It has definately come on in leaps and bounds. A work colleague has given me 4 bottles of some stuff he’s made. It’s good pub quality. I’d pay for this stuff no problem. It has that splendid nutty taste I associate with a nice dark beer and leaves that slightly sticky feeling on my lips that I always associate with black dog at the black dog pub in Belmont.

Clearly I need to talk to him about how he does it but he has said this is just a normal kit, none of that grain business. I’m just about to open my third bottle of the stuff, fantastic!

Any home brewers here? Tips appreciated. I tried my own a few times years ago. It was strong but vile, I was glad when I’d finished it all.

Our homebrew got somewhat out of control amongst our biking group. Last known brew was a 1000litres ! We seem to have gone semi-commercial, just looking into bottling and licenses etc. Does help one is a brewer but even so it started out as 4 lads doing 20litres of their fave brew !

I started just after Christmas and have got what I think is a fairly decent first keg. I used the saint peters IPA kit and it was dead easy.

How did it turn out compared to the genuine article, anonymouse?
Thinking of ordering the St Peter’s stuff myself.

Buy ‘ The big book of Brewing’ , and get to know your local home brew shop .
Spend a load of dosh on hydrometers and temperature controllers .
Learn how to brew / ferment / clean your kit, and get a load of bottles and a crowner .
Dont be a mug and think putting in double the sugar will make it twice as strong . It wont .
Learn how to wait , as good things come to those who wait.

I couldn’t really compare as although I’ve sampled official St Peter’s stuff I’ve not tried the IPA. It was a little darker than I was expecting for an IPA (but that may simply be down to the type of sugar I used) but very tasty indeed.

NZcol, can I join your club? 😀

My missus got me a homebrew kit for my birthday. It’s got the makings for a bitter and for a Pilsener – which type will be more forgiving for a complete beginner to work with?

@Squidlord – I’d try the bitter first; it’ll be a bit more forgiving if you don’t get the fermentation temperature right

Puts hand up. Started with kits but now do 50 litre batches from grain/hops on a brewery I put together in the garage. Got a rather good 4.8% pale ale just tapped 🙂

stevehine – thanks!