Home Brewing

[brewshooter]

Homebrewing, why that sounds great, I might just have to think about...
Oh wait, that's right, I've been doing that for a few years now.
Citra IPA on the schedule for Saturday!

 

[misterrogers]

My neighbors grow their own hops and grapes and make some. I am yet to try it, but it's good. Once I'm a bit older and I have the resources, I'd love to give this a shot.

 

[thekiltedchaplain]

My family has a shared brew operation, which is a great deal of fun. We've had Wheats, Reds, Scottish Ales, Blonde Ales, basic Ambers and Lagers, IPA's, Pale Ales, Kolsch, pretty much everything but heavier stouts. For the heat down south, (100+ degrees with high humidity on most summer days), you really can't beat cracking open a cold home brew!

 

[jankomatic]

I am not a beer drinker at all, but I like mead. Where does one get 15lbs of honey in bulk?

 

[marmal4de]

15lbs of honey in bulk?

Not too far from where I live, you can buy fresh local clover honey in bulk.
I've always wanted to brew at home, but am daunted by the cost to start up, especially not knowing how my results will be.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I don't drink but if I did, home brewing would be right up my alley. My old work mate friend to brew his own beer. He had 3 different regular brews. One for every day, one for football games and another to get him drunk in one bottle. I wonder how his liver is these days?

 

[baronsamedi]

The best place to get honey is local beekeepers. A lot of time, if they find out you brew mead you can swap products. Sam's now had 5 lb bottles of pure clover honey for about $10 each if you can't find an apiary or it's too expensive. The local HEB store where I used to live had orange blossom and mesquite honey in bulk, too.

 

[zunismoke]

I love amber Ale! Had not thought of making some myself. Is there a place online that you would recommend for directions and ingredients? I think I would like to start with something I like. The Amber Ale I like has a bitter flavor to it. I think that is from more hops?

 

[baronsamedi]

When I'm not shopping local, I'm shopping online at Leeners They have a kit or the supplies to make darn near anything you care to make. Their customer service is great, too. Once they sent me the wrong id tubing. I called them and they had the right stuff out to me that day, no charge!

 

[baronsamedi]

Yeah and the hops do add some bitterness, as well as the floral character that we recognize when we smell beer. My favorite are Hallertau hops.

 

[mukihr]

errrmmm.. my father used to brew his own traditional brandy from plum fruits - it is called "sljivovica"...

Link here

it is not so hard to make but for a good one (as with all things in our life) you really have to be a master....

..

since i don't have a house (living in appartement) i don't have my own plums and it is hard to make something like that... however i am very interesting in brewing Absinth...

 

[pstlpkr]

Well you did it Baron.

I think I'm going to try my hand at mead.

Thanks to you; I've got my mother digging through my step-dad's old wine making stuff.

I should have a ready made kit, four carboys (I think), vessels for the starter, rubber stopper, bubble locks, spoons, thermometer, hydrometer, funnels, new corks, corking contraption,and who knows what else.

Now all I think I need is some good honey, yeast, some oak, water, and to decide what to flavor it with. We have great water here in the house, owing to our top shelf filtration system.

Oh yeah, I need to drink a case or two of wine in green bottles.... for the bottles of course. :wink:
::

 

[baronsamedi]

Gotta get your bottles somewhere, Lawrence! It's all for SCIENCE!
@ mukihr I wouldn't try making your own absinthe. You can't do it unless you have access to a still, which will land you in the Federal Pen in the U.S. not to mention the fact that there is very little difference between a still and a fuel-air explosive that can level your house.
The good news is the import ban on absinthe has been lifted in the U.S. since 2007 and several excellent ones are available from local retailers as well as Drinkup NY I'd reccommend common ones like Lucid and Kübler to start. For a damn good one, go for Duplais Verte or La Clandestine. I've been an Absintheur since well, before it was legal.
Another fun drink I learned to brew is Kvas, which is a Russian Rye-Bread quick-beer. It has a low alcohol content and a light taste. They drink it like soda over in Russia.

 

[mukihr]

hheheheheh... but dear Baronsamedi - i am living in Croatia heheheheheh... no problems with brewing any kind of drink here... oh yeahhhh!!! heheheheheheh

 

[baronsamedi]

Oh yeah. On absinthe, stick with Swiss (the best), French, American or some Spanish. Avoid ANYTHING from the Czech Republic. They do make good beer but their "absinth" is a horrid concoction that doesn't louche and is reminiscent of bug spray. Also avoid anything with a wacky spelling such as "Absente". It's not real absinthe. I've had it. It's crap. There is no need to drink phoney absinthe now that you can get the real deal legally. Never EVER buy absinthe that has plants and shit floating around in it or promises "more thujone" (refer back to my comment about Czech Absinth).
Finally home recipes for Absinthe are recipes for suicide. Don't do it.

 

[baronsamedi]

I have no earthly idea what's available in Croatia. I know the Swiss (followed by the French) were legally able to produce it since 2005 and Spain never really stopped. I've heard good things about Deva 70 and I've tried Obsello, which is good.

 

[mukihr]

@baronstrasil......

hmmm - Chech absinth is a no no - o.k., got it - they have good Becherovka (tried it, it is goood)

..

will try to find a ready made absinth... i thought to brew some of my own but you got me thinking not to do that but rather find some Swiss or French made and story finished... o.k.... got it... regards and thanks - you got PM

 

[markw4mms]

I was big into partial mash/extract brewing for a few years, but have been inactive for a while. I unfortunately had to liquidate my equipment a couple of years ago. I did enjoy making meades and ales, and was able to pretty much clones my favorite brews. I do still have about 10 gallons of meade and cider cellaring at a friends house that has been aging for over 5 years, it should be pretty smooth by now. I guess I need to save up some money and get back into it again. I do miss having a good supply of really good beer...

 

[brewshooter]

Baron, nice to see a few other people trying their hand at kvass.

 

[zunismoke]

Checked out Leeners online and they have everything needed for homebrewing of just about anything. They have the hardware + ingredients and Kits that include both. I want to get their kit for Amber Ale, but it is too hot during the summer where I live for the right brewing temperature. I think I will wait till the fall to buy the kit.