Brew your own...

[Tenn_Blue]

Round these parts, people "brew" all the time, but with a little more kick..

Some of my country neighbors spend a lot of time drinking out of mason jars, but not sure what kind of hopps they are usin, cuz it comes out of the jug clear like water :laughing:

All kidding aside, a long time ago I had a friend that home brewed beer. Was much younger then... He had good batches, and some really skunky tasting stuff at times. But we couldn't let it go to waste..... :confused2:

 

[MossRoad]

I just bought a 'mrbeer' homebrew kit, but haven't played with it yet.

Anybody do this homebrewing stuff? Anyone used 'mrbeer'? Any suggestions before I try it? How'd YOURS turn out?

I got one for Christmas. I'm still saving up bottles. Should be ready to attempt soon.

 

[looknlearn]

We've got hops that one of the neighbors planted in the lot next to us (hopefully we will own the lot on paper soon) but we have been thinking of trying some beer making. We have a friend who makes beer and an acquaintance picked the hops from the bush-like plant we have, last year. We've got plenty of bottles saved so we'd just need to get the other supplies.

 

[forgeblast]

I have 12 hop plants that i grow every year and i use all the hops that i harvest.
I have a 10 gallon all grain electronic system called the "brutus 10". (there were free plans for it, and It took a while but it works great".)
I stopped bottling asap.
1. bottle bombs, do not put more sugar then needed/specified. they will explode and sharp glass is not fun.
2. capper, put them on tight or they will get infected.
3. it was easier to buy a corney keg/pin or ball and stick a tap on it. Fits in a fridge perfect holds 5 gallons and its only one thing to clean and sanatize.
I have been homebrewing for a while now, and do enjoy it. I can make any beer/style out there and have enjoyed trying my own recipes.
I use one-step as my sanatizer, works fast reliable and you dont have to rinse it out.
2. go to a plastic fermentor and if you going to bottle make it a bottling bucket, makes clean up easier.
3. follow the recipe dont add more sugar for a kick, just follow the recipe
4. I use morebeer.com for my info/forum needs and instawares.com for my pots and lids.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/151120-projects-done.html
shows some of the homebrew system.
good luck need any info I am more then glad to share or point you in the right direction.
How to Brew - By John Palmer is probaby the one book i would not go without.

 

[ptexer]

where can I find plans for the brutus 10?

 

[toewsrus]

My Father in Law gave me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas one year. It lasted about 10 months before I had to move up to the 5 gallon brews. I've since dropped bottles and now have a fridge with 3 kegs in it at all times. I Absolutely love home brewed beer - making it, drinking it, and sharing it.

Be careful with that Mr. Brew. I tried an apple cider in it and really got fermenting and overflowed all over the place. I had put it on top of my wife's wardrobe. She wasn't too happy with me.

 

[dmccarty]

Just made my first beer on Sunday! :dance1:

Checked it tonight and it is bubbling away! :thumbsup:

I have been wanting to brew for 20+ years but never had the time, still do not to be honest, nor the space, still do not to be honest, and did not want to spend the money on the equipment.......

A guy at work started talking about his first home brew....

Went out and bought a package with all of the brew equipment that Friday. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

He and I just happened to be using kits from Brewer's Best. The packages were maybe $75 to $125. I priced out the kits and it was cheaper to buy the "expensive" box since it had a primary bucket, bottling bucket, 5 gallon glass carboy, and every thing else you needed.

The brew store had a bunch of extract beer its to actually make beer which is what we are using.

One reason I have not brewed is that it seemed that kegging was the right approach but I do not have a room for keg. Talking to my coworker I realized that 22 oz bottles were the way to go if I brew the expensive beer I like to drink. Something that would cost $4-5 or more per 16+ ounces.

Time WILL tell.

Later,
Dan

 

[PILOON]

Homebrewed for a while, fun and good tasting.
In fact I cheated and used coke syrup kegs and CO2 pressure as I got fed up cleaning and sterilizing bottles.
Now an old fridge with 4 pressurized kegs containing assorted brews 'on tap' is one cool way to go.
Still have the kegs etc. (might sell one day, I guess)

 

[RobertN]

I have "split" batches with friends that were interested. My system can do extract, or all-grain, 10 gallon batches. So when I have split batched, we both get 5 gallons, or 2-1/2 cases. Just have to have bottles... Friends of mine started the local brew store to support their brewing. Have since sold, but the shop carries a number of good "kits", ie ingredient kits.

Before I started kegging, I was using sparkling wine(Champagne) bottles. US bottles will take a normal bottle cap. Easy to get(try a place that does Sunday brunch). One bottle makes two nice pours.

Went out and bought a package with all of the brew equipment that Friday. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

He and I just happened to be using kits from Brewer's Best. The packages were maybe $75 to $125. I priced out the kits and it was cheaper to buy the "expensive" box since it had a primary bucket, bottling bucket, 5 gallon glass carboy, and every thing else you needed.

One reason I have not brewed is that it seemed that kegging was the right approach but I do not have a room for keg. Talking to my coworker I realized that 22 oz bottles were the way to go if I brew the expensive beer I like to drink. Something that would cost $4-5 or more per 16+ ounces.

Time WILL tell.

Later,
Dan

 

[forgeblast]

For the Brutus ten go to Brew Your Own: The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine - home page and search for the back issue that has the plans.
Extract brewing is a great way to get started into homebrewing and since my 2 yo is well a 2 yo I find myself able to extract brew more then all grain. All grain from start to final clean up is about 6hrs, where i can be done and cleaned up extract brewing in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
I fogot to say if you are going to bottle get the grosh style bottles. They have the bale and washer on top, easier to clean and you know its sealed. My favorite bottles came from Ikea, they had them for 99c a piece and they were 24 oz bottles.
Things that help with brewing.
1. proper temp at yeast pitch,
2. using bottled oxygen to aerate, (get a fine stainless airstone and a filter).
3. wort chiller, makes getting to pitch temp a snap.
4. a bigger brew kettle to do full batch boils, it really makes a difference, and if you need to then chill 5 gallons you need a wort chiller.
5. take notes, what you like, didnt like, would do differently.
Enjoy!! its a great hobby.