Home brewing at the hackspace.

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J C

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Dec 6, 2017, 1:11:04 PM12/6/17
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A few of us do home brewing and its long been the intention to get sone brewing done at the hackspace. Now the kitchen is done we can look into bringing kit down (i have plenty and others have offered to bring along too) and we would do group brews and teaching.

However it being cold if we want to do any in the winter somone nerds to solve the issue of keeping the brews warm while fermenting. 

If we want to brew beer then we need something like a large hot water boiler/ tea urn.

Then we just need to find some space to keep kit and the fermenting brews which should be manageable. 

Anyone intetested in getting involved? 

Joe

gkee...@hotmail.co.uk

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Dec 6, 2017, 1:44:42 PM12/6/17
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Has anyone got an old under counter fridge that's dead. All you need is one of those small 150watt heater and thermostat

Ian Oliver

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Dec 6, 2017, 1:48:52 PM12/6/17
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On 06/12/17 18:44, gkee...@hotmail.co.uk wrote:
> Has anyone got an old under counter fridge that's dead. All you need is one of those small 150watt heater and thermostat

I recently made a ghetto sous vide bath from a cheap deep fat fryer, a
£10 Inkbird thermostat from Amazon, and a 3D printed case from Thinigverse.

Owen Grein

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Dec 6, 2017, 2:08:09 PM12/6/17
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I have a boiler for brewing beer and also a whole heap of hops that needs using up. 
The boiler has a pid controller but the hot fluids pump died a death last time I used it. It can be used without the pump or I will be getting a replacement after the weather warms up again.



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samson B

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Dec 6, 2017, 4:23:57 PM12/6/17
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hi all sorry to be that buzz kill guy but just checking where do we stand legally brewing bear in the hackspace ?

J C

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Dec 6, 2017, 5:01:33 PM12/6/17
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Thats a fair questions, I struggle  with legal writings but apparently we fall under 47 (2) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/31/section/7

Namely A person who produces beer on any premises shall not be required to be registered under this section in respect of those premises if the beer is produced solely for his own domestic use or solely for the purposes of research or experiments in the production of beer.

Let face it anything we brew will be somewhat of experiment, We arnt going to sell it and we arnt going to distil it so we should be fine. 





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samson B

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Dec 6, 2017, 5:11:26 PM12/6/17
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true but shurly we are not one person it would be being brewned under the hackspace? . hopfuly we do fall under that that section but we might want to make sure they see it as indevisal people brewing and experimenting and not the hackspace as an organisation ( maybe ask other hackspaces that do it ? ) also please warn me if anything that is produced is caffien full ill avoid it :P :) .  

Stanto

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Dec 6, 2017, 6:17:51 PM12/6/17
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For the purpose of clarifying on a public forum and for public record, I would say that a person is in charge of their brew and their brewing. Even if more than one person is involved, it is one person leading that brew and owns it for the purpose of research and experience in brewing and for domestic use. We/they won't be selling it, particularly under the name of selling it as the Hackspace, even if it is brewed by a director.

I'm pointing this out also because if someone says "that brew is in the way / gone bad / the kit is junk, whose is it?" the answer isn't "it's the hackspaces, it lives there" the answer should hopefully be "it belongs to <this person>, it is their brew/project/they're heading it, they take it away now/clean it".

And hopefully we all get to enjoy a delicious experiment.

There is at least another hackspace that allows members to have brewing in this manner purely for the legit purpose(s) stated. If you want to know which, I'll tell you on an open evening as my memory will be better.

With that being said, anything with caffeine will be duly labelled for those sensitive to it. Also I recall Phil Hutchinson has some hardware appropriate for keeping brews warm :)


On Wednesday, 6 December 2017 22:11:26 UTC, samson B wrote:
true but shurly we are not one person it would be being brewned under the hackspace? . hopfuly we do fall under that that section but we might want to make sure they see it as indevisal people brewing and experimenting and not the hackspace as an organisation ( maybe ask other hackspaces that do it ? ) also please warn me if anything that is produced is caffien full ill avoid it :P :) .  
On Wed, Dec 6, 2017 at 10:01 PM, J C <jap...@gmail.com> wrote:
Thats a fair questions, I struggle  with legal writings but apparently we fall under 47 (2) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/31/section/7

Namely A person who produces beer on any premises shall not be required to be registered under this section in respect of those premises if the beer is produced solely for his own domestic use or solely for the purposes of research or experiments in the production of beer.

Let face it anything we brew will be somewhat of experiment, We arnt going to sell it and we arnt going to distil it so we should be fine. 





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On Wed, Dec 6, 2017 at 9:23 PM, samson B <samm...@gmail.com> wrote:
hi all sorry to be that buzz kill guy but just checking where do we stand legally brewing bear in the hackspace ?
On Wed, Dec 6, 2017 at 7:08 PM, Owen Grein <beard...@gmail.com> wrote:
I have a boiler for brewing beer and also a whole heap of hops that needs using up. 
The boiler has a pid controller but the hot fluids pump died a death last time I used it. It can be used without the pump or I will be getting a replacement after the weather warms up again.
On 6 Dec 2017 6:48 pm, "Ian Oliver" <li...@foxhill.co.uk> wrote:
On 06/12/17 18:44, gkee...@hotmail.co.uk wrote:
Has anyone got an old under counter fridge that's dead. All you need is one of those small 150watt heater and thermostat

I recently made a ghetto sous vide bath from a cheap deep fat fryer, a £10 Inkbird thermostat from Amazon, and a 3D printed case from Thinigverse.


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Parsley

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Dec 11, 2017, 5:21:36 PM12/11/17
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I would be up for this in the New Year. I keep meaning to make a brew bot for at home too.

In terms of winter brewing it's not so much a sous-vide as a mild water bath that's needed - though we could get away with lagers at lower temps. A brew-bucket sat in a water bath would provide circulation though, which means less risk of contamination as no stirring is then required.

Printed Props

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Dec 12, 2017, 5:01:08 AM12/12/17
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Has any one thought to talk to people at brewdog ad they started out as a home brewing communal group.
And they may know the rules about a communal space.
As you need a licence and to pay tax if it's spirits.
But I don't think you need one for anything that not distilled.

But I'd say at the hack space you'd need a area you can lock up.

Lawrence Molloy

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Dec 13, 2017, 5:32:09 PM12/13/17
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I have an old chest freezer. It works and us going spare in z few weeks

Lawrence Molloy

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Dec 13, 2017, 5:36:20 PM12/13/17
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also I have a few fermenting bagels and demijohns going if people want them. 
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Stephen Rowley

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Dec 13, 2017, 6:31:38 PM12/13/17
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a chest freezer would make an ideal fermenting container, naturally we need to be aware of the space. just need a small heater on a thermostat. I wouldnt mind nabbing a demijohn for myself if you've got one going free though.

J C

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Dec 15, 2017, 7:04:25 AM12/15/17
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I can try double check the legalities when I get chance. Asking brewdog seems a good plan. 

In the meantime im going to be making 2 personal batches of mead in the next few weeks. One with elderflower and one with chilli. They will live at my home but if there is anyone in addition to Stanto and Andy 51055 who wants to talk mead/ see the process then let me know . we are taking advantage of my local shop selling 500g of honey for 99p. 


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Andy51055

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Dec 16, 2017, 5:17:46 AM12/16/17
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There's a full-sized upright freezer and fridge/freezer on our street, looking in good nick with shelves and all but with the pumps removed (as always). Would it be a good idea to pick one up and bring it down to the space as a brewspace?
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Stanto

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Dec 16, 2017, 6:05:30 PM12/16/17
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I considered this when I realised we left the freezer at mabgate.

Question is, where will it go?

Adam Fairhall

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Dec 20, 2017, 9:39:22 AM12/20/17
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I have quite a lot of experience home brewing...me and my friends have been brewing regularly for years. we started out on an electric brew kettle but its not too environmentally sound so we built a rocket stove boiler purpose built for brewing..,.we are now on too the mark 2 boiler and it lives in a permanent home with permanent copper pipes and an amazing set of valves and junctions and a pump for moving all the liquid between the boiler the hot liquor tank and the mashton. we grow our own hops too. I know its not entirely relevant but i thought some of you would find that interesting. I am not a legal expert but we also have spent quite a lot of time looking at what we would have to do to get our selves properly licensed so we could sell our wares...we are quite good at it now you see...and I wouldn't of thought brewing at the hackspace would be a problem...as long as, as others have said, each brew was owned by a member as "brew leader" then all should be fine.

Lawrence Molloy

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Mar 14, 2018, 10:15:17 AM3/14/18
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Het Guys

My chest freezer is now free. Do people want it, if not Ill tip it. 

if so I can either bring it down tomorrow or I'll need a hand loading it another day.

If i bring it down where do you want it stored? 

Lawrence 


i can either bring it down tomorrow 


On Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 6:11:04 PM UTC, Japoteg wrote:

timpin .

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Mar 14, 2018, 10:25:14 AM3/14/18
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If you’re donating it to the space then the compressor could be repurposed to make silent air compressor, particularly if anyone knows of a tank going spare. Oh, wait! There’s talk of a propane bottle...

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J C

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Mar 14, 2018, 10:45:48 AM3/14/18
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Hi Lawrence how big is the chest freexer please? Sorry I forgot to ask previously. 

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Daniel F

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Mar 14, 2018, 11:29:15 AM3/14/18
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If its not far too late, I'd love some demijohns :) 

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Lawrence Molloy

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Mar 15, 2018, 5:12:03 AM3/15/18
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the fridge is 70 x 70 and 80 high. 

Ill put the demijohns inside it as well. 

I think Bagels was meant to be barrels. I have a few of those but i can bring those down any time if people want them. 



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J C

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Mar 15, 2018, 5:13:46 AM3/15/18
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Thanks Lawrence. We will find somewhete for it or take it to the skip. 

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J C

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Mar 15, 2018, 6:52:09 AM3/15/18
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Im thinking of doing a big batch of alcoholic chilli ginger ale to take to EMF :)

Bennett

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Mar 21, 2018, 6:58:33 AM3/21/18
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Hello,

I have two demi-jon's I can add as well as a one gallon(I think), brewing tub/vat
which is ideal for primary fermentation of some form of alchol then split off into multiple demi-jons for secondary,
it has three segemts as it rises up to vent pressure and then falls back down,
as well as it has a thermostat on it.

I have done in total 3 batches of alchol, a cider (that was more like a wine) & two batches of mead.
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Andy51055

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Apr 5, 2018, 4:12:10 AM4/5/18
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How's this coming along?

J C

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Apr 5, 2018, 4:29:29 AM4/5/18
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No movement. Been too busy. Hopefully take it forwards with a brew session on the 14th. 

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