Lets talk about something important... beer.

[SuDz]

So for Christmas I got a HomeBrew kit to make beer at home. I havent started it yet but want to soon, maybe this weekend or so. I am curious though, has anyone here done this or had experience with it? I am figuring I will set it up this weekend or the next week and then let it store for the few weeks it takes to make it. I got a Oktoberfest Brew to start with since I guess it is better to start with a lighter colored beer instead of a darker or something like that. Who knows, it was a gift.

I just hope I don't go blind hehe.

SuDZ

[bluepea]

So... jealous.... love... beer.

[foofiter]

Homebrew! Gotta love it. I have never done it/had it my self but I hear nothing but good things for those that have done it



Foo

[SuDz]

Originally posted by jamiepeaski@Dec 30 2005, 01:14 PM
So... jealous.... love... beer.

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Once it is done in like three weeks or so it gives about 5 gallons worth too so thats pretty cool. It runs about $25 bucks a batch on average for a 5 gallong jug worth. Plus eventually you can start making your own flavors and what not.

SuDZ

[wphsmike]

Aww I want one. Making your own brew sounds like a lot of fun.

[kingcrazylegs]

Had a couple of friends when I lived in North Dakota that made their own brew - very good. They had been doing it for years, and it was awesome.

Also had a friend in N. Alberta that made dandilion wine and wine from potato skins -yum!

[TheJake]

My dad used to have his own still when he was my age. And another guy i've played pool with out here brews his own. He has a mini-keg in an outside fridge.

This last batch he made though he tried to force carbonate it. WAY too much foam. Definitly follow the 36/48 hour carbonate rule.

[SuDz]

Originally posted by kingcrazylegs@Dec 30 2005, 03:14 PM
Had a couple of friends when I lived in North Dakota that made their own brew - very good.* They had been doing it for years, and it was awesome.

Also had a friend in N. Alberta that made dandilion wine and wine from potato skins -yum!

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I was looking at the wine options and figure that if after a few batches of beer, if all goes well, I might try wine. I figure though that takes a lot longer and I will try out beer first and see waht I get.

SuDZ

[bluepea]

I've always meant to buy a home brew kit - maybe I'll finally do that.

My uncle brews his own and was supposed to bring a quarter barrel to our wedding (we even worked it out with the reception hall, even though they have a policy against bringing in alcohol) then at the last minute he decided he "didn't feel like it." Ass.

[SuDz]

Originally posted by jamiepeaski@Dec 30 2005, 04:03 PM
I've always meant to buy a home brew kit - maybe I'll finally do that.

My uncle brews his own and was supposed to bring a quarter barrel to our wedding (we even worked it out with the reception hall, even though they have a policy against bringing in alcohol) then at the last minute he decided he "didn't feel like it." Ass.

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Thats kind of weird he bailed on it. I mean, you figure that a wedding situation would be the kind of thing where he would want to make it something different or even talk to people about his hobby.

SuDZ

[wphsmike]

Damnit I'm only 17 and I want one of these toys!! Well, maybe it's not a toy but I want in on the excitement, heh.

[pinion]

A buddy of mine did that for a bit a few years ago. I thought it was pretty awful stuff

Maybe it was just something he was doing wrong, but its just not the same. His always had lots of sediment on the bottom of the bottles, it didn't seem as carbonated. I'd rather spend the money and buy a case of good stuff.

The whole process is pretty cool though!

[Sijuki]

Yes, I have a homebrew kit.... I only made one batch and got a bad recipe for the priming sugar and it ended up flat. Decent flavor... but no carbonation so the batch was worthless... but I am gonna start another one here shortly.

Tip #1... in the directions when you are boiling the hops and 'making' your beer it says to stir constantly... Heed that warning... do not for even a few seconds stop stirring... I stopped for about 10 seconds to grab something and the whole damn thing overflowed. It created a hell of a mess... but that was my only real issue.

As they state, cleanliness is essential, make sure nothing gets contaminated.

Does your kit include a cleaner? I know mine did. It is LD Carlson Easy Clean No Rinse Powdered Cleanser. It works great and you don't have to worry about rinsing it all off.

Also, I have been recommended to use live yeast when you are making beer as opposed to the powdered stuff. I am told it creates a much better brew. This would be an additional purchase, but is up to you.

I have a few homebrewing sites listed on my board that give great advice... and right now I am too tired and lazy to link them... but they are on my website. (under appropriately enough home brewing / soda bottling.

Let us know how it goes for you... and I will be sure to update with my next batch in which I will be sure to use much more priming sugar to get the desired carbonation.

But otherwise the entire process was pretty easy and definitely worth it to get about 4.5 gallons of drinkable beer.

[worldwidemike]

I brewed my own beer about a decade ago...made about 5-6 batches over the course of year, if I remember right.

Everything that Sijuki said is correct. Make sure everything that will touch the beer is sterilzed -- your pot that you will boil the malt in, your 5 gallon "bucket" container you will pour it into for the primary fermentation, the strainer that will strain out the hops -- everything!

Get as big of a pot as possible for when you are boiling the malt. The larger the pot, the less water you add to the primary to make up the 5 gallons. It will take 2-3 days in the primary...so when you decide to do your batch, make sure that you won't be out of town for the next week or so. It is crucial you get to it when the primary is done and it doesn't "sit" for a few days.

Then it will take about 2 weeks from when you siphon it from the primary bucket to the glass carboy jug till it's done with the secondary fermentation. Another thing to make sure you will be around when the secondary is done you won't be out of town for a week. Not quite as critical on timing as on the primary...it can sit in the secondary for an extra couple days and no harm done.

Then, you will siphon it into bottles for the final month of ageing and carbonation. Basically, you will add a bit of corn sugar to each bottle (I used ordinary returnable bottles that I had purchased and not returned...clean them thoroughly and sterilze them by putting them upside down in your dishwashing machine). That corn sugar provides the carbonation and will result in a final bit of fermentation -- the end result is that bit of sediment you see in home brewed bottles. Try to be exact on the amount of corn sugar as possible -- you don't want to over-carbonate like Sijuki was talking about, nor not put enough in and have it be flat.

Basically, follow the instructions and don't improvise. And don't skimp on cleaning and sterilizing...you don't want 6 weeks worth of work going down the tubes because you didn't sterilze something...

Each batch makes about 9 six packs or so...stock up on those returnables! And get creative -- design your own labels and rubber cement them onto the bottles. My beer label was Gnomebrew. My buddy, who had a giant schnauzer, called his Schnauzerbrau...
worldwidemike

[IDDQD]

OH Homebrew, how i miss being 15. Back in the day me and my buddies brewed up 5 gallons of malt liquor. The time to wait for effectiveness is listed as 6 weeks, and we waited exaclty that long. Got some jackass to drink it first to make sure it didnt cause blindness, then it was open season

[wphsmike]

Holy shit it sounds like so much fun!

[The Monsignor]

Most of my friends that have done homebrew definitely rave about the kits... they may not come out with a product that they like, but for the most part, if the instructions are followed, they came out with perfectly drinkable product...

can't overemphasize sterilization... that's the only time the end result was undrinkable.

[SuDz]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I didn't get a chance to do this overthe weekend like I was hoping cause I had so much going on, but one night this week I want to get it all started. I will let you know how it all turns out for me.

SuDZ

[LostFarmboy]

Hmmm, this has got me motivated to get into it. My dad used to brew a fair bit of beer back a few years ago but lost interest in it. But on the bright side he said that i could use all his stuff and he would show me how to do it all......i'm a fool, why have i not taken him up on this offer before now

Just a word of warning, some of the products you can buy to sterilize the bottles etc. can be very very bad if inhaled by asthmatics, they bring on some pretty hardcore asthma attacks in an instant. Dad's an asthmatic and he got a lung full of it once and he said that he didn't think he would have even been able to get out of the laundry if he didn't have his puffer with him......scary stuff.

[Legitikick]

So SuDz, its been a few years, but how'd your brew turn out? I'm going to start brewing my own once I get into my new apartment in a few days.

I'm sure I'll have questions for you guys in a week or so.