The message nMN0c.2447$zu.2073@newsfe1-win
from "Andy Hunt" contains these words:
A friend of mine suggested having a go at making some organic beer, from
scratch. I hope he knows what he's doing.

This is not something to attempt lightly if you mean *REALLY* from
scratch. You need strictly controlled temperatures when chitting the
barley and malting it, also it must be turned (gently) regularly or it
goes sour.

Then when you mash it, the maltose has to be extracted within a very
tight temperature band, about ±1°F for lager malt and ±1°C for English
type beer malt.

It is much more sensible to buy spray-dried malt extract.

Anyway, presumably we would need to grow some hops. Would anyone here know
about this, or what quantity of hops we'd need to make a decent quantity of
beer? Could I grow hops in tubs?

You can buy dried hops from many chemists. You need about four ounces of
the dried hops for five gallons of beer.

However, hops are easy to grow, are fairly decorative in (say) a big
hedge, but in a small garden might present a bit of a problem, as the
vine will grow to a height of about twenty feet. (They are perenniel,
and die back every year, to regrow with a lot of new thugs^H^H^H^mates.

At Harvest Festival *SOME* of your local clergy will be very happy to
receive a bundle from you for decoration.

(My mother used to see the hops I had drying in the sun on the lawn and
lecture me: "You leave some of those for Harvest Festival, my son, or
there'll be trouble!"

Pan round to eight-foot hedge literally choked with hops - enough to
bedeck St Paul's - inside and out......

Best of luck with the beer. Oh, a word of warning: if you are going to
use any sugar in the brew, check on one of the proprietory beer kits how
much they recommend. ON NO ACCOUNT exceed this as a ratio to the malt
they use, as too great a proportion of sugar in a malt brew will lead to
severe headaches and can kill you.

Thanks all, in anticipation!

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/