Be Excellent To Each Other

I used those bottles to actually brew my ginger beer in. They become very firm during brewing.

Oh, one of the funniest things I have ever done was opening one of them, very, verrrrry slowly, hoping it wouldn't just explode. Finally the lid was free (I was doing this in the bath, expecting some kind of mess). Nothing. I could hear a slight sparkling, leant over to smell the drink and in a completely vertical fountain of ginger beer about a third of the bottle shot into my face. I was laughing too hard to care. I have no idea what caused that delay, though. It was like something out of a sitcom.

I was looking at the relative expensive bottle that you cap, but that put me off

You should actually star in your own sitcom

I had a beer expert check out my beer, and the advice was to throw it on the garden and start again with new yeast

So now you've mentioned it I might try ginger beer, since it's nicer than normal beer. I have some of that Crabbie's stuff which is OK although it's probably made in a factory with ethanol and e-number flavours instead of brewing, so yes, maybe this is the way forward.

FUN FACT! Crabbies is made less than 2 miles from my house.

I love that with ice and a chunk of lime....

Friend of mine has just got a pressure keg and really likes it. He says it much improves the flavor. My IPA is coming along really well, too.

I use a Keg, what IPA did you do Mali?

Are they allowed to put that it's brewed for eight weeks on their website, if that's the case?

I was guessing. I do like it though, even if it's a bit alco-pop-y. hi5 to Kovacs on the preparation method.
See also, kopperberg pear cider from Ikea. Oh dear, that stuff is drinkable.

Rekordlig is also excellent. I much prefer the sweet Swedish pear ciders to that Magner's shit.

The Kopperberg is in Tesco (as well as other supermarkets) too..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MICRO-BREWERY-P ... 254&sr=1-5

is the kit I got

Interesting BEEX-link - my brother's ginger beer has just won an award!

"What-Ho, Ginger", right down the bottom

I might give that a dabble..

It clears very quickly, and is drinkable in 10 days.

Hmmm.. ok sounds ideal

Ooh, here's my tip: use Champagne yeast instead of brewer's yeast. It gives a little more fizz and will produce a decent amount of alcohol in the brewing time. Ginger beer is ace to make as you need no special equipment whatsoever.

Kopparberg is so very nice with ice and lime. You should see my little collection of Swedish and Lithuanian ciders. If you like Kopparberg you'd live some of the ones from the little family breweries.

Do want. And thanks for the tip on fizzyness

Fizziness is not the main benefit of the champagne yeast, it is the alcohol. It changes it from about 2.5% to 4%

Ordered a Cooper's Dark ale and Youngs Harvest Yorkshire bitter. Didn't order enough sugar, though, so I'll have see if my friend has any. So, that's another 80 pints of beer for £40. And my time. Looking forward to the Dark Ale.

tried some of my friend's beer last night, after we swapped. it was awesome. Mine is shit in comparison. I don't think I'm fermenting it for long enough, or he's buying better ingredients.

Nevertheless, I began 40 pints of a dark ale last night. And next week 40 pints golden ale.

EDIT: Word is; there's no bubbling action yet, but it has only been 13 hours. Worried.

Uh-oh. That's what happened to mine.

I'm hoping that it's being sluggish. Still, it's only £12 if it has gone tits up.

Room temp is 18. Possibly just a slow starter. All yeasts are different.

MrsA reports a 'slight soft gurgling'.

Call the doctor.

Give it a bit of a spin and try and get the yeast moving, you possibly didn't aerate the wort enough prior to adding the yeast. If it stalls, you can always add another batch of yeast to see if it gets going again.
Don't attempt to aerate now though, you will introduce bacteria which will kill the yeast.

Congratulations!

I can get you swedish ciders.

7% kopparberg is deadly.

Your main problem is that you are in Sweden. If you come back to the UK though, be bringing plenty of Salmiak (saltlakkris) (or whatever it is in Swedish) back with you, please. Especially the little diamond ones.

How is being in sweden a problem?!

You cannot bring me ciders.

If shipping wasnt so damn expensive I could ship some. But it cost me £30 to send a 2kg box of goodies to my parents at chirstmas

That is why you being in Sweden is a problem.

Catch up, lad

Move back, leave all your stuff behind. Bring Cider. And Salmiak.

30£ would buy a flight, come to the cottage!

7% Kopparberg and salmiak-kossu for me pls.

Find me tickets for 30quid return from Umeå and I'll come. I've found £80 each way

Ooooh, I can absolutely make that (or a pretty good version of) for you with salmiak, vodka and a freezer...

Beer is violently fermenting. Most happy. The IPA has matured very well, too.

I am making flower beer. Well, elderflower champagne, but it's sort of beer, if you ignore the meanings of words in english.

Using HFW's recipe. He said to add a pinch of yeast after a couple of days if it hadn't started foaming, so I added one. a day later it still wasn't, so I added another (generous) one. It's now practically fizzing. This may be a strong batch - evidenced by the fact I can smell booze out of it already, and it's only 5 days into its two weeks..

Beer explosion occured at some point yesterday. Kitchen stinks and floor is sticky. Reports indicate a rearguard action being fought, possiblity that 95% of remainder currently corralled with small pockets of resistance.

Sorry, but

I'll text you the photo, later.

What exploded, the current brewing batch, or an older bottle>?

Current batch. It's shooting out of the bubble trap. It's fermenting very quickly due to the warm temperatures, I guess.

Joans has just bought a wine kit. There could be some interesting posting next weekend.

wine-in-a-week, how bad can it be?
Seriously, only a week to make it? Does it gain flavour if you leave it like beer? I am guessing you don't have any French oak barrels to let it mature in?

I've really got to bottle my beer tomorrow. It's slowed down with the bubbling.