Back To Basics

[thecentennial]

Hi guys,
New to the forum and have been digesting a lot of information over the last few days.
I am currently living in an..alcohol restricted...country. Many westerners brew their own nasty concoctions using very basic ingredients i.e beer = 18 cans non alcoholic beer, 1kg castor sugar, baking yeast. Stick in an 18L water bottle for fermenting, cover with clingfilm, leave for 2 weeks, rack into another bottle, 2 weeks, bottle, no primer, when drinking cut 50:50 with non alcoholic beer for the carbonation.
Its a means to an end for sure.
So, I managed to get hold of a beer machine. I know they are not perfect but believe me, out here it will make me a GOD ;-)
I've just put on a brew, pilsner. I was thinking of brewing for 7-10 days instead of the recommended 3-5 days.
Secondly, next time I head OS I want to bring back some basic ingredients to make a brew in one of the 18L bottles, but using a kit or other ingredients.
Can anyone recommend what I should think about sourcing? Was thinking malt extract, beer yeast, those hop tea bags (not sure which ones). This is all I need, right? I've only got one shot at this so I want to make sure I buy everything I need. Do I need e.g. Brew enhancer, priming drops, dry malt, dextrose, gas trap etc etc. the many different ingredients I have seen are confusing me a little.
Appreciate any help, and some VERY basic beer recipies. Of course I will continue to read this forum.

 

[KingKong]

I am currently living in an..alcohol restricted...country.

G'Day,

Welcome. What country are you in? Interesting notion the non alcholic beer being brewed. Im sure one of the long serving piss heads home brewers will suggest something along the lines of a Kit Pale Ale with Hop Additions. But Ill leave that to them. I didnt know there were alcohol restricted countries.

 

[mwd]

What we used to do is bring in Coopers Cans and brew straight kit and kilo of white sugar using the kit yeast.
Depending on what country you are in, some it is impossible to get stuff through the Customs.

Saudia Arabia is the only place where I saw great big containers of grape juice in the supermarket. Wonder what they used it for. :beer: We also used to buy cases of non alcoholic beer pour it all into a giant cooler and add sugar and yeast makes for some really expensive beer. Even tried some Vimto wine tasted like cough medicine.

 

[thecentennial]

G'Day,

Welcome. What country are you in? Interesting notion the non alcholic beer being brewed. Im sure one of the long serving piss heads home brewers will suggest something along the lines of a Kit Pale Ale with Hop Additions. But Ill leave that to them. I didnt know there were alcohol restricted countries.

Hey, its in the middle east, a few countries have total bans as it is not in line with shariah law and islamic principles.
Looking forward to some thoughts.
Ideally, the ingredients need to be unbranded. I dont fancy trying to explain a metal tin covered with photos of frothing beer bottles. Mabe things I can transport in ziplock bags, or standard "foods" like the holland and barrett malt extracts.

 

[mosto]

For a very basic solution, you could try the Homebrand kits from Woolies. No pictures, just a white tin with black writing. Comes with yeast so you just need a some sugar and away you go. Won't be spectacular, but it will be beer.

:drinks:

 

[robbo5253]

If you could get Dry malt, then maybe some hop extract for bitterness? Then just a basic dry yeast.

 

[citizensnips]

Still, brining in a big bag of unbranded malt extract isn't gonna do you any favours in customs either. Gonna look a whole lot worse than just malt extract.

 

[kelbygreen]

get a 20kg of bantini malt extract and as said some hop extract as hop pellets may be of some concern unless you say you injoy using it in a tea or something lol. Now that would be horrible bringing brewing yeast in may be a bit harder. It all depends on there customs laws.

You some how got a beer machine in there so I would think that would be harder as its name for one and what it does for 2 lol.

If you can import cans and extract and hops then your set, Order pre hopped cans they will have yeast with them not the best but would be better then bread yeast.

I would prob order a sack of malt extract if you can bring in hops, extract and yeast. I think 20kg was going for $110 a year or so ago postage to your country might be alot from Australia it might be cheaper from UK and you will prob get better malt then bantini which is made for the confection industry mainly but can be used as brewing its just not made 100% for brewing like some extracts like briess

 

[thecentennial]

get a 20kg of bantini malt extract and as said some hop extract as hop pellets may be of some concern unless you say you injoy using it in a tea or something lol. Now that would be horrible bringing brewing yeast in may be a bit harder. It all depends on there customs laws.

You some how got a beer machine in there so I would think that would be harder as its name for one and what it does for 2 lol.

If you can import cans and extract and hops then your set, Order pre hopped cans they will have yeast with them not the best but would be better then bread yeast.

I would prob order a sack of malt extract if you can bring in hops, extract and yeast. I think 20kg was going for $110 a year or so ago postage to your country might be alot from Australia it might be cheaper from UK and you will prob get better malt then bantini which is made for the confection industry mainly but can be used as brewing its just not made 100% for brewing like some extracts like briess

Thanks for the input fellas. So to confirm:
Hop tea bagsMalt extractYeast
Is all I need?
I can get the yeast, stick it in my pocket.Malt extract I can get from health food storeHop tea bags are easy to bring in
So with the above, do I still need a beer kit?

 

[kelbygreen]

hop tea bags are more for throwing in the fermenter as a dry hop. If you want to use just extract you will need to boil the hops and from memory from a shop around here that sells hop tea bags they are about $4 for 12g or something where you can get them for like $8-10 per 100g in a decent shop also most the shops that sell the tea bags have them on the shelf in the shop not in a fridge in air tight containers or packaged in vacuum sealed bags.

So if you want to go with kits you will need: A kit, Malt extract or brew enhancer and sugar (dextrose is the best) also if you use a brew enhancer dont add any more sugar. Also could add more hops but not needed.

If you want to extract you will need: the malt extract, hops, sugar and yeast as the extract is not bittered like the kit cans. you will have to boil the extract for 60mins or as long as your longest hop addition

Edit: at the top of the page there is a recipeDB click it and refine search to kits or extract and look at the list of ingredients that will give you a idea, but to make a basic kit you only need what I posted, You could add just sugar and no malt to the kit but it will be better with malt added

 

[Helles]

You need a brewmiester
6 bags of grain
6 kg of hops
6 Wyeasts
6 kegs
A beer fridge
A fermenting fridge With controller
At least 2 Beer taps
A bottle of CO2
And an assortment of other gear
All imported in a shipping container with
"BEER BREWING INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT"
Printed on the side

EDIT: not from Australia

 

[thecentennial]

You need a brewmiester
6 bags of grain
6 kg of hops
6 Wyeasts
6 kegs
A beer fridge
A fermenting fridge With controller
At least 2 Beer taps
A bottle of CO2
And an assortment of other gear
All imported in a shipping container with
"BEER BREWING INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT"
Printed on the side

EDIT: not from Australia

:icon_cheers:

 

[bum]

Ginger beer. You'll be able to source everything legit over there and turn out something better than the prison hooch you'll make once your supplies run out (if you don't end up in the poop for trying to bring it in in the first place).

 

[petesbrew]

Ginger beer. You'll be able to source everything legit over there and turn out something better than the prison hooch you'll make once your supplies run out (if you don't end up in the poop for trying to bring it in in the first place).

Not a bad call. That or mead.

Back to beer.
Saunders malt extract - say "I like to spread it on my toast for brekky"
Hop teabags. sorted.
Just remember that boiling malt & hops in yr kitchen can make some pretty almighty smells. good for us, not so good if your neighbours are sharia lovers.
Get a bloody powerful exhaust fan.

 

[yum beer]

Cider, just need yeast.

 

[thecentennial]

Sme good information, thank you so much. I have spent some time reading through "how to brew" website, fantastic resource.

Final question: would it be a problem if I emptied the contents of a coopers pale ale tin into a ziplock bag, for transportation. It will be done in a clean environment. I am concious of contamination, but not sure how to quantify the risk if performed quickly and cleanly.

Thanks

 

[bum]

I'd be worried about doing that for an hour let alone a minimum of two days. But, frankly, I'd be more worried of what customs would think of the bags and how you'd explain them when they are inevitably discovered. I'm not one to deny a bloke a beer but this is one of the worst ideas I've heard in some time.

Regardless, if the bags don't start spontaneously fermenting at some point, you could boil the goop to sanitise but then you'd need to add flavour/aroma hops for sure.

 

[thecentennial]

So you are saying their is a very high likelihood the can contents would spoil if transfered to a ziplock bag? Can you clarify why? (apart from the obvious i.e yeast and bacteria entering). Does air exposure have an impact? I thought it was just malt and some sugars.

 

[bum]

(apart from the obvious i.e yeast and bacteria entering).

This is more than reason enough.

 

[thecentennial]

This is more than reason enough.

It is the likelihood/risk I want to quantify. If done in a clean environment I am hoping the chances of contamnation are minimal. I will give it a go. Thanks.