kettel set ups

[Paul Fitch]

can any one show me what and how to set up a good system im sick of kits its just not cricket.Im keen on doing some weissbeir open top fermenting  any help would be appreciated.Im in the hamilton area if anyones around here.

[Fairlane]

That definitely the best bet; go and see a few systems in action before you decide which path to go down, or even if you feel like forging your own path.... Plus you get to hear stories about their successes and their disasters :)

[Daron]

Hi Paul, I ditched kits as the results were so average, especially when attempting to emulate German Weizen styles.

I've since done a couple of partial mash brews on the stovetop using a 17L stockpot I got for $20.00 at The Warehouse. The results have been really good and the beer is drinkable 2 weeks after bottling and with some more tweaking even better. I used one recipe which called for honey which came through without it being a full on Mead flavour.

Recipe :

Ingredients
• 220gr. light crystal malt
• 220gr. flaked wheat
• 220gr. flaked oats
• 220gr. malted wheat
• 220gr. pilsner malt
• 2KG. Weyermann weizen malt extract syrup
• 1 cups light honey
• 4 AAU Styrian Goldings hops(14gr. of 8% alpha acid)
• 2 AAU Styrian Goldings hops(14gr. of 4% alpha acid)
• Safbrew WB-06 wheat yeast

Step by Step
Steep the crystal, wheat and pilsner malts, plus the oats and flaked wheat, in a grain bag in 10litres water at 65deg C for 45 minutes. Remove the grains and rinse back into the brew kettle (through a colander) with an additional Litre of hot tap water.
Add malt extract syrup and honey to kettle, bring to a boil. Add first hops, boil 30 minutes. Add 2nd hops, boil 15 minutes, remove from heat.. Top up in fermenter to 20litres, cool to 20deg C and pitch yeast. Ferment one week at 20deg C, rack to secondary and condition two weeks at 12.5 deg C F. Prime with sugar drops, bottle and age three weeks at 10° C.

I'm stepping up to AG brews but if you have a pot to do partial mash brews on I'd suggest you try it.

My suggestion is not to attempt open top fermenting as this adds a stack more infection risk with not much benefit.