The Beer Thread

[King Coconut]

Best German beer I've had is HoeGarden

Is that not Belgian? I put on 2 stone in one year after discovering wheat beer. Tasty, tasty, nasty, heavy stuff.

[Vamp]

Yeah Hoegaarden's Belgian. From Hoegaarden unsurprisingly.

 

Edit: But as long as you finish your first pint of it in three gulps you're okay.

Edited August 26, 2013 by Vamp

[Jacob Israel]

Can anyone recommend a good home brewing kit? Going to get one started next week. How long does it take etc?

[neil]

Can anyone recommend a good home brewing kit? Going to get one started next week. How long does it take etc?

I started off with a Cooper's kit and it's pretty sound. The one thing you want to really focus on when first starting to brew is temperature and ingredients. A lot of "easy" kits have you brewing too high a temp and a lot of adjunct ingredients like dextrose or even, shudder, table sugar. This just leads to a really shit tasting beer that will make you give up on the whole thing.

 

Good ale brewing temps are in the 60-65F area for most ale yeasts and you want a brewing kit that is all malt ideally. A lot of people really stress about cleaning, but to be honest, you'd be amazed what you can get away with in my experience.

[Jacob Israel]

Can anyone recommend a good home brewing kit? Going to get one started next week. How long does it take etc?

I started off with a Cooper's kit and it's pretty sound. The one thing you want to really focus on when first starting to brew is temperature and ingredients. A lot of "easy" kits have you brewing too high a temp and a lot of adjunct ingredients like dextrose or even, shudder, table sugar. This just leads to a really shit tasting beer that will make you give up on the whole thing.

 

Good ale brewing temps are in the 60-65F area for most ale yeasts and you want a brewing kit that is all malt ideally. A lot of people really stress about cleaning, but to be honest, you'd be amazed what you can get away with in my experience.

 

So do I need an electric hook up for one of these things then? I'll be honest, I know absolutely nowt about doing it, which is why this thread could be a godsend. Where is best to position it etc, I have a large outhouse/shed but I imagine it will get a bit nippy in there over the autumn winter. Are there any good beginners guides that you can recommend? I need the very basics as it is something I will put time and effort into, just don't know where to start really. Oh and The Ship and Mitre in Liverpool, fantastic ales in that establishment.

[neil]

This guy is a bit of a cheesedick, but has easy to follow videos for very basic brewing. He uses some adjuncts, but does have other videos on better brewing techniques, but this is a decent coverage of easy home brewing.

 

[Arch Stanton]

Woy would love that fella's jumper.

[air_raid]

It was my birthday yesterday so after an afternoon on the Bathams Bitter (and darts) with my mates, the extended family escorted me up to a pub in Sedgley called the Mount Pleasant which routinely has about ten ales on. I tried to take photos of all the pump clips of the ones I sampled, but forgot to keep it up after a while.

 

 

I was already familiar with the Summer Lightening and Golden Glow but tried all the ones I hadn't had before to broaden my horizons. My favourites were that Lemon Dream (I have a weakness for citrus), RCH Double Header (not pictured), and the Golden Glow which I did eventually end up on.

 

I am being dragged out at 6 back to the local for more bitter/darts before birthday curry at 8.

[PowerButchi]

Happy belated birthday!

[Bellenda Carlisle]

My favourites were that Lemon Dream (I have a weakness for citrus)

 

I love lemon too, I bet that beer's awesome, is it available in bottles or anything? I've never heard of it.

[air_raid]

Happy belated birthday!

 

Thank you young man. Well, slightly younger man.

 

I love lemon too, I bet that beer's awesome, is it available in bottles or anything? I've never heard of it.

 

No, Salopian only provide it to pubs by the keg. Here's a look at where they will distribute to/where it's been spotted. Forgot to add it's a wheat beer which makes it even more of an acquired taste.

 

http://www.salopianbrewery.co.uk/delivery.php

http://www.pubsandbeer.co.uk/index.php?ID=BD&B=229

 

Fucking hell, it's been on in The Glen? I never remember them having real beer. Must have been too blind from all the Sourz, Sidekicks and Tubez and all that other shite.

[mim731]

Sorry if someone has already mentioned this, but I couldn't see it posted thus far. Had this in a bar in London a few months back, a really nice light number, very drinkable. Oh and an amazing name to boot!

 

[patiirc]

Hoptimus Prime

 

I missed this by one day, was gutted because by all accounts was very decent. I had to settle for a pint of The Trooper ( Robinson's pub, had it 'early')which takes a while to get going. It's nice, but is very much a grower and after the first pint I was on the cusp of saying nice gimmick and leaving it at that. However the fuller flavour comes out in subsequent pints.

 

Summer Lightening is fantastic, I'm sure Butch has mentioned it before.

 

As for others, I've been off the ales for a bit, just because I had some really bad 'heartburn inducing not cleaned your pipes properly you bastards' pints. However, most Masham stuff, including Blacksheep, Riggwelter, and Theakston's Old Peculier are excellent. Bateman's Dark Lord and Mocha are worth seeking out if you can

[JNLister]

I'll write a longer post when I get a chance (by post, I mean bunch of random thoughts), but in the meantime this is a great page to read through/look at the pics if you are planning to start home brewing using commercial kits:

 

http://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/brewingwithbeerkits.html

[Maverick]

Happy Birthday Raid! Going for a beer testing in a well stocked pub would be a great birthday thing for a mate of mine but sadly most of the bars here in Northern Ireland are fairly rubbish and just stock the usuals, even Spoons isn't very adventurous over here. Saying that Harp is quite nice and i'm not an Ale man but i'm partial to the odd Smithwicks aswell.