Brewing beers like those you buy

[George]

Beachbum - many thanks for a great summary/intro in your post #16. You've got me interested now. I'm primarily interested in making lager which tastes as close as possible to something like Fosters. Is that a similar process?

[curryhell]

I'm almost contemplating getting all the kit out of the loft and having a go after so many years.  Trouble is i'm a belgium beer fanatic, and whilst there are a couple of recipes out there, I can't find anything near the equivalent of Dave Lines book to tell me how to make the many brands of belgium beer that are available and that i enjoy . Just as well i returned with a bit of stock yesterday that'll keep me going for a few months until the next trip

[ELW]

I remember hearing stories of people running out of their houses into the street with exploding home brew bottles .
I've drank it but never made it. Definitely going to get into it when I'm organised. It's a good complimentary thread to run alongside the rest of the stuff on here. I'm sure a few more codes could be cracked. How close the recipe's will get me to the real thing I'll need wait & see

ELW

Edit- great post beachbum

[Salvador Dhali]

I'm almost contemplating getting all the kit out of the loft and having a go after so many years.  Trouble is i'm a belgium beer fanatic, and whilst there are a couple of recipes out there, I can't find anything near the equivalent of Dave Lines book to tell me how to make the many brands of belgium beer that are available and that i enjoy . Just as well i returned with a bit of stock yesterday that'll keep me going for a few months until the next trip

I haven't read this, CH, but it looks like it could be interesting if you're into brewing Belgian beers.

For an excellent book on brewing real ales (which I have read), check out: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belgian-Ale-Classic-Beer-Style/dp/0937381314/ref=pd_sim_b_17

[fishy]

Well since the UK goverment are going to put an increase of 40 pence per unit of alcohol on the price of booze i think its time for me to start brewing again, i feel sorry for the pubs around here they are all closing, 4 pound per pint!!!! 

[beachbum]

George:

The thing about lagers is that they are a lot more difficult to make than ales. Ales (e.g. Cameron's of Hartlepool Strongarm or Brains of Cardiff S.A.) are a lot closer to old "farmhouse" type beers. Modern Pale Lagers such as Fosters or Stella are more modern products made in big factories.

Being fairly low on flavour and very "clean" tasting, you can attempt to make them at home but if you don't get it dead right there's nothing to hide behind - you can't just add some more hops or some sugar whatever as you can with an ale.

Also you need really good temperature control so you nearly always need to get a dedicated fridge with a temperature controller.
Look, I make lagers but have the equipment, but mainly do ales as lagers are a PITA. I'd recommend that before trying to replicate something like Fosters you should brew a few ales to get the hang of basic principles. 

Curryhell:

When Dave wrote the book the only Belgian that was known in the UK was Stella wifebeater 
However once you get into brewing, Belgians are not hard -  it's really all in the yeast, a lot of specialty yeasts are available from home brew suppliers to give those spicy "phenolic" overtones, so you can make something very close to a Leffe etc.

[George]

Well since the UK goverment are going to put an increase of 40 pence per unit of alcohol on the price of booze i think its time for me to start brewing again

Wrong and misleading! They're not adding 40p per unit. The broad concept - yet to be finalised, let alone put into law - is to force retailers to charge at least 40p per unit. So if a can of lager costs ?1 at present, there's no reason for the price to increase, but if a supermarket is currently selling a can of lager for 20p under some sort of subsidised, loss-leader strategy, then they'll be forced to put the price up to nearer ?1.

I still think it's outrageous. Why should responsible people not be able to buy great value products, just because a few people get drunk? They should come down harder on the drunks and perhaps charge them for the cost of medical care.

[George]

The thing about lagers is that they are a lot more difficult to make than ales.

beachbum - thanks again. You really do seem to know your stuff.

[Aussie Mick]

I remember hearing stories of people running out of their houses into the street with exploding home brew bottles .

It's true!

If you overprime your bottles ie. add too much sugar for secondary fermentattion, then yes, bottles could/will expolde.

Hey BB. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from memory ales are top fermented and flavoured with hops like fuggles and goldings, whereas lagers are bottom fermented and flavoured with halertau type hops. 

At the end of the day lagers like Fosters aren't really "brewed". More like manufactured by chemists.

[curryhell]

I'm almost contemplating getting all the kit out of the loft and having a go after so many years.  Trouble is i'm a belgium beer fanatic, and whilst there are a couple of recipes out there, I can't find anything near the equivalent of Dave Lines book to tell me how to make the many brands of belgium beer that are available and that i enjoy . Just as well i returned with a bit of stock yesterday that'll keep me going for a few months until the next trip

I haven't read this, CH, but it looks like it could be interesting if you're into brewing Belgian beers.

For an excellent book on brewing real ales (which I have read), check out: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belgian-Ale-Classic-Beer-Style/dp/0937381314/ref=pd_sim_b_17

Excellent SD.  Thanks for the link, there's also another book on the subject too - bonus.  Both at a reduced price and the reviews are good.  Both should be a good read even if i don't brush the dust of my equipment just yet, having some 100+ litres to work my way through after my recent excursion ;D.  Nothing goes down as well as a good curry followed up by a couple of bottles of class belgium ale