Home brew? Homebrew? Winemaking

Jeebus! Jimbilly!!!

sets fire to house

Also brewed a Belgian 'Tripel' inspired recipe on Sunday, using Belgian yeast but English malts and hops. Will be one for sipping not chugging, but judging by the unfermented wort its already tasting good.

Brew Length: 23 L
Expected ABV: 7.9 %
Mash Minutes: 90 Minutes
Mash Temperature: 65.0 °C
Boil Minutes: 90 Minutes
Yeast: White Labs Abbey Ale Yeast - (WLP530)

Fermentables:
Pale Malt - Maris Otter Grain 5500g
Table Sugar Sugar 1000g
Wheat - Torrified Grain 200g
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L Grain 50g

Bittering Hops:
Name Weight (grams) % Weight %AA Mins IBU % IBU
Goldings, East Kent 50 100 6.5 90 27.4 100

Aroma Hops:
Goldings, East Kent 10g 30 mins steep

Expected OG: 1077 points
Expected FG: 1017 points
Expected IBU: 27.4
Expected SRM: 7.0

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was back at my parents
they've been away and their cox's orange pippin had dropped a lot of apples decided to have a bash at some cider

my dads an old pro at the home brew game his elderberry wine used to knock the vicar sideways and his '74 parsnip was a masterpiece

he had the old gallon demi john and the bubble pipe in the garage
no yeast as yet will see what the bubble rate is like before adding something ... could anyone recommend a yeast that would work ... are there cider specific ones or will any old yeast do ... my dad was looking for some bakers yeast but i wasn't sure what that would do to the flavour ?
we didn't have any kind of press so probably lost about a pint or two with our feeble squeezing
more preparation next year

roll on spring

After my first attempt at home brewing an American style pale ale with a made up recipe failed in the summer, which I blame on it being way too hot in my flat while it was fermenting (or not, in this case), I've bought a kit to have another go. Hopefully this time it should right as I will have actual instructions to follow rather than half guessing.

I went to buy all the kit to try some beer at the weekend. Mrs Sparky kept trying to put me off - turns out she's bought me a kit from Woodforde's, so I'll be firing that up next weekend.

60 pints for Christmas...

I don't think there's time for me to do an xmas brew but I'm thinking about knocking up some cheap cider from apple juice and sticking a bunch of mulled stuff in whilst it's fermenting.

^ Google 'Turbo Cider'...

But don't blame me the next morning.

Nah blud.

Our st.peters pale ale kit is tasting absolutely wicked now. Its been outside for over two weeks and the flavour has really developed in that time. The woodfordes bitter will be ready next week and our bottled lager is looking very clear - that should be good to go for new years eve.

Right, Yorkshire Bitter is now in the fermenter. Put it in last night and there doesn't seem to be any bubbles yet...
I hope it works.

... could anyone recommend a yeast that would work ... are there cider specific ones or will any old yeast do ... my dad was looking for some bakers yeast but i wasn't sure what that would do to the flavour ?

For cider you will probably find it starts on its own, as long as you didn't wash the apples in a campden solution or similar, as the wild yeasts will be present on the skins. If it hasn't started in four or five days, pitch a proprietary cider or wine yeast. This year I did most of mine 'wild' (scrumpy) style, and some with Gervin GV10 Light Sparkling Wine yeast which I will finish sparkling.

After my first attempt at home brewing an American style pale ale with a made up recipe failed in the summer, which I blame on it being way too hot in my flat while it was fermenting (or not, in this case)

How did it fail out of interest? Fermenation didn't happen?

^ Google 'Turbo Cider'...

But don't blame me the next morning.

This. Never tried it myself but there is a how-to here.

Right, Yorkshire Bitter is now in the fermenter. Put it in last night and there doesn't seem to be any bubbles yet...
I hope it works.

Give it a day or two if it's off dried yeast. It's at room temp, right?

^ I think it failed because it was too hot in my flat and didn't ferment properly.
This it's at room temp, about 20 degrees, yeah.

Yeast and a few bits I needed replacing have arrived today, going to head to Aldi in a bit and buy 15 litres of apple juice.

Three demijohns are bubbling away nicely after only an hour or so, hopefully it turns out alright.

^ I think it failed because it was too hot in my flat and didn't ferment properly.
This it's at room temp, about 20 degrees, yeah.

Ale should ferment really well in 20degrees. Larger needs to be a bit colder though (about 16 I think).

Thought the initial rush was over so topped up the demijohns a little last night, they were all attempting to escape their airlocks this morning, sorted that out and gave them a shake and they're bubbling away like mad at the moment.

I'm doing some limoncello tomorrow: five zested lemons... Any ideas what to do with lemons? Can't throw them away, that's terrible.

Whisky sours.

Whisky sours.

Boom. We have a winner.

I've got 40 pints of Woodforde's on the go in the kitchen. First ever try at beer - fingers crossed. But it's bubbling away nicely.

i made 40 pints of some random real ale and its come out quite 'dodgy' so I'm very generously going to donate it to my brother in law (well it is nearly christmas) and try again. Just need to drill the pressure barrel to fit a valve and then the lagers going in, while the wine cooks in the demijohns. The thing is, how do you chill a huge barrel of lager to make it palatable?

Dodgy how? I spent ages sterilising all the kit so I hope it'll be ok. Probably going to bottle a lot of it as I now realise it'll never be ready for Christmas or New Year's. I bought 12 bottles with swingtops on Amazon and it was pretty expensive. Any other options? Or just take the hit and reuse them lots?

To bottle it all I'd need 40 of those bottles I just realised. And 12 came to £25ish delivered...

For bottles, i just walked into my local pub and asked for some. 48 brown ale bottles into the dishwasher to sterilise and job done.The dodgy brew just tastes weird and the odd bottle provided a thorough colonic clean. Definitely been given to brother inlaw, he'll drink anything.

Ha!

How did you cap them? I like the idea of swingtops as you'd never have to buy caps or a tool to crimp them.