# Getting Started



## Damian44 (27/8/07)

Hi. Never brewed before. Could anyony reccomend a brew kit. It would just be for beer? My friend brews beer and a large percent of the caps arn't tight, ruining the beer. Is there away to stop this happening? Are kegs a wortwhile investment? I live in Sydney. Thanks Damian. :beer:


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## wambesi (27/8/07)

I got a coopers kit from good ol K-Mart for V-Day from the other half, it's done me good. Came with bottles, caps etc. Just read up here for better instructions than they include like temps etc.

I've never had a drama with any bottles not sealing and I use the PET bottles and glass (both screw and crown seal). If going with glass, shell out the extra $50 or so for a bench capper, money well spent.

And kegs, well I cant help you there, I bottle myself and cant see me getting kegs anytime soon, but in a few years when I finally get into the AG scene I probably will get some.
Since having the coopers kit I now also have a pail type (snap on lids - not screw) fermenter and its great too.


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## Damian44 (27/8/07)

Thanks for the reply. Ill get down to K-mart and check them out. Yeah im getting over excited about the kegs, ill just start with the bottles. Cheers.


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## wambesi (27/8/07)

No worries, they are usually around the $70 mark, not bad value I think.
Especially as you get a kit with it and the bottles.

Even when I do keg in a few years time I will still bottle some too, something about bottles, just gotta have some stashed away


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## Enerjex (27/8/07)

A mate of mine just got the coopers micro brewing kit, seems good value for money. Have never heard of caps not being tight. What kind of bottles does your mate use? The coopers PET ones or are you talking about screwtop glass bottles?


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## Damian44 (27/8/07)

Are the Coopers swing top bottles OK. Can you tell how strong the beer is. Does this look OK? How big is the barrel? Thanks Damian http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Home-Brew-Kit-Coope...2QQcmdZViewItem


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## Damian44 (27/8/07)

My friend is using Hahn light bottles 375ml. He gave me 10 about 4 were flat the rest had lovely big heads. Im sure he has a capper. Cheers


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## captian black beer (27/8/07)

Damian44 said:


> Are the Coopers swing top bottles OK. Can you tell how strong the beer is. Does this look OK? How big is the barrel? Thanks Damian http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Home-Brew-Kit-Coope...2QQcmdZViewItem



Damian,

To tell how strong the beer is the easiest way is to use a hydrometer and measure what's known as the specific gravity (density) of the beer. If you measure it when you 1st put your brew on then when it's finished you can work out the % alcohol of your beer. There are calculators on the web to help with this. 

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWebPa...p;idDetails=173

A hydrometer is a very worthwile investment and will help solve many a brewing problem.

As for the grolsh bottles as long as they're in good condition they shouldn't be a problem.

Happy Brewing


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## captian black beer (27/8/07)

Damian44 said:


> My friend is using Hahn light bottles 375ml. He gave me 10 about 4 were flat the rest had lovely big heads. Im sure he has a capper. Cheers



They're twist top bottles yeah? If so the glass tends to be a bit weaker and it might be harder to seal against. Haven't seen the problem with them but most homebrewers I know tend to avoid twist top bottles as the the top of the glass can be weaker and cause problems when capping


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## Damian44 (28/8/07)

I will tell my friend there no good. Its a crying shame when they turn out flat. Are VB longnecks twist tops? Are they any good? Thanks


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## captian black beer (28/8/07)

Damian44 said:


> I will tell my friend there no good. Its a crying shame when they turn out flat. Are VB longnecks twist tops? Are they any good? Thanks



They are these days as well. Whenever I bottle I tend to bottle into Squires bottles, they're great, easy to get the labels off, easy to clean, strong and often are available ready filled with great beer inside. 

I also use Bundy Ginger beer bottles for doing my Ginger Beers in.


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## Enerjex (28/8/07)

The fermenter is 30litre, grolsch bottles are good to use, and the coopers pet bottles work well also. 
As far as using glass bottles stay away from the screwtops (a good benchcapper can cap them but the bottle is weaker). As mentioned James Squire bottles are great as are most that still have pop off caps.


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## wambesi (28/8/07)

As stated it would be good to avoid these until you get into it a bit more, but I have about 200 odd 375ml twist top stubbies I regularly use and have not had one flat beer yet.
The rest of mine are Coopers PET and glass crown seals.


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## petesbrew (28/8/07)

As far as your mate's problem with the caps not being on tight enough, when I started capping, I was afraid of busting the bottle when i capped them, didn't use enough force and I ended up with a few that leaked. Could this be what's happening? Is it a bench capper he's using, or one of those ones you need a mallet for?

Crown seal (non-twist tops) are heaps better, and easier to cap, but screwtops are still usable.
Coopers longnecks are now all crown seals, as far as I know.

And the PET bottles that come with the coopers kits are great to start out with.

That ebay kit looks like good value too.
All the best.
Pete


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## brettprevans (28/8/07)

Damian44 said:


> Hi. Never brewed before. Could anyony reccomend a brew kit. It would just be for beer? My friend brews beer and a large percent of the caps arn't tight, ruining the beer. Is there away to stop this happening? Are kegs a wortwhile investment? I live in Sydney. Thanks Damian. :beer:


Damian44

Welcome to AHB. read as much as possible on this site and get yourself a good home brew book. or at least check out How to Brew by John Palmer

Ebay kit looks good. If you want a comparison go down to your local Kmart of wollworths store and have a look at their homebrewing section, they will have a variety of kits (some incl PET bottles). they are not a bad setup for a beginner. Alternitvely you can go to a local hombrew store and pick up one of their starter kits. but they may try and sell you all sorts of stuff you dont need. 

all beer bottles are useable. screw caps are just slightly weaker around the top. I have all sorts of bottles (crown seal, screw top, PET and champaigne bottles). all work. I tend not to use 375ml botles cause you need twice as mny 375ml as 750ml so it takes up more room.


Tip for Young Players: I always use at least 2 PET bottles per brew as they are great as an indicator as to whether your beer is carbonated. ie if you can squeeze the PET the brew isnt carbonated. If its nice and firm then the rest of your brew should be carbonmated as well


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## beernography (28/8/07)

Thanks everyone for your advice, I'm yet to bottle my first brew but this answered a few questions I had as well. 

As for glass vs PET, I like the idea of the traditional glass longneck, but the lameness of PET appeals to me, I'm pretty clumsy by nature and don't like the idea of swabbing up litres of sticky beer. 

AND are exploding bottles a dangerous reality or is the risk blown out of proportion? Everyone I talk to (non brewing types) keeps telling me about it but my bullshitometer is rising.


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## PostModern (28/8/07)

beernography said:


> AND are exploding bottles a dangerous reality or is the risk blown out of proportion? Everyone I talk to (non brewing types) keeps telling me about it but my bullshitometer is rising.



Bottle bombs do happen for three main reasons:

1. Bottling too early - to avoid, make sure the beer is finished fermenting before bottling.
2. Bottling with too much priming sugar - to avoid, prime the bottles properly.
3. Infections - to avoid, observe good sanitation of the brew, the bottles and everything that ever comes in contact with the beer.

Not too hard to avoid them, just learn how to brew!


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## afromaiko (28/8/07)

I got my first Coopers kit from Big W, recommended. Great value when you consider you get all the equipment, bottles and a brew thrown it too. When I was looking for a second fermenter the Coopers kits were on special, so I just ended up buying another one.


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## new2brew (28/8/07)

When I first started I got given a brewiser kit with everything I needed from hydrometer to capper and everything in between. 

First brew I made I put into the plastic PET bottles as suggested before, but used the coopers carb drops and found they were great. Have never has a bottle explode or split yet. Just 1 drop per stubbie, or 2 drops per longneck leaves you with a great result every time. No measureing and no fuss or wastage.

As for cappers, I just use a black hand held one with pull down handles, and again never had a problem with them not sealing, but I have found that if you use twist top bottles, some have a tendancey to "sheer" a small frag of glass from the twist part, so I went on to use 330ml european style bottles and have not had a problem since. Means you need to drink something like Hieniken or Amsterdam Mariner though.

Just make sure that when you brew in winter, you store the full bottles in a warm place to condition. Otherwise I have found that with the carb drops the dont carbonate very well and leave you with a flat, listless beer. 10 days or so at inside room temp should do the trick.

Bottle bombs... The only time I have ever seen this happen is when my dad was brewing when I was a kid. He stored them in a cupboard to condition and they kept exploding. Worked out that they were next to the oven that mum had on 180c to cook dinner. He moved them and the problem was solved.

Hope you enjoy the hobby and have many years of drinking great beers you make yourself. :chug:


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## Moray (28/8/07)

if you haven't yet got your micro brew kit, Kmart have them on sale from tomorrow, $20 off usual price.
and 20% off all brew gear.


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## pint of lager (28/8/07)

The superautomatica bench capper will do any height longneck or stubby and will work on twistops and crown seals.

The cappers of the style with two handles that pull down will not work on twist tops as they crack the threads.

Be careful of an ebay purchase, the kit may be old. This means the extract in the tin will be dark and sometimes has off flavours. Also if the kit is old the yeast will be stuffed.

Bottlebombs are a dangerous reality and you want to do everything to avoid them. Keep everything clean, let it ferment right out and use the correct amount of priming sugar.


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## DrewCarey82 (28/8/07)

Even the Brigalow bottle capper does the same thing.

Just avoid the damn handcapper, never tried it, and never would!


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## brettprevans (28/8/07)

DrewCarey82 said:


> Even the Brigalow bottle capper does the same thing.
> 
> Just avoid the damn handcapper, never tried it, and never would!


best avoided. back when I started brewing we used a handcapper. that is until my mate broke a bottleneck using the damn thing and almost sliced his finger off. lots of stiches and blood. but lucky only 1 bottle of beer was tainted. oh and finger was ok (but thats a minor issue compared to lost beer). 

never had any issue with the bench capper.


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## new2brew (28/8/07)

its funny, I have never had a problem with my hand capper. just done on a flat serface and equal pressure either side


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## Damian44 (28/8/07)

I can't thank everyone enough for their posts. It's going to take me a couple of days to get my head around it all. Im top bidder on Ebay with 2 hours to go. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...I:IT&ih=010 Thanks again and dont forget to check out the moon tonight.


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## Deja_vu (28/8/07)

I think I might go down and get one of those coopers setups myself - top value when you add it up even without the $20 off.

New2brew, i think citymorgue is talking about the little wooden handcappers that you take a hammer to, not your high tech number.


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## brettprevans (28/8/07)

Marcus said:


> I think I might go down and get one of those coopers setups myself - top value when you add it up even without the $20 off.
> 
> New2brew, i think citymorgue is talking about the little wooden handcappers that you take a hammer to, not your high tech number.


yeah the old wooden handle ones. sorry i forgot they got wise and made ther new plastic clampy looking things. old woodern ones with hammer = bad mojo!

by the ay damien, add in your location details so people can help you out more with location specific advice.


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## Damian44 (2/9/07)

Hi everyone. I just brought the Coopers micro brew kit. Im starting my first brew. Ive just gat a couple of questions.

1. Is it ok to move the brew after its been fermenting for 4 days ok ? (outside)

2. Is 50 grams closer to a tablespoon or teaspoon? (eg Sodium metabisulphite)

3. Can i fill fermenter with a hose ?

4. Im brewing a Coopers larger should i wrap it in a blanket to keep it warm ? 

5. Any good Grolsh recipes and where can i get the ingrediants in Sydney ?

Thanks Damian.


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## microbe (2/9/07)

Hi Damian,

Congratulations on your first brew.

1. If you're going to move it remove the airlock before doing so, because you'll suck the airlock water into your brew. I would only move it if the temps are getting wildly out of control.

2. Rough measure of most dry powders is 20g to a TBSP so 2 1/2 tablespoons would approximate 50g. However Sodium Met. isn't one of the best sanitisers. You'll hear from many people who never have a problem with it (including myself) but it is really quite ineffective and comparitively expensive. Most people here will use and recommend a no-rinse sanitiser such as Star-San or Iodophor for both better effectiveness and expense.

3. Sure, in that event I'd use a length of hose dedicated for brewing and run some sanitiser through it before each time - but seeing as you're using tap water anyway probably a bit of overkill.

4. Coopers _lager_ might be one of the few kits that come with a real lager yeast - if that is so you need to keep it around 8-10C IIRC but if not (and assuming you've used the kit yeast) around 18C is what you want to ferment at.

5. No idea, sorry.

Cheers,

microbe

_*EDIT* - Added sanitiser recommendation_


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## tk75 (2/9/07)

Just a quick note on the yeast in the Cooper's Kits...all the kits have an Ale yeast except for the Pilsner, which Cooper's actually recommend to ferment below 20C. I think one of their other International kits has a true lager yeast. If you do a search here you will find the kits with the lager yeast.

On the hose...bunnings have a specific water hose AS2070(have yet to look up what that standard is... :blink: ) It was about $20- for 10M 1/2" ID. I would guess that it would have no issue in handling up to around 70C - 80C...??

> Just had a very brief search on AS2070 and basicly it's a standard for food grade plastics...so in short it would be ok to use and better than normal garden hose.


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## new2brew (2/9/07)

If you use a normal garden hose (the rubber green ones) the tend to leave a bit of an aftertaste if they have been sitting in the sun and the water inside has heated up.

Id go a special brew hose as has been suggested before.


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## barry2 (2/9/07)

I hope the brew goes well.
I bought a Coopers microbrewery in Feb 2006 and my first brew was a Coopers Lager. It came with a ale type yeast which is supposed to be fermented at between 21-27C.Coopers also have in their International series,a Bavarian Lager,which has a lager type yeast and is fermented at a lower temperature range.
My brew turned out darker than expected possibly as result of the kit can being fairly old with the use by date on the bottom of the can only two months in the future.
The final gravity was 1010 and the brew was drinkable athough the body was a bit thin as I used only the brewing sugar in the kit.
I have always used the Coopers PET bottles and have never had a flat beer and oldest beer I have is 9 months old and still good.


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## Damian44 (2/9/07)

Thanks again for the posts. Its brewin away in the laundry at 22c. . So fingers crossed. It was no problem to fill, so i wont worry about the hose. I was talking to someone selling 80 litre fermenters for $45 if your interested. To much beer to screw up for me. 

Cheers Damian.


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## Damian44 (4/9/07)

OMG. The temp on fermentor has dropped to 16c. Theres a cold snap in Sydney. Should i bring it inside as it would be warmer than the laundry? Should i remove air lock from top before moving? Would it stink up my room? 
Cheers Damian


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## pint of lager (4/9/07)

Bring it inside.

Release the lid so that it is not holding pressure, that way, when you lift the fermenter up, it will not suck fluid back into the fermenter from the airlock. Once you reposition the fermenter, reseal the lid.

Often, just a blanket as insulation is enough to keep your fermenter warm during a cold snap.

No, it won't stink up your room. Some lagers with proper lager yeasts do get a bit smelly. Ales are usually ok, just a bit fruity from the airlock. 

Temperature control and monitoring is one of the keys to brewing good beers, it is great that you have discovered this early in your brewing career. Sanitation and good ingredients are the other two keystones.


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## Damian44 (4/9/07)

Just looking at it, should i have mixed the yeast in or just sprinkled it on top? It seems to be sitting in the foam. OMG. Thanks very much for the post.
Cheers Damian


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## Damian44 (4/9/07)

Cricky i should of mixed it in. Ill stir it in now.


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## pint of lager (4/9/07)

Don't bother stirring it in.

When your beer is actively fermenting, the yeast multiplies. Some of the new yeast ends up on the surface of the foam.

This combination of foam and yeast is called krausen. Some krausesns form amazing shapes. Keep watching!


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## Damian44 (4/9/07)

Im such a noob. So i stirred it in after reading Oliver and Geoff's pitching yeast section. Will it be OK. On the instructions that i threw out i didnt think it said to stir the yeast in. Also the instructions didnt say to boil wort like Oliver and Geoff they said to mix in hot water. Hmmm. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks again Damian.


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## BEC26 (4/9/07)

Hey Damien!

I'm with you all the way.

this is my 1st homebrew in over 16 years (last lot was a bad brigalow kit, opened early as I was then a strugglng uni student  )

Got my kit for Fathers Day, and its sitting in the garage - we have the same cold snap.

No activity in the air lock at all, but condensation and muck forming around the top of the wort, so no too worried about that!

Temp is about 18 deg, so will see how it progresses.

Will test with hydrometer on Sunday - 7 days after starting. Anxious times, but exciting too!

Hope it goes well! :beer: :beer:


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## Damian44 (5/9/07)

The temp still at 16c Ive got some http://cgi.ebay.com.au/10-Techni-Ice-Ice-B...1QQcmdZViewItem ive heated them up and wraped them around the fermenter. Is it worth the trouble if it only keeps it warm for an hour?

Cheers Damian


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## wood bloke (5/9/07)

g day everyone ,ive been reading all i can and am leaning alot from everyone on here that know there brewing,but i have 1 question .I live in sunny Qld and dont have the problem some of the other people have with their brews getting too cold ,my problem is how do i keep the temp down to 18C for an ale or even 12C for a larger, when you dont have a fridge and have to work all day and cant tend to the temp. please any ideas?
Thanks Adam


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## Damian44 (5/9/07)

The techni ice thing work a treat, after 3 hours the temps still sitting on 18c. wood bloke Im sure if you froze them that would do it. They leak a bit of gel and are very expensive though. Sure did a good job of raising my tempretures. 

Cheers Damian


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## barls (5/9/07)

100 can cooler with milk bottles that are frozen


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## Thunderlips (6/9/07)

new2brew said:


> its funny, I have never had a problem with my hand capper. just done on a flat serface and equal pressure either side


I think the Brigalow hand capper DrewCarey82 was refering to is the kind you whack with a mallet.
Like one of these....



I coulnd't imagine ever trying to use one myself.
Your one on the other hand would work much better but they still have a problem with twist tops.


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## KGB (6/9/07)

Damian, I'm loving how you just dive right in and have a go with no clue what you're doing! Thats the best way to learn. 
18 degrees should be fine, I usually aim for about 20. Wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and strap it to the side of the fermenter to help warm it up a bit.

A general tip: NEVER throw out a brew. Even if you are opening one bottle a week and tipping them down the sink, there is a good chance that afetr three months a crappy beer can become drinkable.

Wood bloke: you really need a cheap little bar fridge with a temp controller, especially to ferment lagers @ 12 degrees in summer. I've got Fridgemate temp controller and just acquired a crusty old bar fridge on ebay for the princely sum of $2.26 for exactly this purpose.
A cheap method of keeping the temp down is to wrap the fermenter in a wet towel and aim a fan at it.


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## Damian44 (12/9/07)

Im abit worried about my brew. I havnt seen any bubbles in the air-lock and its been brewing for 10 days. What does that mean?

Cheers Damian


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## microbe (12/9/07)

Could mean it's not fermenting, but more likely means the seal is not perfect. Check the gravity to measure progress.

Cheers,

microbe


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## Damian44 (12/9/07)

I just took my gravity. First time i used hydrometer. The level that it floats to is the top of the beer section. So its nearly sank all the way down. The numbers on the side is 1006. The manual said it should be 1008-1010. But i only used 3/4 of the suger supplied. So does that mean its been fermenting? The lid and air-lock seem air tight. Thanks.

Cheers Damian


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## captian black beer (12/9/07)

Well without taking an inital gravity reading you can't tell. But my assumption is that you didn't start with a mix which was 99.5% water so, I'd say yes it's been fermenting and is probably ready to bottle.

I don't think I've ever had a SG that low before (execpt when making spirits). The low SG is probably because you added only 75% of the sugars supplied. I'd expect it to be slightly watery. Oh well you've got room for improvement. What are you going to brew next?


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## Damian44 (12/9/07)

Well glad you asked. Ive already brought a Coopers pale ale concentrate and a light booster (250g Light Malt / 250g Maltodextron) and a 12g Cluster. But ive worked out that'll give me a light beer i was aiming for mid strength beer. Should i add more malt? Any suggestion would be appreciated.Thanks.

Cheers Damian


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## barls (12/9/07)

personally id go for the same but with a light boaster with 250g of grain like a pale or light crystal instead of the sugars you have planned, keep the cluster though. im making something like this very soon myself


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## captian black beer (12/9/07)

Damian44 said:


> Well glad you asked. Ive already brought a Coopers pale ale concentrate and a light booster (250g Light Malt / 250g Maltodextron) and a 12g Cluster. But ive worked out that'll give me a light beer i was aiming for mid strength beer. Should i add more malt? Any suggestion would be appreciated.Thanks.
> 
> Cheers Damian



That sounds awesome, but probably try using some crystal malts. It should give a fuller stronger flavor. Why the interest in light beers? Don't see that around here to often.


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## microbe (12/9/07)

Use this Linky to list your ingredients (in kilos) and work out _roughly_ what you'll end up with. With what you have you could make less beer (16-18 litres) or add dextrose or more malt to increase to the level you want.

In my experience with this calculator, it's only useful as a rough guide. To be more accurate take Gravity readings before pitching your yeast and just before bottling.

Cheers,

microbe


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## Damian44 (12/9/07)

With the grains do you need to crush them or boil them? Dont laugh. And will this raise alcahol level? I prefere mid strengh beer because you dont have a hangover, but ive heard home brew isnt as bad because are no preservatives. Yay. Could i add Traditional Pale Grain and crystal malts. Im addicted to brewing before 1st batch. OMG. Thanks for the calculator. Do the Country brewer stock crystal malt? Cheers

Thanks Damo


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## barls (12/9/07)

you steep the grain in 70 degree water after its been crushed then strain off the liquid in to a pot and rinse through the grain with a second lot of warm water and boil the resulting liquid, most home brew places sell pre crushed.
this recipe brings it up to about mid strength beer level which is 3.5%. i generally dont get hangovers from my beer but it has been know to happen after a really big session


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## new2brew (12/9/07)

try one of these if you have no room for a bench capper. yes, they still have problems with twist tops, due to the twist curves at the top of the neck, but if you use 330ml european style stubbies like hieniken of amsterdam mariener they work a treat.

not sure on a price, mine came with my first kit.


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## Damian44 (16/9/07)

Im working my way through a case of CPA longnecks and ive decided its abit bitty. What can i do to make mine not so bitter? I have a CPA kit and a Cluster 12g should i get differant hops? Ive decided to put the CPA on hold anyway why i do a Grolsh clone ( Rapid Creek Lager, 1.5l Light liquid malt, Munich grain, Saaz standard, Tattanger dry and Saflager S23). Its sitting on 20c, is it worth wraping a wet towl around it each morning? Thanks again.



Cheers Damo


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## Thirsty Boy (17/9/07)

The Saflager S23 is a proper lager yeast and will probably make better beer at a cooler temperature than 20C. I'd wrap it in that towel and probably point a fan at it as well.

But I haven't ever brewed a beer with the S23 @ 20C before... so it might make good beer anyway.

With getting your brews to the right strength level... Once you have worked out what your Can of Goo and any other malt extracts or grains are going to give you... just add a little table sugar to get the gravity up to where you want it. Using table sugar as half your fermentables (ie the whole 1kg) _might_ not be so great - but it will pretty much have zero effect on the flavour at 10-20%, it'll just boost the alcohol up to where you want it.

Already doing basically a mini-mash on brew# 2 ... impressive 

Cheers

Thirsty


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## Damian44 (18/9/07)

My temps droped to 16c overnight and stayed there. All good. Is the ESB Extra Special Stout 3kg any good. Do you still have to add malt? I do enjoy a nice Guiness but 1 in 10 pubs poor a good one. How long will beer stay fresh for once its in the bottle? When i was refering to the CPA being bitty i meant not smooth enough not alcohol content, I was thinking of swapping Cluster for Saaz or something not so bitter. Am i on the right track? So many questions. Thanks

Cheers Damo


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## Bingo (19/9/07)

Hi all,
I've decided to try my luck with home brew, again.
The first time i tried was about 5 years ago when i was 18, and lets just say it tasted like carpet.

Now i have a name, Cats Piss Brewry (CPB for short) and would like to buy another kit as the other one got thrown out.

The first kit was a Coopers one, and this time round i'd like to get a kit from a specalist home brew shop.

Could anyone recommend places that they have delt with that sell quality kits?

I live Bayside in Melbourne.


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## Maple (19/9/07)

Try Grain and Grape (site sponser above)


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## petesbrew (19/9/07)

Nothing wrong with the coopers kit IMHO. Perfect starter kit with everything u need.
Good luck anyway, Bingo. 
Lovely brewery name, and I hope it's no reflection of the taste!


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## Bingo (19/9/07)

I've also been told that Brewcraft on Oakley is quite good. I might go there on the weekend and check it out.

I've also had a bit of a seach around in the yellow pages and found a place not far from my house called Brew and Grow. Has anyone delt with them before and are they any good? I'm going to check them out after work tonight.


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## chartster (19/9/07)

Bingo said:


> Hi mate, there is a BrewCraft place on Church St, Richmond. I live in St Kilda, and find that much easier to get to that Oakleigh.
> 
> They're a good bunch of blokes in there


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## Bingo (19/9/07)

Well, after 5 minutes in the store (Brew and Grow) i bought a medium level kit.

It includes:

All basics thermometer, hydrometer etc

The Basics of brewing book by Jeff Rodham

Bench Capper

28 glass long necks

Dextrose

Sodium Metabisulfite

and a Bacchus & Barley Premium home brew kit (I chose Draught).

I think i did alright, well i'll read the book and see how my first brew goes.

CPB is on the way!

All i need to do next is get a heater. I was told though that it should be ok now, but in winter i should have one.


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## chartster (19/9/07)

Good stuff on the purchase!

I have seen belt heaters that you strap around the fermenter/carboy at KMart for about $20. I'm not sure if that is suitable for you, or if a heat pad would be a better option.


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## wambesi (19/9/07)

But obviously with the heater keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get to hot, I use a fridgemate with mine to keep my ales at 18 or 19 deg through the winter.

Looks like you got a decent kit, but is the dextrose for the draught? You might want to look into getting some light malt extract or a brew booster/enhancer etc, coopers BE2 is not bad and in the supermarkets.

My first few (before finding this site and other resources/books) were mostly dextrose and now I'm opening up bottles of them and they just dont compare to my later ones using mostly LDME.

Also another book is How to Brew by John Palmer, 1st edition is on the net free but the latest edition (3rd) is out and I finally got a copy for fathers day - brilliant resource for all level brewers.

Have fun!


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## Bingo (20/9/07)

Thanks for the help guys.

I'll have a look at getting some light malt and then i'll do my first brew on the weekend.


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## brettprevans (20/9/07)

[quote name='Bingo's Brewing Cats Piss' post='244624' date='Sep 20 2007, 12:43 PM']Thanks for the help guys.

I'll have a look at getting some light malt and then i'll do my first brew on the weekend.[/quote]
BCP 

you should check out the Kits and Extracts page  and read thrugh the recipes etc on there. also the K&K thread. most of the ingredients on that thread you can pick up from any LHBS. 

- Read as much as you can and you'll be thankful that you did. 
- Fill in your location details so that when you post people know where your from and then you'll be less
likely to be told to go to somplace interstate for stuff.
- my post on the K&K thread is a pretty good lis of K&K recipes you'll find on the site (its not a definitive list 
be all means - but theres a good 90 recipes). There are a lot of simple brews there. just try a few and 
soon you'll be brewing up a storm and wanting to use specialty grains, massive hop schedules, liquid 
yeasts, heading out to LHBS all the time etc etc.
-Good luck brewing


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## Damian44 (23/9/07)

Hi ya guys. I have just purchased (Guiness clone) 

Morgans 1.7 Dockside Stout 
1.5kg milk stout improver 
Goldings hops normal 
Muntons Gold yeast 
15ml liquorice extract 

I was just wondering if i should steep some grains or any other ideas? Thanks for all the help. 

Cheers Damo


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## 0M39A (23/9/07)

Bingo said:


> throw out the Sodium Metabisulfite. its useless for cleaning with. try using sodium percarbonate as a cleaner (just no name nappy san) this stuff works wonders at cleaning the gunk off anything. after giving all your gear a good soak in this, give it a spray with some no rinse sanitiser (brewshield, neo pink, iodophor etc)


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## citizensnips (23/9/07)

[quote name='Bingo's Brewing Cats Piss' post='244352' date='Sep 19 2007, 02:36 PM']Hi all,
I've decided to try my luck with home brew, again.
The first time i tried was about 5 years ago when i was 18, and lets just say it tasted like carpet.

Now i have a name, Cats Piss Brewry (CPB for short) and would like to buy another kit as the other one got thrown out.

The first kit was a Coopers one, and this time round i'd like to get a kit from a specalist home brew shop.

Could anyone recommend places that they have delt with that sell quality kits?

I live Bayside in Melbourne.[/quote]

Bingo, try to stay away from places like 'brew & grow', I also live in bayside so Im guessing you went to the one in oakleigh or there abouts. 
Around the corner from that joint there is Oakleigh Brewcraft which stocks 10 times as much stuff and focuses specifically on brewing instead of other stuff like growing your own dope.
The guys at Brewcraft are really helpfull and give good advice. 
Cheers
-eddy-


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## skippy (23/9/07)

May I suggest a book to read... Bingo's Brewing Cats Piss?

Papazian, C. 2003. 3rd ed. The complete Joy of home brewing, Harper Collins Publishers Inc., N.Y.


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## Damian44 (23/9/07)

I just racked to second fermenter (75l) and the beer level was very low. Can i stick Thermometer on sideways so beer level is above it? Thanks


Cheers Damo


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## brettprevans (24/9/07)

Damian44 said:


> Hi ya guys. I have just purchased (Guiness clone)
> 
> Morgans 1.7 Dockside Stout
> 1.5kg milk stout improver
> ...


Damian44 - not quite what Id call a guinness clone but close (not your fault). Yes it is missing some specialty grain and hops IMO (for body, coclour, flavour and biterness). 

Last one I made.
Muntons export stout, 2kg #74 Irish stout converter (has DDME and roast barley from memory), 0.5kg DDME, 15ml Liquorice extract, 10g bittering hops (willamete or similar), muntons gold yeast, 15L. 

I milk stout improvwe will be a nice touch. However for the price I paid for my last 'clone kit' I recon you can make better versions with recipes of AHB. One stout kit I made and am enjoying as much (if not more than) the Guinness clone is below:
*Choc Stout Mahogony*
1 x coopers Stout tin, 
1 x Cascade Choc Mahag Porter, 
500g DDME, 
0.25kg Choc Malt Grain (steeped in 1Lt water for 15min - bought up to boil from cold then steep), 
22L, 
pitched 0.6L of yeastcake (Wyeast 1098) from Kenzie EQPA
OG 1.060, FG 1.022, 5.6% (6.1% after bottling)

I dont seem to have written down the hops I used but it would have been fuggles. Probably 15g @20min and 10g @flameout.

needs a while in the bottle to smooth out. My old man tried a bottle after 6 weeks in the bottle and said it was road tar! he scoffed it off pretty quickly though.

EDIT: sorry if I wasnt clear - I recon you need to steep some roast barley and get some fuggles or willamette hops into your brew.


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## Bingo (24/9/07)

The brew and grow i went to was in Edithvale on Nepean Hwy. (Close to my house).

I also went to Brewcraft on Saturday to pick up some new kits, and i'd have to agree there was more range etc. It was just a matter of convenience.


I'll have a look at that book aswell skippy, the more knowledge the better.

Thanks for the advice guys, it's always appreciated and makes it alot easier for someone starting out like me.


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## Damian44 (24/9/07)

Thanks Citymorgue2 Ill get some Wilamette hops to go with my Goldings and some roast barley. I brought 2 of all the ingrediants because i brought a 75l fermenter. If i do all in one go i wont be able to rack after 1 week to smaller fermenter. Is it worth doing twice so i can rack? Ive only used hops tea bags as my stove has trouble boiling large amounts of water (dont no why its gas), will a Goldings and a Wilamette 12g tea bag be OK? 


The block at the home brew shop wrote down the Guinness recipe and it had his gravitys on it. They were
SG 1058
made to 21l
SG 10/10/05 1020
SG 14/10/05 1012
Will that make it 6.7% ? Sounds abit strong. I wont it thick and creamy but i wont to keep my socks on too. What can i do?

Cheers Damo


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## brettprevans (25/9/07)

Damian44 said:


> Thanks Citymorgue2 Ill get some Wilamette hops to go with my Goldings and some roast barley. I brought 2 of all the ingrediants because i brought a 75l fermenter. If i do all in one go i wont be able to rack after 1 week to smaller fermenter. Is it worth doing twice so i can rack? Ive only used hops tea bags as my stove has trouble boiling large amounts of water (dont no why its gas), will a Goldings and a Wilamette 12g tea bag be OK?
> The block at the home brew shop wrote down the Guinness recipe and it had his gravitys on it. They were
> SG 1058
> made to 21l
> ...


mate list your entire ingredients bill for me cause its just not sounding right.

*Issue 1:* Guinness is at least 6%. imported its more arounf 7.5% from memory. to get that you'll need an OG of about 1.080 and a FG of 1.028 with 15L. (thats working off my clone recipe above).
*Issue2:* 21L is way too watery for Guinness (unless that includes all your ingredients for a double batch). and the OF and FG sounds funky (in a bad way). 
*Issue3:* no worries with racking. I wouldnt bother. with darker ales etc you wont notice if the beer is crystal clear as its dark. my guinness didnt have too much yeast in the bottom of the bottles and I didnt rack. So I personlly wouldnt bother. By all means do it if you want it just a lot of extra work. 
*Issue4:* With regards to Hops - I havent used teabags. I dont think a lot of the guys on AHB think highly of them. I use hop pellets mainly. It should be enough. I think the generally rule of hops is 1g hops per litre of water (dont quote me on that!)


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## Damian44 (25/9/07)

I didnt think Guinness was that strong, i thought it was just the pint glass. Heres the list

Morgans 1.7 Dockside Stout 
1.5kg milk stout improver 
Goldings hops normal 
Muntons Gold yeast 
15ml liquorice extract 

SG 1058
made to 21l
SG 10/10/05 1020
SG 14/10/05 1012

Ill make it to 18l. Even stronger. Glad i can do it all in one go. Ive organised roast barly, i cant wait. If im only using tea bag hops and not boiling it, is there any need to boil malts?


I racked my last brew and was worried it might of got infected 2 days ago. If its still bubbling does that mean its not infected?

Should i always add less water than recomended (except for TCP wet packs and stouts when they reccomend 18l)? 
Thanks.

Cheers Damo


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## brettprevans (26/9/07)

no real need to boil malts. if you boil up a bit of the malt to steep your teabags in you get a better utilisation of the hop oils etc (or so im told/read). So I do it. but I wouldnt bother boiling it all up if your not confident.

Infection - if the smell smells weird/off then you prob have an infection (or if you have stuff in their that looks like mould). what does the sample taste like? if it tastes fine then dont worry about it.

Water Volume - I suggest using the volume of water that recipes state. Its just this version of Guinness sounds a funny. Ive only heard of 'premade' clone kits being brewed to 15L. Its not really a worry, the more water just means less %alc and less intense taste/body. It will still be a fine beer.


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## chimera (26/9/07)

Guinness draught, brewed in Dublin is 4.2%
The Extra & foreign export versions are higher, and then of course there is the crap BUL version that CUB make... which is an ok beer, but not even close to Irish Guinness.


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## brettprevans (26/9/07)

yeah i went and rechecked my figures (i think i was quoting old %acl) and saw I was wrong. I still recon theres something special about Guinness when it about 6%. nice warmthness to it.

and yes your right - brewed under licence by CUB isnt a scratch on proper Irish brewed guinness. But thats bloody hard to get now a days.


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## Damian44 (26/9/07)

I was just thinking as a rule of thumb id.. 

1. Use malt instead of brew sugars. 
2. If the kit says add 23l of water ill add 21l. 
3. Always add Hops, be it 1 teabag or two. 

Does that sound ok? 

My second brew should be ready. The starting OG was 1055 after 4 hours, ohh well. Now after 10 days its 1020. The recipe is(Rpid Creek Lager, 1.5l Light liquid malt, Munich grain, Saaz standard, Tattanger dry and Saflager S23. Ill test again tomorrow. Im not sure what a Lagers SG should be? Thanks.

Cheers Damo.


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## Damian44 (14/10/07)

I was passing the ESB shop in Peakhurst and decided to get 4 3kg cans because you recieve a free liquid yeast if you purchase 4. 
Last Monday i put down a.. 

CPA can 1.7kg 
half a kg of liquid malt 
light booster 
12g Cluster 
and i used the California V Ale Yeast WLP051 (liquid) i got when i purchased the 4 ESB cans. The best before date was Nov-13-07. All the temps were good, the wort was right temp and i took the yeast out of the fridge a couple of hours before using it. 

After 2 days no sign of fermentation but the gravity droped from 1040 to 1030, the block from ESB said to give it a good stir. But this didnt help. So after 4 days i pitched second Coopers yeast and its been 2 days and no foam. 

The gravity before pitching yeast was 1040 it droped to 1020 and hasnt changed over last couple of days. The wort smells nice and looks good. 

Should i pitch 3rd yeast as i have a Morgans ale yeast in the fridge? The worts been sitting in fermenter for 6 days what affect will this have on finished product if i ever get it to ferment? Thanks again. 

Cheers Damo


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## brettprevans (14/10/07)

just be patient. liquid yeast can take a while to really get going (unless u make a starter). You dint really want a heap of differant eyasts in your brew as the yeasts will impart flaviour characters on your brew.


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## Damian44 (15/10/07)

I rang the guy from the HBS today and he said that although the two yeasts are in the fermenter i can still reuse the yeast. He thought it would be better than the dry yeast that came with the other 3 cans i purchased. I think he said that the original yeast (California V Ale Yeast WLP051) was a cross too, now ill have 3 differant yeasts. OMG. The yeast produced absolutly no krausen at all and zero movement in air lock. Another good lesson i guess. Thanks. 

Cheers Damo


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## Damian44 (21/10/07)

just got a couple more questions. 

1. My Guinness has been fermenting for 2 weeks, the final gravity should be 1012 made up to 21 litres. I made mine to 18 litres and the gravity has been at 1020 for 2 days, is it ok to bottle today? 
Morgans 1.7 Dockside Stout 
1.5kg milk stout improver 
Goldings hops normal 
Muntons Gold yeast 
15ml liquorice extract 
Simmered roast Barley 

2. In my second fermenter i have a CPA can. The gravity yesterday was 1014 today its 1012. Could i get away with bottling today? 

Thanks again. 

Cheers Damo


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## microbe (21/10/07)

1. Probably OK - I've bottled a similar batch that finished @ 1.018. Probably wouldn't hurt to leave a day or two more though.

2. I wouldn't bottle that yet - wait till the reading is stable for at least two days, preferably three or more. You might 'get away with it' but you might also make some bombs.

Cheers,

microbe


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## Damian44 (22/10/07)

Thanks. I bottled the Guinness and ill do the CPA tomorrow. 

I just tried my second brew Rpid Creek Lager, 1.5l Light liquid malt, Munich grain, Saaz standard, Tattanger dry and Saflager S23. Soooo much flavour, i love it. The hops are freaky. Thanks. 

Cheers Damo


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## barls (22/10/07)

welcome to the taste revolution


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## Damian44 (31/10/07)

I cant thank everyone enough for there support. My beers are turning out delicious. Ive just got another questions... 

Im after a 100 can cooler. Kmart and Big W dont seem to stock them anymore. Any ideas? 





Thankyou Damo


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## Damian44 (24/12/07)

I put down a ND brewery fresh wort Pilsner 8 days ago and could only keep temps down to 19c. The gravity reading is 1010, but im going away for 5 days and it will get hot without being iced. Is it safe to bottle after 1 reading? 

Cheers Damo


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## brettprevans (24/12/07)

Damian44 said:


> I cant thank everyone enough for there support. My beers are turning out delicious. Ive just got another questions...
> 
> Im after a 100 can cooler. Kmart and Big W dont seem to stock them anymore. Any ideas?
> 
> ...


anaconda or other camping stores


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## Damian44 (24/12/07)

I just got a 100 can cooler from Anaconda. Thanks. They've just opened their 1st Sydney store. It was $45. YAY. 
Im gonna bottle the Pilsner. I couldnt enjoy Xmass knowing it was swealtering away in 30c temps.

Cheers Damo


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## Damian44 (6/1/08)

I used some Cluster hops a while back and i liked it a lot. I wont to use it in my next brew, i was thinking of adding it to a ESB Draught 3k can. Say15g @15min and 15g @ 2min. I dont wont to boil the whole kit, so i thought id do the boil in 2 litres of water. Would it suit this kit? Or any sugestions would be appreciated.

Cheers Damo


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## Bingo (9/8/12)

[quote name='Bingo's Brewing Cats Piss' post='244352' date='Sep 19 2007, 02:36 PM']Hi all,
I've decided to try my luck with home brew, again.
The first time i tried was about 5 years ago when i was 18, and lets just say it tasted like carpet.

Now i have a name, Cats Piss Brewry (CPB for short) and would like to buy another kit as the other one got thrown out.

The first kit was a Coopers one, and this time round i'd like to get a kit from a specalist home brew shop.

Could anyone recommend places that they have delt with that sell quality kits?

I live Bayside in Melbourne.[/quote]


Well...as fate would have it....i'm giving brewing another chance....funnily enough, another 5 years down the track.

I've just put down a pale ale on sunday.
Black Rock IPA
Brew booster #15 (whatever that is)
finnings hops (from memory?? may have been something different)
S-04 yeast

Whatever it all was, it was reccomended by One Stop Bar Shop in mornington (highly recommend visiting these guys, very helpfull.)

I need to start a brewing diary too.

I'm feeling alot more confidant about this one. I have a better set out house which has more room and have currently have the fermenter in a cupboard.
The temp is staying quite consistantly around 18 to 20 degrees, which i'm quite happy about and the samples are tasting pretty good (forgot to take an original sg reading!! whoops) 

I'm looking into getting a brew fridge (my girlfriend's old man has a bar fridge that he doesn't use = freebie!) so with my new kit i'm hoping to have some success this time.

Anyway...feels good to be back...wish me luck


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## DU99 (9/8/12)

Welcome back..can i suggest you the spreadsheet in "kits and extract's" it help you keep records..i print the recipe out and write the date on the printout


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