Home brew Beer

[klmccllg]

Well since I have nothing do but wait for my results I'm thinking of making some homebrew beer. I did a search here and it seems some folks have some experience home brewing. Any advice? I figure if I can get a batch going it will be ready for either celebration or drinking my sorrows away.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Well since I have nothing do but wait for my results I'm thinking of making some homebrew beer. I did a search here and it seems some folks have some experience home brewing. Any advice? I figure if I can get a batch going it will be ready for either celebration or drinking my sorrows away.

I haven't seen you around klm. I was going to try to start home brewing last year around this time, I just lost interest and startup cost looked too expensive. I'd be interested to see how yours goes.

By the way, German Shorthairs in the avatar. I had a couple of those dogs growing up. Hyper as hell but great bird dogs. We also had Brittany Spaniels and an English Pointer.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I'm one of the folks here guilty of homebrewing, but I haven't in a while since I had a freaky liver scare last fall. That has righted itself so I am ready to fall off the wagon again. I've got a vacation coming up but will make a batch after that.

I'd recommend starting out with brew kits since they mix together the right quantity and mix of ingredients. I started by doing extract brewing with grain steeping and hop addition. The taste is far superior to the all in a can mystery goo, and you feel like you are actually brewing something rather than just mixing a can of stuff in boiling water.

Austin Homebrew, Northern Brewer, and Midwest Supplies are good online stores to get started.

Since its summertime, I suggest making an ale since it ferments at a higher temperature, unless you've got some fridge setup. Also, turnaround time is much quicker.

Be dilligent about sanitizing, clean things thoroughly. Otherwise your hard work will taste like bandaids and rotten fish.

Go into it knowing you will make a huge mess. You're gonna need to mop the floor and scrub the counters afterwards, and clean out all your equipment.

By the way, German Shorthairs in the avatar. I had a couple of those dogs growing up. Hyper as hell but great bird dogs. We also had Brittany Spaniels and an English Pointer.

I saw that as well. My in laws got one a couple years ago but they live cross country from here so I haven't met her yet. Maybe later this summer. Sounds like a cool dog, my FIL uses her as a bird dog as well. Pheasants, grouse, etc. Again, hyper as hell. They had a Brittany before that.

I own a Chocolate Lab myself. I'm not a hunter, so he's just a family dog, but has extensive obedience training. Flunked the CGC exam due to one task, oh well.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

Get the Joy of Homebrewing Handbook - it covers a lot! There is a chapter on water chemistry which is pretty interesting from an engineering standpoint. Do not use hard water when brewing lighter beers!

 

[Wolverine]

Go into it knowing you will make a huge mess. You're gonna need to mop the floor and scrub the counters afterwards, and clean out all your equipment.

Yes, but also remember that while making the second and following batches, you will be drinking the first batch and so you won't really care as much about the mess. Try to get any significant-other drnuk with you as well so they won't care either. Otherwise, they'll make you take Brew Day outside. But echo what VT said: clean and sanitize relentlessly.
I used to love Brew Day. I had to follow it up with Exercise Day though, or else become an unwilling participant in Beergut Year. Haven't brewed much though since my last move due to lack of time, money, and motivation. There's an outstanding local brew called Hopgasm that I'd like to clone though, made by Kevin the brew genius from Sweetwater. Man, oh man... knock your socks off.

 

[squishles10]

^^ agree- get the book first! read it twice, then start.

we spent around $100 on our first kit. probably added another $100 since then. do not get a mr beer kit. its too small and youll outgrow it in a month and you cant reuse hardly any of the stuff for a real kit.

we use northern brewer mostly- good stuff, but get the yeast locally as we dont trust it through the mail. where are you? perhaps we can steer you to a local place?

 

[Master slacker]

I got an Ale Pale from my wife a few years ago as a birthday present and immediately made my first batch of some irish stout beer. Loved it! I haven't made anything since then because I don't want a repeat of our (my wife's) cat "helping" me bottle. ldman:

 

[klmccllg]

Thanks for the advice. I may try it out soon. I have found myself to be a beer snob. Granted I won't turn down any beer but I find myself spending too much time at the store debating which beer I want. The more micro brews I try the more I get away from the old favorites of Coors, Bud, and PBR. I'll let everyone know how it turns out. Since I'm trying drop weight this might not be the best idea but I enjoy beer too much. I've been getting back in shape since the beginning of the year so I need a reward.

I haven't seen you around klm. I was going to try to start home brewing last year around this time, I just lost interest and startup cost looked too expensive. I'd be interested to see how yours goes.
By the way, German Shorthairs in the avatar. I had a couple of those dogs growing up. Hyper as hell but great bird dogs. We also had Brittany Spaniels and an English Pointer.

I have been reading for a while but have not posted much. I do enjoy the funny pics tread.

The german shorthairs are crazy. I jog with one quite a bit to try and get rid of the extra energy (her's, not mine). I have only seen them really exhausted once on a hunting trip to Kansas though. I hunt with both of them. There is nothing like seeing them go full speed to slamming on point. They are great dogs but I hear daily from the wife about how worthless they are.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^ I know what you mean. I went to a wedding over the weekend where my dog was 1 of 7 reasonably young Labs there. He went full throttle for a day and a half, and he's still basically out cold today. It's the only time I've ever seen him so mellow for such an extended period of time.

 

[snickerd3]

so my sister bought my dad a home brew kit for xmas. My dad said I could get him acessories for it...for those home brewers out there what sort of accessories would be most helpful? My sister is still needing to get me the brand/name of the kit she bought so I have an idea of what it came with

 

[Supe]

A set of bottles with toppers is always good. They have resealable ones, with a little wire lift arm and plastic/rubber stopper. Nicer to use than old soda/water bottles.

 

[kevo_55]

Sanitizer.

Because if you brew with dirty stuff your beer with taste like feet.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I'd need to know what came in the original kit and how much you want to spend, but I can probably provide some suggestions.

 

[snickerd3]

i'll definitely post when my sister tells me what she got

 

[FLBuff PE]

Table top bottle capper.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I miss making beer.

 

[CbusPaul]

Wort chiller.

 

[FLBuff PE]

^Absolutely. I love mine, which I made myself. Copper tubing, a couple of hose ends and some zip ties. Done.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

That's what I got for Xmas last year. Just sent the link to the item to my sister, and she bought it for me. To this day, she still doesn't know what she bought me.

 

[snickerd3]

my sister just bought a kit from Sam's club, craftabrew.com. The jug, ingredients, hoses, funnel, capper and caps. I just bought some mr brew bottles from amazon to see if he enjoys it before I go buys super good stuff