jfields 0 #1 January 16, 2003 Okay, credit where it's due... I haven't brewed in like 6 years, but SpeedRacer got me interested in it again when we were having dinner at a brewpub and talking beer. I picked up all my brewing equipment from my parents' basement. I chucked all the ingredients, then began cleaning the rest. Of course, I'm hobby-obsessive, so I jumped in with both feet. Local homebrew association membership, more brewing books from Amazon, etc. Now I have the ingredients for my first (fine, a case o' beer, what the hell do you think we are talking about, anyway?) batch in a long time. I have more ingredients on the way via mail order, so I'm gearing back up. Who else out there brews? What kind of brewer are you? Extract, partial mash, or all-grain? Traditionalist, or adjunct-freak? How often do you brew? Looking forward to enjoying real, inexpensive beer suited to my tastes again. Yum! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skeletor 0 #2 January 16, 2003 It all just sounds like to much hard work for a beer... rich. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #3 January 16, 2003 QuoteIt all just sounds like to much hard work for a beer... Well, it depends... For all the people that like the Lite, Bud, Coors, etc. beers of the world, it is a definite waste of time. Most anything they made would have too much flavor for their tastes. If you really like good beer and a limitless variety, then homebrewing is the only real way to get it. You can make anything you want, even if you've never found it in a commercial beer. You can also mimic famous beers for a fraction of the price, without worrying about whether your podunk local beer store caries your esoteric favorite. When you make it yourself, it is also fresher and tastier. It is a good amount of effort, but lots of people think it is worth it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoobieCootie 0 #4 January 16, 2003 ME!Let's start: I do partial mash. My favorite is steam beer (lager yeast @ ale temp ~62). My last batch I used Kolsch made by Wyeast. I love Centennial, N. Brewer, Saaz, Willamette, Chinook, Columbus hops, but I'm willing to experiment. From time to time, I might make a heavy scotch, or a chocolate style stout characteristic of coffee & chocolate of course - makes a great dessert. The last time I brewed was over 7 weeks ago. I made 20 gallons over the course of 3 weeks (10 each 3 that is). I'll be serving it up for my wedding on 2/8. The restaurant hosting the reception (Kaspar's) is really cool, they're letting me serve my own beer at no charge, not even a corking feeI used to bottle my beer until the wife had me replace the kitchen faucet with a fancy one, so fancy that I couldn't hook up my bottle washer - I should have checked that out first. Fortunately I've got 4 corny kegs, so I might as well keep kegging. (Anybody in the Seattle area want some nice 22++ champagne bottles?) As for how often I brew, it's usually more in the fall/winter time. A skydiver's got his priorities you know Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #5 January 16, 2003 My roommate and I just started homebrewing. Our first batch is sitting, ferminting, awaiting bottles...alright, I'm getting thirsty thinking about it.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #6 January 16, 2003 Dave, I assume you know about these folks: http://www.stpats.com/ They have recipes (and kits) for Texas-style bock beers, which I seem to recall you obsessing about with great regularity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #7 January 16, 2003 Woohoo! Thanks for the link. --"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #8 January 16, 2003 TheBrewerFormerlyKnownAswlie, I'm starting back up doing partial mash. I'd like to get to all-grain, but it will take awhile, if it ever happens. There are tons of different styles I like to make. The frustrating thing is that one of the kinds I like to drink the most is the hardest to make. I love lambics. To make a decent attempt at a lambic-style (can't be "lambic" because I'm not brewing it in a certain part of Belgium) requires way more time, dedication and money than I have to devote. Raising my own yeast, buying oak barrels, and letting beer ferment for years is just beyond my patience. So I may stick to vaguely similar, but easier things than that. The batch I'm starting up will be a raspberry ale, but brewed as a flavored ale, rather than a lambic. My next batch is likely to be a chocolate stout. That is awesome about your wedding brew. Congrats on getting married too. As a side note, I think I am "Snotty CootieBrain". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base311 0 #9 January 16, 2003 But you can't think of it in terms of 'a beer'. Expand your scope. Think of it in terms of 'lots of beer' - depending, of course, on how much you're capable of brewing at any given time. With not much more effort (but perhaps a bit more capital expenditure), one can produce quite a large amt. of beer for relatively little 'work'. YMMV Really, though... if you don't like good beers (and by that we don't mean bud, bud light, etc.), then it's really not worth your time. I like stouts and ales with lots of bitters and some finishing. I wouldn't exactly consider myself traditional, but I tend to use my adjuncts conservatively. Mmmmm..... now I'm drooling all over my dress shirt. Gardner Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #10 January 16, 2003 I've brewed several times now. Always from partial-mash though. I'd like to get more involved and get right down to the grain-recepie but IMO that is where the effort/yield equation starts to balance out hehehe. My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dterrick 0 #11 January 16, 2003 Get the Book "Clone Brews" - either the North American or International version and have at 'er! I've got a fiver of Pilsner Urquel on the go, partial mash with a 1 hour boil and Wyeast European Lager II. Once Upon a Time I made beer like most do - from a tin and with dextrose. Tired of the cidery, um, flavour, I got into the more advanced stuff. (Best spanish inquisition voice... ) among our chief weaponry are: - the spare stove downstairs so I can worry less about the mess - the spare fridge. Most will run to nearly 50f when set in the 'just off off' position. Perfect and necessary for true lager fermentation. Make a stronger shelf with 3/4" plywood supported by angle iron CAREFULLY screwed to the fridge walls to avoid puncturing the cooling coils (I made mine out of 1/2" square stock held on each side with 3 - #8 screws. A standard apartment size fridge will JUST hold 2 carboys) - a cooling coil. Papasian's "New Brewers Handbook" describes the tool - basicly a 20' coil of copper tubing wound so it will fit in your boil kettle. Splice on a washing machine hose at either end and attach to your faucet. Cools the Wort down to 75f in about 20 minutes - v. cool and no worry about smashing a carboy from heat shock or bacterial contamination from time delays. -Grolsch porcelain flip top bottles. Not only are they 16 oz bottles, there's no more need for a bottle capper. I plan to stock up for the summer DZ season. buying commercial brew at $10/6 ate a lot of jump tix. A 24 (I had 6 'firsts' this year) costs 2 hop n pops! Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #12 January 16, 2003 QuoteGet the Book "Clone Brews" I don't have that one, but I have their other book, "Beer Captured". QuotePapasian's "New Brewers Handbook" Got that one too, and the "Brewer's Companion" as well. It sounds like you have a nice setup going! I have a decent sized spare fridge, but I don't know that I'll mod it for lagering. Made the copper wort cooler and it does work wonders. QuoteGrolsch porcelain flip top bottles. That is a thought. The only downside of that is that a decent amount of the bottles I give away never come back, and I don't want to keep replacing Grolsch bottles. I may get a case and bottle half with regular and half with Grolsch bottles. I see the benefit at bottling time. Good tip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoobieCootie 0 #13 January 16, 2003 Raising your own yeast? Man, thats dedication. My experience with yeast has been about 5 re-use to get the best production than it goes downhill. I would however mix a little bit of old yeast (like one drop) to a fresh pack. But that's just my belief that it would speed things up a little. It's interesting how you start with one strain, and it mutates into something unique and it can only get that way in your house, and only your's. And Lambic beer has to be the hardest to make, and therefore I've been staying away. I've heard that the only way to harvest the characteristics of a particular Lambic is to get a strain from where it's produced. But manufacturers are not stupid and they know that people like us could easily just dump a bottle of their stuff into our batch and Viola! So they pad it with a "priming" yeast. You can however make a Sierra Nevada IPA that's really close because SN doesn't pad it. BTW, if there's a Lowe's near you, they've got a stainless steel anodized turkey fryer on sale fot $25 complete with the stand and burner - it holds about 6.5 gallons I believe. Get a big drill bit, a small tap, and you've got yourself one bad ass kettle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #14 January 16, 2003 Quote Raising your own yeast? Man, thats dedication. Check out this site: http://www.liddil.com/culture/culture.html Talk about compulsive! But I bet the beer is stellar. QuoteBTW, if there's a Lowe's near you, they've got a stainless steel anodized turkey fryer on sale fot $25 complete with the stand and burner - it holds about 6.5 gallons I believe. I'll check it out this weekend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoobieCootie 0 #15 January 16, 2003 Checkout this site on Hop Gardening too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #16 January 16, 2003 Quote Now I have the ingredients for my first (fine, a case o' beer, what the hell do you think we are talking about, anyway?) Nice thing about that is you kill two birds with one stone. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #17 January 17, 2003 Hey Justin! How's it going! I told you how I feel about lambics: I like to drink 'em, but I'm too chicken to brew them because that lambic yeast hangs around in your house & gets in your other beer styles & f&*ks 'em up. Those beers I gave you: The ones with the silver stars are a lightly-spiced Christmas ale. Then I think I gave you one with a red dot : a dry-hopped IPA, and a yellow dot: a blonde ale. That blonde ale is for when you want a lager-like drink to drink along with, say Mexican or Asian or sea food. serve it very cold. I have been using extract plus specialty grains. Still haven't got around to all-grain. I'm thinking about getting one of those 34 or 40 qt turkey friers to do it:: you need like 8 lbs of grain per batch, which really uses up a lot of volume, so you need a much bigger pot to brew a 5 gallon batch. Plus some liquid boils off. Has anyone here brewed all-grain using a turkey frier? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #18 January 17, 2003 hmmm, ok, i just went back & read boobie's post re. turkey frier. so 6.5 gallon is big enough for all grain? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoobieCootie 0 #19 January 17, 2003 What you do is make a false bottom using a mesh of some sort - best is copper. An alternative to a false bottom is to use a strainer - best is one from a 3-piece stock pot. The grains do take up some volume, but you'll be removing it to sparge. And then replace it with the extra liquid. No. I have not brewed all grain using a turkey fryer. I've just seen it done and took notes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmcguffee 0 #20 January 17, 2003 QuoteWho else out there brews? I've been all-grain brewing for seven years. I went up to an all stainless steel ten gallon brewery with computer controlled recirculating infusion mash system (RIMS). Now I'm back to five gallons in my kitchen with an igloo cooler. Skydiving caused this reduction. I brew about once a month and brew everything from stouts to lite lagers. It is a lot of work but anything worth doing is worth working hard for. You appreciate the beer a lot more when you brew it yourself. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmcguffee 0 #21 January 17, 2003 ***Check out this site: http://www.liddil.com/culture/culture.html Talk about compulsive! But I bet the beer is stellar. *** I've brewed a few lambics. I've got two cases in the bottom of my closet aging right now. I brewed it about two years ago. Now that you mention it..........I think I'll sample one. They are fairly easy. It just takes forever. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #22 January 17, 2003 Quoteso 6.5 gallon is big enough for all grain? Since you're boiling at least 6 gallons of wort, I'm going to say 'no, it's not large enough. A friend who does all grain regularly boils between 6.5 and 7 gallons in a 10 gallon kettle. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #23 January 17, 2003 SpeedRacer, Yeah, I remember your comment on the lambics. Perhaps when I feel ready to give them a shot, I'll go over and do them at my mother in law's house or something. It isn't like she'll be brewing other beers that could get contaminated by lambic yeasts. So far, I've only tried one of your beers. It was the blonde ale. Very good! I have a feeling that I'll try the others this weekend. Once my beer is done, I'll send some samples your way. Right now, my brewpots are small. They are about 5 and 6 gallon enameled canning pots. They have lots of drawbacks, but they are super cheap ($18). I also have a huge (20 gallon?) pot, but I don't want to brew in it because it is aluminum. Why make home brew to have it taste like it came out of a can? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #24 January 17, 2003 good thinking, Justin. Do NOT brew in aluminum! It actually says that in the homebrewing books I've read. stainless steel or enamel steel. --------------------- One other point re. advantages of homebrewing: It can be cheaper: my friend does all-grain brewing & wins prizes at contests all over the place. He's got a few yeast cultures in his fridge, buys his hops by the pound (freezes them) and buys barley malt in 50 lb sacks. We calculated that he probably spends about 25 to 35 cents per beer.Also, homebrew is much healthier than store-bought because it has the living yeast still in it (you don't filter it...you just let the yeast settle out as they die). And brewer's yeast is a healthfood, rich in B vitamins& even has some protein. That's why you can get drunk on homebrew & not be hungover the next day. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topcat 0 #25 January 17, 2003 Quote Who else out there brews? What kind of brewer are you? Extract, partial mash, or all-grain? Traditionalist, or adjunct-freak? How often do you brew? Haven't in a while - this thread is making me think about hauling out the equipment again... When I was brewing it was strictly extract brewing. I love the results but I just didn't have much time. I prefer brewing ales (esp Irish Reds) although I do have the setup to brew lagers, if I wanted to. I also keg to save time. Despite the fact that my home dz is full of Coors Light freaks, I have never had a problem getting rid of a keg there if I brought one...-Sandy (A.K.A Zippy AppleChunks) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
