Homebrew

[AcuraTech]

Yup, just got it going last weekend.

Without getting too technical, you boil 1.5 gallons of water with about 10 lbs of malt extract syrup for 1 hour, adding hops at predetermined times. Then you cool the wort (unfermented beer) as rapidly as possible, pour it into a sanitized 6 gallon glass jug, add 3.5 gallons water, and add the yeast. After the yeast is in, you top the jug with an airlock (filled with water, lets CO2 escape while keeping oxygen and bacteria out) and let it sit and ferment for 2 weeks or so.
After that you dump it into another glass jug, minus the dormant yeast laying on the bottom. Another 2 weeks or so to sit and clarify, letting all the solids drop out.

When that's done it gets put in the keg and force carbonated (ready to consume immediately) or mixed with simple syrup and bottled. The remaining yeast chew up the simple sugars in the bottle which naturally carbonates the beer.

Presto, there you have it. One batch makes approx 2 cases (48 bottles) of beer!

I'm gonna grow some hops this summer, now if I could just figure out how to grow my own barley.

 

[Turk]

Bring some over for a bonfire in a month or so, neighbor!

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Yup, just got it going last weekend.


What style?

 

[Schmoe]

Wow, TEN lbs of malt for a 5 gallon extract batch? That is way too much malt. Depending on your yeast, you'd better watch the primary as this thing could blow the lid right off if your water bubbler can't handle that much gas. You could also let the brew sit in the primary bucket for at least a week and then go directly to the keg, just don't put the racking cane all the way to the bottom of the primary bucket when racking to the keg. Saves time and clean up. When ready to serve, just pour out the first quarter cup of brew, as it will have yeast and some trub deposits in it. Force carbonation is not that quick. You'll have to really pressurize it up quickly to drink immeadiately. Beer will also absorb more CO2 when chilled. Then, you'll have to figure out your serving pressures so that you don't get a mug full of foam. It's not hard to brew, but believe me, your going to make mistakes and you'll learn from it. Once you get past your fifth brew or so, you'll have a lot more understanding on how all this works.

 

[rg200amp]

Get a tea bag, empty it, and add about a tea spoon full of orange zest. Use string to tie the bag up and leave it in the brew for a week.

Very tasty!

 

[tom slick]

That's the way it's done. Just beware, you are doing it the beginner way which is just a gateway to acquiring mass amounts of brewing hardware. before long you'll be discussing sparging techniques, lauter tuns, and double decoction methods.

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
That's the way it's done. Just beware, you are doing it the beginner way which is just a gateway to acquiring mass amounts of brewing hardware. before long you'll be discussing sparging techniques, lauter tuns, and double decoction methods.


Of course it is! Going to the homebrew store these days is a drool fest. It may not all be in vain though, I've had thoughts of trying to get into the Siebel Institute brewing school in Chicago, and making a career of it. Still a maybe.

As for the malt, yes, the brew contains 9.15 lbs of Northern Brewer "Gold" malt extract. Plus some specialty grains in the pre-boil. It also contains 5 oz of Centennial hops, 4 in the boil, 1 for dry hopping. It's the "Three-Hearted" kit from Northern Brewer, which is a replica of Bells Two Hearted.

It's going into the secondary this weekend, I'll keep everyone posted on how it turns out.

 

[tom slick]

A friend of mine seriously considered being a brewmaster as a career then realized that with years of hard work and several job finding expeditions he could make $32k a year... someday. It's better as a hobby, especially in the current economy.

If you are really interested look at UC Davis
http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/brewing/?utm_campaign=brewing&utm_medium=DM&utm_source=all_DM
http://www-foodsci.ucdavis.edu/bamforth/underg.html

These guys are local to you
http://www.mbaa.com/

 

[Schmoe]

Second Tom Slicks comment. Known friends down in Austin that worked their way up to brewmaster and the money is not worth it, plus the hours you put in. Now if your really young, may be fun for a while, but would play #ell being married.
That's still a boat load of malt for an extract kit of 5 gallons. I hope your a "hop head." There are generally two types of beer drinkers...the hop heads that love hops, and the malt heads, that prefer the taste and feel of malt and not having a hoppy smelling or tasting brew. Anyway, your ten ounces of hops will really peg the IBU meter, I say around 60 to 70, almost like a IPA style. Also, with that much malt, your ABV will be pretty high as well.
But on equipment, have credit card ready. You can literally spend thousands on equipment very quickly and easily. After this brew, make up your mind on how you'll want to brew in the future. Trust me, this advice will save you lots of money. Decide now if your going to go to all-grain, partial mash or stick with extracts because all require some unique equipment and there's no sense in buying equipment now that you will other wise not use in the future.

 

[wavinwayne]

 

[zoomzoomlx]

I'm taking the easy route here. Got a homebrew kit in the last few months and decided my first batch will be hard cider. I love Woodchuck/Magners/Strongbow but its too [censored] expensive so i'm going to make my own cost cutting alternative. Stay tuned..

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: zoomzoomlx

I love Woodchuck/Magners/Strongbow but its too [censored] expensive so i'm going to make my own cost cutting alternative. Stay tuned..


Haha! The outside appearance of homebrewing would make anyone think that it would be a cheaper alternative. Once you dive into the darkness of homebrewing, you will quickly realize there is always another really cool (and expensive) piece of equipment just waiting for you to buy. Myself, I'm working on a home made kegerator, total cost well over $300.

Since this thread was resurrected, status update time:

Originial brew (American style pale ale) was bottled on Friday, hopefully will be able to crack one open and enjoy the results within the next few weeks.

Brewed a Belgian tripel about 2 weeks ago, 9 lbs of malt syrup plus 1 lb of clear candi sugar, as the kit described. After fermentation took off, I added an ADDITIONAL lb of dark candi sugar(that part wasn't in the instructions)

Still bubbling away 2 weeks later, this one is gonna take awhile, probably will have to sit in secondary a few months. Hoping for an ABV of around 10%. More updates to follow!

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: zoomzoomlx


I'm taking the easy route here. Got a homebrew kit in the last few months and decided my first batch will be hard cider. I love Woodchuck/Magners/Strongbow but its too [censored] expensive so i'm going to make my own cost cutting alternative. Stay tuned..


BTW, look up homebrew Apfelwein recipes. Similar to cider, and oh so delicious.

 

[moribundman]

Apfelwein is cider. What they commonly sell as cider in the US isn't cider but alcohol-free, carbonated apple juice.

 

[sprintman]

Tried scrumpy Mori, very dangerous stuff imo.

 

[moribundman]

Oh yeah, similar to "Heuriger" (young wine, which is still fermenting), aka novello or primeur, scrumpy goes down just a bit too smoothly. By the time you start feeling its devastatinge effect you are about to to hit the ground face first. Ideally your mates, presuming they are not too wasted themselves, will carry you home and not let you lie in the middle of the road (Don't ask.)

 

[AcuraTech]

Results are in! Just cracked open the first bottle of the first batch today, mmm mmm good. Soft malt base followed by the Centennial hop wallop, which is somewhat pine like and dry, finish is citrus. This batch is pretty much spot on compared to Bell's Two Hearted, which the recipe was a clone of. Carbonation is just right (too much and the bottles explode). Very happy with this batch, looking forward to the Tripel!

 

[moribundman]

You're well prepared for springtime!

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
You're well prepared for springtime!

Spring? More like the next two weeks! Haha!

That's ok, I have another batch that should be ready beginning of May, I'm all set for awhile.