About to get back into it

[killspice]

Hi all,

I have had a busy year and a half, but finally I'm about to get back into brewing (previously known on here as samadhi).

Last time I brewed I ended up with a very sub-par wheat beer (it was supposed to be a hoegaarden clone), but it was probably too hot and ended up way too fruity and smelt a bit weird. A few months after dropping the last brew my drinking slowed a lot and now I have a whole lot of flat, 18-month old beers that don't really taste so good any more. My favourite (LCPA clone) disappeared very quickly, along with my irish stout (which I just discovered another 8 bottles of, that aren't flat!!!), so I've got rid of some of the really flat ones. Now things have settled down with my fiance (the main reason I stopped drinking and brewing was due to the time I was spending with her), I am finding I really want to get back into it, so I'm back here to say hi, and steal some of that valuable expertise

I have a slightly (2 months) 'out of date' brewmasters mexican cerveza kit that I'm going to put down after I get to my HBS for some hallertau and saaz, and a saflager s-23 (I have a free fridge and thermostat to keep it @ 12), my plan is the kit, brew booster #15, with the hallertau @60m, saaz @ 30m and 15m into the boil. Hoping for a clean, clear brew despite the darkening with age.

If my fiance doesn't like that one, I'm obliged to make a TED clone (I'm thinking tooheys lager, .5kg ldme, .5kd dex, dry enzyme, and cascade or saaz hops @ 30/15m).

I also have a 4-6 month 'out of date' muntons yorkshire ale that I am going to put down after that, but not sure what I'm going to do with that recipe. When i got the kit, I got a 'brew booster' with some grain inside the pack (westbrew #70, english bitter), but that was 18 months ago at least, I am thinking I should get rid of that and get fresh stuff (the kit should be ok, being a dark ale the extra time should just have darkened it).

Any comments or advice on any of the above? I have spent a few days back on here and have remembered how much I had forgotten about brewing, and how much I didn't know back then too

[matr]

Now things have settled down with my fiance (the main reason I stopped drinking and brewing was due to the time I was spending with her),

I take it you are now married and "need" to start drinking again???

[Kevnlis]

previously known on here as samadhi

Your "secret" is safe with us

Any comments or advice on any of the above? I have spent a few days back on here and have remembered how much I had forgotten about brewing, and how much I didn't know back then too

I say chuck the old kit, or at least save it for a later brew when you can add fresh hops and grains. You don't want your first return batch to have terrible kit twang, and I dare say an expired Cerveza kit would have...

[killspice]

Cerveza kit is gone for now then, I think I'll get a fresh one (I hadn't done a Cerveza before, and want to give it a go), and do the old one second or third (depending on whether I make a TED or not). At least then if the old Cerveza batch turns out terrible I know to give up on the even older yorkshire bitter.

Mmm, beer.

Your "secret" is safe with us

You might be one of the first people to ever pick up on that, everyone always wonders where the hell that nick came from.

[Kevnlis]

The age would not be so apparent in the Bitter, it will probably be fine after a bit of time in the bottle.

It suprises me how few people know that album, some of their best work is on it IMHO. Lakinis Juice is my all time fav, but I can not really fault a single song they did.