69 replies to this topic

[FATC1TY]

Being as diverse as we all are here, and the wide range of topics..

Does any homebrew? Beer, wine, ciders, meads?

I brew beer. Relatively new to it, but I love it. I'm a big beer geek. Love different craft beers, and trying new things. Translates really well to brewing to know what you like and do not like.

I enjoy firing up the kettle on the weekend, grabbing a homebrew and relaxing while making another batch.

There is something super awesome about coming home from a round of golf, or work.. Walking into the garage, and pulling a nice pint of something I've brewed from the keg..

I've gotten to the point in brewing, that I've dropped off what I buy in craft beer now.. I'd rather brew than buy, which is cheaper in a way, but past special seasonal releases, or something hyped up to the moon. I rarely go to the beer store to look at beer, but maybe once a month if that!

[Scott@84]

Don't brew but I am a beer geek. I'd like to start brewing but I barely have time to play golf.

[Onewaggle]

I brew.  Black IPA was the last one, trying to decide on the next batch.  Might try to squeeze in one more summer seasonal before I work on a trifecta of octoberfest beers.

It really opens up you beer experience to make it, I'm also a microbiology nerd, so this feeds that addiction pretty well.

[KyleGD]

You guys are my heroes. I'm hoping to learn more and start the home brewing process this fall.

[yumbrownies]

I've been brewing for a little over a year. I just keep getting more and more into it, but my setup has reached the limit of what my tiny apartment can handle, and with the heat out here in Colorado I haven't brewed much lately. The wife and I brewed all the beer for our wedding in June though, which was cool.

Personally, I'd rather brew AND buy... It's fun to experiment, but there are too way many good beers out there to limit myself to whatever batch or two I have at the moment.

[Onewaggle]

I recommend getting on thehomebrewery.com and request their catalog.  Loads of good information!  And they are just about a mile from me, so I know they are great guys.  Their kits turn out great everytime, and are very knowledgeable if you make the move to whole grain.

[FATC1TY]

Awesome!

I agree that buying beer is still fun, and to try new things. I enjoy picking up the seasonals and the rarities from time to time. I'll also just randomly try new things, and new styles.

I'm not crazy about lambics and krieks, sours, brett and that stuff. It's good, but about as funky as I'll get is a farmhouse saison.

Brewing is an addiction I think. I enjoy sitting around drinking while doing it, and it's really relaxing, and super rewarding when you have a recipe turn out perfect.

I have a few brews sitting around right now that I've made:

9% Columbus/Citra DIPA
8.5% Columbus Single Hop DIPA
5.7% Sweetwater 420 Clone, which turned out better than the original actually
6.4% Simcoe Single Hop IPA, which is my FAVORITE right now. Oh so good.
5% Summer Lemon-Wheat Blonde, really light, perfect for the hot weather, very clean and citrusy.
10% Founder KBS Clone w/ Woodford Reserve barrel aging. YUM.

And I think in a few hours, I'll crank up the kettles, and fire out an Amarillo Single Hop IPA.. Gonna ramp the recipe up a bit, 7oz total hops, 5 gal batch, 2 oz dry hopping in the keg planned.

I'm a dork when it comes to chemisty, and the whole process of making beer, and love it. It's also awesome that you can screw something up and make a great beer still. I've gotten trashed one brewday, and just about screwed the recipe all up. Too much hops at my 15 min addition, ended up buying more hops to dry hop and decided to toss it all in there, I boiled off too much and my gravity was higher, which all worked out perfect. Just remember to write down what you did so you can come back to it later!

[FATC1TY]

KyleGD, on 27 July 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

You guys are my heroes. I'm hoping to learn more and start the home brewing process this fall.

Do it!! We'll be here, and there are multiple forums that can explain the process and tips and tricks.. Starting out with a simple extract kit first, low gravity, and it'll be hard to mess it up. Then you can move to larger beers( higher gravity ), and add the addition of steeping grains.. Once you do do that, the next move would be to try a mini-mash/partial mash w/ extract.

After that.. All grain.. 5 gal of beer can be made with a couple hours, and in some cases, less than $20 bucks. At that point you can propagate/harvest your old yeast, re use it, and you'll really only need to buy grains, and hops, and those are cheap.

[Onewaggle]

KyleGD, on 27 July 2012 - 11:35 AM, said:

You guys are my heroes. I'm hoping to learn more and start the home brewing process this fall.

Yes do it!  A simple kit costs...150$ or so, or you can piece together different options.  The biggest hurdle is usually acquiring enough bottles (pry top only).  I recommend you start drinking a ton of Sam Adams...good beers and their labels come off easier than any I've found!  

Don't get all caught up in the terminology, in a negative way.  It's really just boiling water, and cooling it.  Adding some stuff along the way.

I will gurantee!  You will enjoy the beer you make.  

I've got to do an inventory of the types of beers I have on hand.  With 4 buddies all making different styles and sharing, I have about 30-40 different on hand.  Which is why I had to buy another fridge!  . Not a problem in my mind!

[Onewaggle]

As FatCity said too.  It's hard to screw up!  I'm always a bit buzzed when brewing and as long as you keep everything sanitized, extract kits will make good beer.

One of my favorites...named it Open Window midnight Ale got a wild yeast strain from...you guessed it an open window at midnight..I presume, and can never again be duplicated.   Good thing I made 40 gallons of it!

[fore_life]

Going to start really soon, always loved craft beers but visiting about 15 breweries in three states in the pastonth or so has sparked my brew interest

[FATC1TY]

If you visit alot of breweries, and have some locally, hit them up for some yeast slurry.. Alot of places have a house yeast strain they use, and most places are pretty nice about tossin' ya some yeast slurry from their tanks if you ask nicely. You can wash it and make some starters with it, and pitch it and use it for a few batches.. Helps if you are trying to replicate a local beer you like and they don't use a widely used commercial strain.

[FATC1TY]

I brewed yesterday and did a simple single hop IPA. Used a little munich and some Crystal 40 in it, and used around 4 oz of Amarillo, single hop all the way through the boil.

Going to dry hop it with 2 oz of Amarillo in the keg in a few weeks when it's done fermenting out. Decent sized brew, 1.070 OG, should finish around 1.014 or so. That's roughly 7.4 percent ABV, decent sweetness from the munich and crystal.

It'll be good I think, similar to the Simcoe I did, but with more citrus notes instead of the grapefuit and floral notes of the Simcoe.

[fore_life]

Fat, I have a feeling I'll be pm ing you a lot haha

[Onewaggle]

FATC1TY, on 29 July 2012 - 04:26 PM, said:

I brewed yesterday and did a simple single hop IPA. Used a little munich and some Crystal 40 in it, and used around 4 oz of Amarillo, single hop all the way through the boil.

Going to dry hop it with 2 oz of Amarillo in the keg in a few weeks when it's done fermenting out. Decent sized brew, 1.070 OG, should finish around 1.014 or so. That's roughly 7.4 percent ABV, decent sweetness from the munich and crystal.

It'll be good I think, similar to the Simcoe I did, but with more citrus notes instead of the grapefuit and floral notes of the Simcoe.

That should turn out well, I probably would have hopped again 2 min left with the Amarillo, but dry hopping should add some of the same notes.  Finishing off my dry hopped Double Black
ipa tomorrow, it's going into growlers.  I did half without dry hop, half with just to see what the differences will be.

[Klay23]

Home brewer here as well.  Probably 6-8 5 gallon batches for me.  Blonde ale and an oatmeal stout have been my favorites

[rwill]

I've brewed for a long time but haven't made anything in a couple years now. Too many hobbies, too little time. You name it, I've probably brewed it. I've was averaging a batch a week for awhile but got a harley and now I ride to breweries and take tours and try their stuff. Might have to do a couple batches pretty soon. I'm thinking mead

[masyankees]

I've had a growing interest in brewing for a while and would definitely like to start at some point relatively soon.  Does anyone have any recommendations for introductory reading material/ any other resources, so I can start educating myself until I'm able to start?

[FATC1TY]

fore_life, on 29 July 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

Fat, I have a feeling I'll be pm ing you a lot haha

Bring it!!

Brewing can get like golf. Tons of cool toys and stuff to buy. You can make it as expensive or as economical as you want. Difference is, that keeping it cheap and simple, with the right techniques and good recipes, you can make great beer with the most expensive rig, or the basic stove top and a bucket.

[FATC1TY]

Onewaggle, on 29 July 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

FATC1TY, on 29 July 2012 - 04:26 PM, said:

I brewed yesterday and did a simple single hop IPA. Used a little munich and some Crystal 40 in it, and used around 4 oz of Amarillo, single hop all the way through the boil.

Going to dry hop it with 2 oz of Amarillo in the keg in a few weeks when it's done fermenting out. Decent sized brew, 1.070 OG, should finish around 1.014 or so. That's roughly 7.4 percent ABV, decent sweetness from the munich and crystal.

It'll be good I think, similar to the Simcoe I did, but with more citrus notes instead of the grapefuit and floral notes of the Simcoe.

That should turn out well, I probably would have hopped again 2 min left with the Amarillo, but dry hopping should add some of the same notes.  Finishing off my dry hopped Double Black
ipa tomorrow, it's going into growlers.  I did half without dry hop, half with just to see what the differences will be.

I didn't put out the hop schedule. I did 1 oz at 60, 1oz at 20, 1oz at 5, and 1 oz at flameout. My drop hop schedule will be 1oz for 1 week in secondary, 1oz addition at 2nd week, and then deciding if I like it, I'll leave it, or add another oz of whole cone to the keg when I serve.

I have a fair bit of late additions so I'm gonna get some great flavor and aroma, with a decent bit of bittering from the 60 min addition to stand up to the malt bill.

By the way.. Are you going to bottle condition in growlers? If they aren't flip tops, I would advise against that. They aren't made to hold the pressure of bottle carbing really well.

Edited by FATC1TY, 30 July 2012 - 09:46 PM.

[FATC1TY]

masyankees, on 30 July 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

I've had a growing interest in brewing for a while and would definitely like to start at some point relatively soon.  Does anyone have any recommendations for introductory reading material/ any other resources, so I can start educating myself until I'm able to start?

Palmers "How to Brew"

Takes you from knowing nothing to being able to design recipes, learn tasting notes, all grain, understanding the breakdown and chains for enzymes and whatnot. Really good book with pictures.

The older version is also online, free. www.howtobrew.com

Check it out. I have a current copy at home and read it and reference it from time to time.

[Onewaggle]

FATC1TY, on 30 July 2012 - 09:43 PM, said:

Onewaggle, on 29 July 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

FATC1TY, on 29 July 2012 - 04:26 PM, said:

I brewed yesterday and did a simple single hop IPA. Used a little munich and some Crystal 40 in it, and used around 4 oz of Amarillo, single hop all the way through the boil.

Going to dry hop it with 2 oz of Amarillo in the keg in a few weeks when it's done fermenting out. Decent sized brew, 1.070 OG, should finish around 1.014 or so. That's roughly 7.4 percent ABV, decent sweetness from the munich and crystal.

It'll be good I think, similar to the Simcoe I did, but with more citrus notes instead of the grapefuit and floral notes of the Simcoe.

That should turn out well, I probably would have hopped again 2 min left with the Amarillo, but dry hopping should add some of the same notes.  Finishing off my dry hopped Double Black
ipa tomorrow, it's going into growlers.  I did half without dry hop, half with just to see what the differences will be.

I didn't put out the hop schedule. I did 1 oz at 60, 1oz at 20, 1oz at 5, and 1 oz at flameout. My drop hop schedule will be 1oz for 1 week in secondary, 1oz addition at 2nd week, and then deciding if I like it, I'll leave it, or add another oz of whole cone to the keg when I serve.

I have a fair bit of late additions so I'm gonna get some great flavor and aroma, with a decent bit of bittering from the 60 min addition to stand up to the malt bill.

By the way.. Are you going to bottle condition in growlers? If they aren't flip tops, I would advise against that. They aren't made to hold the pressure of bottle carbing really well.

Yep flip toppers.  I have a full kegging set up too.  I do 3-4 batches a year In bottles to share. Usually when my Keezer is full of carboys being lagered.   Plus there is something about popping the top on a brew you made in a bottle that appeals to me!

I figured you had a hop schedule like that, but you never know!  That's the best part of homebrewing, playing around with grain bills and hop schedules, the  experiments are endless!

[FATC1TY]

Oh yeah, it's fun to tinker, especially after getting a batch done and trying it.. Once you do that you can change it to your liking with something as simple as one more pound of this grain, or less of this, or 1/2 oz of more hops later in the boil..

My keezer is pretty full at the moment, with 4 kegs on line at the moment, one is about to kick though, so I've got this Amarillo IPA ready to move in by the time it's gone, probably gonna be kicked before I get this batch done and ready.

Not brewing this weekend, but I'm going to brew the following week. Gonna do my simple IPA, maybe change my hops schedule around a bit. Then brew another wheat blonde and have those getting set so I can bottle them by the end of the month.

By the way.. The blonde is the newest kid in the keezer, and MAN did that 1272 Wyeast had some high flocculation, way better than 1056. Very fast and compact trub, even with no cold crashing since I was in a hurry to get it out. Seemed slower to get the job done, but I kept it low/mid 60's to make sure it finished clean and less fruity. Attenuated pretty well, had a low OG anyways, so it helped to dry it out a bit more at 1.010.

Thinking about switching my "house" strain and using the 1272 more often now for the citrusy pale ales and IPA's, and even the blondes.

[Onewaggle]

Octoberfest is fermenting!

http://www.beersmith.../recipe_304.htm

Used this one from beer smith.

Thinking I might dry hop this one too.

[golfnmudd]

I'm in the process of getting everything together.  Got all my bottles, caps, burner, and pot.  About to get a kit off the bay i think.  Is it worth it getting the glass carboy, or do the 5 gallon buckets work just as well?

[FATC1TY]

golfnmudd, on 07 August 2012 - 06:16 PM, said:

I'm in the process of getting everything together.  Got all my bottles, caps, burner, and pot.  About to get a kit off the bay i think.  Is it worth it getting the glass carboy, or do the 5 gallon buckets work just as well?

Awesome, it's alot of gun.

It's easy to start with a complete kit, but honestly, you just need the basics. A Glass carboy is nice, it's a bit more work to clean, but it's better in the long run. No risk of scratching that could harbor bacteria in the long run. Plus you can see fermentation happening, which is cool.

Buckets aren't bad, but they will absorb the smell over time. After a few IPA's mine are stained green with hops and smell like it too. They are easier to pour your wort into, and rack from, as well as being able to get a gravity sample.

Buy a kit, if you can spring for the glass, do it. Just be careful with it!

Get a kit with a hydrometer, a bottling bucket, a fermenter(glass or bucket), lid with a grommet  and airlock, and a capper. An autosiphon WILL be worth it, so spring for one as well, along with some tubing! It makes it way way way easier to rack it to your secondary or bottling bucket when ready.

I'd also suggest NOT buying a "pre made" beer kit. Skip the hopped extract kits. You can find a local home brew store, go in and they can help put together a simple recipe, or look online and they can find something for you to start that is basic and something you will like based on your tastes.

Starting simple, but adding your hops and extract and boiling will get you the jist of the main idea of brewing.

Also, buy some cleaner like PWB or C Brite to clean you kettle and buckets and whatnot. You will also need some Star San, sanitizer. It's a no rise sanitizer. Goes a long way, and you don't rinse it. Embrace the foam.

Past that.. A pot that will hold atleast 6-7 gallons will work for partial boil extract kits. Once you get the hang of it, a wort chiller is probably the next best investment aside from a bigger pot that will allow you to do full 5 gallon boils. Which means you'll need to be able to boil 6 or 6.5 gallons depending on your boil off rate over an hour.

A turket fryer kit is pretty ideal to start with. Burner and outside is easier to clean up. Pot is big enough to start with. Boil some water it in first before you use an aluminum pot if that is what you get. Oxidize it a bit before using.

[Onewaggle]

Fat City couldn't have put it better.

I do like the idea of getting a wort chiller early on, if you are doing 5 gallon batches, the simple copper coil one will work well.  

On kits, there are various kinds.  I do no recommend Mr. Beer or the liquid extract kits, they turn out ok, but not great in my option.  

Also, keep notes.  When you started the boil, hop additions, gravities etc.  Thats the fun part for me, besides drinking them of course, looking back and seeing how each one differed a bit and playing with ratios, times etc.


Also, I too recommend getting to know your Local Homebrew store, I can't tell you how helpful mine has been, and now they call me when they get in some unique hops or grains.  

[FATC1TY]

Onewaggle, on 08 August 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Fat City couldn't have put it better.

I do like the idea of getting a wort chiller early on, if you are doing 5 gallon batches, the simple copper coil one will work well.  

On kits, there are various kinds.  I do no recommend Mr. Beer or the liquid extract kits, they turn out ok, but not great in my option.  

Also, keep notes.  When you started the boil, hop additions, gravities etc.  Thats the fun part for me, besides drinking them of course, looking back and seeing how each one differed a bit and playing with ratios, times etc.


Also, I too recommend getting to know your Local Homebrew store, I can't tell you how helpful mine has been, and now they call me when they get in some unique hops or grains.  

Good points as well!

I got a wort chiller before I even brewed my first batch. It's imperative in brewing that you get a HOT boil, and maintain, it, and then as quickly as possible cool your wort down to pitching( adding yeast) temps. There's a middle ground where the wort is easily "infected".

Being clean in brewing, is #1. Sanitize everything with StarSan. Beer is pretty resilient, but an infection that will sour the beer, or grown mold, or turn out crazy isn't what you wanted when you spent 4-6 hours brewing, and say $50 on crap to brew, and you get nothing and have to drain pour it.

I'd suggest going to a local store if you have one, seriously. You think getting to know your golf store guy really well, it pays to get to know your brew store guy, and most of them love the hobby so much they'll insist on helping you till the cows come home.

A simple kit with liquid, or dried malt extract, maybe some simple steeping grains if you feel froggy, and your hops, yeast and thats all you need.

KEEP NOTES & DRINK BEER, are the main goals when you brew. Notes help keep you on track, and if you mess up, roll with it. I've accidentally in my drunken stupor added twice the amount of hops at my 15 min addition.. I didn't panic, because it's just more flavor at that point in time, and minimal bitterness. Infact, I followed the recipe out, and had to get more hops to dry hop with, and instead of holding on to the additional ounce, I dry hopped with that too. Turned to be one the best beers I made. I missed my gravity by a tiny bit on the high side, added too much hops, took forever to cool since it was 100* outside, and it was UNREAL good.

I keep a "Brew Book" when I brew now. I have all my recipes in there, dates and times when I brew. Volumes of boil, temps, mash times, the whole nine yards. Additions, and whatnot.. Then when I have something extra awesome come out, I can go back and understand what I did, and improve or replicate it as best I can. It would be a shame to make a killer brew, and then go back to find out you don't know what all you did and couldn't do it again!

Best thing you can do for brewing isn't something you can buy. Have fun, but you have to have patience. Rushing beer is like rushing into marriage. It ain't gonna turn out good.

[Onewaggle]

A couple other things that I would suggest anew brewer get, not absolutely necessary, but makes the process so much easier are:

A long handled spoon or paddle, stainless steel.  Homebrew store will have them, but I've seen them other places.   Long enough to reach the bottom of your brew pot, and still get a hand on it.   Don't use wood, too hard to keep clean and sterilize.

BBQ gloves, or at the least really good pot holders.   At some point you are going to be moving 5-6 gallons of near boiling liquid, and the heat resistant gloves come in mighty handy!

[FATC1TY]

Brewed another batch yesterday. Simcoe and Citra exclusively in the hop schedule. 1.075 OG. Should be pretty good, and pretty good to compare to the all Amarillo IPA I've got on hand.