Starting Up

General brewing information, questions and discussion. Topics that do not seem to fit elsewhere.

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UKmalty
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:07 am

Starting Up

Post by UKmalty »

With 20+ years wine making experience - I'm keen to brew good ale from grain, etc. I need some equipment - reliable & consistent mashing is important. Getting hold of kit in the UK seems more difficult than the US - any ideas & hints from experienced brewers?
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
Posts: 561
Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

Welcome

Post by BillyBock »

Hi, UKmalty. If you're having trouble locating equipment in the UK, there are a number of good online stores that'll ship overseas. My favorite is Beer, Beer, and More Beer (B3). The link is:
http://morebeer.com
Is there any gear in particular you're searching for? You'd be surprised at the extremely minimal investment in gear to start. There's enough knowledge here to help you fashion something before resorting to international shipments--what you seek may be no further than your hardware store (esp. if you're mechanically inclined).

As far as procedural advice...read, read, read, read, and read. Read everything you can get your hands on about brewing, especially if you're jumping out of the chute into all-grain brewing. A good online book is here: http://howtobrew.com
Although there are some similarities between making wine and making beer, there are also some major differences, such as sanitation. Through your reading you'll come to find proper sanitation is a big deal among brewers--sloppy sanitation = nasty brew.

Oh, and if you know someone that brews from grain, help him/her out on a batch or two so you can acquaint yourself with the process.

v/r
Bill
UKmalty
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:07 am

.. and for a mash tun?

Post by UKmalty »

Many thanks for the advice - the online book is great.
For 'grain' brewing, is there a 'gold standard' mash/lauter tun? Do most experienced grain brewers use home made tuns (modified coolers), or is there a recommended commercial equivalent?
The other piece of kit is a boiling pot - and have a large aluminium pot that'll do the trick, and there doesn't seem to be any reason not to use aluminium.
BarleyMan
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 10:28 am
Location: Missouri

Aluminum info

Post by BarleyMan »

There was a recent discussion about using aluminum pots on this forum. Try this link http://www.beertools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1230 as well as the link within that discussion to an even earlier discussion.

Good luck and have fun!
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