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New to the hobby and loving it, this was
my third brew out of the ten I have done
to date. After my time in the UK I was
after a brown ale with English
overtones. Composed as follows – kit
plus, 500g DDME, 500g LDME, 250g
Dextrose, Fuggles hops tea bagged to
wort and Safale S04, temp range 22 to 24
degrees, primary for 10 days, direct to
bottles, standard prime with white
sugar. Start drinking at 2 weeks, now 3
months and keeps getting better, good
head, great English flavour, good colour
and balance , without being too heavy.
Nearly out so will do again very soon
with little to no change, perhaps some
corn powder. I am surprised at the
previous comments, definitely Highly
recommended!
– Rating:4/5

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Being my very first home brew, after 3
months I will not serve this to anyone.
Actually, I dumped what I had left
yesterday. I followed the directions, no
boil, kit yeast, 1 KG table sugar. It
tasted like a yeasty mud puddle and
barely passed as beer. I am a very
careful sanitiser, and there was no
sourness. Would not try this again, just
given the wierd flavours that were
pronounced. – Rating:1/5

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This beer turned out amazingly, all I
did was pitch the included yeast and
ferment for 3 weeks in a glass carboy.
VERY good malty flavour, with some
unexpected depth. Nice aftertaste, very
thirst quenching. Will definately do
this again. – Rating:5/5

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Making beer at home is one thing. Selling it is another.

The British government has told a Hampshire man he must now pay duty, keep better records and undergo a background check for a license to sell his beer.

The Metro reports it began when Robert Shields, who brews 100 pints (or 12.5 gallons) a month, decided to start charging friends just six months after he started brewing.

But before selling the home-made Moorlands and Runnymede bitters, he was told to convert his shed into a bonded warehouse and apply for two licences.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custom’s guidelines added that he must pay 20p duty a bottle, measure how much alcohol is in his beer and record how much malt he buys.

(He) also had to get a personal licence to sell alcohol and undergo a criminal records check by the police.

“It’s totally over the top for someone who just wants to sell beer to friends,” he said.

However a spokesman for the a Campaign for Real Ale, a consumer advocate group, said: “It’s right that if you are selling it to people then you have to make sure it is of a demonstrable quality.”

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so this was only my second kit made and
done to the exact kit instructions.
While its better then the first one
still not a good beer. Smells fantastic
and looks like beer but definetly not
one to be brewed again
– Rating:2/5

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An absolute belter! Brewed as per
instructions at lower end of temperature
range, 20ish. Finished product was full
bodied, very creamy head retention with
lively carbonation A slight biterness
with a full flavour, so much so it will
become my staple drop. Full marks!
– Rating:5/5

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The Associated Press reports that Boston Beer Co., brewery of Samuel Adams beers, and Germany’s historic Weihenstephan will partner on a beer to be sold next spring in both Germany and the United States.

Boston Beer CEO Jim Koch and Josef Schraedler, managing director of Weihenstephan, said their two companies have been working together for two years on the beer, which they will make and market jointly. It has yet to be named, will be sold in corked bottles and contain 10% alcohol by volume.

The Weihenstephan brewery, owned by the state of Bavaria, dates back to 1040 when Benedictine monks began making beer at their cloister outside Munich.

“We’re creating a brand, a product that never existed before, a very premium brand” Koch told the Associated Press.

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News from the breweries:

- Fire Island Beer Co., based in Ocean Beach, N.Y., has launched a second brand, Fire Island Red Wagon IPA. “Fire Island Beer Company is going in a hoppier direction with Red Wagon IPA compared to our Lighthouse Ale,” co-founder Tom Fernandez said for a press release. “Wagons are central to life on Fire Island, and the perfect symbol of what makes this place so different,” added co-founder Jeff Glassman. “There are no cars, so people pull their stuff around in wagons instead. It’s a great reminder to keep things simple in life . . . you can only carry so much, so focus on what’s important. That is the idea that inspired Red Wagon IPA.”

Fire Island Beer Co. has its beers brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. in New York.

- Flying Fish Brewing will release Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout, the third in their popular Exit Series of Big Bottle Beers. Exit 1 is a classic oyster stout, a once-ubiquitous style brewed with local oysters, in this case from the Delaware Bay, for richness and intensity of flavor.

“New Jersey’s southwest bayshore has been supplying oysters to Americans since colonial times. Until the 1950s, hundreds of millions of oysters were harvested annually,” said Flying Fish head brewer Casey Hughes. “Now, thanks to efforts by many organizations, the oyster is coming back. We worked with local oystermen in Port Norris, NJ to get the freshest specimens for this brew.”

Exit 1 is brewed with 100 Delaware Bay oysters per batch. The beer bears the name of Exit 1 because it is the final turnpike exit before drivers enter the state of Delaware. Future Exit Series Big Bottles will be named for other exits, chosen based on videos, photos and testimonials submitted to Flying Fish by fans. “One of the very best things about the Exit Series is the interactive element of it,” said Flying Fish founder Gene Muller.

Flying Fish was recently named “Local Hero: Beverage Artisan of 2009” by Edible Jersey magazine. In addition, the brewery took home two medals at this year’s GABF, including a gold medal for Exit 4.

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Used standard kit, fermented at 22
degrees celcius for 7 days, didnt bother
with a rack. This beer has no body but
has enough bitterness to offset the lack
of body. Excellent beer to swig on a
hot summer day. Could do with flavouring
and aroma hops.
– Rating:4/5

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This was my first beer brew and it
turned out great. Bottled in 500ml
bottles and used 1 carb drop per bottle.
After 3 weeks it is tasting good and
definately will get better with age!
Good simple basic brew.
– Rating:4/5

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