Thinking of going back into home brewing (wine and beers). Since it was about 25 years since I last had a go wondered whats changed these days and what minimum equipment will I need to get me started.
Have kits improved or do you still get that yeasty taste from them.
Cheers,
Bob

I used to replace half the sugar with dark muscovado which gave it an interesting flavour and overcame the yeastiness

That was when brewing bitter from the kits

[Edited on 3/9/10 by Vindi_andy]

yep sure do.
All good stuff and much cheaper than the good stuff in shops.

bare minimum would be a bucket with lid, an air lock and some bottles.
Get a brew kit and some sugar and your away.

I have now got some king kegs and a co2 pub bottle so i can have my own draught.

That has just put me in the mood to go and put one on now.
Cheers.

All grain is the way forward IMHO. If you're insistent on using extract use unhopped extract and add the hops the good old fashioned way towards the end (obviously talking beer here!). Cuts out the mashing stage and the beer will be much nicer that using concentrate. You'll need a proper boiler but a big old fermenter with some kettle elements will do nicely- total cost about £20.

I've got myself a nice little set up in my loft consisting of a liquor tun (old electrim unit) mash tun (30L cooler box with copper tank-connector take off and sliced copper manifold and a boiler made from a FO big fermenter with two kettle elements in it. Total cost about 70 quid. But all grain is a bit more of a labour of love because the mashing stage is more complicated and requires a HLT.

Not quite a three tier gravity system but hey-ho.... (didn't fancy having shed loads of hot water 6 feet above my head!).

The big thing in the last 25 years is mini kegging rather than barrelling and the vast improvement in yeasts available. No more dried rubbish, nice little smackpacks or vials instead.

In my book unless you're cloning a beer which uses sugar (such as Adnams Broadside) it's best to avoid sugar and go for malt extract instead. If I recall correctly in Bavaria it's illegal to call a beer beer if it's got added sugar!

Have a shoofy at

http://www.howtobrew.com/

It gives lots of information including some nice recipes for partials. It's good (if a bit detailed in some bits). I bought the book....

I recently started and bought a starter kit from wilkinsons which had all the basic kit plus a keg. The supplied beer kit isn't very good but if you then buy any of the Woodforde's kits or st peters, they are as good as the pub imho

On the way home tonight called into wilko's and they had two wine kits by the same supplier in virtually the same packaging both at £20 one a starter kit making 6 bottles and one making 30 bottles of Chardonay. OK thinks I you buy the starter kit with all the gear then buy the other kit as a follow on. When I got home found that the starter contains 2 smallish plastic buckets and a hydrometer (which Ive got) so you cant use the kit to brew the bigger product so its a waste of dosh.
Wish I'd looked in the box now before buying but I didnt want to break they seal on the box what a rip off.
Cheers,
Bob

I fermented my own brandy.

It stinks, but was like rocket fuel.

I've been brewing for a while too, started with kits but now doing extract brews with dried malt extract (DME)

I would like to go all grain but just dont have the room for it all.

I have a beer fidge now dedicated to taking two Cornelius kegs, currently one has an easy drinking lager and the other a tasty St Peters IPA.
Currenly fermenting a Warstiener and a Hobgoblin clone and also some Rose for the missus

Best source of info i found was the forum here: http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk

oh also one of hte best online shops i found: http://www.thethriftyshopper.co.uk/
Their customer service has been second to non.

[Edited on 3/9/10 by Gav]

Been brewing for about a year, started off with a kit i got for my birthday, kit was a coopers aussie larger kit (i'm an ale drinker!) but it was very drinkable.

simple kit with hopped malt for the beginner, since this first batch i've moved onto using unhopped malt extract and cooking it up on the hob with the hops and sugar, then into the fermenting bin.

I use www.thehomebrewshop.co.uk for materials.

Just bottled a batch, 40 bottles slowly conditioning in the garage..

Hi

Worked my way up from kits through malt extract to mashing grain. Grain mashing gives by far the best results in my opinion - look out a book, 'Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy' by Dave Line, brilliant reference book.

If you live near the country side have a go at winemaking too, (rosehip, elderflower / berry etc.).

Regards Mick

I found the beer seller the best place, 88 pints already brewed and in a nice stainless keg.. a bottle of co2 and a flash cooler and bobs your dads brother

Can you home brew lager, or does it have to be bitter?