Homebrewing

[red321]

Who on this board brews their own at home? Wife convinced me it was time to start doing it (to me it seems easier to buy it from folks who know what the hell they are doing) so we plan on trying to brew our first batch this weekend. Luckily I think it's impossible to blow anything up.

[St1ck]

It's something I would eventually like to do, but I haven't gotten started. 

[Lhalo]

It's something I would eventually like to do, but I haven't gotten started. 

 

Same here.

[red321]

So, I'm guessing that means the two of you don't necessarily have any good first hand experience advice!

[Adam]

st1ck has good hand advice

[St1ck]

So, I'm guessing that means the two of you don't necessarily have any good first hand experience advice!

 

 

This will probably help you:

 

http://beeradvocate.com/community/forums/homebrewing.8/

[HaloCory22]

What do you need to know, Red? My coworker and his roommates brewed their own beer back in the spring. I think it was a brewing kit they bought online though. Might not be the same.

[Adam]

Red, check your facebook messages

[St1ck]

st1ck has good hand advice

 

 

 

There's no such thing as "too much lube."

[REDemption]

I've seen about 5 episodes of Brew Dogs on Esquire where they brew a beer every episode, so I'm kind of an expert. I can give advice and tips, just let me get my DVR fired up first.

[St1ck]

I've seen about 5 episodes of Brew Dogs on Esquire where they brew a beer every episode, so I'm kind of an expert. I can give advice and tips, just let me get my DVR fired up first.

 

 

Teach him how to make the fog beer. 

[Lhalo]

There is a gentleman on here that goes by the name "Homebrewer". Maybe he knows a thing or two about brewing beer?

 

 

Or maybe he just really loves coffee, who knows.

[red321]

What do you need to know, Red? My coworker and his roommates brewed their own beer back in the spring. I think it was a brewing kit they bought online though. Might not be the same.

 

Nothing specific right now...though I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do by measuring the OG. Ok, I take a reading, and then what? 

 

Mostly, I figured it would be good to have a forum topic on this though.Maybe a bunch of folks can pick up the hobby and we plan on having a taste off come next Summer Fanfest.

[Lhalo]

Nothing specific right now...though I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do by measuring the OG. Ok, I take a reading, and then what? 

 

Mostly, I figured it would be good to have a forum topic on this though.Maybe a bunch of folks can pick up the hobby and we plan on having a taste off come next Summer Fanfest.

 

That's a great idea. 

[mrwicked]

I've always wanted to do this too.

I made limoncello earlier this year, was bomb ass and ridiculously strong. 

Great for hot days.

 

Home brewed beer would be fun, but I want to try making moonshine some day.

[Angel Dog and Beer]

I have a friend that does it, and the beer he makes is actually really good.  He's a welder, so he created this incredible setup from a keg. He boils and mixes everything together in the keg that sits over an improved gas stove that has custom temperature controls. The top of the keg is sliced off and used as a lid, so its easy to add ingredients. Its actually a quicker process than I thought, he can make a 5 gallon batch in 3 hours, then lets in ferment (is that correct?) for two or three weeks. After that he loads it into one of his pony kegs in the back yard, in his kegerator, and pours it straight into your glass. He's made DIPA, Porters, Stouts, Blondes, and others. Such a cool thing to do when you have time to experiment with different ingredients and tweak something to your liking.

[katie]

James works at a brewery

[Tank]

Red, check your pinterest messages

 

sounds like a good idea, adam.

[Adam]

Tank's wife's tofurkey pale ale is to die for

[James]

James works at a brewery

I would be little help as I spend most of my time there canning and the system is ran by a computer so it is quite a bit different.It is something that I do have some basic knowledge of though. 

 

Red, if you have specific questions I can get them answered for you. The OG is so you can gauge the fermentation process. Don't check it too often though or you will make an inferior beer. I believe you only want to check it right when you are about to pitch the yeast and then once the bubbling stops.There is a certain number you want it around depending on the style that I am sure is available online. Once you get the reading of the FG you can do a simple mathematical equation using your OG to get an idea what the ABV is going to be. 

Edited November 8, 2013 by James

[Spirit]

Tank's wife's tofurkey pale ale is to die for

 

 

Secret ingredient - real bacon! 

[mtangelsfan]

Hey Geoff, maybe you can learn to brew (or whatever they do) your own bacon wine.  Then you will never run out and those evil chinamen can't steal all of it.

[James]

I actually just want a kitchen like the guy at :30 has. 

 

[Tank]

Tank's wife's tofurkey pale ale is to die for

 

the key words in that statement are "tofurkey" and "die".

[AngelsLongBall]

I brew my own beer, have been doing it for 7 years.  Just kegged a batch of Marzen, it's fantastic.  My advice: make sure you sanitize everything.  And get a bigger pot than 3 gallons to boil your wort.  Mine is only 3 gallons and I've boiled over almost every single time.  My other advice: after doing about 5 batches in bottles, I realized what a pain in the ass it is to sanitize bottles if you don't immediately clean then after you drink from them (don't just let them sit as empties).  I've been fairly mundane in brewing, in that I buy the brew kits from Steinfillers in Long Beach.  The only batch I tried to do from scratch, the guy gave me roasted something or other instead of roasted barley and it came out tasting like coffee beer.