Homebrew lager kit

Tamus

Well-Known Member
Not a venison recipe, sorry, but I find it goes so well with venison, specially veniburgers that I think it's worth bringing to you home brewers' and venison eaters attention', if you don't already know.

Muntons Connoisseurs Export Pilsner. http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/category/connoisseurs-range/ Plus 1kg (2.2lbs) brewers sugar.

I've brewed this four times this year, so far (spring, summer, autumn and now winter) and each batch has been equally excellent... if you like a pilsner type lager I can't recommend this one highly enough. 40 UK pints (that's 50 US pints) for about 18 quid ($27) and good as, or better than, anything you'll buy in the pub. IMHO
 
can i ask how easy this is to do and would it be possible to list the gear needed to try this. I have often wanted to have a crack but always been talked away from trying so would be interested to hear how its done ,atb wayne
 
can i ask how easy this is to do and would it be possible to list the gear needed to try this. I have often wanted to have a crack but always been talked away from trying so would be interested to hear how its done ,atb wayne

If you've got a few minutes watch this:


http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/home-brew-help/tutorials/

It's a really easy process... but... HYGIENE IS EVERYTHING.

Not mentioned in the video link above. The sterilising solution of choice (VWP) is chlorine based and it is very good. However, the phenols in hops can react with the chlorine in any sterilant that hasn't been carefully rinsed out and form Trichlorophenol (TCP).. this is not a good beer flavouring agent :D... I use boiling or "just boiled" but ever-so-slightly cooled water to rinse my fermenter, barrels and bottles.

I also charge my maturing vessel, be it bottles or keg, with golden syrup... this adds a very nice "round" (fulsomeness) note to the final flavour.

You need: In addition to some suitable sterilant and a kettle

Your beer kit of choice (contains malt extract with flavourings and dried yeast sachet), a fermenting sugar of choice (which could, for instance, be dextrose, maltose or spray dried malt) and you'll also need a fermenting vessel (5 gallon) a long spoon and a final storage vessel to let the beer mature in, eg Bottles or Keg to hold 40 pints (ish).. and whatever you "mature" your beer in, make sure it can handle a bit of pressure. Oh! and a 1m length of clear plastic syphon hose.

I usually ferment for about a week (until it stops bubbling) then transfer to the maturing vessel for a further three weeks. Then it's truly excellent.... but we normally crack some open after about 10 days :D

You can also lash out and buy a crown bottle topper or use swing top bottles or just a keg... your choice.... and if you get properly serious about it all a thermometer and brewers/winemakers hydrometer can come in handy too... In that respect this process is like reloading... there's no end to the kit you can buy but keeping it to basics is often just as good as anything else.

Hope that give you a taste for it... there's loads of "starter" kits out there and most cities have a brewers and winemakers supplier or two for all the bits and as much friendly help as you need to ask for. Good luck~Tom
 
I note that the video talks about adding a second tin. He's talking about brewing syrup... that's the way to supply "sugar" that he has chosen.

For the lager I mention above I use the cheapest of the cheap... 1kg of Dextrose powder @ £2.40/kg (looks a bit like icing sugar) Dextrose gives a really "clean" fresh flavour to lagers, I think. Other options such as "spray-malt" can make for a "meatier", "heavier" style of lager but I honestly don't think the Connoiseurs Export Pilsner needs it.
 
Haha one of the Muntons malt factories is about 1/2 a mile from my house and a lot of our Barley goes there! Chances are some of our grain went into that brew kit!
 
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