Home Brewing

Since pipe smokers seem to be independent thinking types, I was curious as to how many of uf brew our own beverages. I brew mostly meads and country wines. I also wrote a book called "Brew or Die" that includes some of my recipes. Nothing would go better with a tin of your favorite smoke than a nice home brewed ale or mead.

I just did 5 gallons of Cyser (Apple Mead) for my brother's wedding. It was a hell of a wedding! People, even those who have brewed beer are usually shocked at how simple and good mead can be. It takes a little longer to finish, but it's worth the wait. I've also done ale-meads (Braggot) and it had a taste between a standad mead and an octoberfest beer.
Basic Mead Recipe:

5 gal. spring water, heated to about 150°F

15 lbs of honey

A cup of extra strong tea, steeped with lemon rind

1-2 packets Lalvin EC-118 champagne yeast

2 5 gallon bottles (carboys)

1 bubble lock (or failing that, a balloon with a small hole in it)
Mix the honey and water until all the honey is dissolved (you will have water leftover) leave room at the top for about 2" of foam

Add the lemon/tea mix

Wait until it cools to 90°F

Add the dry yeast, just dump it on top

cap it off with the bubble lock and watch the fun.
After 4 weeks, siphon the liquid off the sediment at the bottom, siphoning into the other carboy. Once the mead clears, you will be able to read the pages of a book through it. If it is still and not releasing CO2 anymore, bottle it.
New mead tastes good, but the older it gets, the better it tastes. I keep bottles up to 5 years or so, if I can keep from drinking them that long.

Nathaniel- If you know where to look you can get in for under $100 and spend less than $200 total! In the month or so before the first racking, you have time to expand, then during the long secondary fermentation you can save more $$. Mead won't complain even if you let it sit for 6 months in the secondary fermenter, in fact, it will get better!
First Buy-
5 gallon carboy $20 (or find a food grade 5 gal bucket, sterilize it and cut a hole in the top for the bubbler for free)

6- 1 gal. jugs of spring water at discount store $6 (or free if you have filtered tap)

15 lb honey- $30-50

Bubble lock and stopper $3 (or free if you have a balloon, the bubbler is way better though)

Tea and Lemon $3 if you don't already have them.

2 packs EC-1118 Yeast $1 Trust me 2 wee little packs are enough. This yeast is badass!
Total- $1-$83 depending on resourcefulness
Second buy -
Racking crane $15 (or less if you can find some food-grade plastic tubing, but the racking crane is worth the $$)

Another carboy $20 (you can use another bucket but a glass carboy is way easier to sanitize so you should use one for secondary fermentation IMHO)
Total- $35 or less.
3rd buy (6 weeks to 2 months later)
24 wine bottles $0 if you have a local wine bar. They usually have to throw them out and are happy to give away cases of used bottles. Wash, sanitize and go. If you have to pay at a brewing supply store, expect to pay $2 a bottle so about $50

Corks- Pack of 30 $10

Corker- Double lever corker $20
Grand total investment- $66 to $208 depending on your tastes and ability to scrounge.
I also happen to know that people will pay up to $20-$25 a bottle for home brewed mead. Not that I reccommend doing anything illegal, but one could pay themselves back rather quickly if they happened to give someone a bottle of mead for their birthday and that person remembered the kind gesture and later reciprocated in the appropriate fashion.

Incidentally, if anyone wants to get into brewing, just holler at me. I know I'm selling a book, but I'm in it for the joy of brewing so I'll kick out friendly advice and even recipes to anyone who asks!

I know the EC-1118 can brew up to 18% That's potent!