defrocked warped primitive operates illegal still

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x72881

Oh my.

TheMightyFavog  (1000+ posts)      Sun Dec-27-09 10:26 AM
Original message
 
Anny homebrewers here?

Just got a Mr. Beer for christmas, and I have a Brown ale fermenting away.

Any tips and.or suggestions?

The defrocked warped primitive:

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Sun Dec-27-09 12:24 PM
#09 TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Response to Original message

1. Not really, not for the first batch

When you do the final fermentation in the bottles to carbonate the brew, don't charge them with table sugar. Sucrose gives the brew a nasty cidery taste. It will be drinkable and it will get you there, but you won't enjoy it much. You'll find out what the words "skunky beer" mean.

Dextrose (glucose) is the only way to go.

Other than that, keeping room air away from the brew is the one essential so that it doesn't get colonized with wild yeasts or molds. That means maintaining a CO2 layer over it during the first fermentation and using a fermentation lock of some type for the second.

I used to do 5 gallons at a time, using plastic buckets from a Chinese restaurant, health food store, or Dunkin Donuts for the first fermentation, a plastic bag secured over the top with an elastic band. I had a carboy with a wine fermentation lock for the second fermentation. I bought malt in bulk, 5 gallons at a time, and hops a pound at a time.

The kit is a little tidier than the illegal (at that time) brewing I did. Hops don't smell like roses when you're boiling them up.

The Mr. Beer website has a discussion group. I think you'll probably find a lot more product specific information there than non kit brewers can give you.

BTW, that layer of yeast in the bottom of the beer bottle is drinkable and some folks develop a taste for it. It's packed full of B vitamins and Europeans claim it prevents hangover, although the latter hasn't been the case in my experience.

[IassaFTots]

A Mr. Beer???? 

 

[LC EFA]

In all fairness - I don't think the Warped one runs a still.

Just a home brew beer setup, which can be done through a ingredient kit or through labor intensive preparation of the raw ingredients.

If you're looking to get sloshed - the kits work great, taste good and are available from most supermarkets round here.

However, if you're somewhat of an epicurean beer snob then you have to invest a lot more time and effort into it.

A still adds a whole second dimension to the process and vastly increases the variety of products that can be made. Of course the tax office frowns on such behavior because it deprives them of large chunks of what they consider their "rightful" revenue.

[franksolich]

In all fairness - I don't think the Warped one runs a still.

Home-brewing was illegal in the U.S. until just a few decades ago, maybe thirty or so years ago.

It's legal now, up to a certain gallonage per year.

Remember, the warped primitive's no spring chicken, and she's probably describing an act that was illegal in Massachusetts in the late 1960s, early 1970s.

[IassaFTots]

However, if you're somewhat of an epicurean beer snob then you have to invest a lot more time and effort into it.

Personally, I am not a slob, but I am a bit spoiled.    Boyfriend is a brewer, was a professional brewer until the breweries all closed down around here.

He says legalizing home brewing is the only good thing Carter ever did, and yes, his purchases are recordable for the ATF. 

[JohnnyReb]

Drank some home made persimmon beer 50+ years ago....hmmmm...if bought beer tasted that good I would have been a beer-0-holic.

[Thor]

Quite honestly, I believe that any US Citizen should be able to make whatever alcoholic beverage they desire so long as it's for their own use and/ or NOT for resale. Hell, Washington owned and operated a still at his house.

[Carl]

I started making wine and beer this year..5 gallons at a clip and it is very good but with the amount of beer I drink not sure it is economical having to get the ingredients shipped plus the cost of the equipment.

Wine is easier after you have the equipment but takes a long time.
Used stuff from around here like raspberries,elderberries,watermelon,apples for fruit ones plus a couple of lower petal based ones too.

[LC EFA]

You can brew beer / wine / etc here totally legally in any quantity you care to. Can't sell it unless you go througn a rigorous shafting by the tax office though.

Distilling spirits is completely verboten in any quantity (without license) even for private consumption. It is however one of those laws they won't bother enforcing unless you are retailing the stuff or you've irritated the establishment in some other manner and they can't nail you for it.

The number of stores selling stills and related products is proof positive of that.

[Thor]

You can brew beer / wine / etc here totally legally in any quantity you care to. Can't sell it unless you go througn a rigorous shafting by the tax office though.

Distilling spirits is completely verboten in any quantity (without license) even for private consumption. It is however one of those laws they won't bother enforcing unless you are retailing the stuff or you've irritated the establishment in some other manner and they can't nail you for it.

The number of stores selling stills and related products is proof positive of that.

I'm not sure of how much beer a person is allowed to make  for their own personal consumption. I believe that wine is limited to four or five gallons. The "revenuers" don't seem to worry too much about those. Spirits of any kind is strictly verboten here, too. If one gets caught, it's a stiff fine and/or imprisonment. I still am in opposition to the Government not allowing personal distilleries.

[The Village Idiot]

My dad was always drinking so I never wanted to. It made me hate drunks. Smelled like piss anyways. So you can imagine I wouldn't want to even taste that.

[md11hydmec]

300 gallons per year is what you're allowed to brew. I used to do homebrew, it was good, but got expensive because I was the only drinker in the house. Even then I don't drink a lot. I just go to Taco Mac around here and try different tasty brews. Carter did the homebrew exemption because of "Billy Beer". His brother was a homebrewer. As far as spirits, as long as I'm not selling, I should be able to make some for prsonal consumption without big brother getting involved.

[IassaFTots]

I'm not sure of how much beer a person is allowed to make  for their own personal consumption. I believe that wine is limited to four or five gallons. The "revenuers" don't seem to worry too much about those. Spirits of any kind is strictly verboten here, too. If one gets caught, it's a stiff fine and/or imprisonment. I still am in opposition to the Government not allowing personal distilleries.

Not more than 200 gallons, in Texas.

http://www.beertown.org/statutes/texas.htm

[PatriotGame]

A Mr. Beer???? 

 

Yea, now if only there were a Mr. Brain...
Naaa...the DUmmys would fall flat on that too.

[AllosaursRus]

Quite honestly, I believe that any US Citizen should be able to make whatever alcoholic beverage they desire so long as it's for their own use and/ or NOT for resale. Hell, Washington owned and operated a still at his house.

"Toots" comes from "West by God Virginia", so "white lightnin'" is fairly common in my neck o' the woods. Unless you mix it with pear or peach juice, the stuff is like drinkin' rubbin' alcohol.

Just sayin'.......

[Karin]

I used to have a Mr. Beer, and I thought it was a peck of fun.  It's like cooking, with some batches being better than others.  They sell an additive called "Boost" that will kick it up a notch.  I like depriving the taxman of his "rightful revenues," in legal ways.