Any Home Brewers?

POSTED BY: pizmobeach
UPDATED: Monday, February 22, 2010 20:49
VIEWED: 4057
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PIZMOBEACH

Thursday, January 21, 2010 9:14 PM

My first "Brew Day" was last Sunday. I am now the proud father of a 5 gallon primary fermenter of Robust Porter.... shhhh... he's sleeping.
Anyone else give home brewing a try?

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PIZMOBEACH

Friday, January 22, 2010 1:47 AM

Brewski Bump

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CALHOUN

Friday, January 22, 2010 12:39 PM

I dont much fancy beer..

I do like spirits though and have my own still.

FREMDFIRMA

Friday, January 22, 2010 3:21 PM

Actually Michigan, being more sensible than most, allows one a very substantial amount of homebrew per year for personal consumption and gifts to friends and family, although not the hi-proof stuff - but strangely, I live in an area that has enough hillbilly refugees that you can get some pretty decent shine if you know where to look, go fig.

Anyhows, I brew mead, and not that melo-mel wanna be CRAP based off bad wine or champagne (I call it gargamel, cause gargling with it is about all it's good for!) but the real deal, liquid gold, bottled orgasm, hells own nectar - with a light dash of seasonal fruit from the farmers down the road here.

Of course, hell if imma share my recipes, given just how *notoriously* good the stuff is, but I use a simplified brew process with your basic glass carbouy setup which comes off really well and saves a lotta time and effort, provided you don't get sloppy.

The strawberry-creme variation is your go-to bottle for inducing all manner of funny reactions from the girls (there's a reason for those names for my stock...) and bribing friends and family.

Seriously, the essential process is simple enough, so definitely ponder throwing down a batch or two of the stuff, you'll be surprised at the quality you can manage - the key is making sure your equipment is spotless, really.

-F

PIZMOBEACH

Monday, January 25, 2010 3:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
Seriously, the essential process is simple enough, so definitely ponder throwing down a batch or two of the stuff, you'll be surprised at the quality you can manage - the key is making sure your equipment is spotless, really.

-F

You are so right about the spotless part. I'm finding out that process itself is a pretty basic one, not unlike making a good stew or sauce, but because sanitation is so essential it ads an element of stress that is unexpected. Which in turn can add to the joy if you don't eff it up.

I'm finding out that it's best to go ssssllllooooowwwww - and patience is something I lack in spades. So I'm learning.

Also, like so many things, the more you know the more you appreciate. I'll never swill another brewski quite the same way again!

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FREMDFIRMA

Monday, January 25, 2010 4:47 PM

Well, I do have kind of an unfair edge...

You see, bein a direct descendant of ole Devil Anse Hatfield, I come from an extremely long line of still buildin, moonshining, revenooer dodgin hill folk - who of course ran quite a bit of it, a practice that continues on occasion to this day, as some distantly related dimwit just got his ass busted with nine hundred gallons of it not very long ago.
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6172139/

Not to mention uncle carl, who was rather notorious, having refitted a 40's Ford with a heavy duty suspension and a cut off piece of guard rail for a heavy duty bash bumper, not that it saw much use given the local law knew how crazy he was and just got the hell out of the way...

So really, when it comes to makin booze, or throwin roostertails of dirt behind a muscled up car, I got enough shine and gasoline in my blood to make the process fairly automatic.

Helpful Hint: while it's temptin for the lazy, try to use heat instead of sanitizer whenever you can, cause there's always a chance you won't get it all out and some of em can impact your final flavor in a negative kinda way - the reason for them scorch marks on the outside of a masters brewpot is from judicial use of a blowtorch....

-F

MAL4PREZ

Monday, January 25, 2010 9:11 PM

I've done quite a few beers and meads. I just popped open a blueberry mead this weekend and was thinking that I need to brew some beers, since I'm all out. I did a Guiness clone last summer that tasted nothing like Guiness but was damned yummy anyway. I need another batch of that.

Meads I like because you just cannot buy a good mead. You can buy all kinds of decent beer for not much more than it costs to brew. OK, a bit more. But you can't get a mead. Besides, I have a bit of a sweet-tooth.

Did you use a kit for the beer? I often use those because they're just so easy. And I've never had one come out bad.

Let us know how it goes! And like the brewing bible says: Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew. :)

ETA: as far as sanitizing, I find a big vat of dilute bleach works fine. One of those plastic bins, bit enough to put a carboy or a batch of bottles in. I let everything soak overnight before I use it, and I've never had a problem with bacteria.

OK, I'm pretty anal about not handling things that will be touching the wort. I learned to brew from an engineer who works in a lab - very anal.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:02 PM

Hi Mal4prez... The beers I'm fond of have all jumped about a buck a six pack, some even more. $8 for six beers was a stretch, then $9 and now $10?

Mead - so, like a sweet beer then? Vanilla Porter? Ale-ish?

Yes, I'm using a kit, "Brewer's Best" - and Papazian's book, dead simple like you say.

I have to say that I'm enjoying the challenge of waiting, the "time curve" is so different.
Yesterday was one very long week after primary fermentation, which according to the kit meant Bottling Day. I've been reading though on beer forums that letting a beer sit in the primary for up to a month does wonders for it. So I decided to let it sit for at least 2 more weeks. I can't believe I can do it, pat on back.
Which means I'm looking at 4 more weeks total (2 weeks in bottles) before taking that first real taste. A lot of waiting but at least there's beer at the end of it.

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FREMDFIRMA

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:57 PM

Well, throwin down a batch a week for a while kinda helps with that problem, that way when your fingers get itchy, you've usually got something to apply them to, aye ?

Here's some fun and handy linkage for ya.
http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/
http://www.michiganbrewing.com/

MBC's IPA is bottled whupass, seriously.
http://www.michiganbrewing.com/MBCBeer/HighSeasIPA/tabid/97/Default.as
px

-F

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:20 PM

Thx for the links Frem. "Bells" of Michigan is one of my favorite brewers btw.

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
Well, throwin down a batch a week for a while kinda helps with that problem, that way when your fingers get itchy, you've usually got something to apply them to, aye ?

Imagine when my wife suggested the same thing... I swear I teared up.

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