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Introduce yourself...

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:05 am
by Taz Ales
I'll start the ball rolling, mainly because I'm currently the only member.

Name:
Chris or Taz, it's up to you.

Area:
Eastville

Brewing Bio:
Amateur Brewer specialising in creating a mess in the kitchen, making and modifying equipment, breaking thermometers, etc. I mainly brew beer from the grain, but have also branched out recently into Cider and Wine.

Memorable moment:
Spilling a gallon of boiling water on my bare foot.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:34 pm
by bs5cider
I'm Roger, I returned to all grain brewing after a 15 year break and have been re-learning old skills over the last year.

I make cider too, 350 litres during the 2009 season, hope to make lots more this year. Wine gets made but I tend to stick to 2 or 3 tried and tested recipes.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:46 pm
by bullgod
Name: Andy
Area: Tytherington (head for Thornbury, then turn left), but before that 20 years in Kingsdown/Montpelier.

Started about 12 months ago when we moved out into the country.
Usually brew all grain and alternate bottle/keg.

I've a fondness for milds and porters.

Worst experience (aside from trying to post out a badly transcribed list of emails when the full list was sitting in my spam folder) was probably an experiment with Oyster Stout.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:59 am
by stitch
Hi, my name's Richard from Frenchay.

I've been brewing for just over a year after a demonstration on how to make nettle beer by Andy Hamilton off selfsufficientish.com. Anyway that wasn't enough so I got myself a copy of Graham Wheeler's "Brew Your Own British Real Ale" and have been brewing a bunch of different ales, stouts, milds, porters and fake lagers ever since, usually from my own recipes.

Currently brewing using dry malt extract - I haven't worked out how to build a mash tun cheaply and easily enough (I haven't even sorted out a hop-strainer for the boiler yet, but that doesn't really seem to be causing a problem.)

I also make country wines from whatever is about outside. Elderflower champagne is delicious, oak leaf wine also. Ginger beer is very popular. I have celery and parsnip wine maturing under the stairs.

Memorable moment:
Chucking away 5 gallons of stout that tasted like sick (I left it in the fermenter too long without a lid) Also attempting to do a boil in the kitchen because it was too cold outside and ending up with wort condensation raining down all over the place and leaving a sticky mess.

I do hope this forum takes off, it would be good to share local knowledge and possibly meet up for tastings!

Cheers, stitch

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:46 pm
by steve crawshaw
Hi
Steve from Knowle.

Started off in Nov 09 with a woodfordes wherry kit, and while i was reasonably happy with the results, thought i could do better. On my 4th all - grain brew now but realised i had much to learn after chatting to the competition winner, richard at the recent event.

Also making wines - California connoisseur Cab Sauv 30 bottle - very easy and good results and have also made wurzels orange wine - google it. Good results and very cheap.

worst experience - dealing with rat infestation caused by brewing in my cellar - the lovely malty smell must have been an irresistible temptation!

Looking forward to exchanging knowledge. learning a lot and sampling beer. I have some black sheep ale conditioning at the moment, so will send out an invite for tasting when its done.

cheers

steve

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:17 am
by joshal
Hello i am Josh, I am only just 21 years old and i like to brew ale.

I have been brewing for 2 years and full grain brewing for 1 year. i have also made elderflower champain and elderberry wine.

This forum is a great idea and i hope to gain a lot of knowlage here. unfortunatly i was not able to attend the bristol beer factory evening as i study in southampton. i do live in bristol when i am not studying and live very near brewers droop.

Memorable moment: the first beer i brewed was a lager and it tasted like sick. since then i realised that lager is not intresting or worth brewing.

I am introducing myselfe purly to steal usefull information when i can.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:23 pm
by Ben Hutchinson
Hi I am Ben

Area:
Keynsham and Brislington

Brewing Bio:
I took over the management of the Homebrew Centre in keynsham 18 months ago when my step father was taken ill and unable to continue in the shop.

I was a complete novice to homebrewing so had a very steep learning curve which fortunetely turned out to be very interesting and got me into making my own alcohol.
I have mastered making beer and cider from kits and recently took the plung to learn how to do a full mash, making my first brew - Bathams best bitter using the recipe from Brew Your Own British Real Ale book as recommended by several customers. It has turned out very nice considering I did not have a clue what I was doing which prompted me to hold a brew day at the shop to demonstrate this fine art.

If your ever in the shop introduce yourselves we would like to meet you and would be happy to help you by sharing our knowledge or supplying you with your ingredients.
If and more than likely I cant help our newest member of staff Dave Harris is a qualified brewer and will be able to answer the more complex questions you may have.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:33 am
by tim__k
Hi I'm Tim,

I met a few of you at the BBF competition and it sounded like a good idea to join.

I live near Lydney in the Forest of Dean, but I grew up in Bristol.

I've been brewing for about 18 months, inspired partly by a weekend in Belgium and partly by my granddad who used to homebrew back in the 70s.
I've done about 30 all grain brews now. I spent the last few months rebuilding my shed so I can upgrade my gear. Just testing it out with a Bitter and a Belgian Dubbel.

Hopefully I'll get along to the Cornubia this week.

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:22 pm
by I_used_to_brew
It would be cool to see you there, it's mild month so expect to taste some milds!

My bio is as bs5 cider but I forgot my password and Taz is hopeless at resetting passwords..... hence new account :)

Re: Introduce yourself...

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:19 pm
by SteveW
Roger,

That explains a lot!

I have an 'unusual' Mild to bring in for sampling, see you all on Thursday!