Help Starting From Scratch

[scoundrel]

where abouts are you bottoms up? if your in the brisbane/ seq area ill give you some of my tallies. i need to move back in with the parentals and space is somewat limited, so if your in the area feel free to come pick some up.

 

[marksbrew]

Thanks for the offer but I'm in Newcastle NSW.

 

[moodgett]

Thanks for the offer but I'm in Newcastle NSW.

Hi Bottoms

Welcome to the addiction

from West Wallsend here (originally Charlestown)
probably the best advise i can offer which i only found from my last 2 brews, is if you havnt been already, go to Marks Home Brew at Islington, you wont regret it.

 

[big78sam]

The coopers lids seal with an o-ring, screw top lid, they seal well but are much harder to keep sterile compared to the clip top lids.
Any contaminated brews I've done came out of fermenters with screw top lids.
Maybe I'm just slack when it comes to sterilizing.
Cheers.

I have only ever filled up empty stubbies and rescrewed the lids back on. I have never had a problem with contamination but I am a bit of a phycho when it comes to sterilising. I have about 200 bottles and lids collected over the stretch. I have reused them a number of times over without any problems. I'd say I've done around 12 batches over 2 years since restarting homebrew so some of the older ones have been used 3 or 4 times. I try to keep supplementing my old bottles/caps with a new carton every now and then. I'd suggest that a lose about 1 stubby per 23 litre batch if the lid gets a bit out of shape and so loses carbonation. If the lid does get out of shape you can generally tell when screwing it on.

I have mainly coopers but find bittburger, james boags and the cheap aldi brand lager bottles and caps work well (I have even interchanged the bottles and lids, ie boags lid with coopers bottle and this has worked although I try to avoid it).

I have found issues other brands of beers not working, eg VB. If trying a new type of bottle I test out 2 or 3 when I'm doing a batch with good bottles so I don't lose a whole batch if the bottles/caps are dodgy.