We’re getting all the niceties ready for Christmas and I’m sure you are, but if you’re stumped about what to get your Mr, then how about a Brew Barrel? If you’re guy has never tried to brew his own, or is put off at just how difficult it sounds, then fear not. Brew Barrel is super simple and takes just two weeks to provide you with enough beer/lager for him to ring in the New Year.
Andy loves making his own beer. He’s tried to make it traditionally with hops, malt and a huge container (including a floating thermometer) to the Cheesemaker bag so when I mentioned Brew Barrel his ears pricked up and he wandered over in my direction to spy the website I had open. We were offered to trial a personally styled Brew Barrel, so went through the list of goodies they have listed. You choose the beer style, then the hops and finally the flavour. We chose, Lager: Mild: Honey: Cascade.
It arrived within a few days by courier (result) and we set about pulling the kit apart and arranging everything ready to start boiling water needed, syphoning off cold water from Virgin Pure (they say you can use tap water but bottled water might be better. Virgin Pure is filtered so thought we’d give that a go). Andy added all the water needed, added the hops and the flavour. We were then told to turn it upside down for 30 seconds and leave it to rest for a few days. After then we had to rest it in the fridge for 5 days. Only then could you remove the air from the barrel by pushing the little red valve on top, then proceeded to pour out a pint.
It was a little fiddly to pour the pint out as the handle at the front wouldn’t pull out correctly, and although we removed the air the pint still poured out with such a force Andy ended up with a pint of head initially. Once it settled down we had a lovely pint of almost clear lager. Now I don’t normally drink but I just had to try it as it was our first personalised concoction. It was gorgeous. The overwhelming taste was honey, followed by a flowers. It was so nice I drank the whole pint. It’s like a very light lager that you can drink at any time. There wasn’t any “iron” taste which usually hits the back of my throat when I’ve tried lager for reviews, this was very creamy and totally delicious. It was so incredibly easy to follow too I can see me buying Andy another one for Christmas as even I could do it. Not complicated at all.
It’s a lovely little size too and fits in the fridge quite easily and comfortably, we left it on the side in the kitchen at first, then Andy put it into his beer fridge and drains a pint out for lunch pretty much every day since.
€29.00 for the basic kit, and a few extra euros to buy extras to make your barrel truly unique. Worth it? I should say so, we loved making it and Andy loves drinking it. Top notch!
Brew Barrel Review
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