Gages Road IPA v U Brew 4 U

[pacman]

Tried a couple of these at the weekend.

Nice beer, but no match for the "Hop Head IPA" I recently brewed and bottled at the local U Brew 4 U outlet. Not just my opinion either!

Outperformed Gages Road on all fronts - taste, bittering, body, head and clarity.

Am a HBer often pressed for time. My solution? Supplement my HB efforts with a 50L brew from local U Brew 4 U outlet. Excellent quality & approx half price of commercial equivalents.

Depends on your location. Definitely not for everyone.

[yardglass]

just curious, what's it cost for 50 lt ?

[pacman]

Between $125 and $150, depending on the quality of the brew you select.

On brew day, you measure out the ingredients. Then put the fermentables in a 50L kettle and boil for 15 minutes or so before commencing hop additions at 15 minute intervals. Two or three hop additions, depending upon the style of beer you brew.

After this, you get 14 days fermentation @ 18degC, followed by 7-21 days conditioning @ 1degC. Your brew is then kegged, and on bottling day triple filtered (10, 5 and then 1 micron) and bottled at about 8psi.

Result? Crystal clear. Good carbonation. No sediment. Great taste. And like HB, no hangover. Unless you mix your drinks, of course!

Leaves commercial beer for dead!

Not for the purist HBr. But great for me. Don't have the time or the facilities that most dedicated HBrs have, so I settle for the U Bru 4 U scene. Very sociable, and am able to customise my brews if I wish (Like, I don't have to filter. Can bottle condition if I prefer, or adjust ingredients to suit my tastes.).

Still do my 11.5L brews. Simply takes the presure off me by supplementing with U Bru 4 U.

Hope this doen't read like a commercial. It's not for everybody, but great for me.

[Pale_Ale]

Where are they situated? I've heard of these but haven't really looked into it.

Although it would be a big investment for them, at that price they would be making a killing. On the whole though it's not bad value considering the quantity and time saved.

I can see a clear market for it especially with the increasingly discerning brew community.

I would use it to make a super clean lager as that is far more difficult at home.

[pacman]

Don't know about SA. A small number in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth & Gold Coast. Will ask my local man & let you know.

[pacman]

Sorry, only answered part of your post.

Costs these blokes about $500,000 to set up, plus the ability to operate at a loss for a year or two before reaching the break even point. They then start to recuperate the first two years losses.

Definitely a long term project. Not for the faint hearted.

[Pale_Ale]

Plenty of good drinks and good times though, no doubt.

[pacman]

Sorry Pale, can't find anything in SA. Rumour has it your State Govt is not making this type of enterprise welcome. Don't you love PS bureaucrats?