# Home Brewing



## bigtrain74

Hey all,

Just curious to see how many of us actually make their own beer. Smoking meat and brewing beer are just two of my passions. I used to make it very often but, as life goes on you find you have less and less time to do everything you want to do in your day.

If your a homebrewer, I would like to know what types of beer you make, do you bottle or keg, and maybe some tips for everyone else who may want to get into the art of making beer.

Maybe some brew-view can be in order???

Thanks!


----------



## richp692

I used to brew quite often but haven't made a batch in 2 years. I am getting the itch again. I used to brew my own versions of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I would make up a couple of mini kegs and bottle the rest. 
I want to give a Belgium White a shot.


----------



## meat hunter

I have been homebrewing for about 12 years. My preferred method is all grain, with a kit beer every now and then. Kit beers have come so far in the past several years. My favorite style is probably the darker versions, porters and stouts, but have also made a few scotch ales along with some lighter summer time ales of my own design. 

I do both, bottle and keg. Prefer to keg. 

I understand just what you mean, as life goes on, less time to do the things one really likes.

As far as tips go, anyone who thinks that you cannot make quality brew at home, you have no idea what your missing. I promise you, if you start with a good kit beer and have the time, (about 4 hours) and the basic equip, you will brew beer far better than ANY commercial stuff out there. I have heard people say, yeah my neighbor brewed some beer, tasted like watery flour, and left it at that. Its kinda like people who eat venison from someone who cooks it like they would a regular fatty beef steak and then say, yeah I had venison, tasted like shoe leather. 

If you have ever wondered about, try it. It will consume you just like the hobby of smoking meats. 


Actually, I think this post should be moved to the beer section, so any Mods, feel free to do so.


----------



## bigtrain74

I totally agree!!! Even if your first starting out, you can go out and buy pre made wort... Just add the yeast and go!


----------



## thepiro

Been a home brewer since the 60’s and brewed some pretty ruff stuff back then. Exploding bottles, sore gut, the lot.

As the years past I got into using pressure barrels rather than bottles, brewed most things, the beer that you brew today is defiantly a vast improvement and can be as good as the micro brewers that in my view brew the best real ale. I am having a love affair with the porter type beers at the moment.

Have made all sorts of wine, some of my country wines were really bad, but with time and experience I am now working on filling my wine racks in the new house. As with the beer, modern methods of wine making produce a very palatable drop. 

As a bee keeper I make my own prize winning mead. Believe it or nought, with modern methods you can’t go wrong, and I can get an excellent drop in about 2 months. 

But as time goes by with any hobby you try for bigger and better things, and granddad did give me his recipe from the good old days in the old country, so some copper work was called for.

I do like my White Dog


----------



## chopper

I've been homebrewing for a number of years now. I don't have the time / space / inclination to get involved in making everything from scratch, so I use the "set and forget" kits :o) I have always bottled in 1 litre bottles, and I haven't had more than one or two "bad" batches. Although my definition of a bad batch is one that takes me longer than a few weeks to drink!

My most recent adventure is wine, but I'm not sure it is going to be my new favourite. I am getting very nice colour and clarity, and the Missus is a big fan, but I don't know that I have the interest to keep it up.


----------



## ronp

Haven't brewed in 10 years. I liked to make Pilsners and Octoberfests. I have 4 coke tanks and co2 setup, a 1/2 barrel converted for the boil and a 2 burner propane stove. I also have a filtering system.

Shame I lost interest in it. Great beer and cheap.


----------



## afreetrapper

I used to brew occasionally mostly Czech style pilsners , mead and wine. I'm now pretty much limited to wine. Just finished my last bottle of persimmon last week 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






. In 2008 I made  persimmon,elderberry wine in 2007 dandelion and elderberry.


----------



## mrh

Probably been brewing off and on for around 20 years now.  Made some that went down the drain and some that were real good.  Kinda like this smoking thing the more you do the better they get!!  The biggest tip I could give is clean things well when you are at the right places that need to be clean.


----------



## bayoubear

Brewing about ten years now, bottles, anything in the meade family and the heavier flavored beers. (IPA's, stouts, porters, etc...) i've done full grain but as the PP said the kits have come a long way. guess im sort of inbetween the two- ill use LME and DME along with my own hops choices.

ill do a batch of wine on occasion but it bugs me to have a fermenter full of wine must knowing i could be making a meade or beer. i used to keep a couple fermenters going constantly but my tap water is so poor quality i have to buy jugs of water so ive backed way off on the amount i brew.

i mentioned in a different thread about using hopped LME in bbq sauces..
if you enjoy IPA's and like really hoppy beer try a little and see how it goes. putting a pinch of dry hopps in the sauce does the same thing. may i suggest marinating a porkchop in a bottle of dogfish 90 minute IPA for a day and cook it up. make sure you like it before you do a whole Q with the stuff, its not for everyone.


----------



## bayoubear

excellent advice


----------



## got14u

can't say I have done beer but I am in the process of doing my own wine. I work with a lady that makes some incredible wine and she gave me her recipe.....


----------



## afreetrapper

Bad water is also the reason I don't brew to much every place ive lived in the past 20 years has had water with a high calcium and mand mineral content.


----------



## mulepackin

Yodelhawk has a killer set-up and turns out some incredible brews of all varieties. He's done some pretty unusual things as well.


----------



## yodelhawk

Hey there... I've been brewing for many years. Started out with your basic syrup kit and went nuts after that. Am now in an all grain system that would knock your socks off. It's a filtered, self contained unit that has three converted beer kegs as vessels. All SS plumbing, copper counter flow wart chiller... man I could go on but as you can see, you hit my passion spot. I have made many different kind of beer but now have settled on the porters. I dispense out of soda kegs after fermentation in glass. Oh.. did I mention I LOVE BEER!!!


----------



## bigtrain74

How does the filter system work? I have been wanting to get into a filtration but afraid of the cost...


----------



## mnola917

I didnt realize so many people were homebrewers!  I guess we are all those kind of "do-it-yourself" people.  All the people around me here on long island have no interest in brewing their own beer, or smoking their own meats, or doing any of the things I do.  I am still making Extract brews, but have been doing it for about 4 years now (im only 21) and just made a few lagers this winter that were great.  I love making IPA's and have two different ones fermenting right now, one is in primary, one is in secondary.  The IPA that is in the secondary right now had a 4 ounce centennial hop addition for flavor with 15 minutes left in the boil.  Its the first time I've done that much, so I'm looking forward to how good it is being that I love Hoppy Beers


----------



## squirt

mostly hoppy ales, a few stouts, lagers and a pilsner.  I tried a raspberry ale last year and it tastes okay, but not very fruity.  Need to mash the berries next time to get the flavor out.  

I have perfected a true "coffee stout" recipe.  A buddy gave me a recipe and told me to just brew up a batch of coffee and dump it in.  Well it was good for about a month, but didn't age well.  I came to the conclusion that the oils released while brewing the coffee began to sour the batch after awhile.  I have modified this recipe using a cold brewed coffee extract I get from the local coffee shop and WOW is all I can say.  It'll blow the pants off any Guiness fancier any day!

That reminds me...I need to make more....

Squirt


----------



## isutroutbum

I've been brewing for approx 10 years now. I still occasionally use a kit, but for the most part I do 16 gallon all grain batches. Frankly, I've made just about every 'main' style. My favorites are: German Hefe, Scottish Wee Heavy, Dopple Bock, and American Apricot Wheat. I either bottle in 1 liter EZ-cap bottles, or keg the beer.

When first starting out, my recommendation would be to get these two books:  Papazian, "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing" and Szamatulski, "Beer Captured". Though the first book appears 'dated' it has all of the basic information you need for kits or all grains. It is well written and easy to understand. The second book is recipes (and some excellent ones at that), but the introduction to the book is worth the price of the book itself. It covers some very necessary material that new brewers will find helpful. I would also suggest subscribing to "Brew Your Own" magazine. It is an EXCELLENT resource - great tips, suggestions, and recipes. For a good online source check this: http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

Good beer is a snap to make if you closely follow the procedures outlined in the books and magazines (or that come with the kits). Hands down *the most important part of brewing* is to keep everything clean and sanitized. Anything . . . and I mean anything . . . that will come in contact w/your wort (thats what the beer syrup stuff is called) after it stops boiling must be sanitized (it's simply imperative, and you need to be anal about it.) I recommend 'Star San'. It is a food grade acid that is no-rinse, and IMHO, the easiest thing to use on spoons, buckets, carboys, bottles, kegs, et. al. 

Beyond being clean, there is really no stress in making a great beer. It is so much fun! Plus, there is nothing like drinking a few while the meat is smoking away!


----------



## dysartsmoker

Care to share???????????????????????????????


----------



## deltadude

How about some pics of your setup,  please pretty please :)


----------



## deltadude

Both my sons are currently living at home saving money for houses.  The older one started brewing his own beer this year.  Bought all the necessary stuff for simple home brewing.  So far he has done 4 batches and though the first had no head it still was tasty.  Mostly porter and an ale I think.  But with zero experience and some advice from a friend, the beer has been better than just ok, its really good.  The last batch was the best, nice head, almost resembled Newcastle but tastier, and I luv Newcastle.


----------



## mulepackin

He's in Las Vegas right now enjoying the Jimmy Buffet concert, the scumbag 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






. I promise to hound him to death to get some pics on here. It is really an amazing setup.


----------



## 1chaos52

I have been brewing off and on for about 15 years now. Mostly do IPA's and a mean czech pilsner, but have done some stouts and pales as well. I have always done bottles with very good luck, but now that I actually have more room for stuff and am eventually going to build a bar, I am thinking of kegs.


----------



## thepiro

Would that be Newcastle Brown, back in the 60s I herd tell that they had a special hospital ward in Newcastle for people suffering the effects of the stuff.

When I was a young fireman we entertained Newcastle’s Auxiliary Fire Service unit, they turned up with crates of the stuff, every locker was full and they had been drinking all the way up the road. As I was reasonable new and hadn’t acquired the mandatory liking for a good bevy, I got landed as Officer of the day. Yes it was a riotous night, and one of the Newcastle crew got carted of to hospital with Newky poisoning.

Newcastle Brown is a great drop, but I always treat it with respect.


----------



## benjaminr

I JUST started! I have considered myself a beer enthusiast since I have turned 21. I really enjoy micro brews and truth be told I am not sure why I haven't done this earlier.

This is a pic after I got everything cooked.






It is an apple ale, im pretty pumped about it. Also I am working on converting a mini fridge into a two corni kegerator


----------



## jjrokkett

Looks good and tasty - Always wanted to try and make some beer but just haven't been able to.  Course there are a lot of things that I want to make.....


----------



## bigtrain74

That looks delicious!!! I am excited for you!


----------



## isutroutbum

Looks like it will be a tasty quaff BenjaminR! Keep us posted!!


----------



## benjaminr

Oh I sure will! The kegerator will be done before so I will get some pics up of that business. Its going to be pimp, and its going to be nice to have two beers on tap in my apartment. Im 22 two beers on tap 24-7 and nice smoked goods when ever I want, what more could I ask for? lol


----------



## jjrokkett

When it's all ready I'll come over and do some taste testing to make sure its ready!


----------



## benjaminr

Im always around with beer to share.


----------



## benjaminr

Here is my beer!


----------



## trashcan

Woot. My second post! I started brewing beer at 17. Started with a Scottish brown ale kit, and that's the last kit I've ever bought Funny thing is my parents were all support because "At least he's staying home and has a hobby... I guess."
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





So for the last 7 years I've been brewing 5 gal batches at least 6 times a year. I tend to like 'em thick and dark, but I've made a couple mild brown ales, a honey pale ale (Third batch, turned out great, ask me more about brewing with honey, it's... involved). But I'd have to say my prize pigs would be my maple syrup porter, my coffee stout, and the previously mentioned honey pale ale.

Althought I do keep logs on everything I always brew by the seat of my pants (I view recipes as more "Guidelines") I always bottle, always bottle condition (YEAST IS GOOD, D***IT) and I rack to secondary about half the time, when the urge hits me. I don't have the room to do all grain, although I have done it, but I always do a single step infusion for about 1/4 to 1/3 of my total wort. 

My advice to everyone would be:
1)Keep a log on EVERYTHING, Times, Quantities, Temperatures... everything. You learn more this way.
2)Always Rack your beer, even though I don't. You will taste a difference.
3)Invest in a really large pot, instead of doing the whole 2-3 gallon boil and then watering down your wort routine. Again, you will taste a difference.
4)Wort Chillers. You could go immersion or counterflow, and argue both for decades. Either way. Buy/Make one, and marvel at the clarity of your next batch.
5)Always drink alot of your homebrew really fast. This has the twofold benefit of getting you shnockered and forcing you to brew more...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Oh and Tomorrow I brew my convoluted version of a Belgian Wit, just because for some reason I haven't made one yet.


----------



## benjaminr

Awesome another IL brewer!

Where about in IL are ya trash can?

Im at SIUC or carbondale, IL

I may need to bounce some Q:s off ya from time to time. But the first is why the heck are you still bottling!!! Iv done it both ways and let me just say. Im never going to **** with bottles ever again. Plus I get to drink faster lol


----------



## trashcan

Carbondale. Good times. Dirty Holding cells...

I use bottles for a number of reasons.
1)You can chug half a batch and save the rest for a couple months without it going flat or stale
2) you can keep quantities stored at room temp (which prevents skunking, when you chill beer and then let it warm up... skunk) 
3)you don't have to buy a party pig or some BS like that to take a six pack with you to a party (or court appearance...)
4) it's easier to blast someone over the head at said party (or court appearance...) with bottle than a corny-keg 
5)I work for a company that makes materials for commercial graphics, so it's always a great ego stoking to print up really good looking labels with vulgar and obscene things for every bottle

Also, I don't mess around with capping pop tops. I use grolsch top bottles in 16oz 22oz and 32oz sizes. They're easier to clean and sterilize than a keg and they don't explode like crappy pop tops.

Also, is that a fixie/single speed behind you in your beer pic? Ah. The trendy way to ride.


----------



## bshep714

I've been brewing for about six years. I started out with a Mr Beer, then graduated to all grain. I mostley do Czech, German and Early American style Lagers but also like to do some Ales. I do have a lagering fridge for proper temps.


----------



## benjaminr

Well some good points I also have a few of those bottles as for the party pig I just use a growler

on the far left and clearly I have a love for wheat beer, in case you cant tell...


I feel that looks the most classy when making court appearances (which im still not sure why we are going there so much)

But yeah, I already killed the keg. Took me all of 3 days. Its kinda bad having it on tap, its just to easy and I dont have the guilt of popping a top at 10am....

And no the bike isnt a fixie I do have a bike im going to turn into one but that is my murdered out trek its fast


Also, you didnt mention where you were from.


----------



## jaynik

I am an extract brewer.  I might move to all grain eventually, but don't want to make the investment just yet.  Best resource I've found for brewing other than my LHBS homebrewtalk.com .  Lots of recipes and a good beginner section.  I love beer!  (although I hate those wheat beers!)


----------



## action

Just starting to smoke but been brewing a couple years or so. I brew AG and like IPA's I also Keg because it is easy. I like to brew 10 gal. at a time. Need to brew soon.
Jack


----------



## benjaminr

Some action shots, it just took off this afternoon. I was starting to get worried that the yeast was bad but when I got back from class it looked like this. I shrugged yeast is an odd thing....









This is a Hefe!


----------



## thepiro

Reminds me of my early set up in my first house back in the 70’s. No need to be so technical, a big plastic bucket with a towel over the top is all you need.

With that froth working away, I can almost taste the brew over here.


----------



## trashcan

That's about all you need BenR. I usually use a six point five gallon carboy for primary, because when I first tried a belgian wit (same yeast...) it blew the hose right out of my 5gal and coated all of my decent clothes with kraeusen. Then it got infected and died
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






.

Test tube/smack pack yeasts usually take a bit to get going (for my usual black beers I just use cheap packet yeast) and a good starter always helps. Hefe Yeast is das ubersoldat of traditional brewing. Some specialty yeasts can be kind of frail but once you get those cloudy beers going they're pretty resiliant. Even with somewhat sizeable temperature fluctuations.

If you're carbonating naturally use a buttload of corn sugar/malt. Cloudy wheat beers (hacker pschorr especially)  can have upwards of 3.0 volumes of CO2. Unless you don't want to. Hey what the ****. it's your beer

I'm actually brewing a similar beer this Upcoming weekend. Only with my beloved cascade and willamette hops. God I lovem.

Oh, and for the moment I'm in woodstock (about 12 stops away from chicago via metra).


----------



## benjaminr

Thanks for the tips.

Yeah as for now clearly im a starter brewer but hey, it works. And iv read enough on guys blowing them goofy little tops at the start so I said screw that and my first supply run involved grabbing that large hose.

But its coming along quite well now. I hate waiting, I want my beer!

And I will just hit this sucker with force carb. I dont want to wait that long for it to naturally carb in a keg, that would make me cry even more. Even if it takes a lot more Co2 its only $20 for me to fill up and the last one barely used any so im sure it will be alright. At least I hope.


----------



## jon foster

We are home brewers. We don't do a lot of beer but my wife likes the lighter beer so I make what she wants most of the time. Generally a light American Ale.

My addiction is making wine and mead. We make several batches a year from the grapes in our mini home vineyard and locally grown honey. We also make lots of fruit wines. Peach, raspberry, cherry and anything else we can get to ferment. Flower wines are excellent as well. Dandelion wine is a favorite and Lilac wine is a very popular too.

We make soda for the kids too but everyone ends up drinking it. Sarsaparilla is the best liked but birch beer and root beer are strong runners up.

We do a lot of bulk aging for the wine but also bottle it. Beer and soda get corny kegged and sometimes get bottled in PET bottles. Before the mini kegs got popular we made them up as gifts. They were a big success too.

_Edit:_ Here's our youngest daughter starting on her first solo batch of wine.







Jon.


----------



## bigtrain74

You can never start them too early there Jon! Nice work!


----------



## grillin_all_day

I made the AG jump as soon as I got back from Afghanistan in Sept. Here's a few shots.
The gear


Grains for first brews (from left to right) Pale Ale, Pumpkin Ale, Blonde Ale


Pale Ale fermenting


And Pumpkin Ale sample


The kegerator after the two tap upgrade


----------

