Recent content by spicks

So far the replies are more positive than I expected. I'll keep this one going until bottling. As for my brewing procedure, I wash out the fermenter using a clean cloth and hot water. I use "Brewshield" sanitiser, it's a no rinse solution which you spray onto all items coming in contact with...

I usually lean over my fermenter and smell the gasses coming out of the airlock when it's bubbling away - mostly a kind of sweet, not too beery smell. I made this batch on the 5th of May, and until yesterday it exuded that same smell. Tonight, it is still bubbling pretty vibrantly, but the smell...

Thanks for every reply so far. The link to the Grain and Grape was great, I have no doubt in the next few weeks (if not this Saturday) I'll be driving out there for some liquid yeast and information. They say their staff are friendly and helpful, which for somebody like me would be great...

Have been drinking a couple of Hoegaardens, and I've decided I would be drinking this all the time if it wasn't for the price (about $16 a 4-pack at a local boutique supermarket). So I wanna try and brew some of my own, and given I'm a complete novice (my third brew is fermenting as we speak) I...

I've got some vouchers for a home brew store, and I'm thinking of buying a brewing book. I've only brewed twice to date, so I'm definitely in the begginers stage. That said I know the mechanics of brewing using extract. I just want something that will be a good read. Here is the list off the...

I bought this sanitizer, which is says "No need to rinse. Completely odourless". It is the Brewcraft Brewshield Sanitiser. It contains Hydrogen Peroxide 3%, Silver Ions and distilled water. So why does it give me first aid advice if I swallow it? Am I meant to just spray it on using an...

I'm just beggining to brew, but I can feel a change in myself. I would have had serious doubts had somebody told me a year ago that I would be ordering a large plastic spoon on the internet.

At the age of 17, we went and bought about 4 or 5 slabs of beers. Here they are: - VB: I'm sorry, I like this beer. - Tooheys New: I think I suggested this one at the time - now I hate it, it seems every pub is becoming Tooheys pubs and they are serving this on tap. It tastes to me like it is...

I used "Brewing Sugar" - the Coopers supermarket stuff in my first and second brew. As to whether they contained sucrose, I don't know but I'd say so. But I'm learning, and when I learnt I checked the Brew Enhancer which wasn't 100% dextrose but didn't mention sucrose. I guess I'm somewhat...

I've bought myself a Coopers Dark Ale kit, and was thinking of whipping up some homebrew. But - as I've stated in earlier posts - my first brew was terrible and, whilst my second lot is maturing, it is no doubt to be challenging the first in being sickly sweet, without body and over carbonated...

I picked up a carton of Grolsch bottles from Safeway (Woolworths). $78 for 20 bottles was pricey of course, but they have their own resealable lids. And they're 437ml or something like that. I liked the beer too. They are hard to come across though, especially in cartons.

Is Coopers Brew Enhancer a good alternative to normal Brewing Sugar? Cause that's what I've recently bought, though at $5 I'm happy to not bother with it. Ok so what about this product? I just found it at The Country Brewer place: Would that go well with the Coopers Dark Ale kit I just...

I got given a homebrewing kit at Christmas and I've just bottled my second batch. My first batch I did came out too sweet - kinda cidery. Not good at all. I ended up pouring most of it away to use the bottles on my second attempt. Here are the ingredients I used: - Tooheys Special Draught Kit -...

I recently (Sunday) whipped up a brew, and put it in my laundry to do what it needs to do. Last night was Tuesday and there was still no fermentation visible. I had a few ants walking up the wall of my carboy, up the side of the lid, but I couldn't see through the lid (it was a bit foggy)...

My beer was in the fermenter for 5 days - the airlock had stopped bubbling about two days before I bottled it. I'm not quite sure what priming means but I put sugar in the bottom of the bottles and then filled the bottles with beer up to 4cm from the top of the bottle. Will I be hearing any bangs?