Starting up Home Brew again….

[kitty74]

My Darling Husband used to be quite proficient at home brew, but when we moved house many years ago he “lent” all his gear to someone and has never seen it again…. He wants to start up again, so has been looking around for a kit to start up with again. Most kits seem to have quite a small capacity – he wants something around 60L for less than a hundred dollars. At the moment he is trawling ebay (having rung our local home brew shop and got prices from them) – does anyone have any other suggestions for a good way to start up on a budget?

[brownie]

A large plastic garbage bin would be the cheapest option. Despite what some people might tell you, beer doesn’t have to be brewed in an air tight container. I have been brewing for 18 years and gave up on air tight seals about 17 1/2 years ago. You should still keep the lid on though. The only other thing you’ll need is a length of hose to bottle with.

See how some Pros do it 🙂

From Here

[kitty74]

Thanks Brownie!

[Anonymous]

Brownie,,,

I’m liking your style… The one thing that has put me off brewing beer is the setups my friends have and how complex they are, … I want a system that is low maintenace and doesn’t need to much of my attention … It doesn’t have to be the “best” beer,.,. Just thirst quenching 🙂

[Feegles]

So.. can you brew a Guinnes type of beer at home?. If so I am soooo definately getting into beer making.

[marz]

Does the same go for home-made wine? I’ve been saving bottles for years but can’t afford all the fancy equipment to do it. I remember my Mum’s old friends used to have basins of dandelions and things soaking around the place (usually outside), what did they do with it then?Perhaps someone out there has some old recipes??? Like potato, dandelion etc or even pea-pod (yes I watched The Good Life umpteen times too!):tup:

[Feegles]

marz….

I dont know if there will be any.. but try going to http://www.bored.com/ebooks

and go through their cooking ebooks. They are all free online reading.

Some of those recipe books are insanely old( over 120 years) and sure to have some brillliant ideas.

Hope it helps maybe??

[marz]

Thanks I’ll have a look, Lintonpair. (Son studied Visual/fine arts at Ballarat Uni) Lovely city.

[brownie]

baldcat wrote:

Brownie,,,

I’m liking your style… The one thing that has put me off brewing beer is the setups my friends have and how complex they are, … I want a system that is low maintenace and doesn’t need to much of my attention … It doesn’t have to be the “best” beer,.,. Just thirst quenching 🙂

Cheers

Go for it. Thirst quenching is good but it is also posible to make good beer as well.

I think the bull surrounding beer production is just to sell product (equipment).

As you can see that is not how beer is made is mass production.

Get a bucket and put some sugar and yeast in it. You will get alcohol.

[brownie]

marz wrote:

Does the same go for home-made wine? I’ve been saving bottles for years but can’t afford all the fancy equipment to do it. I remember my Mum’s old friends used to have basins of dandelions and things soaking around the place (usually outside), what did they do with it then?Perhaps someone out there has some old recipes??? Like potato, dandelion etc or even pea-pod (yes I watched The Good Life umpteen times too!):tup:

Hi Marz

Winemaking is a somewhat different affair.

The initial fermentation process is similar although you have to put in some thing or other to deal with the pectin from the fruit, I am not sure what that is. But the process after fermentation is a bit involved.

It requires several decantations and longish periods between. It seemed a bit to time consuming for my tastes so I never got into it.

I just wanted to make a drink to get me pissed like most aussie males 🙂

Home brew works fine for me.

Cheers

[gnol]

Try Aussie home brewer site.

There is a wealth of information there.

[brownie]

Lintonpair wrote:

So.. can you brew a Guinnes type of beer at home?. If so I am soooo definately getting into beer making.

Hi Lintonpair

Yes you can brew Guiness type beers. Have a look in Woolworths, usually in the section where they have fruit juice mixers and such. They can put home brew in the oddest of places but I guess they just don’t know where the hell to put it on a grocery shelf.

If you can’t find guiness there then find a local home brew shop.

Don’t let them sell you their expensive equipment though.

[jaymes]

this is how DH makes beer at work each day 😆

[KatieK]

kitty74 wrote:

does anyone have any other suggestions for a good way to start up on a budget?

Kitty, A couple of suggestions for you:

(a) Put a small ad in ‘wanted to buy’ section of your local paper. Someone’s sure to have an unused set-up in their shed.

(b) Try the op-shops. I don’t think the Salvo’s sell them – not in their shops anyway (anti-alcohol etc), and I believe, any donated end up at the tip. Don’t know if all the op-shops do this. But you could call into their sorting warehouses and ask to be contacted if any kits turn up, they might be prepared to contact you if your guy keeps regularly bothering them ;), and sell you one (or exchange for a ‘donation’).

(c) Go to your local ‘recycle’ centre – they often have them, along with a huge numbers of boxes of stubby bottles. And again, leave contact details for when they come in. Obviously everything would need to be really well cleaned/soaked in a bleach solution and (I’d) replace the plastic thingy & grommets on the top of the buckets, even the taps (these are very cheap to buy at the brewers). :metal:

My hubby’s had his 2-tub (60ltr ea) setup since forever, uses a generic brand beer base, and has accummulated enough bottles so that he can keep the new brew for 3 months before drinking. (He hates the plastic PETs.) He’s a happy boy. I’m not. He’s taken over my hall cupboard with this empties :@

Brownie: What a set-up! :jawdrop: I won’t be showing my fella that one – its hard enough getting into our laundry now :noapprove:

[gnol]

If you want to make something resembling beer start with at least a homebrew kit.

Coopers kits are good because they come with everything you need to make your first brew including bottles to bottle it.

You can also make some not bad beer from these kits.

If you want to make a highly alcoholic liquid drink and don’t mind chemicals from non food grade plastic leaching into your batch then by all means ferment in a plastic rubbish bin.

[Author]

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