home-made beer

Anonymous Poster · Sep 5, 2002

Since I like Bud, It probably won't surprise you that I don't know what mead is. I have heard of it, but never tasted it. what is the difference between mead and beer? Something to do with the aging? I know beer doesn't need to be aged. Well, at least my friend's beer doesn't. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif And maybe you brewers will know the answer to this. Why does beer taste so much better out of a glass bottle than a can? Is it all in my head, or does the can change the taste of the beer?

Chuck52 · Sep 5, 2002

Robert,

I don't care for most honey beers either. If I can taste the honey, it never seems to go with the other flavors. My friend's fruit meads are OK, but I really prefer the bitter beers as my normal drink. I cultured some yeast from Red Hook Hefeweizen once and used it for 2-3 years in almost every brew I made. It had none of the clove or banana tastes the German hefeweizens had, and it was good for the kind of bitter wheat ales I like. Alas, my culture died during the brewing drought that accompanied our move to the country. I sure hope to get back to brewing now because I have a root cellar I can use for brewing and storage. There's a bathroom in the basement, too, so I could potentially set up a brewing kitchen down there. Ah the possibilities.

Chuck

patrickg · Sep 5, 2002

Robert, Thanks so much for the recipe and directions and gee, almost coming to help. Sounds like a fun experiment. If the flavor isn't hurt too much or the final, after aging, results aren't hurt too much I would be happy to end up with less alcohol. I tend to drink copious quantities of good tasting beverages and don't need the extra alcohol.

When I was in London I went out with my hosts (British Royal Navy Submarine Communications guys) and after sampling pints of various brews, I tried some cider. They told me the same thing, be careful, the cider will sneak up on you. Being a larger than average fellow and having had an English supper (pretty darned heavy) my drinking capacity was enhanced. I upheld the honor of the US and made sure those blokes got in a cab to take them home safely after their navigation and gyrostabilization became seriously impaired.

Thanks again for the info,

Patrick

RobertN · Sep 5, 2002

A meade is more of a honey wine. It is usually made from honey, water, yeast, and possiibly some herb or fruit essence added for a particular taste profile. It is typically thick, and very sweet. It is known to be very potent.

Beer will pick up flavors from containers. Aluminum cans, even with all the work the brewers do, can impart off flavors. Glass will not affect the flavor.

RobertN · Sep 6, 2002

I think it would be a fun expieriment. Maybe just try 2.5 gallons for a first try. Oh, and ship a bootle out here/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

RobertN · Sep 6, 2002

Are you stove top brewing? All grain or extract?

I switched from extract/stove-top to out doo extract brewing in a modified keg on cajun cooker. It worked really nice. Boil was fast, and it was nice doing a low gravity boil. Sine then I have moved up to a gravity feed all-grain system. The propane cookers are well worth it. But, they limit you to well ventilated area's.

patrickg · Sep 6, 2002

Bob, If you were to come out and supervise you could take some home, a little of each variation you might suggest we try. If I have a success, I could send a bottle. Will it get highly pressured as the little yeast guys make CO2? I used to make rootbeer in the days of metal pop bottle lids. I still have the capper and a box of lids with real cork linings. I had 2-3 bottles explode once while they were on the mantle and I was away looking for the lost Dutchman's mine. It was dried up when I returned (oodles of sugar to clean up) but there was glass embedded in the wood mantle and the wall panneling. It didn't blow the lids off but did explode the large glass pop bottles I used.

I suppose a specialty shop would have bottles and "champagne" corks with wire retainers. Could I be "de classe" and just put the stuff up in screw lid plastic pop bottles or would they make better bombs than beverages?

Patrick

Chuck52 · Sep 6, 2002

Robert,

My last brews were partial mashes, about half extract half mash, and stovetop. When I get back into it, I'll probably get a cooker and slowly go all-grain, though I might have difficulty getting the gravities I like with all-grain. My basement is a walkout with a cement pad where I could easily set up the cooker. Lordy, decent stainless pots cost an arm and a leg, so your route with the keg is probably the way to go. Did you buy one of those brewing "sculptures", or put together your own system. I really like the idea of all-grain since it lets me use the biochemistry I learned for something useful!

Chuck

patrickg · Sep 6, 2002

Egon, Digital cameras as low as $30 with USB interface.

Thanks for the aging/storage reminder! All I would need for a near constant temp storage place would be a bumpout in the basement wall with a decently insulated door/cover. My deep earth temp is about 62.5 degrees F (sorry not C, convert it) If the bumpout was in the floor or low on a wall I should be near that temp. Is that cool enough? Too cool? Warmer is easy and still free. I am currently thinking 1 1/2 story house with full or nearly full walkout basement and should have room for "beverage storage/aging". Maybe I could age cheese?

I've seen pictures of basement wine storage racks that were clay drainage tiles sticking through the wall and sealed on the back side. Don't recall or wasn't told the earth temp at that site.

Patrick

brewerbob · Sep 6, 2002

Robert:
First let me say that I reuse my yeast. I buy Wyeast products and reuse them six to eight times. I did not amortize the cost of the yeast into the "Less than $10 for 5 gallons', but I make a pale ale with 9# 2-row, 1/2# carapils, an ounce or so of Galena hops, and Wyeast British Ale II yeast. I also did not figure in the cost of the propane for my burner, the cost of line cleaner or Idophor, but even doing that it's cheap, and fun. I'm going to make some hard cider in a few days. Apples are 40 cents a pound in the orchard, and my wife's cousin gave me his old apple press. I'm using champagne yeast and will add about 3# of honey to each 5 gallon batch. I'll kill the wild yeast with campden tablets and add yeast nutrient. I made some several years ago and it was great, but low on alcohol. I only used 1# of honey. I carbonate it in a corny keg. Brewing is my second hobby after tractoring.
Bob