The Conservative Cave
Interests => All Things Edible (and how to prepare them) => Topic started by: biersmythe on July 14, 2013, 12:55:10 PM
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Hi all I wanted to start a thread about brewing beer, making wine and mead. Anyone else here enjoy the hobby? I would like to talk about recipes, equipment and experiences with brewing. I have found the hobby to be both profitable (was a professional brewer for seven years) and very satisfying to have beer/wine I made at my home available for friends and party's. I have been making some sort of drink for 24 years. I would love to hear your experiences, trials and tribulations with brewing and wine making. I learn something new every time I read a book or have a discussion on the subject. If you would like to start brewing post up, I would be more than happy to help out anyway I can. Lets see some picks as well. I will be posting some soon. :cheersmate:
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Funny, I have a shitload of overtime on my next paycheck and was going to get my first brewing set up. Any advice on what to get for a newbie and any potential pitfalls or issues to expect?
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Well bud I can talk to about it Friday night in person if you like and yes I can help you out and brew with you if you like. I know you live in an apt it is possible to make good beer in an apartment...I lived in one six months and had all kinds of libations going at once...mead , wine and beer. So we will talk soon bud. anything I can help with just ask.
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I wouldn't mind getting some info. I always thought beer and mead would be fun!
KC
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Well bud I can talk to about it Friday night in person if you like and yes I can help you out and brew with you if you like. I know you live in an apt it is possible to make good beer in an apartment...I lived in one six months and had all kinds of libations going at once...mead , wine and beer. So we will talk soon bud. anything I can help with just ask.
I feel like a dumbass... I just went and looked at your intro thread... Yeah, see you and Tots Friday night for beers and brewing talk.
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I feel like a dumbass... I just went and looked at your intro thread... Yeah, see you and Tots Friday night for beers and brewing talk.
:rofl:
Not a dumbass, just working hard. :-)
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well ask away friend. I can give you some book titles to get and read. It is a great hobb...er way of life. The first book I would recommend is the complete joy of home brewing.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Edition/dp/0060531053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373850084&sr=8-1&keywords=joy+of+homebrewing
This is the book I started with...um 1st edition... it is a relaxed treatise on the subject. It would be the first book I would recommend for any aspiring brewer (on top of the fact the author has a sense of humor). After that the buying of equipment is in order. There are several places to buy equipment needed some more expensive than others just post up what ya need and anything I can help with finding.
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I feel like a dumbass... I just went and looked at your intro thread... Yeah, see you and Tots Friday night for beers and brewing talk.
HAHA well not a dumass just didn't know bud. Look forward to it and yea we can talk brewing then and later as well.
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Been brewing for.........quite awhile. Too hot right now, I'll wait till fall. :cheersmate:
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Been brewing for.........quite awhile. Too hot right now, I'll wait till fall. :cheersmate:
I brew year round....it was snowing one year (I was about 22 so nothing would stand in my way) and it has been as hot as 110...just a few years ago. but If you want to wait till fall I have a lot of friends that skip summer....but we can still talk about it. What do you like to brew Wineslob?
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I wouldn't mind getting some info. I always thought beer and mead would be fun!
KC
What would you like to know about? I posted a book that I like to start beginners with and after you read through some of that It would be equipment gathering time...This hobby can be as advanced as you want it to be. You can make very good beer without having all the latest gadgets. It is mostly down to what you know and how sanitary you are. So ask anything you like If I can help I will be happy to.
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Picked up The Joy of Homebrewing today since I got paid. Lots of good info so far.
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Picked up The Joy of Homebrewing today since I got paid. Lots of good info so far.
Its a great beginners book one of the best ones I have found to start with. You will leave that book on the shelf soon but it gives beginners information about making beer that is easy to understand. As the book progresses it gets more technical so read from cover to cover.
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biersmythe, sorry I haven't gotten back to this but I'll be checking the book out as soon as I can. Thanks for the info.
KC
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biersmythe, sorry I haven't gotten back to this but I'll be checking the book out as soon as I can. Thanks for the info.
KC
Your welcome, anything I can do to help.
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I wanted to give a list of home brew shops/sites I use to help anyone out that is interested in getting started/buying ingredients. I know some places don't have a local Home brew shop, so here is a list of sites you can order from. Not a complete list so if you have a favorite place to shop/order please add it.
http://www.homebrewhq.com/
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
http://morebeer.com/
http://brewhardware.com/
http://www.amazon.com/ just be careful here cause you need to know what you are buying, but there is good prices sometimes.
http://www.homebrewstuff.com/
That should be enough to get you started. :cheersmate:
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When I was home brewing, I had good luck with most of the Australian products.
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When I was home brewing, I had good luck with most of the Australian products.
Are you referring to this? I think those kits are great to get you started. Once you get to the point of being able to recognize ingredients and have sanitation down pat, I believe its time to go all grain or at least partial mash brewing. The reasons behind it are quality and cost, grain is less expensive than malt extract. I don't start people out with all grain cause its information overload. When I started out I used beer kits, then went to partial mash, adding my own hops, temperature controlled fermentation, then all grain. It is important to get that experience cause if you make several bad batches you get frustrated and then quit....and that is a shame.
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No, that wasn't one of 'em. Along with other things I can't remember, the name of them I cannot recall.
I mixed some additional hops and barley along the way, too.
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No, that wasn't one of 'em. Along with other things I can't remember, the name of them I cannot recall.
I mixed some additional hops and barley along the way, too.
I was just curious if it was coopers cause they are an Australian company.
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I was just curious if it was coopers cause they are an Australian company.
I know.
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What do you like to brew Wineslob?
I like to make what I call "New Castle on Steroids". Essentially New Castle Ale but all grain and an ABV of around 6-7%
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I like to make what I call "New Castle on Steroids". Essentially New Castle Ale but all grain and an ABV of around 6-7%
Well I don't give out my personal/professional recipes so I wont ask for yours but other than more grain what do you do to get to the "on Steroids" point? Do you have any advice for other peeps on what they need to do to get close to the Newcastle? That is what I would like to create here is camaraderie with fellow brewers (and aspiring brewers) to discuss recipe formulation and processes.
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Well I don't give out my personal/professional recipes so I wont ask for yours but other than more grain what do you do to get to the "on Steroids" point? Do you have any advice for other peeps on what they need to do to get close to the Newcastle? That is what I would like to create here is camaraderie with fellow brewers (and aspiring brewers) to discuss recipe formulation and processes.
The "steroids" part is the abv. I believe New Castle is around 4.7%. plus going all grain increases the body. Not-so-thin-tasting but retains the flavor, at least as close as I can get it.
It's 10 - 11 lbs of 2 row pale, 1 lb Crystal malt, Kent Golding hops, and ale yeast. I don't mess with it too much other than 2 stage fermentation.
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The "steroids" part is the abv. I believe New Castle is around 4.7%. plus going all grain increases the body. Not-so-thin-tasting but retains the flavor, at least as close as I can get it.
It's 10 - 11 lbs of 2 row pale, 1 lb Crystal malt, Kent Golding hops, and ale yeast. I don't mess with it too much other than 2 stage fermentation.
Very cool, sounds good. By the way do you use liquid or dry yeast? I have used liquid exclusively for 20ish years. Far better quality,recipe reproduction and much more bacterial stability. The other plus is more strain availability...ie MORE FLAVORS!!!!! hehe I brewed a few weeks ago and Ill post back how it came out soon.
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I've tried the liquid yeasts and both were very slow to start and then stuck. I ended up re-pitching, which I don't like doing. I prefer the dry.
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I've tried the liquid yeasts and both were very slow to start and then stuck. I ended up re-pitching, which I don't like doing. I prefer the dry.
I always do a yeast starter to make sure I have the appropriate cell count to pitch. One slap pack and at minimum of one step-up, only if i'm pressed on time. I like to do two feedings (at least when I'm brewing at home....big brewery's require quite a bit more yeast :-) ) that way it will not stall unless you are way out of pitch temperature. The procedure I use is first day slap the wyeast pack let swell (if using white labs omit first day wait) I then start out with 1.030 wort for the starter. Use 250 mil on the first feed and then put it on the stir plate. If you don't have a stir plate just use a large bottle with a airlock and shake it every time you think about it or walk by it. The next day add 500 ml of 1.030 wort...basically double it everyday. With this method (with a slight amount change) you can pitch 3.5 bbl (108.5 gal) of wort in a week from one wyeast slap pack. With one addition I used to aerate the wort with a mechanical air pump and it had a sub micron filter on it. The pump isn't needed with the volume for home brewing.
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Well kegged up the latest batch I did three weeks ago and carbonated it. It is a mild pale ale style often referred to as a red ale. It has mild hop flavor and med body. Start gravity was 1.045 has a good session quality to it :-) Will be brewing again this coming week cause 10 gal wont last Tots and I long...lol. Will most likely be brewing an Amber ale cause I already have everything I need for it. When I get my other converted chest freezer over here Ill start the lagers but with only one fridge I cant tie it up that long. By the by for those of you looking for hops in bulk at a good price they have some on sale at http://www.hopsdirect.com/ I just ordered several variety's of pellet hops. They came fast and packed in nitrogen sealed bags. Used some in this last brew turned out good. So there is another supplier to add to the list :cheersmate: I post back again when I brew next with some pics.
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Well I haven't updated this thread in a few. I have brewed a few batches since my last post. I will be trying to brew this weekend if time permits. I will be brewing a German ale, no particular style like Kolsch or Alt. I will be doing a golden ale to test out some new hops I have never used before. I have some Vanguard Hops which are a American hop that was a cross between Hallertauer Mittelfrueh and an unknown pollen. It is supposed to be a substitute for the Hallertauer which is hard to get on a regular bases. I have used Mittelfrueh before and I have some at the house now for the next batch to compare. I am going to post some pics and notes on how the brew went.
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Sounds good! The temps here are getting close to "right". I'll be doing a batch in a few weeks.
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Sounds good! The temps here are getting close to "right". I'll be doing a batch in a few weeks.
HEHE i'm a glutton for punishment i'll brew and have in 105...or snow on the ground. The ice makes it dangerous so ill wait for another day...HAHA
edit for sp...damn this happens a lot...lol
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Well I haven't updated this thread in a few. I have brewed a few batches since my last post. I will be trying to brew this weekend if time permits. I will be brewing a German ale, no particular style like Kolsch or Alt. I will be doing a golden ale to test out some new hops I have never used before. I have some Vanguard Hops which are a American hop that was a cross between Hallertauer Mittelfrueh and an unknown pollen. It is supposed to be a substitute for the Hallertauer which is hard to get on a regular bases. I have used Mittelfrueh before and I have some at the house now for the next batch to compare. I am going to post some pics and notes on how the brew went.
Well been a while since I posted up on this thread. I did the brew and now its all gone... :-) Tots and I drank it. I did document it with some pictures, but without a host account it will be all clickable photos. So without further adieu.
The day started milling grain for the mash. After the mill I mashed in at around 8:00 a.m. and at a temp of 150 deg. Mashed for one hour, during the last 30 min I recirculate in the mash tun with a pump to help clear the wort and aide in mash Saccharification which is the conversion from starches to sugar for fermentation. Most of the conversion is done in the first 12 to 15 min if you do not have dry pockets of grain. That is the purpose of the recirculation. After the mash rest I do a sparge rinse / run-off into the kettle for a 90 min boil. At this point in the batch is when the hops are added to balance the malt sweetness with bitterness (or in some cases over balance :-) ). After the 90 min is up I use a copper chilling coil connected to city water to rapidly cool the wort. Wort is the name given to the sugar water/ hop liquid before the yeast is added, after the yeast is added it is beer. After the Wort is cooled down it is transferred to a fermenter and yeast is pitched (poured in).
edit for sp. and pics.
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I need to get a hosting account...lol
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a few more.
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and what all the fuss was about.
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Looks tasty.
I still need the measurements of that keg so I can get a fridge... :whistling:
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Looks tasty.
I still need the measurements of that keg so I can get a fridge... :whistling:
ACK!!!! I suck :thatsright:...lol 27" tall x 9" dia. is probably bare minimum for hoses and being able to get it in and out of the refrigeration contraption.
edit for pic.
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ACK!!!! I suck :thatsright:...lol 27" tall x 9" dia. is probably bare minimum for hoses and being able to get it in and out of the refrigeration contraption.
edit for pic.
No worries. I'll start looking this weekend. :cheersmate: