Beer, and who makes it?

[SayMyName]

I've been thinking about making my own beer.

Anyone else on here aspire to the same?

Share your tales and pictures so I can wet my lips and fantasize.

 

[Zoom-boing]

My hubs got a beer making kit for father's day and he's made two batches so far. Pretty good and he's learning as he goes . . . second batch was better than the first. Nothing fancy equipment-wise -- I think the real stuff is in the $300 or so ballpark -- but that may change in the future. Got the kit at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's a good way to try it out without investing a chunk 'o change. I think his next batch will involve honey.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I make mead but some things are the same. First and foremost always make sure your equipment is CLEAN! Follow the instructions closely until you get a better idea of what to do. And keep meticulous notes. It sometimes takes a while before a batch is ready and if it's really good, or really bad, you'll want to remember what you did.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Oh yeah, his first batch he was anxious to taste so he didn't wait long enough. It was fairly bitter at first but as time passed it mellowed out and the color darkened. And you can't use dish soap to clean anything because it leaves a film or something behind. Oxyclean-free is recommended but until you actually go out and buy that, you can leave all the empty bottles just sitting by the sink to annoy those who find that annoying. lol

My son got a root beer making kit for Christmas. That only takes a couple of days before it's ready. If you have kids or nieces/nephews and are looking for a gift it's a fun project to do. We're still waiting on the root beer to finish . . . probably tomorrow or Sunday it'll be ready.

 

[gallantwarrior]

There are commercial cleaners that do the job very well. In a pinch, regular bleach diluted at 1 cup per gallon of water works too. Make sure you rinse really well, though. Are you using a glass carboy?

 

[PredFan]

I've been thinking about making my own beer.

Anyone else on here aspire to the same?

Share your tales and pictures so I can wet my lips and fantasize.

I've been making beer for a few years now. Got my recipe down pat now. I have my own brew exactly how I like it. It is an ale, strong amber/dark, not very bitter, and low in carbonation.

Yum.

 

[PredFan]

There are commercial cleaners that do the job very well. In a pinch, regular bleach diluted at 1 cup per gallon of water works too. Make sure you rinse really well, though. Are you using a glass carboy?

I use one of the commercial cleaners, I can't remember the name off-hand, I order it on line. I also use a glass carboy wich is what I mainly need the cleaner for. Tends to get crusty at the top of that thing.

 

[syrenn]

I helped craft a best seller for a micro brewery........ and i HATE beer.

 

[PredFan]

I helped craft a best seller for a micro brewery........ and i HATE beer.

Demon!

Blasphemer!

Off with her head!

 

[syrenn]

I helped craft a best seller for a micro brewery........ and i HATE beer.

Demon!

Blasphemer!

Off with her head!

Beer is nasty kids stuff.

 

[High_Gravity]

I LOVE beer, too lazy to make it myself though.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I helped craft a best seller for a micro brewery........ and i HATE beer.

Demon!

Blasphemer!

Off with her head!

Beer is nasty kids stuff.

Soooo, how do you fell about mead? Right now I have a sack mead, a dry mead, a melomel, and a cyser becoming palatable beverages.

 

[syrenn]

Demon!

Blasphemer!

Off with her head!

Beer is nasty kids stuff.

Soooo, how do you fell about mead? Right now I have a sack mead, a dry mead, a melomel, and a cyser becoming palatable beverages.

Truthfully, ive never had mead, so i could not tel you how i felt about it.

 

[Dr.House]

I make about 5 batches (5 gallons per batch) every year. Been doing it a long time now and love the results... Kind of an "I made that!" feeling...

It's easy once you learn the proper techniques, the most important is sanitize everything that will touch the beer after it's been boiled! I use StarSan, a commercial product that restaurants use and doesn't require the rinsing that bleach does... Well worth the reasonable price... one oz. of the stuff in 5 gals. of water lasts the whole brew day...

Started with a couple of pieces of equipment - fermenting pails, airlocks, bottle capper - and bought the other essentials at a local homebrew place and online... Plenty of starter equipment packages to be had for under 100 bucks to get you ready for the first batch! Amazing amount of online resources too...

I began with online kits of all extract ingredients (no grains at all), then moved on to mini-mash (some grains you have to steep in water plus some extract), and then all grain recipes, which require extra equipment.. I usually do mini-mash batches now, just for the convenience with the ability to tweak my brews...

The hardest part is the waiting...lol I usually follow the following:

1 week in the primary fermenter
1 week (or more) in the secondary fermenter
2 weeks in the bottle

I finished a nice spiced porter for the holidays that friends and family are raving about and will be brewing a vanilla stout tomorrow...

Bottom line, it's easy, fun, it's approximately 2 cases of YOUR beer...

Relax, have a homebrew!

 

[gallantwarrior]

I make about 5 batches (5 gallons per batch) every year. Been doing it a long time now and love the results... Kind of an "I made that!" feeling...

It's easy once you learn the proper techniques, the most important is sanitize everything that will touch the beer after it's been boiled! I use StarSan, a commercial product that restaurants use and doesn't require the rinsing that bleach does... Well worth the reasonable price... one oz. of the stuff in 5 gals. of water lasts the whole brew day...

Started with a couple of pieces of equipment - fermenting pails, airlocks, bottle capper - and bought the other essentials at a local homebrew place and online... Plenty of starter equipment packages to be had for under 100 bucks to get you ready for the first batch! Amazing amount of online resources too...

I began with online kits of all extract ingredients (no grains at all), then moved on to mini-mash (some grains you have to steep in water plus some extract), and then all grain recipes, which require extra equipment.. I usually do mini-mash batches now, just for the convenience with the ability to tweak my brews...

The hardest part is the waiting...lol I usually follow the following:

1 week in the primary fermenter
1 week (or more) in the secondary fermenter
2 weeks in the bottle

I finished a nice spiced porter for the holidays that friends and family are raving about and will be brewing a vanilla stout tomorrow...

Bottom line, it's easy, fun, it's approximately 2 cases of YOUR beer...

Relax, have a homebrew!

My homebrew buddy recently left the state for warmer climes, well...that and a woman. Now I have no source of good homebrew. I have all the basic equipment, plus he left me a lot of his stuff. I might have to expand, adding beer to my mead-making.
I guess it's an omen. My daughter told me that if I wanted to lose weight, I should try drinking less beer. Damn! That's harsh.

 

[SayMyName]

Relax, have a homebrew!

My daughter told me that if I wanted to lose weight, I should try drinking less beer. Damn! That's harsh.

I was thinking more along the lines of eating less, and drinking more beer. *winks*

 

[gallantwarrior]

I've considered cutting back and drinking beer only on those days that end in -day.

 

[beachbum81]

My buddy made his own beer once and he said never again b/c it tasted like crap and took forever.

 

[gallantwarrior]

My buddy made his own beer once and he said never again b/c it tasted like crap and took forever.

Sometimes it takes a while to mutate a science project into an art.