by rumby » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:28 am
I have been making my own beer for about 10 years, I would recommend buying evything seperately, it might cost a bit more, but some of the extra you get in a kit is either shit or useless. I would recommend getting a 60l fermentor rather that a 30l. Making up the brew wont take any longer, but bottling it will. I figure if I am cleaning 30 bottle, whats 60 bottles,(as this takes longer, i get to spend more time down stairs drinking... I mean brewing), as cleaning is your biggest issue and most be 110 %. For the fermentor, they is a place in Brisbane that spud & I get out fermentors they doe sell 80l containers with a tap for $ 22, my last fermentor (60l) from the home brew shop cost $65.
I now only make an beer that is very close to tooheys old, and this is all I drink. Morgans has a mixture, buy 1kg of dextrose and 1kg of a body brew with is approx 50/50 dark & light malt, (this seems to give the beer a good head and a bit of body).
Carbon drops I find make the beer too gases, use sugar for priming and if you can let the beer sit for a minium of 3mths
Some of the guys on this site that make there own from stratch, which is very impressive, and I would love to, but as I now drink a lot more rum, cant get inspired to make my own from stratch.
I have only ever had one bottle explode, and my missus reckons it was the one time she helped bottle it and put to much priming sugar in.