Thomas Moore Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Anybody out there make their own beer? Trying my hand at home brewing my own beer. My first batch will be a Pale Ale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I haven't made any in 11 or 12 years, but Pale Ales were always my favorite. As you've probably read, the most important part is to have everything clean. I started months before saving my bottles and rinsing them immediately after "emptying" them, then run threm through he dishwasher. I ran them through one more time just before loading them. The biggest surprise my first time came when it was time to cool the wort down from boiling to under 100 degrees to introduce the yeast. I sat the pot in the sink filled with ice and it took forever. After that, I bought a coil of copper line and the fittings to make my own heat exchanger. One end of the copper line came up out of the pot and dropped over the side to let the water run out. I had several (maybe 10?) coils of the copper in the bottom of the pot and the other end came out the top, over the side, and had a fitting on it with flexible tubing that screwed into the faucet. After I took the wort off the stove, I set the pot in the sink, lowered the coils into it, and ran cold water through the coils. It never took more than 10 minutes to cool the wort off. Immediately after use (and again before reuse) I took an SOS pad and cleaned the copper coils. I never had any infected beer, but I tasted some that a friend screwed up and it was bad enough to make me careful. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Oh yeah, thought of another one... that first day or so the fermentatlon process is surprising violent. It can look like the mixture is boiling! I found that it would blow those little airlocks off the top of the 5 gall glass jug so I rigged a stopper with a clear tube that went into another pan of water to work as an airlock. The was enough positive flow of CO2 out from the fermentation container for the first day that there was no danger of any of the water getting sucked back in. After a day or so it calmed down enough to use one of the little bubbler airlocks that sits in/on top of the rubber stopper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry cazes Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 (edited) YUP. Beer, Wine, and Mead. Havent made any beer in a few years but since it is now cherry season here I am getting the ingredients together for a cherry mead. I brewed beer for about 7 years straight then tried wine. A typical 2 case batch of beer is ready in 1.5 months so I found I was drinking way too much. Wine and Mead are on the 1-2 year cycle which is a bit better for my health I have always used a dilute bleach solution for santizing. Anything that could potentially touch the product gets soaked and then allowed to air dry. I have always had luck with chilling my wort in an ice bath. Just be sure to constantly stir the wort with a santized spoon and you can easily cool a 5 gallon batch in 15-20 minutes. In my experience immersion chillers are hard to keep clean. Edited May 21, 2009 by larry cazes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Cleanliness is the key to making good beer. It's sort of like safety in practical shooting. With beer think cleanliness - it's what is most important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel1212 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 My brother in law makes it, hell he made it for my wedding and it didn't last to long. Other than that I have no idea :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSEMARTIN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 +1 on the keeping everything clean advice. When I did it over ten years ago, I just read a book and followed the directions. It's easy and it really turned out great. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddrod Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Yeap. Beer, wine, car fuel. Have a 16 cuft freezer conversion with 8 kegs on tap. Right now drinking Pale Ale, Cream Ale, Octoberfest/Amber, Chocalate Oatmeal Stout, Scottish 80 Schilling, Raspberry Wheat, Belgian triple, a BMC clone, Fat Trie clone, Roggienbier. the best part is that it is only 2 ft from my computer. Easy pouring. I do all grain and extract. Just ask if you need information or PM me and I will give you a great website for all the info you will ever need and the guys there are on par with the fellows here when it comes to knowledge and are just s friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I've brewed for a while. I'll echo what everyone else said and make sure you keep everything clean and very sterile. Also when you brew your first batch make sure you are not in a rush. The process takes longer than you would think, especially if you do not have a wort chiller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Just ask if you need information or PM me and I will give you a great website for all the info you will ever need and the guys there are on par with the fellows here when it comes to knowledge and are just s friendly. Forget the website....I want to come over and SAMPLE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 A friend of mine used to make wine in small batches. He made some plum wine that was like drinking koolaid, until you tried to stand up. That stuff was guaranteed not to leak, squeak or run down your leg. CYas, Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrShooter Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I would suggest you seek out a local homebrew club. Ours organizes "Megabrews" where we take over a local brewpub to make wort to share out, "Big Brews" where we pull the brewstands together and swap techniques, and other events as well as monthly meetings. Homebrew supply stores usually know which clubs are active. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranDoc Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 If you're ever around Cleveland, www.thebrewkettle.com. Brew-on-premises place. Chris, the proprietor, LOVES to talk shop. I've heard him talking with some home-brew folks when I've been there. Ask Flex about the product that comes out of there -- high-hop, high IBU ales. There is "lawnmower" beer, if that's what you really like, but their forte' is the specialty ales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddrod Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Here is some tips 5 Star Chemical - Star San - excellent no rinse sterilant Control your fermenting temps. You get a much better flavor in the end product. I use a 4 cuft freezer with a temp controller. Highly suggest getting "How to brew" book by John Palmer or Joys of Homebrewing. Web based informmation - for me it is HOMEBREWTALK.com. It is the BE.com of the homebrew world. Supplies - I mainly use Nothern Homebrew Supplies and Midwest supplies (both in your area with good websites and plenty of recipe kits) and Austin Homebrew supplies (the king of recipe kits - over 700). There are plenty of others. Magazines - Brew Yown Own and Zymurgy Get lots of bottles. Plenty of information on youtube. some good, some bad. try to find a local homebrew club or mom/pop homebrew supply store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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