Recent content by chartster

Thanks guys! I just get a bit jumpy about potentially infecting my brews, and I've never really used additional hops before in any meaningful sense. With this brew being quite a step up in complexity from my usual K&K brews, I was concerned that all the work could have been for nothing due to...

Hi all, After spending a few hours last weekend steeping grain, boiling malt, hopping and so on as part of a major step up in my home brewing adventures (courtesy of one of the American Pale Ale kits from Dave's Home Brew), I finally arrived at the time to add the third batch of hops (finishing...

Sold! :lol: I'll send him a message through evilbay and see what the go is (I'm in the northern suburbs so freight shouldn't be much too). Prices seem pretty fair too - low enough to make dabbling in kegging somewhat less daunting from a financial perspective. EDIT: @citymorgue2 I'll...

Cheers everyone... I am glad I asked for opinions about these traders and I would never have guessed about the 'suss' pictures etc. Best to be very sure before handing over any cash :D @HoppingMad: I'll tread very carefully...by tiptoeing around these guys completely! @boddingtons best: I'll...

Hi all, I'm considering getting into kegging my brews, and found this website: http://www.keg2.com.au/prod7.htm, and another site of interest is http://www.aussiebrewer.com.au/component/p...mart/Itemid,89/ They seem to have a reasonable collection of bits, and OK prices as well - I don't want...

Alrighty - she has sprung into life as of yesterday morning and started bubbling quite merrily. The smell coming out of the airlock isnt some funky sour one like before, so here is to hoping there is no infection. Krausen is still far less than when I have used Coopers yeasts / BE, but I guess...

Cool...thanks for that. In the past, the frothing has been pretty intense, but this time there has been very little at all. I was just concerned given the significant difference! Would it possible be due to the fact I am only using LDME and not the BE1/2? Would those provide more stuff to make...

Cheers Sponge, This one seems to be a quiet one in contrast to the brews ive done in the past with coopers yeasts and BE1 / BE2. Virtually no airlock activity, though there is a thin layer of krausen on the top of the brew. hopefully my bath of no rinse sanitizer before making the brew hasnt...

Hi everyone, Well i have just put down my latest effort: 1x Coopers Bavarian Lager (Can only) 1x 1.5Kg Black Rock "Amber" LME US-05 yeast I had to figure out a way to use the Bavarian kit I had in the cupboard, though I dont have the facilities to use the 'real' lager yeast...i.e. keep things...

Tell me how you go mate, I'd be interested to see how it turns out! I'm about to get back into brewing (Uni work is killing me at the moment)...need to do a bit of kit cleaning and will be off to BigW to grab one of coopers cans soon too B)

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help. Will let it sit a bit more, and then bottle it. Besides, I need to wash and sterilise them anyway!

Hmmm, well here I am 8 days after commencing the brew, and I think i'm in a bit of a pickle. For the last two days, the gravity has read 1.015, which I would think is a little too high for bottling! The temperature of the brew has stayed between 18 and 20 degrees, and I can see all of the froth...

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.

Cheers! All the goodies in the fermenter (Real Ale, 1Kg BE1, 500g DME), I'm just waiting for the wort temperature to drop a bit before pitching the yeast...the DME got a little lumpy so I had to add a bit more hot water to dissolve it all. Should be good though, if only the footy was not...