Homebrewing

[donbb]

Does anyone brew beer? I've been doing it for a couple of years now and absolutely love it.

 

I'm working on plans to have a different beer brewed for each Bills game this year (a recipe for weeks 1 & 2 have been created so far)

 

For Week One I'm planning a Raven Black IPA.

 

Week Two will be a Charger California Common.

 

What do you brew?

[Soda Popinski]

I used to but got away from it about 5 years ago. Just too much else going on, I'd like to get back to it but don't even know where to begin anymore.   

[teef]

i go to the store and buy beer like a normal person.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

My wife bought me a small home-brew kit a couple years ago for Christmas.  It still sits on a shelf in my basement.  Perhaps I will dig it out and give it a try?  I believe it has the “makings” for an IPA and a blonde ale.

[C.Biscuit97]

22 minutes ago, teef said:

i go to the store and buy beer like a normal person.

Wait, so stealing beer from high schoolers isn’t “normal”?

 

anyone  have recommendations to get started?  Big IPA.

[mead107]

No interest in brewing 

[Fr. Jerk]

I remember my friend got into it. He had me try his brew once. The convo went like this:

 

Friend: So, man, how's it taste?

 

Me: Well, it kinda tastes like @$$. It tastes like I'll be sticking to Budweiser. 

 

The end. 

[teef]

25 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Wait, so stealing beer from high schoolers isn’t “normal”?

 

anyone  have recommendations to get started?  Big IPA.

It’s seems like an interesting sport. 

[mead107]

Start making some mead 

[Fadingpain]

Equally no interest in brewing, nor would anything I casually make at home be anywhere near as good as my favorite store bought brews.

 

 

[GaryPinC]

I've brewed infrequently in the past but have started getting into it over the past year.  Just switched to all grain mashes.  It's fun and been rewarding.  Last few brews were an oatmeal(oven roasted) stout, rye-based red, and my first Belgian-style wheat.

 

Found a nice unsweet blueberry paste, next brew will be a chocolate/blueberry stout.  Both flavors will be dry and mild, not a fan of overly sweet beers.

[Your Brown Eye]

Just moonshine here. If you're going to do it, do it big

[BillsFanNC]

I used to brew a lot more often than I do these days.  I'm lucky if I brew twice a year now, but it's not rocket science to brew great beer at home.  The two or three most important things that people neglect that lead to less than stellar product.. 

 

1.) Improper sanitation.  If your fermenter isn't  properly cleaned and sanitized it's highly likely you'll get some funky off flavors.

 

2.) Not pitching a big, healthy yeast starter.  If your yeast isn't rip roaring and ready to go when you pitch into the wort the yeast will become stressed...and stressed yeast can make for a nasty tasting beer.  I've talked to many craft brewers over the years and one common theme that they all mention is that the majority of homebrew they try is woefully under pitched.

 

A little less important is..

 

3.)  Fermentation temperature.  I like to get my ferment my ales between 62-68.  However, brewing in the summer months it's often difficult to achieve temps this low without a dedicated thermostat controlled fridge or freezer.  Fermenting up into the low 70s isn't a huge problem as long as you adhere to 1 & 2 above.

 

[Dante]

3 hours ago, Your Brown Eye said:

Just moonshine here. If you're going to do it, do it big

I would love to have my own still. No gdamn room to put it in this house. 

[Your Brown Eye]

23 minutes ago, Dante said:

I would love to have my own still. No gdamn room to put it in this house. 

 

Gotta get creative boss ?

[Dante]

29 minutes ago, Your Brown Eye said:

 

Gotta get creative boss ?

Work out of the house and the business has every square foot taken up with something. 3 bedroom house and we are using two of them as offices. Of course, out here they don't build basements so there is that. Forget about using the two car garage for actually parking cars. That's a distant memory.

[RaoulDuke79]

I prefer the drinking of beer as opposed to the making of beer.

[donbb]

17 minutes ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

I prefer the drinking of beer as opposed to the making of beer.

 

If you're not drinking beer while making it, you're doing it wrong 

 

16 hours ago, BillsFanNC said:

I used to brew a lot more often than I do these days.  I'm lucky if I brew twice a year now, but it's not rocket science to brew great beer at home.  The two or three most important things that people neglect that lead to less than stellar product.. 

 

1.) Improper sanitation.  If your fermenter isn't  properly cleaned and sanitized it's highly likely you'll get some funky off flavors.

 

2.) Not pitching a big, healthy yeast starter.  If your yeast isn't rip roaring and ready to go when you pitch into the wort the yeast will become stressed...and stressed yeast can make for a nasty tasting beer.  I've talked to many craft brewers over the years and one common theme that they all mention is that the majority of homebrew they try is woefully under pitched.

 

A little less important is..

 

3.)  Fermentation temperature.  I like to get my ferment my ales between 62-68.  However, brewing in the summer months it's often difficult to achieve temps this low without a dedicated thermostat controlled fridge or freezer.  Fermenting up into the low 70s isn't a huge problem as long as you adhere to 1 & 2 above.

 

 

Great tips - especially #1. 

 

In regards to #3... I have an American Brown Ale I just brewed a couple of nights ago and the proper fermentation temp is 68. With the heat we have had, though, even my basement is warmer than normal and I can't get the fermentation temp below 70. It will be interesting to see how it turns out!

 

[teef]

17 hours ago, BillsFanNC said:

I used to brew a lot more often than I do these days.  I'm lucky if I brew twice a year now, but it's not rocket science to brew great beer at home.  The two or three most important things that people neglect that lead to less than stellar product.. 

 

1.) Improper sanitation.  If your fermenter isn't  properly cleaned and sanitized it's highly likely you'll get some funky off flavors.

 

2.) Not pitching a big, healthy yeast starter.  If your yeast isn't rip roaring and ready to go when you pitch into the wort the yeast will become stressed...and stressed yeast can make for a nasty tasting beer.  I've talked to many craft brewers over the years and one common theme that they all mention is that the majority of homebrew they try is woefully under pitched.

 

A little less important is..

 

3.)  Fermentation temperature.  I like to get my ferment my ales between 62-68.  However, brewing in the summer months it's often difficult to achieve temps this low without a dedicated thermostat controlled fridge or freezer.  Fermenting up into the low 70s isn't a huge problem as long as you adhere to 1 & 2 above.

 

 

17 minutes ago, donbb said:

 

If you're not drinking beer while making it, you're doing it wrong 

 

 

Great tips - especially #1. 

 

In regards to #3... I have an American Brown Ale I just brewed a couple of nights ago and the proper fermentation temp is 68. With the heat we have had, though, even my basement is warmer than normal and I can't get the fermentation temp below 70. It will be interesting to see how it turns out!

 

i don't know the first thing about brewing, but time and time again, i've heard that point 1 is super critical...for both wine and beer.  if the components aren't cleaned properly, it leads to awfulness.

[donbb]

57 minutes ago, teef said:

 

i don't know the first thing about brewing, but time and time again, i've heard that point 1 is super critical...for both wine and beer.  if the components aren't cleaned properly, it leads to awfulness.

 

You've definitely got the first thing about brewing down.