, is it true that back in the days when pubs used to serve their own beer made on the premises, some would add chicken carcasses to the fermenting beer, the principle being that the yeast would feed on the protein, along with the added sugar, and produce a tastier beer?
These pubs were called 'the cock inn' and is where the name comes from.
No, not as far as I know!! Yeast likes protein, but can only utilise very small molecules (amino acids). So protein from malted barley gets broken down in the mashing process, (and can be used by the yeast), but not in the fermentation, as there are no enzymes left after boiling in the brewhouse. After a brewery that I used to work at was announced for closure, a cat was found in one of the fermenters (and the beer was destroyed!)
Comments
Used to home brew, have been brewing professionally for nearly 30 years, 20 as a master brewer.
My two main tips would be: 1) ferment in a cool place and even better have some form of cooling, expecially in the Summer. Home brew shops do simple water coils for cooling 2) once your fermentation has finished, get the beer off the yeast asap. If left too long the yeast autolyses (the cells of the yeast break apart) and you can end up with a "yeast bitten" flavour (which is what a lot of home brew tastes of).
Oh, and drink quickly; fresh beer is the best beer!
May i ask a few questions?
You ferment In a cool place so it takes longer right? The best tasting stuff I've done has been lately because the room is colder and it's taken longer.
Is it worth doing a 2nd ferment in another fermenter and chucking some hops in- or just bottle it for this?
But I think I'm finding cool is better, when it's too warm it ferments quicker but doesn't taste as good.
The same yeast based fermentation principles work in bakery (my field) - a long, slow fermentation (usually overnight in the fridge) produces a much better tasting bread than the no-time processes used in many bakeries these days. The best pizza dough is fermented (or to use the correct terminology retarded) overnight in the fridge.....
I've always got a batch of ale on the go.
There is an excellent place in Maidstone behind the prison that will look after you
I once worked in a pub that backed onto a car spray shop and if you went in the cellar and could smell paint, then guaranteed a lot of the cask beers would have turned.
Last couple I've done have been extremely drinkable.
Try this. Ask a question and people will answer. It's a very nice freindly forum with some great how to guides.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/
These pubs were called 'the cock inn' and is where the name comes from.
I did some of this about fifteen years ago and it was not great, but it was ok. The white was drinkable and the red was ok after I'd had a few drinks already.
Apparently it is better these days. I'll come back on here and let anyone that is, remotely, interested know when they are ready to be drunk.
For something like £1.50 a bottle I can't expect too much, but as I just push paper around my desk all day it gives me something that I can say 'I made that'!
The yeast generates heat when the fermentation is active.
A second fermentation isn't needed (usually!) but if you like hop aroma then you can do "dry hopping", just like brewers do to some cask beers.
Put a handful of hops in after the fermentation is finished, after a few days your beer will have a nice hoppy aroma.
Happy Brewing!
It's in a railway arch round the corner from Brixton station. The blokes that run it reckon that, from the classes they've run so far, about 20% of the stuff that's been brewed has been rubbish, 60% drinkeable but average, 20% really good. It's a good starting point to help you decide if you want to splash out on your own equipment and do it yourself.
Yeast likes protein, but can only utilise very small molecules (amino acids).
So protein from malted barley gets broken down in the mashing process, (and can be used by the yeast), but not in the fermentation, as there are no enzymes left after boiling in the brewhouse.
After a brewery that I used to work at was announced for closure, a cat was found in one of the fermenters (and the beer was destroyed!)