Home Brewers?

the_journeyman
the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
edited December 2024 in Chit-Chat
Anybody on here do any home brewing?

I've been successful with some excellent hard cider, Dandelion wine, and have my first batch of beer coming ready. I'm still a very basic brewer, so I've not done anything really complex.

Post up if you do any brewing! I'd love to share tips & recipes and experiences.

JM

Replies

  • trailsinlife
    trailsinlife Posts: 37 Member
    We want to get into it and bought most of what is needed. Then we decided to move and build a house so everything is in storage! I can't wait till we can get it out and try it.
  • JBurger2066
    JBurger2066 Posts: 161 Member
    Some of my friends are into it, big time. They have a web show they do as well. They talk about different types of beers, what goes into making them, they'll have specials guests (legit people), and even work with the Rahr brewery on some ideas.

    www.frontiertelevision.com/dogleg
  • tialeanne
    tialeanne Posts: 186 Member
    My husband makes some wonderful mead in all different flavors. It's really the only alcohol I like to drink any more.
  • jppd47
    jppd47 Posts: 737 Member
    beer, mead and braggot. been over year since I made a batch though
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Some of my friends are into it, big time. They have a web show they do as well. They talk about different types of beers, what goes into making them, they'll have specials guests (legit people), and even work with the Rahr brewery on some ideas.

    www.frontiertelevision.com/dogleg

    I'll check that out. I could use some basic knowledge where beer is concerned. Mead I've made a few batches of, but none I've been impressed with. Thanks for the link!

    I currently use a couple 5-gal carboys for most of my work. I also have a Mr Beer that is handy for small-batch brewing and for a bottling assistant.

    Thanks for the input! I KNEW I wasn't the only one!

    JM
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    All-grain here for the last 10 years or so. I'm sort of on sabbatical due to kids, but with beer prices I'm going to start back up.

    By far, the most enjoyable upgrade you can make is getting a CO2 keg system.
  • SofaKingRad
    SofaKingRad Posts: 1,592 Member
    Hey!
    Yeah I've been doing it for 10 years now. It's a great hobby.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    My husband wants to home brew. He has been talking about it for oh 10 years or so lol. I guess I will need to get the supplies so he will have no excuse :laugh:
  • SofaKingRad
    SofaKingRad Posts: 1,592 Member
    All-grain here for the last 10 years or so. I'm sort of on sabbatical due to kids, but with beer prices I'm going to start back up.

    By far, the most enjoyable upgrade you can make is getting a CO2 keg system.

    I concur; however, living in Phoenix I would say the most enjoyable upgrade I have purchased is this:

    7516b.jpg

    Since the tap water is too warm here to chill much with a wort chiling system, I use this. It drops boiling wort to about 55 to 65 degrees as fast as it flows through the system when pumping ice water through it. It's da bomb diggity.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Homebrewer right here! Started off-and-on about three years ago, just got serious about it about eight months ago. Seriously the most rewarding hobby I've ever had.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Oh yeah, kegging all the way. And wort chillers are pretty much a must (unless you're a fancy-pants Arizonian, apparently). I'm switching to all-grain here in the next month or so. Time to get for reals.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Nice! I'm still in the very basic stage. What is the best way to get into simple beer. I've got a great brew shop nearby for most supplies. I'm really in need of a walkthrough of a simple batch. I've used a Mr Beer kit, BUT it doesn't really teach you much. It's just opening the cans and following instructions.

    I have found hard cider to be the simplest so far. Cider, sugar, anything extra for flavor and let it ferment.

    JM
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Have you read The Complete Guide to Homebrewing? If you haven't, get it, and read it!!! Also, might help to join a brewing forum - homebrewtalk.com is a great resource. And don't be afraid to buddy up to the guys at your homebrew store. I've found that when it's slow in there, they love to talk beer and answer my questions and just drop knowledge like mofos.


    Brewing (even just from a brew store kit) is different than the Mr. Beer kits.. there *is* more involved, so prepare yourself for waaaay more time and energy devoted to the process.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Brewing (even just from a brew store kit) is different than the Mr. Beer kits.. there *is* more involved, so prepare yourself for waaaay more time and energy devoted to the process.

    Thanks! Yea, I knew the Mr Beer kit was way simpler. They've canned all the work so there is nothing to figure out. I realize the basics, but just have been too chicken to get started. Just gotta take the next step.

    ETA - haven't read the book, I'll take a look around for it.

    JM
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    JM: I suggest getting a malt-extract starter kit: two buckets, lids, airlock, a 5-gallon pot, and a recipe of your choice. Use liquid yeast and dry extract for best results.

    If you enjoy it - immediately get a kegging system, bottling stinks.

    After that, look into grain brewing, which requires a bit more equipment.
  • Coolhand1969
    Coolhand1969 Posts: 821 Member
    It's been on my to-do list for about ten years. I have two different starter kits, and have been two a class on it.... just have to get it done... ;)
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    You know guys, I had been saying for about five years that I wanted to brew -- I put it off and put it off as well. It took about $300 to get a startup kit (buckets, sanitation, auto-siphon, etc.), and it was the best investment I've ever made. I kick myself all the time for putting it off for so long....
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    I've got some equipment, but mine is more wine/mead oriented I suppose. Carboys, large pot, bottles, corks, tubing manual pump etc. I'll attempt to get to my local place soon. I was hoping to start a simple brew using my existing equipment, but it sounds like I need a few more things.

    JM
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    I've got some equipment, but mine is more wine/mead oriented I suppose. Carboys, large pot, bottles, corks, tubing manual pump etc. I'll attempt to get to my local place soon. I was hoping to start a simple brew using my existing equipment, but it sounds like I need a few more things.

    JM


    My original 'beer' kit was actually a wine kit - you need at least one bucket, a carboy, a nice big pot (and actually, if you do a malt extract kit from your brew store, you don't need THAT big of a pot - I use a 3gal stock pot for now), and a way to get the wort from the pot to the carboy. You can probably even use the bottles and corks. (you probably want to get some PBW and StarSan [sanitation chemicals]), but it looks like you're set.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    I'll have to add a bucket, but I think I can manage a small batch I've got a 3 or 4 gallon pot, I'll have to look into that. My local store has a kit for around $60 IIRC.

    JM
  • Bahet
    Bahet Posts: 1,254 Member
    Hubby has been making mead for 5 years. He's done all sorts of flavors and has done experiemtns with different yeasts and different honeys. One of his best he invented based off a cranberry/apple/maple/walnut relish I make. I only made 1 batch. It was Joe's Ancient Orange. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/joes-ancient-orange-mead-49106/ That's a very good, very easy 1st mead. DH has a friend who made a batch then bottled it and set it aside. He drank it a few years later and said it was absolutely incredible. Ours never lasted that long. :laugh:
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    While I locate the extras I'll need for beer, I think I'll whip up a batch of cider or mead. Possibly a fruity wine, but fruit gets expensive fast.

    JM
  • jppd47
    jppd47 Posts: 737 Member
    The first mead I made fermented for a year. used 15lbs of honey with it
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Mine is usually done fermenting by a month. Dandelion wine usually takes at least a month.

    JM
  • Zalovar
    Zalovar Posts: 92 Member
    I've been making wine for a couple of years now, I always working on the next batch so I've experiment with quite a few including rhubarb, rice wine, pineapple, orange, apple, mulberry, blackberry, various meads, dandelion, pumpkin and many more. My favorite by far has been my blackberry mead (or melomel if you want to be technical). Funny thing is, I don't really drink a whole lot of wine, my wife does. Actually learned to make wine as a Christmas present to her, kept doing it because it's alot of fun to make weird experimental wines. Also, I started making beer too. The beer is for me.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    I made the cider because my wife loves hard cider. My last batch turned out to be in the 11-12% (maybe more) range. It was really strong. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it.

    JM
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    Cider can easily over-ferment. I prefer to use unpasteurized cider from a local orchards, and use the wild yeast. The wild yeast doesn't ferment as much, leaving a slightly sweet taste.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    So, as I was driving home, I saw a local farm truck selling strawberries. Turns out, he had 22lbs of strawberries that were getting soft and he was selling cheap! So... I started a 4 gallon batch of strawberry wine last night, and am going to start another batch tonight! The batch I started last night I'm going to let ferment naturally, and I plan to use a good yeast on the second batch.

    JM
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