Home Brewing

[millertimeunc 0]

I just got into this recently from a kit my sister gave me. The first batch was crappy (too sweet, not enough carbonation, needed at least another few days to ferment), and I just bottled the second batch. The second recipe is called "Novocaine", and it's pretty potent stuff! There was about a pint and a half left after bottling. So I decided to finish it off. Less than a pint into it, and I'm pretty buzzed! I think after about 80 days in the cellar, this stuff should be pretty good! Any other brewers out there?

The best things in life are dangerous.

[theonlyski 8]

They highly discourage us from home brewing anything in my current location.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[billvon 2,990]

>Any other brewers out there?

Yep. Made four cases of Bigway Brown for the Aussie Record. So far I've made about 100 gallons of beer, from a very light SMaSH to a very dark imperial stout. Experimenting with fruit beers now.

[millertimeunc 0]

Fruit beers? Careful you don't have a few small explosions in your house! I hear the fruit sugars cause a pretty aggressive fermentation!

The best things in life are dangerous.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Yep, home brewer here, too, when I have the time.

[justme12001 0]

yep, started with the same kit you have I believe,mr beer. I am now starting to get into using grains instead of the cans of malt extracts. I havn't perfected liquid yeast yet. Have made several very good batches and have had a few bad ones. Good luck and keep brewing

[eric111996 0]

Brew a couple times a year love the IPA's. Made a good Dortmunder copy too.

[LongWayToFall 0]

Brewer checkin in. I highly recommend giving Cider a try, it is really easy, no boiling at all. Get a good selection of different apple juices, blend em in the fermenter, add sugar/brown sugar/honey to up the gravity, and away you go! The strongest stuff I ever made (uh, if any feds are watching, because the law says something like 9% is max, and I would NEVER think about going over this, I am simply making it up ala fishing story ahem) was 17 percent. Used a lager yeast until that topped out around 10-12%, and finished with a champagne. It smelled like the hard stuff when i bottled, but after a few months you couldn't smell any alcohol. It was so good!

Anyways, start doing some partial mash brewing, and eventually all grain, it is very rewarding and the results are worth it

[g_fun 0]

I just recently got into home brewing too. Started with a Mr. Beer kit also.

How can I be so thirsty when I drank so much last night?

[RPC1117 0]

Just bottled my IPA last night. Tasted pretty good, but needs more time. I've found that brewing is something that shouldn't be rushed.

Mr Beer kits work fine, but do yourself a favor and get a more robust brewing kit. You will thank yourself later.

[billvon 2,990]

>Fruit beers? Careful you don't have a few small explosions in your house!
>I hear the fruit sugars cause a pretty aggressive fermentation!

You know, I've heard that, but so far the only blowout I've had was in the primary (i.e. pre-fruit) fermentation. Once I add the fruit fermentation restarts but it's nothing like the first fermentation,

[Cutaway68 4]

I like to brew bitter beers using Cascades and Kent Goldings hops. I like to balance the sweetness with the bitters. I also started kegging instead of bottling. A lot less work and space needed. The initial investment is a little more, but in my opinion worth it.

Working on distilling my own drinks now (uh, if any feds are watching, because the law says something like no distilling alcohol, and I would NEVER think about doing this, I am simply making it up ala fishing story ahem). I found some pretty cool plans on Google.

Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!!
The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can."
Be fun, have safe.

[LongWayToFall 0]

[shropshire 0]

Quote

>Any other brewers out there?

Yep. Made four cases of Bigway Brown for the Aussie Record. So far I've made about 100 gallons of beer, from a very light SMaSH to a very dark imperial stout. Experimenting with fruit beers now.

Jeeze Bill ... where do you find the time to do all this stuff? Your time management imust be amazing

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[justme12001 0]

came across this the other day, nice little table top still that doesn't take up much space.

http://store.homebrewheaven.com/turbo-air-still---simple-to-use-distiller-p1729.aspx

sorry, don't know how to make the clicky

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

came across this the other day, nice little table top still that doesn't take up much space.

http://store.homebrewheaven.com/turbo-air-still---simple-to-use-distiller-p1729.aspx

sorry, don't know how to make the clicky

When you're typing the post up, you'll see a series of boxes with a word or letter lined up along the bottom of the typing box. The last one on the right called "url", click that first, then paste the link in, then click "url" again, only it will show as "/url" to close the link.

A 6 year old could do it.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[billvon 2,990]

>Jeeze Bill ... where do you find the time to do all this stuff?

Marathon days. I made 20 gallons (3 5 gallon batches plus a second sparging) in one day from 7am to 11pm.

My new goal in homebrewing is to be able to do a batch in 4 hours. That's 1 hour mash, 1 hour sparge, 1 hour boil (overlapping with the sparge) and then a fast chill into the fermentor. Add oxygen and yeast and put it in the cold box. That way I can get home at 7 (usual time) and be done by 11.

[Cutaway68 4]

This link is to a great PDF that is about 2 MB. It has a lot of good info.

http://www.moonshine-still.com/still.pdf

Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!!
The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can."
Be fun, have safe.

[stinkyho 0]

Haven't in a long while (most of my buckets are used for my SW aquarium now). Used to do all grain. Made some pretty potent shit in my time. Remember me and my roommate getting obnoxiously drunk and puking off of a 9%. Just way too strong to keep drinking.

I've made all kinds. Lager turned out really well, but didn't make much of it.

I've had my primary ferment so hard that it blew the cover and splooge all over the floor. Also had it plug the airlock, then unplug and splooge all over my ceiling!

Cultured some yeast off the bottom of Sierra Nevada a couple of times. Nothing like free yeast. Just add a simple starter and you're good to go.

Ahh, the good ol' days. Problem is that it's not really that much cheaper, takes 6-8 hours, and a lot of work. I miss it, but I moved to a place where the only place I could really wash my buckets and pots was in my shower stall, so that got old.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

Ahh, the good ol' days. Problem is that it's not really that much cheaper, takes 6-8 hours, and a lot of work. I miss it, but I moved to a place where the only place I could really wash my buckets and pots was in my shower stall, so that got old.

I maybe make 1-4 batches a winter, kind of a cold weather hobby for me. Yep, I figure about 4-5 hours labor for each batch, including clean up time and sanitizing bottles. But much of it is easy labor, and I'll even read a book or the paper while boiling the hops in. Now that there are so many good beers at a reasonable price (I'm having a Deschutes Porter right now) I don't have to brew. It's a labor of love.

[tkhayes 348]

I made beer out there for a long time. tried all the porters, stouts, all the weird stuff. Trouble is that half the tim your friends don't want to drink that crap and neither did I.

So I made simple yellow Canadian Pale Ale and Lagers. Nice smooth, and you can offer your friends a beer without them screwing up their nose at you wondering what it is and what it is supposed to taste like.

Good solid beer. But I gave it up because there is too much alcohol and calories and started making wine. Even easier than beer.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

started making wine. Even easier than beer.

I thought there were a lot more steps involved for wine, multiple rackings to different fermenters.

[scruffy 0]

Obviously not much of a skydiver yet, but one thing I do feel comfortable calling myself is a homebrewer. Just had a brew day yesterday actually, it's going to be a clone of terrapins coffee oatmeal imperial stout.

Peace, love and hoppiness

[tkhayes 348]

I do not use grapes for wine, I just buy the kits. I add one more racking than the recipe calls for but I find the process to be simpler overall.

[roostnureye 2]

Quote

I like to brew bitter beers using Cascades and Kent Goldings hops. I like to balance the sweetness with the bitters. I also started kegging instead of bottling. A lot less work and space needed. The initial investment is a little more, but in my opinion worth it.

Working on distilling my own drinks now (uh, if any feds are watching, because the law says something like no distilling alcohol, and I would NEVER think about doing this, I am simply making it up ala fishing story ahem). I found some pretty cool plans on Google.

turbostomper.com all you really need

Flock University FWC / ZFlock
B.A.S.E. 1580
Aussie BASE 121