Any homebrewer's out there?

[Banzaiii67]

Got a kit for Christmas, the wife and I are looking forward to it. She's a excellent baker and I love beer so should be a total win win.

 

[krowbar]

I've always wanted to try it myself. I roomed with a budy that tried it, but it was some stout stuff ( dark brew ). I love dark beer but this stuff was harder than I like. I love me some brew. What kind of kit did you get and from where?

 

[Runner 68]

I brewed beer for several years. I like beer. Espeacially the good stuff you can make relatively cheaply at home.

I always had 10 gallons on hand to drink while another 5 gallon batch was fermenting. I got into it for the cost savings. In the end, I ended up just drinking more beer because I always had so much on hand and didn't save $hit. Yes, I'm a drunk, just ask my wife.

It's a fun hobby. Especially when you experiment.

2 Tips.

1. Sterilize your gear well. The quickest way to ruin a batch is bacteria.
2. Get the Co2 set up and keg it. Bottling is a pain in the @ss.

 

[Banzaiii67]

I've always wanted to try it myself. I roomed with a budy that tried it, but it was some stout stuff ( dark brew ). I love dark beer but this stuff was harder than I like. I love me some brew. What kind of kit did you get and from where?

We love darks and brown ales even in the summer, which from reading are the simplest to brew because your not worried about clarity of the beer.

This is the kit I got, Which my boss recommended who homebrews regularly
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...arter-kits/essential-brewing-starter-kit.html

I'm piecing it all together, but you'll also need a 20 Quart Stainless Steel Pot (no aluminum imparts a off tasting flavor), and if you don't have a gas stove or your clearance on your stove isn't great you'll also need a propane burner, a turkey fryer burner works best because you'll need to get 5 gals boiling.

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I brewed beer for several years. I like beer. Espeacially the good stuff you can make relatively cheaply at home.

I always had 10 gallons on hand to drink while another 5 gallon batch was fermenting. I got into it for the cost savings. In the end, I ended up just drinking more beer because I always had so much on hand and didn't save $hit. Yes, I'm a drunk, just ask my wife.

It's a fun hobby. Especially when you experiment.

2 Tips.

1. Sterilize your gear well. The quickest way to ruin a batch is bacteria.
2. Get the Co2 set up and keg it. Bottling is a pain in the @ss.

Awesome, I'm doing for fun but also keeping in mind I can have a few bucks. Going Co2/all grain seems like the next step, but at that point it's not exactly cheap anymore.

Sterilizing seems to be the key. The kit I have had One Step, but I got some Star San based on the reviews I have read.

 

[Runner 68]

One step works amazingly well. Don't forget the funk on your own body. I used to take a shower before I brewed and run away if you need to sneeze.

Good water is another key. I live in Fort Collins CO, our tap water is some of the best in the country. I still only brewed with bottled spring water. I could taste a big difference.

 

[Banzaiii67]

Good water is the key. I live in Fort Collins CO, our tap water is some of the best in the country. I still only brewed with bottled spring water. I could taste a big difference.

for the boil or when you added to your wort?

 

[BigFlo]

I homebrewed for a few years and found you can make some pretty good stuff. I ran into the problem of not enough space for the process - a utility sink would come in real handy - I only have the kitchen. Like Runner 68 said, sterilization is key and that's tough to do in just the kitchen sink. Some people have said they use the bathtub to clean & sterilize........I didn't want to go there.
Finding the room and a place that has a stable temp for fermenting was a problem for me - no basement. The garage worked during the fall/spring, when temps were OK. Generally, I like lagers better than ales, and lagers need low fermentation temps like you have in the fridge, so it was hard to do that as well.
So why am I sounding all negative?.....I'm not....I found a different way. There is a brew-on-premise business not far from me. It's great.....they have all the equipment, they sterilize and clean-up everything. They have all the ingredients you could ever want...or they can get it. All you have to do is bring a recipe or choose one of theirs, gather your ingredients and cook. They store the batch during fermenting, they can carbonate it if you want, and you go back in a couple of weeks and bottle it. They have bottling machines for 22 oz bottles. Each batch is 15 gals, so you make a lot.....but split it with a couple of people and it's awesome. They will also guarantee the batch - if it turns out sour, they let you brew another batch free. Not sure I'll ever brew in the house again!

 

[Runner 68]

for the boil or when you added to your wort?

Everything. I havent bought it in a while but I think it's only $2.50 a gallon or so at the grocery store. It's the clorine in tap water, no mater how small, that I think has an effect.

 

[Banzaiii67]

I homebrewed for a few years and found you can make some pretty good stuff. I ran into the problem of not enough space for the process - a utility sink would come in real handy - I only have the kitchen. Like Runner 68 said, sterilization is key and that's tough to do in just the kitchen sink. Some people have said they use the bathtub to clean & sterilize........I didn't want to go there.
Finding the room and a place that has a stable temp for fermenting was a problem for me - no basement. The garage worked during the fall/spring, when temps were OK. Generally, I like lagers better than ales, and lagers need low fermentation temps like you have in the fridge, so it was hard to do that as well.
So why am I sounding all negative?.....I'm not....I found a different way. There is a brew-on-premise business not far from me. It's great.....they have all the equipment, they sterilize and clean-up everything. They have all the ingredients you could ever want...or they can get it. All you have to do is bring a recipe or choose one of theirs, gather your ingredients and cook. They store the batch during fermenting, they can carbonate it if you want, and you go back in a couple of weeks and bottle it. They have bottling machines for 22 oz bottles. Each batch is 15 gals, so you make a lot.....but split it with a couple of people and it's awesome. They will also guarantee the batch - if it turns out sour, they let you brew another batch free. Not sure I'll ever brew in the house again!

We have a U-Brew place out here too, I'm quite interesting to go out there and try something I wouldn't try at home most likely that would be fruit based.

 

[hemi#1]

I always wanted to try homebrew beer but living in Rochester NY before moving to TX. I made hard cider that after a 16oz. made your legs like rubber. it was about 20 +proof and smooth!

 

[Budnicks]

thought about doing it, never have thou

interesting, keep us updated

is there any laws about brewing beer at home ?
is it bootlegging if it's transported, like 5 gallons ?

just curious, if I was to do it, it'd be brewed at a warehouse,
I don't need any issues with Johnny law,
transporting nontaxed alcohol/hooch or homebrew beer...

just found this place, interesting stuff
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

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How to brew beer at home, video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobHoJYRezw

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I found this too

Homebrewing Officially Legal in all 50 states
http://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/homebrewing-officially-legal-in-all-50-states/

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I may try it, but just picking up some Samuel Adams is just allot less of a PITA

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my step dad Bob use to make beer & wine, some harder hooch too, never liked any of his home brew thou

 

[Pops1967GTX]

I’m going to look into the subject.........

 

[aldal]

My brother-in-law brews a lot and is getting very good at it, he even made me a batch of Miller Lite (which he thinks isn't really beer) mmm beer, anyway I did a side by side comparison with genuine Miller Lite and couldn't tell the difference.

 

[Propwash]

Anyone need's a taste tester....... just saying

 

[mopar 3 B]

Have studing up on it and have two kits in storage but no place yet to put the fermenter. Will have to look into brew locations.

 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I brewed beer for several years. I like beer. Espeacially the good stuff you can make relatively cheaply at home.

I always had 10 gallons on hand to drink while another 5 gallon batch was fermenting. I got into it for the cost savings. In the end, I ended up just drinking more beer because I always had so much on hand and didn't save $hit. Yes, I'm a drunk, just ask my wife.

It's a fun hobby. Especially when you experiment.

2 Tips.

1. Sterilize your gear well. The quickest way to ruin a batch is bacteria.
2. Get the Co2 set up and keg it. Bottling is a pain in the @ss.

As a home brewer myself I couldn't agree more!

 

[Robliepse]

sanitize, sanitize , sanitize

I've been brewing for 25 + years and have won a couple of medals and I'm going to open Lake Shack Brewing Company as soon as I decide to work 3X the hours for 3X less pay than I make today. The small girl in the picture bottling beer is my 22 year old daughter when she was 3 years old.
Once you start understanding the science of brewing and fermentation you start to wonder how they ever figured this out 100's if not 1,000's of year's ago. Our local home brew shop is owned by a really great 79 year old guy who said people made better beer before the internet and all the information. Great hobby and once you move to all grain brewing you can make some really great beer for little money. My wife says I have a hop problem because I currently have about 30 pounds in the freezer. We have 10 gallons of stout and 10 gallons of Hop Juice on the primary fermented. Check out Lake Shack Brewing in Townville Sc.

 

[Banzaiii67]

I have my first batch of brown ale in primary now. Fun experience, I would definately set aside at least 2-3 hours like the video posted above. I feel like I sanitized really well, but I wonder if I should have been wearing gloves, seems like nobody says to, but grabbing things out of the sanitizer didn't seem right so I used tongs.

 

[Banzaiii67]

Bottled last night... I now understand why people like kegging. What a mess.

On the bright side, no infection!

My FG, was at 1.020 but I read the Danstar Windsor Ale yeast is known for a higher gravity and super quick fermentation. ABV is real low at 4.2%. However, It was pretty darn tasty uncarbed, it will be a real easy drinker. I'll have to try liquid yeast next time.

 

[Kernel Sanders]

I've been basement brewing kits for the best part of 25 years or so. I typically brew 6 kits (18 two-fours) twice a year now. I just started my first of the year for Spring/Summer. Pilsners this time and yes I bottle & cap... half in smallies, half in biggies! lol