Beer Home Brew Thread

[mulisha00]

Seems like you guys are into everything. How many of you home brew and care to share your story?

I'm done bottling my first batch (american amber) and have another week or so till its done. Starting on a winter ale (Sam Adam's Clone) soon.

 

[apg]

Just be real sure of the amount of sugar you use to 'prime'. There's a fine line between good brew and hand grenades....

Cheers

 

[kk88rrc]

I've been slowing gathering my brewing supplies. Planted hops two years ago & had a good harvest the last fall. Hope to do my first brew in a few weeks. Will be using the Brew In A Bag method (BIAB). Full grain brewing without all the gear. Check out www.biabrewer.info for more info.

 

[knewsom]

LOVE home-brewin'! Haven't done it since I left CA, but I've helped a buddy with an awesome porter, done a blackberry honey-wheat ale myself, as well as a dark ale cider with molasses. Fun times.

 

[Levi]

I've been brewing for a while but have slowed down since the kids came along. There was a period where I didn't buy beer for a couple years. Right now I'm using a water cooler with a false bottom for a mash tun and glass carboys but I plan to step up to a conical when I have the means. I just trashed my immersible chiller and am planning on making a counterflow.

Lately I've been into the Belgian styles; I'm thinking a Mothership Wit clone for my next batch. I am going to try to refill one of those Coors fridge kegs (already drank the pee water). Has anyone tried to refill one?

 

[mulisha00]

Levi,

I drank a few of the fridge kegs and gave them to another guy to refill and he used them and somehow it over pressurized and let go in his fridge. He says they have been used succesfully but his didn't work.

To change the co2 just grab the plastic piece that tightens and crank it the other way. It will go once you put enough pressure on it and tightens back up fine.

 

[jastutte]

me and a friend just brewed up to batches a couple of weeks ago. did an apa and a porter. my dad has some land in southern missouri where the water is pretty high on the sulfur content. american pale ales and any other beer with lots of hops tend to do well with this type of water. we used the well water to brew up both the apa and the porter and both turned out very nice. little bit higher on the alcohol content than what we had planned but i like that, so, no harm done. we've always had good luck with darker ales and stouts and once made a real heavy hitting doppleock. that was some good stuff.

 

[98 HOO]

I have been brewing for a few years, but just did my first couple batches in cornelius kegs. It is definately the way to go!! No more bottling, homebrew on tap, and if the carbonation isn't quite right, you can force carbonate it. Kegs were ony about $30 each and you have to buy a few fittings to adapt your typical kegerator. I highly recommend it!

 

[JustAddMtns]

I have been brewing for a few years, but just did my first couple batches in cornelius kegs. It is definately the way to go!! No more bottling, homebrew on tap, and if the carbonation isn't quite right, you can force carbonate it. Kegs were ony about $30 each and you have to buy a few fittings to adapt your typical kegerator. I highly recommend it!

x2 on this. Liquid yeast has always worked the best for me too. If you like brewing and Land Rovers check out the photo.

 

[Levi]

Levi,

I drank a few of the fridge kegs and gave them to another guy to refill and he used them and somehow it over pressurized and let go in his fridge. He says they have been used succesfully but his didn't work.

To change the co2 just grab the plastic piece that tightens and crank it the other way. It will go once you put enough pressure on it and tightens back up fine.

Do you know if he force carbonated it? I am planning on priming with sugar like when I bottle and using the CO2 to force it out. I have a corner pantry in the basement that stays about 68 year round that I use as my beer cellar so if it blows it won't be too bad to clean.


I've thought about kegging for convenience but I really prefer bottles, I like to put a few back and see how they age.

Speaking of yeast, have any of you cultured? I like the smack packs but they add up $ after a while.

 

[kalahari]

It's been forever since I brewed. All my brewing buddies had kids and moved away.

I always found I had best results with liquid yeast. Seems like there was a better variety. The main thing I remember was make sure everything is clean before you start. Other than that if you can boil water, don't kill your yeast when you pitch them and wait ~ 4 weeks your good to go!

Oh and adding too much sugar before you bottle is a recipe for disaster.......

The worst episode we had was after the first week or so the blow off tube from the carboy clogged and it blew wort all over the ceiling of my friends house.

 

[knewsom]

The worst episode we had was after the first week or so the blow off tube from the carboy clogged and it blew wort all over the ceiling of my friends house.

Gnarly! I've never had that happen... but I did lose a few bottles of my dark cider because my friend thought we still needed to prime it; I usually don't prime if I added additional sugars in the beginning, especially complex ones like molasses. Unfortunately when the bottles broke, it was upstairs in my house in a box on the carpet, which in retrospect was a bad idea. I bet it STILL smells like yeast.

JustAddMtns - that pic is full of win!

As for culturing, couldn't you just keep a portion of the yeast-cake that's left and use that for the next batch?

 

[mulisha00]

Just add mtns. I think I camped beside you at Uwharrie. If you got some bottles you wanna swap at the next one I'm down. No telling what I'll have brewed by then.


What kind of age are most of you guys drinking at? My stuff seems slow on every stage but I guess the temps are not helping.

 

[mulisha00]

Do you know if he force carbonated it? I am planning on priming with sugar like when I bottle and using the CO2 to force it out. I have a corner pantry in the basement that stays about 68 year round that I use as my beer cellar so if it blows it won't be too bad to clean.


I've thought about kegging for convenience but I really prefer bottles, I like to put a few back and see how they age.

Speaking of yeast, have any of you cultured? I like the smack packs but they add up $ after a while.

I think he primed with sugar and used co2 to move it. I'll ask again if he has been successful.

 

[ptschram]

I started homebrewing in '93/ By '95, I was to the point where I could go the entire year not buying beer to drink at home. Sadly, when I moved from my condo to a house, my gallon of Seibel yeast died.

I've got three jacketed stainless tanks that I'll use to make a brewery someday.

I loved to brew but just don't have the time to do it any more.

As for the yeast, water bed heater controllers make great controllers for incubators!

 

[Butch]

I just started home brewing and have 10 gallons under my belt so far. I was surprised at how easy it really was! I cant wait to start my next batch in a few weeks.

 

[JustAddMtns]

Just add mtns. I think I camped beside you at Uwharrie. If you got some bottles you wanna swap at the next one I'm down. No telling what I'll have brewed by then.

Yes, that was me. I'm down for trading some home brew. I'm living vicariously through a friend and helping him open his new brewery right now. So I haven't brewed lately. I'm switching to cornelius kegs though, I'm sick of cleaning bottles.

 

[varova87]

We have an entire room devoted to home brewing at our house (college roommates). They do it more than I do, but our first batch turned out better than half the store bought beers I've had. Tricky process.

 

[mulisha00]

VAROVA I'm guessing your dealing with pints o plenty for your stuff right?

 

[emmodg]

I started homebrewing in '93/ By '95, I was to the point where I could go the entire year not buying beer to drink at home. Sadly, when I moved from my condo to a house, my gallon of Seibel yeast died.

I've got three jacketed stainless tanks that I'll use to make a brewery someday.

I loved to brew but just don't have the time to do it any more.

As for the yeast, water bed heater controllers make great controllers for incubators!

I'm guessing that if you have time to make 17,222 posts on a car board you have time to make a little beer... Just saying. :victory: