Anyone Homebrew

Well my neighbor is down sizing houses an giving me his home brew equipment. Just seeing if anyone has any good recipes to try. I bought a couple recipe packs from the local home brew store I'm gonna try here soon.

No, but I've been thinking about getting in to it too. Keep us posted on how it goes for you.

As soon as my new brew kettle comes in I'm gonna try 2 5gal batches. One is a cream ale the other is a lager. I'll keep ya posted. Its seams pretty easy just sounds an looks a lot more complex then what it really is

Shuler Ale.

Brewed first of my 2 batches yesterday. Wasnt too bad of an ordeal. Just read instructions an make sure everything is sterilized. Hopefully in about 3-4 weeks I'll have my first taste of it.

Brian, Check around, but I'm pretty sure that running everything through the dishwasher should normally be good enough to sterilize it. At least, I know that it's sterile enough to use the dishwasher when you're canning vegetables and other foods.

I'll be interested to hear how these batches turn out.

So...anyone know anything about growing your own hops? I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but we're moving onto the wife's family's farm this summer and if I'm getting in to brewing, growing my own hops could be an option.

I cant fit my 20gal brew kettle or my 6.5 gallon fermentor in my dishwasher lol. I used product called star-san the local homebrew shop recommended. Its pretty cheap as far sterilizing goes. I'll run my bottles threw the dishwasher before i bottle but they still recommend sterilizing after a cycle threw the dishwasher. I think the sterilization has to do with the yeast enzymes, I guess they get a little funky flavors if any bateria is present during the fermentation period.

I was reading on growing hops but as of right now its just easier for me to buy it, but maybe sometime in the future id like to look more into it.

i have a friend upstate NY he grows every damn thing, i saw last year he had hops and tobacco amongst all his fruit, veg and flowers.

My IPA started fermenting today an the house smells of hops. Maybe this time next week I'll move it to a secondary fermentor to clear it up some.

Gotta say you gotta have some patients with this hobby. I have 6-5gal batches fermenting through out the house. They are spread from the spare bedroom, dinning room, basement, an garage. Certain yeast like certain temps to make them happy. I'm gonna bottle my first batch whenever I get home next week but itll still have to condition in the bottle 3-4 weeks till its mature. I just hope the reward is worth the wait.

First taste of it an gotta say it turned out pretty damn good for not knowing what the hell I'm doing lol. Thats my cream ale I have an IPA, 2 lagers, Kolsch, and 2 summer saisons fermenting now.

Got 6 gallons of raspberry mead fermenting too

what on earth is that! lol.. police show up at your house they going to think its a body in a tank.

Hilltoppersx wrote:

what on earth is that! lol.. police show up at your house they going to think its a body in a tank.

LOL. Its some rasberrys floating in there.  It does look bad but smells an taste pretty damn good. Its wine with honey instead of sugar for sweetening

what is that 5 gallons of mead? so weird that you can make beer and mead but you cant make vodka.

Hilltoppersx wrote:

what is that 5 gallons of mead? so weird that you can make beer and mead but you cant make vodka.

6 gallons lol. Yeah thats messed up you cant legally distill. I freeze distill apple jack when ive made it. But thats a whole different process. I did help my buddy build a still, he makes about 5 gal a year with it. I think its legal as long as your not selling it an can only produce so much a year.

you have to bring some of your mead to an outing this year! you should make sure you come to at least one outing at Rausch or Anthracite this year.