h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This entry attracted my attention, as I was going to write my own entry but have sadly been beaten to it!

Please don't take my comments as criticism, but I do think the entry could be more informative.

It would be greatly improved with Headers and Titles etc.
Information should be given about the types of kits available such as "back to basic" Malt, hops in a muslin bag and yeast kits, pre-processed "tinned" types and the awful "Bagged" types.

Information should be added on the types of beer heaters, external band types or immersion types, thermostatically controlled or not.

Information should be given on types of sugar available, e.g. invert, glucose and demerara.

Information should be given on types of barrels, pint bottles and nasty plastic PET bottles. Explanation should be given as to why only proper barrels and bottles should be used! (BANG!)

I disagree with putting the lid on tightly on the fermentation barrel when fermentation is taking place. Fermentation gives of copious amounts of Carbon Dioxide gas and as such, if you have no means of venting the fizzing beer then it will blow the top off! (BANG!)

I disagree with leaving the fermenting brew for two weeks while fermentation is taking place. In my experience, the beer should be stirred every now and then to ensure all the floating yeast deposits are mixed back into he mixture. Only stop agitating the mixture when fermentation has slowed down, usually after a couple of days.

When, and only when fermentation has stopped, should you remove the heat source. The beer should then be allowed the clear in a cool environment, which it will do naturally if left undisturbed for a few days.

Once the beer is bottled/barrelled and primed, it should be moved for a few days to a room temperature place to kick start the "conditioning". Then move to a cooler place where the real clearing and flavour infusion will take place. This should be for as long as you can feasibly keep your hands off it!

I don't want to offend the author of this piece, but would love to help improve the guide entry in any way I can!
Cheers

Sid

Hi Sid,

I'm the SubEditor whose job it is to get this entry in shape, and I just wanted to tell you that your suggestions for further enhancements of this article have been heard. In fact, I'm at it at the moment and was just checking if there were some more comments on the article...

Greetings,
SchrEck Inc.

Er, while I'm at it, could you please give some information on the different types of sugar? You see, I'm no expert...

No problem!

Demerara Sugar. Can be purchased in most food shops now. It's a light to dark brown raw cane sugar. It is unbleached and so will give added depth of colour to your brewing. It's chiefly from the Demerara region of Guyana.

Inverted Sugar. It is formed by the breaking up of sucrose into dextrose and laevulose. It can only be purchased from specialist shops. It is very very fine and concentrated.

Glucose Powder or Syrup. It is one of the hexose sugars obtained in dextro- and laevorotatory forms and as a racemic mixture. It is also called D-glucose, a white or colourless sweet-tasting solid which is an important energy source in living organisms and which occurs free in fruit juices and the blood and combined in glucosides, some oligosaccharides and some polysaccharides. The syrup contains D-glucose, maltose, dextrin, and water. It is used extensivly in the food industry as a sweetener and thickener.

Errrmmmmmm... you might need to water that last one down a bit!

Sid

this is all very interesting,however, ive had excellent results only knowing about the types of sugar available in the supermarket.i feel that if we are to promote homebrew to the masses we need to make it look as easy as it actually is.not to mention the huge savings that are to be made.i recently found that for the price of five pints in a local pub, i was making five gallons of excellent beer.

True!