Craft beer thread

[Hugh Jarse]

It is a very impressive bit of equipment if it lives up to the marketing.

A 1.8 litre growler refill costs about $30.
$1500 buys you 50 growlers or 90 litres of Craft Beer.

A 330 ml stubbie costs about $4
$1500 buys you 375 stubbies or 123 litres of Craft beer.

$1500 for a PicoBrew is an attractive and cost effective investment.

Maybe Father Christmas will be kind.

 

[ChargerWA]

Just make sure you can find a 110/230v transformer with enough VA to run it before you shell out for the Picobrew. Initial info was it would be 110v only for the first couple of years.

 

[Gibbo]

I got the International version $AUS 2156 (220V/240V)
That doesn't include import duty (about $350) and transport costs (no idea just yet)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ I'd imagine that the other setup costs (gas, kegs, hoses, connectors, etc) would push the full set up price ready to produce the first brew to around $3k to $3.5k.

Still seems reasonable value.

 

[Gibbo]

affirmative.
The Kegerator + 6kg C02 bottle + 4 2nd hand Kegs and new seals + delivery costs = ~$1100
Sholuld all be here today or tomorrow.

The beauty being I can keep brewing the traditional way until the Picobrew arrives. Anyone who says Picobrew isn't traditional needs to think about how old the full-mash technique is and how error-prone & inefficient it can be.

Tap beer for christmas!

 

[Braveheart81]

Given the amount of beer the Picobrew can produce, how do you propose to get rid of it?

Can you bottle it easily as well as put it in kegs?

 

[Lindommer]

Gibbo's got that under control, Bh, Gagger's promised us free beer at our Christmas do. Any left over, a recovery at Gibbo's place on Boxing Day to watch the cricket.

 

[Gibbo]

There is a device called a counter pressure bottle filler.
http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3246

Straight from keg to Bottle without losing the carbonation. Basically can be stored for a long time. Good for the bridge to going semi-commercial

If its just for take-aways (going to be drunjk within a day or 2) I have a nice collection of Growlers and Grolsch 1.5L swing tops

 

[Hugh Jarse]

This is very nice.

 

[Nusadan]

Just bought this for the 2nd time:

For those who love both whiskey and beer but not allowed more than one standard drink on most nights at home, it's your solution!

 

[Lindommer]

Anything from Feral Brewing Company's worth sampling, the Hop Hog IPA especially so. They've won a few awards lately which puts them right up there in the top league of Oz craft brewers.

Called in to HopDog BeerWorks in Nowra recently, their brews are delicious.

Had an Imperial Stout from Red Hill Brewery on the Mornington Peninsula recently, one of the smoothest stouts I've ever tasted.

 

[boyo]

Maybe cyclo' should drop by the HopDog BeerWorks on one of his sojourns in Nowra (if he hasn't done so already).

 

[2bluesfan]

Not sure if it qualifies as a craft beer but I'm enjoying a Leffe Biere de Noele in a tiny little apartment on the Rue St Honore in Paris. Quite nice and 6.6% - not that I'm a beer snob (heck, I'll admit to usually drinking Tooheys New). To be honest, I'm actually on my second. Pack of 12 for 6 euros, seemed a good deal to a boy from Parramatta!

Why don't we brew Christmas beers?

 

[Lindommer]

HopDog BeerWorks at Nowra do, got myself some of their 2013 Secret Santa Festive Spiced Belgian Ales yesterday. Will report after I sample it.

One of the reasons we don't have a tradition of brewing Christmas beers is climate: the European ones are traditionally very rich and high in alcohol, which makes them bloody hard work during a boiling hot Aussie summer. The Bavarians brew a bock for Christmas, bocks are always rich with a high alc/vol. Chuck Hahn did one in the early 90s, it was bloody beautiful but not refreshing on a hot day. The Danes also do seasonal brews (always at Christmas and Easter), once again very high in alcohol, they're perfectly suited to their freezing cold winters.

 

[Baldric]

The Kegerator + 6kg C02 bottle + 4 2nd hand Kegs and new seals + delivery costs = ~$1100
Sholuld all be here today or tomorrow.

Gibbo, could you give a report back on the Picobrew. I would be interested how it goes.

 

[Gibbo]

Baldric - no problems. The Picobrew is still being manufactured - in the USA. It won't be shipped until about July. The pre-order discount was apparently about $750 to $1000.

The kegerator etc is being built at the moment in my garage.
The only problem with the kegerator was that the hole in the back of the fridge for the Gas line to come in from the 3-Way regulator was only built for 1 line (maybe 2). I had to bore it out a bit and put foam filler in it. Also they didn't ship the keg disconnects - they are shipping them today.
I've got a Galaxy pale ale and an Amber Ale that will be ready to go into the first 2 kegs.

 

[Gibbo]

Chuck Hahn did one in the early 90s, it was bloody beautiful but not refreshing on a hot day.

Balmain Bock wasn't as good as the Orginal Australian Bok - Dogbolter from Matilda Bay

 

[boyo]

Dogbolter - the stuff of legend.

A few of those and you thought that you were a legend.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Baldric - no problems. The Picobrew is still being manufactured - in the USA. It won't be shipped until about July. <snip>

There goes the Christmas present.

 

[Baldric]

There goes the Christmas present.

Christmas in July