Homebrewing

[Captain Howdy]

Speaking of beer. Do we have many homebrewers here? I've brewing since 1991. I also like to make wine and the occasional mead.

I also enjoy growing hops. I've got quite a few sprouts poking out now with the warm weather here in central Illinois.

 

[heathenbrewing]

Brewery name: Heathen Brewing
'Redefining beer'

Been brewing since 93. Ive done about 10 gallons of mead as well.

Took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in a local competition last year. Entering again this year and then going to give the nationwide competition a shot.

I HATED growing hops...I simply order 32oz "pounds" from hopsdirect.com for less than $10.00

 

[Captain Howdy]

I"m familiar with Hops Direct. I prefer Freshops myself. I've had some problems with Hops Direct quality although they did make it good in the end.

 

[RD400]

I know the owners of hopsdirect. They are good people and highly recommended for their customer service.

 

[tom slick]

I used to brew, but I don't do it anymore. still have all of my gear though, just in case!

 

[B8]

I started brewing from extract in college, around 1990 or 1991. Continued for a bit after college, with maybe 1 batch or 2 a year. Started all-grain brewing in 2004 and love it all over again. Unfortunately, time has been at a premium and I haven't been able to brew for about 6 months.

 

[heathenbrewing]

My biggest problem (problem ????) is that I like to make it more than I like to drink it.

I have at least 300 bottles of various styles in my cellar.

Anybody get real crazy with the ingredients? I did a vanilla chocolate smoked stout aged on whiskey soaked oak chipsand flavored with allspice, anise and honey.

 

[K-Man]

"I did a vanilla chocolate smoked stout aged on whiskey soaked oak chipsand flavored with allspice, anise and honey."

…topped off with Spam™, as the Monty Python sketch went?

 

[heathenbrewing]

Quote:

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"I did a vanilla chocolate smoked stout aged on whiskey soaked oak chipsand flavored with allspice, anise and honey."

…topped off with Spam™, as the Monty Python sketch went?

---

I did take second place (out of 46) in the stout catagory last year at the Del Mar Fair Homebrewing Contest.

 

[B8]

Quote:

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Anybody get real crazy with the ingredients? I did a vanilla chocolate smoked stout aged on whiskey soaked oak chipsand flavored with allspice, anise and honey.

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Not that crazy, but I've made a Nutella Porter flavored with cocoa powder and hazelney extract. It was pretty good I suppose, but I'd never make it again.

 

[mcrn]

So all you guys that make your own... what kind of beers do you like that are available to the public?

 

[Pablo]

I've made a few fruit Lambics. I made a raspberry beer that was killer, I made a red currant white beer that won raves, I used 65% wheat malt.....OTOH a buddy and I made a cherry beer that....well it tasted like cherry cough syrup...only worse. Too much oak and too much hops and too much malt we used fresh cherries, cherry juice and cherry extract....just too much. Gak.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Lambics are a bit tricky to make. My one attempt didn't fair to well.

I love English and American pale ales, also German pilsners are wonderful. But, the best beer I ever made was a pre-prohibition Classic American pilsner. OMG, it was soooo delicious.

 

[HEV]

Been brewing since 1990. BJCB Certified Judge. Keg my beer in soda kegs. I too like Fresh Hops.

 

[Rodmiser]

I have no doubt that America is the best place to be a brewer because we don't have the burden of having to carry on a long brewing tradition. We have more freedom to be creative and can gather influences from all over.
Sourcehil Markowski, Southampton Publick House.

 

[Schmoe]

Been brewing for two years now. Still in extracts but using full boils, no partials. Not a "hop head." Don't like pale ales. I like the American ambers and wheats. Started kegging about a year ago and will never look back. Bottling is too much work. I've experimented with different styles, though all ales. Once I find my favorite recipe, I will be making nothing but that.

 

[Schmoe]

Sam Adams has a couple of styles I like, Octoberfest to name one. My "backup" when I run out of homebrew is Michelob lager. I try not to have to rely on back ups. I keep 5 gallons on tap and one carbinating in the kegerator. Then one conditioning at all times. I just drink on weekends so it's not hard to keep up.

 

[Rodmiser]

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
Source: Frank Zappa