Nice one matty i wish you the best of luck I notice you have a pressure barrel there so no need for a second fermentation to gas the beer If you start it off in the pressure barrel and maintain a good 18-20 deg c you should be able to drink it in a week using co2 capsules to gas the barrel
Para, so you dont use a fermenting bin if you have a pressure barrel? I've always thought that you need to start off in the fermenting bin and transfer to the pressure barrel that way you leave the yeast behind so theres less chance of it being murky. Also you need to be sure that the pressure release valve is working properly if you ferment in the pressure barrel, I'm fairly sure one of valves on my barrels is not working because the last batch of cider went to a very high pressure and I've drunk about half of it and not had to use any co2 yet. You could explode your barrel otherwise.
Not tried it that way use to do a bit years ago and always used the bin then into the barrel. Will watch your progress as it certainly makes it easier Did you use a can kit or do the whole mash bit when i use to do it years ago the kits where a bit hit and miss but i understand they have got a lot better
having done a few kits over the last 2 years heres a few pointers, patience and sanitation are the things you really need... it is best to use a separate bin as an fermenting vessel, mix all the kit and sugar etc into the bin, cover place in a warm area , around 18-20 deg, and do not disturb for 3 weeks , this will help in avoiding airborne infections,and allows the yeast to work and then settle out in the bin, syphon of the sediment into bottles or a keg, with priming sugar and store in a warm place for 3 days to carbonate, then move some where cold to allow the beer to settle, it MAY.. then be drinkable but will benefit from a couple of weeks storage, the beer kits will tell you it will ferment and be drinkable in a week but its not the case... heres a good article ,on beer kit brewing ... http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3216
Cheers for the advice and links art b dude That forum is making some interesting reading for sure The last time i made a brew in a pressure barrel i started from a kit and did it all in the barrel from start to finish and in just over a week i had quite a reasonably nice beer that got me pleasantly piddled It appears with a bit more time and effort i could improve the brew a fair bit more and im allready starting to think this is going to get addictive Have some karma art dude
pleased to help .. its an interesting and complex hobby... there are a lot of different beers made in similar ways yet they can be so different,
Beer kits are better these days, thats why I have only made cider from apples for the last 20 years, the beer I made from a Boots kit 20 years ago was not very good. I had all the kit so I made cider from apples instead and it was good. I just made my first barrel of beer for the first time in 20 years and I am staggered at how good its turned out. I'll defo be making some more and trying different kits. I've also made some cider from a John Bull kit and that is pretty good too, though next time I am going to use less water to get more flavour and make it a bit stronger, I'll probably use 2 x 32pint kits and make it up to a full 6 gallon barrel.
its a good idea to short brew kits, or add two kits together, its often the addition of plain white sugar that will thin a beer, the addition of white sugar can also give beer a twangy taste, you can add a brew enchancer[dme] ,which is a dried liquid malt it gives the beer more body, im quite keen on the edme stout thats available in wilkinsons, made up into 30 pints and use brown sugar or dark sugars, ....
