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Pressure cooker. Starter wort and water. Read up about pasteurisation and such. But what ever you do, don't start a thread about botulism. Ball jars. The look on the lady's face at big W when she asked what they were for. Bunnings, " Do you have hole-saws?"

I wouldn't worry about the tin-foil. If the seals are good you'll be right. Have you got a pressure cooker for sterilization of water? I have ball jars for storing yeast for a few weeks or what ever, I gave up washing. Fastidious sanitation is essential. I tip 500ml of water from the pressure...

A bit like in the gambling vernacular, "The more money you spend, the more you win!"

Sounds like your doing alright for your first brew. I'd maybe sanitise that vanilla bean. Summer is usually the trouble time for brewing. Look into brewing lagers and take advantage of the winter where you live. I'm always envious of our northern hemisphere home brewers with their cold winters...

I've got 4 vines (mucat gordo blanco) which produce varying amounts of fruit from season to season. I'm sort of glad I only go through the process once a year. I've got a love/hate relationship with backyard wine-making. Sorry. Off topic.

I really only take 2 hydro readings. At the start, (which is sanitary and returned to ferment) and once the krausen has dropped, after several days, I do another which I taste. I wouldn't want to waste beer with unnecessary hydro readings! I also make wine, of which patience is an integral...

I reckon it must of been mid to early 70s that those black fermenters came on the scene. I met a bloke who had one of them split in half, spewing his brew out of his garage, down his driveway and into the gutter. Where they brigalow brand? Anyway I think we all agree that there are many ways of...

Early in my homebrewing days, I told a wise, elderly client how much money I was saving by brewing my own beer. He replied that I must drink a lot of beer. He was right. It is a hobby that you can get into in varying degrees. If I had the money, time and space, maybe I could go a bit overboard.

If I kept a week's worth in my fridge, where would I store my perishables?

My dad used a plastic rubbish bin with a towel draped over it. All cleaned and as sanitary as possible. I don't remember him ever tipping brew out or complaining of infected beer. Times was simpler back then.

Have a quick peek. You'll know if it's happening or not. The smell, the krausen, and condensation on the lid are a dead give away it's rolling. The old maxim," a watched kettle boils the slowest." You'll be right. Plus fermenters can sometimes have a slight leak.

I wouldn't jump into buying 25kg bags just yet mate. Milling, storage, costly stainless bling, and you know mate, I'm just saying. The world won't end tomorrow. As Bill Murray was advised in the movie 'What about Bob?', baby steps. Home brew shops provide a great service at milling what you need...

Use less hops. You know it makes sense.

Are you using PET bottles? Make sure they are sealing properly and with 1 drop in a 500 ml, with a stout, in 3 months they'll be just right. I'm guilty of having a crack at under-aged bottles. Some of my stouts taste pretty good after a couple of years in the bottle. Glass.

I've been using the same carlton stubbies and big bottles for years. The only trouble I had was some dodgy crap caps from a company that rhymes with "bigger toe". The supa-automatica capper never misses to seal the caps well. I also find that uniformity in bottle type helps in storage and...

At least you know there will never be a draw. Hang on, both hands. Gigeddy.

You fellas, our ANZAC brothers, are probably in a better perspective as far as the covid-19 goes. Mind you, my arm feels much better since I realized I had to stay home and self-isolate. First off I thought they said I had to self-violate.

That's a lot of crystal. Half a kilo is enough for a 50lt brew I reckon or less. Or less. But I hate dextrinous syrupy over-hopped beer. I had issues with overly sweet kit brews no matter what I tried. That led me to the grain thing. Ease up on the crystal is the go.

I'm hearing on the radio that here in Melbourne, people are getting booked by the police for non-essential travel. Do you reckon the average copper on the beat would consider driving to your homebrew shop to pick up a pre-arranged order of grain, hops, etc non-essential travel. If you can go to...

My dear old grandma used to say, while she put another piece of wood in the stove, "some people in this world like the sound of their own voice and don't realise it's a bit later than they think." God bless her.