Starting From Scratch!

[BrewinginNewcastle]

Hello all,

I am new to the great hobby of home brewing and have made a few batches with my coopers home brew kit, which turned out pretty good.

I am interested in learning how to make beers from barley.

How do I do it and what equipment is required? How long does it take and roughly how much does it cost?

Are there any places or websites that I can source information that explains the process on laymens terms.

Please help me out!!!

Lucas

 

[bradmcm]

Plenty of stuff here to go through.
Also tro http://www.howtobrew.com/
there are plenty of all grain brewers in Newcastle, try hooking up with someone to show you the ropes.

 

[NRB]

Check out Sosman's Brewiki page.

 

[BrewinginNewcastle]

Will do

 

[n00ch]

How to brew would be a good start for you.

Seeing as your in Newcastle i'd make a point also to go and check out Marks Home Brew. They have some of the equipment you will need for it and also knowledge of local places that sell basically anything else requierd.
Where abouts in Newcastle are you?

 

[BrewinginNewcastle]

Where abouts in Newcastle are you?

[post="92333"][/post]​

Near Cardiff ... and ive been to marks home brew ... very helpful, but talks alot hehehe .... nice guy though

 

[Jazzafish]

All of the links mentioned are great, and some lead to other great sites.

I recently took the plunge (head first) into all grain brewing and I can say it is worth it. Better beers and more satisfaction. Some people say there is more to do and more to go wrong... but I find it pretty forgiving and rewarding.

In terms of cost, you can spend as much as you want... I'd start with a kettle that can boil a full batch first, as it can be used in all brewing. Mine is a converted Keg. Mash tuns are easy to build out of an esky. Urns make great HLT's.

Also, I find it much cheaper to brew after the gadgets are paid for. Grain is cheap.

Cheers and good luck!
Jarrad

 

[Weizguy]

Hello all,

I am new to the great hobby of home brewing and have made a few batches with my coopers home brew kit, which turned out pretty good.

I am interested in learning how to make beers from barley.

How do I do it and what equipment is required? How long does it take and roughly how much does it cost?

Are there any places or websites that I can source information that explains the process on laymens terms.

Please help me out!!!

Lucas

[post="91525"][/post]​

Lucas,

Welcome to the forum. The barley you refer to is actually malted barley and is commonly called "malt" or "grain".

Unless you are particularly cashed up, you may want to make some improvised equipment. Make use of the search function here, and make yourself at home.

The equipment you want to search for info about are: mash tun, lauter tun, boiler, March pump (running joke here), manifolds, wort chiller (immersion or CFWC). that'll get U started.

Apart from that, get thee to a brew shop (lhbs).

U might want to start with kit or extract recipes, before you go to ag (all grain). Just a thought. Get your head around the basics before you go to the deep end of the pool. I'm not saying that you won't like it or be able to make ag beers straight away, but you increase you chances of distress or failure.

Just go for it. you won't know until U try.

BTW, I'm from Newcastle area (Medowie), but not equipped yet for a full demo. Quite happy to show U some extract brewing tho', if ur keen. PM me...

Uncle Sethule

 

[Gough]

G'day Lucas,

I'm an AG brewer in Newcastle. You can PM me if you like and we can try and get together for a brewday when you're ready. Let me know if you're keen,

Shawn.

 

[n00ch]

If your keen to get into it hooking up with either Seth or Shawn would be really worth it. I sat in on one of Shawns brewdays once and i think without it i really would have had a hell of a lot harder time moving into ag brewing.
Its really good to read up on it but also once you have an idea it makes a hell of a lot more sense watching it done.

 

[Borret]

Welcome aboard, good to see another Novocastrian joining the race. I can only confirm what you've been advised above. Palmer's book is worth studying and can't be surpassed for the broad picture of what you want to do. As far as help along the way Shawn has certainly been a great help in my early days of AG and his People's Brewery is a thing of beauty. Definately worth checking out.

We're all happy to help I'm sure.

Borret