Topic: Where to start? Would like to brew Ale

[Chris Graham]

Being a newbie to this I would like to try brewing my own Ale.

Not sure how to start or what to get or how much it would cost.

I dont have a lot to spend on this.

So what advice can you give me?

C

[Pesky Wabbit]

I'd start by doing plenty of research into what types and flavours of ale are available in the local neighbourhood and visiting any local brewers.

[cleo]

It depends what you want. I`m years out of the game now and possibly some kits are OK.

But in my days one had to mash one`s own to get something worth drinking.

Read some books and decide. The initial outlay does cost but after that you can make beer/ale that knocks spots off commercial stuff

[adrianhumph]

 Hi Chris,
               First find a home brew shop, you may be lucky & have one not too far away. They will usually advice you on what you need to get started. A beginners book will also be useful. There are many books available for the experienced or novice, try amazon. Visit  http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk this is a wonderful home brew site with info for all levels of brewing have a browse at the kit beer q & a`s. For your first few brews I suggest keeping it simple , there is a vast range of kits available, & these are straightforward, they do however work out more expensive than formulating your own brews, but they will give you a basic knowledge of the brewing process. I now usually do a basic bitter from malt extract & some grain additions plus hops& yeast, nowadays I work this out to cost me approx 50 p per pint, (plus labour)
                                   Adrian.

[pg]

If you decide to give brewing a go then I suggest you get secondhand kit just for starters. There are lots of people out there who have tried and given up (I hope this doesn't put you off!) so you'll find ads for brewing equipment in shops, local paper and Freecycle.

Use your judgement when buying - as long as it's scratch free it'll be okay even if it is dusty. Demijohns go for 50p each max. A Wanted Ad might work too. Kit is expensive. I bought a lot of my first stuff new but I wish I'd tried secondhand first.

[euronerd]

I've been doing it (brewing beer) for more than 30 years. Depends whether you're a purist or just want cheap booze. I used to do it from scratch but the kits have improved so much over the years that it's no longer worth the bother in my opinion. In fact you might be struggling to find a local shop to get you set up from scratch but there are a number of online suppliers. I use these people
http://www.hopshopuk.com/
 for my equipment needs, who are reasonable, affable and efficient, and who have everything you'll need. Supermarkets sell basic beerkits, but if I want something a bit more exotic, my health food shop (non-franchised) usually does the trick. All you'll need to start with, using kits, is a brewing bin, a siphon tube and some bottles. Happy to expound at length if you want to PM or email me.

Geoff.

[Chris Graham]

Thanks for all the great info, been on Jimsbeerkit site all week and i'm already on my second kit!!!

Looking good too.

Also added a new page to my website about my home brewing.

Here is my 1st bottle

[adrianhumph]

 Hi Chrisg,
                 Glad to see you using the website I suggested, so much info it is addictive ;D I`m sure you will have had lots of tips, but here`s one that I think is invaluable. 
 Never, ever, bottle your beer direct from the primary fermenter. Always strain it off into a closed container ( usually a 5 gallon container with a wide screw on lid that has an airlock in the top) Leave it here for at least 5 days, then bottle. There are two reasons for this, firstly it gives the beer a chance to clear & deposit sediment in the container( better than in your bottle) Secondly, it ensures fermentation is over & you do not bottle it too soon. The last thing you want is a bottle of foam & no beer ???
                                                            Adrian.

[willebee]

I used to brew both wine and beer when Boots were selling the kit etc. but since they have stopped selling so did I stop brewing. But I have just found this site: http://www.easybrew.co.uk/, and they appear to have all I need from complete kits to individual items. So much to the boss's disgust, the kitchen is supposed to be her territory, I may well be brewing again depending what I get off my patch this year.

[PurpleHeather]

The fact that beer is cheap in the supermarkets and most of the home brew shops or departments (in big shops like Boots) have closed indicates that it is not viable to brew at home unless you are after a specific recipe and know what you are doing.

At one time brewing your own was so much cheaper it was worth the bother.

Boiling up the mash stinks and the process of sterilising is labour intensive. The cost of the proper tackle is not cheap either.

There are some on line homebrew shops I made a link earlier for some one wanting to know about citric acid. You may like to trace it.

[katynewbie]

 :-\

Fair enough PH, but some people just like to have a go...it's not necessarily about the money!

 ;)

[cleo]

Reading all this I still get tempted-but I no longer drink much beer-But I still remember that aroma as one mashed and then boiled the wort with hops-heady days.

It`s true though that finding the basic ingredients is not so easy these days

[Chris Graham]

Well so far I ha vent bought commercial beer since Feb 08.

I really enjoy brewing my beer even if its only from kits.  IPA is my fav!  ;)