May 2nd Meeting

BCB meet on the 1st Monday of every month at 8pm in the Royal Navy Volunteer, King Street.
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I_used_to_brew
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May 2nd Meeting

Post by I_used_to_brew »

I know it's a bank holiday and you'll have been lounging around in the sun and having a BBQ, but, if any of you are up to it....

There will be a BCB meeting on the 2nd May at TFRNV, King St, Bristol at 8pm

Introductions

Items for sale/swap

Interest in visit to hop farm in Worcestershire.

Any other business

Talk on Water by Phil

Buy some beers

Informal tastings


Don't forget the Brewery Trail http://www.bristolfoodconnections.com/f ... ery-trail/ this Saturday and Sunday
PeteThomas
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by PeteThomas »

Hello all

Thanks for being so welcoming yesterday evening. I shall remember to bring some of my beer next time! Though you will have to go easy on me as I am still learning from mistakes.

If there are any posts on this forum (or elsewhere on the 'net) on how to convert a fridge to keep to a stable fermenting temp, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Pete
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steve crawshaw
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by steve crawshaw »

Hi Pete
good to meet you. For ale you don't need a fridge for most of the year. You can just put your fermenter in a builders bucket full of water and control the temperature with a cheap aquarium heater. This relies on ambient temps being below your desired fermentation temperature.

If you want to control temperature for e.g. lager fermentation or cold crashing, my advice would be to get a secondhand chest freezer from gumtree \ freecycle and use a temperature controller to set your temps. A freezer is more versatile as the temperature range is greater and will cool quicker, which is handy if you are trying to cool to pitching temps after the boil.

The controller I have referenced is programmable so you can program changes in temperature over time which can help with attenuation.

cheers
steve
I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy.
simonmwhite
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by simonmwhite »

Hi Pete,

Glad you found the meeting useful and we look forward to trying your beer.

I'm with Steve on this and is what I use to ferment. When I first started out brewing, which was by making kits, I used to just sit my fermenter in a room and leave it. But since moving to all grain and learning a few brewing fundamentals like controlling fermentation temperature I've been coming up with decent beer. Give it a go - it's a cheap low-tech solution and I bet you'll improve your beer by doing so.

Thanks,

Simon.
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I_used_to_brew
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by I_used_to_brew »

It was good to meet you too :)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Temper ... ds=inkbird and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heater-Tubular ... lar+heater

That's the guts of it if you have a fridge. Avoid drilling holes where refrigerant pipes are.

Mauribrew ale 514 yeast is good up to around 24C, so with a passive (evaporative) cooling system (builders bucket, cotton t-shirt +/- fan) you could well be ok.
PeteThomas
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by PeteThomas »

Thanks all for your invaluable advice.

Further to conversations on Monday evening, I may also consider purchasing a 33 L stainless steel fermenter pot from Brew Builder. I guess there would be ample room in a standard under counter fridge for this fermenter, on the basis that I progress with temperature controlling option?

Thanks again

Pete
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steve crawshaw
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by steve crawshaw »

Not wishing to eat into mark's profitability but my view would be that stainless fermenters are not necessary for homebrewers. I have fermented scores of beers successfully with Young's wine fermenters from Wilko (~£12) and I am currently using a plastic jerrycan with good results. (both beers from the meeting were fermented in these). All you need to do is rinse and soak them in hot PBW immediately after use and sanitise with starsan etc. and they will be fit to use for scores of beers.

The jerry cans have the advantage of being able to use "no - chill" method and will accept silicon bungs used for carboys. They are robust, can handle boiling wort and are cheap. You can also fit 2 at a time in a small chest freezer.

I would be inclined to spend more on good quality ingredients and less on shiny, but that is just my approach. I have spent hundreds of pounds on kit (plate chiller, mash tun) which i now don't use.

here is my cheap and simple approach to brewing that I wrote for a friend wanting to start brewing.

cheers
steve
I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy.
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Taz Ales
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Re: May 2nd Meeting

Post by Taz Ales »

Minutes now available
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