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OK, about 45 years ago when I started brewing we had no closed fermenters available. My first attempts amounting to maybe a dozen brews were all of poor quality with off flavours that I was then unable to ID. My Dad laughed often, & helpfully suggested Black Label Scotch would be lower cost...

This has very occasionally happened to me. Since the priming "sugar/dextrose" is still present as fermentable material you need only reactivate the yeast. I found the simplest method was to add a few "grains" of dried yeast. On both occasions I used the standard Coopers yeast because I know it...

This amounts to a matter of risk & judgment: If you are dead sure primary fermentation is completed, then secondary bottle carbonation, in the way you suggest, should be fine in these bottles. If you have not used a hydrometer, or don't have one, a good method to check for primary completion is...

Hey guys life is complicated enough. Who needs this admittedly wonderful bit of tech. We are home brewers & I don't see this device actually allowing an improvement in the quality of output. What would be useful is a simple, easy to read, beer only hydrometer, for the very odd occasion that...

Regarding the refill of CO2 pressure cylinders: At least here on the Gold Coast in Qld, I have two LHB shops that are happy to refill any "bottle" that looks in good condition. If this is routine in Qld, I feel sure it is elsewhere. The LHB shops buy a commercial/industrial cylinder from one of...

I like the very workmanlike approach to these mods. Well chosen components dealing with fairly obvious problems. Pity that the manufacturer did not see the glaring need because solving with plastic parts in volume would not add greatly to the overall cost. On the basis of what appears above I...

I reckon you'd need to be very skillful to cut that relatively small oval hole with an angle grinder. If I knew a "better" way I'd say. But I think I'd start by trying a hole saw with the smallest tungsten teeth I could find. Last time I tried that on a stainless drip try, half way through the...

Don't waste your time. I have occasionally let Coopers kit cans get well out of date, typically up to 3 years. I brewed one but the contents tasted metallic & the brew was frankly *****. Then I gave a couple of oldies to a friend, I did warned him! He also found the result undrinkable. I don't...

All Brewcraft kits with artificial sweetener are (IMHO) over the top, & their suggestions re proportion to use are just not relevant to the average home brewer. Who wants artificial sweetener anyway? Refridgerate & Keg as per usual & back sweeten as usual.

A not uncommon situation. I'd suggest using one, maybe both of your Coopers yeasts & get the fermenting temp up to around 22 to 24 C which is what Coopers recommend as I recall. Coopers yeasts are almost bullet proof, they aways start & work quite swiftly but are designed for Australian temp...

Totally agree with all the posts. I would however add that it's worth checking carefully the seals, on either standard fridge or chest freezer. Frequently on working older fridges, the seals are knackered & can cost around $80 to get fixed. If you do nothing your power cost will go through the...

Interested in Cascade rhizome, if available. Like many find, the messenging option is **** How long before the rhizome can develop to produce worthwhile quantities for home brewing purposes?

I bottled for the best part of 30 years. Ultimately used the brown PET bottles which are very light but do last. I have never ever had a bottle infection despite only modest care in bottle washing. I think the time element is over stated because some people become obsessive about sanitation of...

This post has me re-thinking what I had considered established & reliable procedures. I am on QLD's Gold Coast & the water quality is acknowledged to be very good. I run all my brewing water through an activated carbon filter, (the typical cylindrical type seen on many sinkbenches) at a modest...

After many years brewing (40+) I just can't be bothered with names. Nothing against the idea, but in practice you just run out of tops or labels, & it's just a complication you don't need. After all this is not a marketing exercise right? I can't even be sure if sometimes I am making progress or...

Selecting suitable low cost fridges is not dead simple as you might suppose. Things that need careful checking: * Internal size need to be capable of holding a Cornelius keg, so that you have a choice: keg, fermentor or maybe both. My fridge accepts 3 kegs with a squeeze. I control...

Well I was put off after the LHBS recommended their "craft" cider, which turned out to be very average. Also expensive. Granted good cider is damned hard to make, mostly the result never tastes like traditional cider should. As for their yeasts, difficult to sort the best from the general run...

I do not doubt the efficacy of silicone seals but they are not easy to locate & they cost more. Whether oxygen transmission matters I honestly can't say but I doubt it. New kegs: Absolutely agree, use as a first choice, but again they have not always been readily available & the difference in...

Quite a bit of impractical, incorrect & biased comment above. Too much to go into detail, but I stand by what I said, which was intended to be a simple, low cost, low effort, procedure, that consumes relatively little CO2.

Yes, generally speaking pressure vessels should be hydraulically tested & water is the easiest in most cases. Rules vary between jurisdictions but often smaller size containers are not classified as pressure vessels. To reduce the concerns a "newbie to kegging" might have I offer some further...