TLB Brew Club

I have some strawberry cider going at the moment only been going since the weekend and the froth has touched the lid today it is the most I have ever seen in my bucket! I am glad I only did 20 ltrs now!

 

how did you make the strawberry cider looks good

 

Just with a kit mate, first you brew a red cider then mix in a strawberry essence for secondary fermentation. wait to clear and bobs your fathers brother

 

First taste of the first brew and its pretty good

 

So with the hot weather recently I was struggling to maintain the temperature of the brew so I did a bit of research and made myself a brew fridge.

First off I needed to get a fridge so a quick search on eBay turned up this beauty for £3.65. Quick clean and jobs a good'n



So with the cold bit sorted I needed to sort the heat, cue this smart little heater. £15 odd from tool station



Next up. Fit the heater in the fridge. I was going to mount it high up, then got to thinking and mounted it lower as the cold air come from an outlet high up so my thinking is to mount the temperature gauge in the middle and find a happy medium



With that sorted it was the temperature control unit to make up. Really simple. A thermostat with a hot and cold relay. Too hot and the fridge turns on, to cold and the heater turns on. Brought of eBay for £16 odd





All wired up and tested and looks to work a treat. I will have to fiddle with the settings a bit due to the ambient temperature not being the same as the brew temperature but once I sus the difference it should just be plug and play.

So to recap, fridge £4, heater £15, thermostat £16, electric bits £0 (about £15 from screwfix if your mates not an electrician)

 

forgot to add its gone flat now and I need to pick up a co2 injector lid

 

Top job icepug

Keggorator next?

 

Add a hambleton bard pressure relief valve to you present cap and two stainless car tyre valves
That way you can pressurise from a disposable welding bottle and keep an eye on the pressure at the same time
Those little co2 capsules will cost you a fourtune over time

 

That looks good, this is what i have at the moment
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk...D_barrels_with_saftey_valve.html#.UfGbK9JO-So


do I just need a spare lid, 2 tyre valves and some co2?

 

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk...gclid=CNKV7OXPy7gCFTMRtAodnhYA1A#.UfGdMKwbhTk

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apico-Low...69?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item27cc369ac1

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-BOLT-IN...tyres_trims_Valve_Caps_ET&hash=item4ac35ab724



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Disposabl...400?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27c7d5c228

 

soon adds up dont it

 

It is a big initial outlay but you will recoup the cost over time by not having to use the little co2 capsules
Plus the gauge is very handy to keep an eye on how secondry fermentation is going

Without co2 in a pressure barrel you much loved ale will go stale very quickly and have no body to it

 

Wherry went into the pressure barrel 3 days ago

 

why not just use the hambleton bard valve plus their co2 refills are about £4 something. The rate I go through them works out at less than £1 per 6 gallon barrel? how much are disposable welding bottles?

 

has anyone made wine using fermenting bins and pressure barrels. I'm going to give it a go, I dont fancy faffing about with bottles and demijohns, what I intend to do is draw off a bottle or two at a time and chill them in the fridge (white wine)?

 

It cost me £9 for a disposable welding bottle of co2 that contains 600 grams of co2
The closest home brew shop is 35 miles away so it would be a 70 mile round trip to get a hambleton bard bottle refilled
How much co2 does a hambleton bard bottle hold?

 

Drinking the wherry tonight and four pints in its making my face feel fuzzy

 

whats the difference between the

Hambleton Bard 4" Cap with Brass Valves

http://www.homebrewcentre.co.uk/product.asp?pID=391&cID=157

and this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barrel-Ca...pt=UK_Home_Garden_Food_SM&hash=item2a2ccfe849

 

One takes the disposable co2 caplets the other takes the refillable hambleton bard bigger bottles

 

Three days until my wherry is ready and "success" no leaks in the new barrel.