Suggestion.

[Jino]

Howdy All.

My gilr friend is getting me a keg system for chrissy and i wanted know what you guys would recommend i do for the first brew. Seeing as it is my first i don't want anything too indepth, just something simple to start me off.

Also if you have any tips on what to watch out for that would be fantastic.

Cheers fellas.

PS - If this is the wrong place to post or something please go easy on me

 

[Wax]

You're getting a keg system and you haven't brewed before . I don't know how you managed that mate but well bloody done!!! If this is your first brew I would suggest keeping it simple. ESB fresh worth (do an ale so you don't have to worry about a lagering fridge) with Safale yeast would be a good place to start. It's pretty hard to stuff these up. Just try to keep your fermenter in an area with a fairly stable temp, the garage or basement if you've got one are good. If you like how that turns out then do the same brew for your second attemp but make a slight variation, add a little less water, or dry hop or try a liquid yeast. Compare the two and you'll start to figure out how you can manipulate the flavour of your beers.

Keep it going and sooner or later you'll put an extention on you house full of stainless steel kegs, mills, fermenters, burners, fridges....

Good luck Jino and welcome to AHB

Warm Cheers
Cold Beers
Wax

 

[quincy]

Jino

I (like you) are pretty much just starting out. I've done 6 brews so far and soon learnt that a keg system is definitely the way to go. (by the way - very understanding GF - does she have a sister )
If you want something really simple but with an excelent end result, go for a fresh wort kit from ESB. Not sure if you can get them in your location but they have a website where u can purchase on line (www.esbeer.com.au). My first was the Pilsner but they have some other styles as well. They come in a 15l container and all you do is add 5l water and yeast.
I used the S04 dry yeast (liquid yeasts are a whole new world - but keep it simple for now).
I'm sure there are countless other options but my 2c worth.

Don't be afraid to ask questions on this forum. That is the soul purpose of its existence to educate and to be educated (with a little fun thrown in for free !!!)
The help here is second to none with people at all sorts of levels willing to help.

I also find the search tool very handy when I need help.

Cheers and welcome.

 

[Jino]

Thanks fellas. I've been keen to get into it for about a about a year now and thought i was as well go the whole hog and get a full keg setup. I have got a heap of info from this site so i am know slowly getting a fair idea on thing but i really need to do abit before i will muck around too much.
It seems that you both recommend the ESB worts and i saw these at a local HB shop the other day and was actually goign to ask if you thought they were much chop. I think i will give one of them a go and move on from there after i get the hang of it.
My GF doens' tmind a beer and i think she is sick and tired of all the bottles so i think that may have persuaded her a little!

I only posted this in the last half an hour and i have already had replies! That is good to see.

Thanks and if anyone else has anything to recommend or give a tip on it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Gough]

Welcome to the forum Jino. Good to see yet another Newcastle based brewer!

The ESB fresh wort kits are a good way to go. VERY easy to brew and more consistent that the kits.

Good luck,

Shawn.

 

[Jino]

Yeah cheers Shawn. The HB shop in Mayfield has them so i'll give that a try.

Do you know of any different shops around Newcastle bar Mayfield and Charlestown??? I think i heard of 2 in Mayfield actually?

 

[Gough]

Try Mark's Homebrewing, 18 (I think) Maitland Road Islington. Just over the railway bridge near the surf shop heading out of town, across from Wickham Park. It has the ESB kits as well and Mark knows his stuff.

Good luck,

Shawn.

 

[Jino]

Yeah thats where i have been and saw he had those kits.

I heard a whisper that the own and operator of that shop are starting their own brewery?

cheers

 

[Bobby]

the APA and amber esb fresh wort kits are great. use a liquid yeast with them.
first brew, remember to keep the temp cool. not over 24. do that and you should be laughing.

 

[Jino]

Thanks i had a look at their site and i think i'm going to go pick up the APA one this afternoon. I have a dark cool place to put it so hopefully all will go well. Thanks all for the help.

 

[Jase]

Hi Jino,

Welcome to the forum, life will not be the same again. I started brewing again, about 6 months ago. I now have a converted freezer, 3 kegs, a flooded three tap font. Am currently building a bar, just received a three keg gas manifold, and have another four kegs on their way.

I have done the amber and irish red fresh wort. I made the amber ale with a 1.5 litre liquid starter and no additional water, and the same with 1.5 litre liquid yeast and topped up to 20 litres. The first one was the best brew I've made. Lasted about 2 and a half weeks. The difference is unbelievable. The 20 litre was great after about 4 weeks.

The irish red was made with no additional water. Didn't last 3 weeks.

Good luck.

Cheers,
Jase

 

[Bobby]

i still have the apa on tap. i reckon it really benefits from some dry hopping in the secondary.

 

[Jino]

I'll tkae that on board and might give it a try after i do one or 2.

 

[Weizguy]

G'day Jino & welcome to the fold.

AFIK Mark has nothing to do with the new brewery. U C, it's the owner of the other shop in Mayfield (which a lot of people thought that Mark owned) who is trying to start the brewery.

Just some info, if you strike up a conversation about the planned brewery.

Hope to see you at the shop when Mark starts his Brewing demos.

Seth

P.S. Got my keg fridge repaired today. Been out of action for months. Have only kegged a couple of batches b4 the old fridge got sick, so I'm only a keg noob 2. Could be fun. What shall I brew first? Prob a Weizen (hahaha). Now I need some Weizen glassware.

 

[Jino]

I thought there was 2 in Mayfield. I heard it off the guy in the one kinda up near woolworths witht he big "home brew" out the front. where is the other one? The guy telling me wasn't to keen to give out too many details but he said they should be selling May next year hopefully.

I kegged a brew (just a kit someone did for me before my gf gave me the system) yesterday morning and started to gas it up but i think the gauges on my regulator are incorrect and if i am correct then it has been gasing at 50kpa......

 

[Gough]

I thought there was 2 in Mayfield. I heard it off the guy in the one kinda up near woolworths witht he big "home brew" out the front. where is the other one? The guy telling me wasn't to keen to give out too many details but he said they should be selling May next year hopefully.

Jino,

I gave you the address of the new one in Islington in my post earlier in this thread. Mark who used to run the old shop and has gone out on his own has had his shop up and running for approx a month now and is well worth a visit. In my opinion a better option than the old Mayfield shop, especially if they are pretending he isn't even open yet. Anyway, address is as above...

Shawn.

 

[Jino]

Yeah sorry i did see the address in your post but i thought it was the same one as i was going to and i checked it out when i drove through there the other day but it wasn't a very good look. I will check it out. Thanks.

 

[Weizguy]

Quick summary: 2 shops on Maitland Rd; one in Mayfield and one in Islington. Mark's shop is in Islington.

I won't tell you where to drink, or buy your brewing requirements. You will work it out for yourself.

Hope to see you at Mark's. He usually introduces me as "their" wheat beer expert.

We all know that "X" is an unknown quantity, and a "Spurt" is a drip under pressure. So an X-Spurt is not necessarily a good thing.

Seth out

 

[Jino]

I'm going to go have a look at the other one this arvo. I think my confusion was because of them being on the same road....
Thanks for the info.

 

[Tub]

Mark's is right near the overhead bridge in Islington, just after you come over the bridge (heading west) from the very end of Hunter St and into the start of Maitland Rd. Near the surfboard factory/shop and east of the final set of traffic lights BEFORE the Maitland Rd/Beaumont St intersection. (Near the Wickham Park pub??)

The front of the shop is clearly marked, but there's no signage at right angles to the stree that can be easily seen from a car.

PB