Beer, revisited

[Torontoblue]

Toronto Blue - I saw this 10L kit advertised recently as a 'stovetop' brewery, and heard good reports on it:

http://www.massivebrewery.com/

Idea being if space is limited you can still do some good brewing, just on a smaller scale. It would also be all grain brewing, so you'd be kicking off with the real McCoy.

I've got no where to actually store the beer once it's fermenting (actually that's a lie, I have a small cloakroom filled with my 6ft beer fridge and shelving for stuff that won't fit in the fridge). This time of the year the heating in the apartment is constantly on, and we have to keep it at a minimum of 25c :blink: That would just kill the beer, wouldn't it? I've seen kits similar to that around, I think the local homebrew store here has something similar. As I say, I'm just lazy. There is a really good homebrew club in Edmonton. Won loads of awards and very respected, if I could be arsed I'd join and start brewing.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

no disagreement, but funny comment... at 400 pages it's no light reading.

I copied it from his website before he published it, my .doc file is only 299 pages, but maybe the font I've used is smaller.

Yeah 400 pages is a solid introduction By intro I was thinking of the abridged version he has on his site. Basically 6 or so web pages laying out each step of the process (I've read the book also, but Palmer's summary was great to get going). I'm a beginner really in the grand scheme of brewing, but like you indicate the book still is an intro really. So much experience comes to bear on homebrewing - it's quite easy to brew decent ale, but to get to the level where you can brew across different styles and get reliable results seems like it would take years. Inventing your own ales is then another level again.

I've got no where to actually store the beer once it's fermenting (actually that's a lie, I have a small cloakroom filled with my 6ft beer fridge and shelving for stuff that won't fit in the fridge). This time of the year the heating in the apartment is constantly on, and we have to keep it at a minimum of 25c That would just kill the beer, wouldn't it? I've seen kits similar to that around, I think the local homebrew store here has something similar. As I say, I'm just lazy. There is a really good homebrew club in Edmonton. Won loads of awards and very respected, if I could be arsed I'd join and start brewing.

25 is a bit high yes - for both the yeast and you, isn't that sweltering? The yeast would thrive but you don't want them going crazy in the fermentation. Once you've bottled you would normally look for cooler temperatures to store the ale as it conditions. I'm sure it's doable, though - Australia has a huge homebrewing scene and it's as hot as a ballsack out there.
You're in Edmonton not Toronto then? Must be 2000 miles apart.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Just went out and bought some beers after reading this.

 

[orchard]

Just went out and bought some beers after reading this.

Good start BLF, do we get tasting notes?

 

[Torontoblue]

Y
25 is a bit high yes - for both the yeast and you, isn't that sweltering? The yeast would thrive but you don't want them going crazy in the fermentation. Once you've bottled you would normally look for cooler temperatures to store the ale as it conditions. I'm sure it's doable, though - Australia has a huge homebrewing scene and it's as hot as a ballsack out there.
You're in Edmonton not Toronto then? Must be 2000 miles apart.

Used to live in Toronto before my job made me move to Edmonton.

It's bloody sweltering in the apartment, and coz the heating is water pipes, we can't even open the windows when it gets below freezing. We've had a few tenants do this and the water damage from burst pipes isn't fun; we got flooded one year coz someone 10 floors up cracker their pipes.

I've been thinking of getting another fridge and having a thermostat attached to keep it around 15 to 20c, purely for the barley wines and stouts to age a little better. That'd be perfect for fermentation.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Good start BLF, do we get tasting notes?

I got 4 bottles of Birra Moretti and 4 cans of Bulmers, because they were cheap, and I do quite like cider.

Moretti is always a 10/10 though.

 

[orchard]

I got 4 bottles of Birra Moretti and 4 cans of Bulmers, because they were cheap, and I do quite like cider.

Moretti is always a 10/10 though.

Enjoy mate. Don't forget cider was an informal currency in rural areas until relatively recently

 

[toffeeben15]

Becks vier
Peroni

 

[Moomin]

I will be drinking pints of Timothy Taylor Landlord tomorrow evening.

 

[bluejock]

Fosters is atrocious.

Unless you drink it in a budget hotel using the snow on the roof as a fridge.

 

[Moomin]

Fosters is atrocious.

Unless you drink it in a budget hotel using the snow on the roof as a fridge.

Fosters tastes like yellow snow. True story.

 

[Torontoblue]

Fosters tastes like yellow snow. True story.

I beg to differ

 

[SerenityNigh]

I need to try more Rogue product. Seen their Dead Guy Ale all over the place but have never sampled.

 

[Torontoblue]

Dead Guy is OK for a maibock. Their Organic line is probably the best they do, look out for their black lager; fantastic!

 

[SerenityNigh]

Picked up New Belgium Trippel last night, not impressed so far