All Blog Posts (228)

Recently, I commisioned the fabrication of a new fermenter for my brewery. Several months, and several thousand dollars later - she arrived. She was in a bit of a state - and took me 3 solid days to clean out. Then I had to fabricate adapters etc so as to suit the existing hardware in my brewhouse... this took a lot of time, but I got it done within a few days.

So...…

latest brew was bier de saison yesterday. bloody coriander seed shit blocked up my pump!, will put it in a bag next time.

should be good for those summer arvos i can pretend im a belgian farm peasant drowning my sorrows after a hard day shoveling shit haha!

First post from me.  A year or so brewing - this time around.  I was shopping around for the next step up from BIAB and was impressed by the Farra kit but struggling with the price and felt there had to be a better way.  I am developing a three pot electric system with 2 kW elements and thermometers with the help of an enthusiastic chemical process engineer from India - here as a lawn mower repair man...  I'll post some photos when we get there - and look forward to questions/ feedback/…

Hi Guys

I've got tickets to the Wales v Fiji game in Hamilton this sunday, I would appreciate any advice on the best places for a couple of decent beers - preferably handy to the rugby ground.

Cheers

Hi All,

I have been reading here for a while, and am starting with all-grain brewing.  In fact, I'm leaping in the deep end as I have never brewed before!

I'll be keeping track of not only the foray into brewing, but also beers that I try (I've tried plenty in the past, but never really kept track, I think its time to)

I'm going to be 'blogging' on wordpress, here:…

Hi Guys

Some interesting looking equipment has been sighted going into the old Rose and Crown pub in Auk. Has anyone heard of a new micro brewery being set up there?

Hi all, Im BIAB and now onto brew # 5 and am after a clone of the mighty Rock hopper.

Can anyone help me out, I love that beer.  Thanks.

My wife made some Stout Soap last night, and I added heaps of fuggle hops into it. I used it this morning, and it great. Nothing like the sweet smell of hops in the shower. The club members at Great Expectations tonight will be the test subjects to gain some market feedback.

The selling tag line could be.
"If your wife thinks you been drinking cause you smell of beer, you can say that you just showered"

Bought a 15m length of 1/4" copper pipe from TradeMe, $71 inc postage:

Filled it with water and stuck it the freezer...

Tip: to fill the pipe, stick one end underwater in the sink and suck the water through. Learnt this after getting quite a lot of water on myself and the floor.

 …

Been brewing extract brew for a while, but slowly making the transition over to the dark side.... of all grain brewing.

Bought 3,  50L kegs from Tui brew @ Mangatinoka. I bought a Crankinstien grain mill for a really good price and had a friend bring it back for me[if maybe a few of you guys need a mill i might be able to get other mates returning to NZ to bring them back] . Cost  me $149.00 US sent to my mates. Got 15m of 1/2 inch copper coil off Trade Me for $69 + $10

post…

Here are a few things about Wyeast, RealBeer.co.nz and the company previously called Nicholford Brewing Company

Wyeast - some background

- Available in New Zealand since 1997

- First imported by Luke Nicholas for brewing at Cock & Bull brewpub, then supplied to other brewers and homebrewers along with malt and hops, out the back door of the brewery.

- Orders of FRESH yeast every 2 months

- Direct from lab, most cases brewers receive yeast…

Just a quick one to show you my new (well actually secondhand off Trade Me - $111) 60L kettle and the new deluxe kettle stand I built to go with it ($0).

The original stool.

 …

After a long hard week of blending wine, spilling wine, drinking wine. One looks forward to spending a weekend working on his little piece of dirt. Such things like mowing the lawns while having a beer. “Pissing on the back fence” Weeding the gardens while having a beer. “Pissing on the front fence” The latter should be done at night so the rubber necking traffic don’t see you with your python swinging in the breeze! "Note the lower case's regarding my python"

But none the less one…

15 years ago age I came back from my Brittish OE with a dream to start my own Whiskey distillery...............after working in north eastern Scotland planting and harvesting malting grain and living in whiskey country I had come home with it in my veins if the Scots sarted doing it hundreds of years ago how hard could it be.

Well when I got home I seeked advice on getting going, I met a old bugger who told me to brew beer "its easy to make and cheap to start out" so I got some gear…

Here is a rough idea of the first stage of my brewery - the kettle. Apologies, my drawing skills didn't develop much after the age of five.

There is a copper immersion chiller up top (bought 12m of copper tube for this for $69 from Trade Me) which goes into a 60L stainless cook pot I bought from Trade Me for $111. 

Next is a weldless bi-metal…

I had a break from brewing for a couple of years and am just starting up again. So far I have a bitter bottled, plus a golden ale and a lager bubbling away. I just brew from extract at the moment, no kettle involved, although I do boil hops and add to the wort. 

I've been brewing like this for about 7 or 8 years now and have had some great results, with one or two mishaps along the way. But now I'm…

Having recieved an awesome book for Christmas (home brew by Doug Rouxel and Sara Paston-Williams, Thanks Lorelle and Elaine) I have been itching to try one of the recipes, I settled on "Overlord extra special bitter"  the format of the recipes in the book are a little wierd so I have played with and tweaked the recipe using the "hopville beer calculus website" check out this recipe!…

Bottled first attempt and went again.Got 22 750 ml bottles, so not so bad in the end.

This brew   4.6 kg British pale ale malt,250 g Crystal, 100g Nelson sauvon with S-05 as always.. This time added 28litres of water and mashed for 1hr, 40min @ 68c.Then boiled for 60 mins with only 10g bitter and all of the rest in the last 15 mins including 25g at flame out.

Much more mellow boil with lid half on and got 24 lites in fermenter with 3 litre mark…