Poor!

I'm not sure where to put this post so I've stuck it here.
As you know I'm new to Homebrewing and am trying to learn what I can.
I find it difficult to build some of the euipment I need due to the fact that in the UK any ofthe "Decent" stuff realy as to be home made or imported. From the retailers online or within 100 mile radius from me that I've seen they range from poor to well, nothing compared to the retailers in the states. Maybe this is down to not having the market to sustain a "decent" range of specialist stock.

BUT THIS REALLY SHOWS HOW BAD IT CAN BE. this is a online retailer.

Advice on how to brew.

Mix
Clean your brewing equipment and empty the contents of the kit into a brew bin and top up with water.
Brew
Add the yeast (supplied)m cover and leave for 5 - 10 days to ferment
Bottle/Barrel
Once fermentation has completed, transfer into bottles or a barrel to rest for 1 - 3 weeks depending on the kit. Top feed barrels reduce the waiting time.
Drink
And now the best part - enjoy one of the best beers you have ever tasted!

Need I say more?

Sounds like you're in a time warp! This is a 1881 receipt:

Cheap and Agreeable Table Beer.

Take 15 galls. of water and boil one-half, putting the other into a barrel; add the boiling water to the cold, with 1 gall. of molasses and a little yeast. Keep the bung-hole open till the fermentation is abated.

I suspect the US wasn't much better a while back. Homebrewing wasn't legalized until 1978.

david_42 said:

Sounds like you're in a time warp! This is a 1881 receipt:

Cheap and Agreeable Table Beer.

Take 15 galls. of water and boil one-half, putting the other into a barrel; add the boiling water to the cold, with 1 gall. of molasses and a little yeast. Keep the bung-hole open till the fermentation is abated.

I suspect the US wasn't much better a while back. Homebrewing wasn't legalized until 1978.

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Funny stuff. I've read all of that too, to include it was 1979. (I've seen both in writing...go figure...

Wow, if I get some extra money together, maybe I'll open up an HBS in the U.K. Heck, if the job I'm hoping to get comes through, I'll be there once or twice per year.

Guys, they've been homebrewing in the UK for much, much longer than we have. The fact is that there's a good pub serving good ales in every neighborhood in every town.

You can pick up kits to byo in any drug store over there (Boots).

There, like Orfy says, the market is just not as diverse and the demand not a great for the supply to exist.

Here, we have the population and the diversity to provide the demand and because of that the supply exists.

I know how you feel Orfy, this country (UK) is sadly lacking, and the homebrew shops we do have seem to charge silly prices. I am thinking about getting into all grain, and I was thinking about buying one of those cooler type mash tuns. My LHBS wants £47 for what is essentially a "Thermos" cool box with a plastic tap and a few bits of copper tube with slits in them (that haven't been de-burred!!!). I can get the same "Thermos" cool box for £14.99 in Argos, and I'm sure the tap and few bits of copper pipe aren't going to come to £32.01!! Bloody rip-off Britain!

We are a nation of inventors, mad eccentrics beavering away in our garden sheds. I say stuff the retailers, I'm going to make my own system!

ScottT said:

You can pick up kits to byo in any drug store over there (Boots).

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Sadly not anymore old boy - Boots dumped their HB equipment a few years back. The only High Street Retailer/Supermarket i know still involved is Morrisons Supermarkets - But they only sell Campden Tablets, wine bottle corks and beer/wine (just add sugar and water) kits - No gear.

hey guy's, try the www.cruisenews.net/brewing/ set up for all-grain brewing. it works really well and is very affordable. i spent a total of $30 dollars to make my mash lauter tun. you just need a boil keetle to be ale to do a full wort boil for 7 gallons (to end up w/ 5.5). for big beers, you may want to make it out of a 10 gallon cooler, rather than the 5 like i did. i was able to use most all the equipment i already had. it's under the El Chepo Mash tun on the left side of the page.

BlightyBrewer said:

I know how you feel Orfy, this country (UK) is sadly lacking, and the homebrew shops we do have seem to charge silly prices. I am thinking about getting into all grain, and I was thinking about buying one of those cooler type mash tuns. My LHBS wants £47 for what is essentially a "Thermos" cool box with a plastic tap and a few bits of copper tube with slits in them (that haven't been de-burred!!!). I can get the same "Thermos" cool box for £14.99 in Argos, and I'm sure the tap and few bits of copper pipe aren't going to come to £32.01!! Bloody rip-off Britain!

We are a nation of inventors, mad eccentrics beavering away in our garden sheds. I say stuff the retailers, I'm going to make my own system!

Click to expand...

You and me....Have you started give us a shout if you want to know what bits I've used.

Caplan said:

Sadly not anymore old boy - Boots dumped their HB equipment a few years back. The only High Street Retailer/Supermarket i know still involved is Morrisons Supermarkets - But they only sell Campden Tablets, wine bottle corks and beer/wine (just add sugar and water) kits - No gear.

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Well, I have been away for 17 years. I guess things have changed a bit.

Wilkinson's sell kits Fermenters and Barrels.

DeRoux's Broux said:

hey guy's, try the www.cruisenews.net/brewing/ set up for all-grain brewing. it works really well and is very affordable. i spent a total of $30 dollars to make my mash lauter tun. you just need a boil keetle to be ale to do a full wort boil for 7 gallons (to end up w/ 5.5). for big beers, you may want to make it out of a 10 gallon cooler, rather than the 5 like i did. i was able to use most all the equipment i already had. it's under the El Chepo Mash tun on the left side of the page.

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That's a real inspirational page, thanks DeRoux!

orfy said:

You and me....Have you started give us a shout if you want to know what bits I've used.

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Haven't started yet Orfy, just exercising the old grey matter on the subject at the moment. Gonna start with the Thermos cool box mash tun. What bits have you put together?

BlightyBrewer said:

Haven't started yet Orfy, just exercising the old grey matter on the subject at the moment. Gonna start with the Thermos cool box mash tun. What bits have you put together?

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Here we go, I thought this might be the best way to show you.
http://www.ushould.co.uk/brew/Brew Gear.htm

sorry guy's. guess you can't get Igloo or Rubbermaid water coolers like us? guess i need to not only drink globaly, but think globaly! dumb yank!

orfy said:

Here we go, I thought this might be the best way to show you.
http://www.ushould.co.uk/brew/Brew Gear.htm

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Lookin' good, orfy!

Thank's.

I've just started the last of my extract kits so I hope to complete all the equipment this weekend and brew AG the weekend after.

I'm trying to get it all right in my head as well!