Home Brew Discussion

[Heidenlarm]

Dammit Jim


Could we supplement this as a microbrew talk?

I don't mind talking all things beer here. Does anyone have a Pintley account? Here's mine: http://pintley.com/user/Oskoreien/

 

[Myk]

I don't mind talking all things beer here. Does anyone have a Pintley account? Here's mine: http://pintley.com/user/Oskoreien/

Pintly pissed me off. It seemed to ignore everything I put into it and pushed what was popular.
I would've liked it if it would've been able to save me from wasting money on micros and imports I don't like.

 

[Happy Human 1001]

I've tasted some really good home brew beers in the past, and brew-pub beers. Never brewed myself, but I have free time for it now. Whats a ballpark $ cost for equipment to start up? and does it matter what type of beer you want to brew? (I like pilsners)

 

[Heidenlarm]

I've tasted some really good home brew beers in the past, and brew-pub beers. Never brewed myself, but I have free time for it now. Whats a ballpark $ cost for equipment to start up? and does it matter what type of beer you want to brew? (I like pilsners)

I spent about 150 bucks, but I already had a kettle to brew in and some extra empty bottles. I did have to buy a few empty bottles too though. You can spend a little less too, but I got a carboy with my kit.

 

[Heidenlarm]

Pintly pissed me off. It seemed to ignore everything I put into it and pushed what was popular.
I would've liked it if it would've been able to save me from wasting money on micros and imports I don't like.

Yeah it did that for me as well. It does recommend a lot of things I know I won't like, but I try to follow what my friends are drinking if I want to try something new.

 

[Myk]

I've tasted some really good home brew beers in the past, and brew-pub beers. Never brewed myself, but I have free time for it now. Whats a ballpark $ cost for equipment to start up? and does it matter what type of beer you want to brew? (I like pilsners)

Probably around $100 for a starter kit. From there you could go up to spending however much more you wanted to spend.
You can also scrounge a lot of stuff if you're good at scrounging and keep it cheap.

Pils is a lager so you need a brewing fridge with temperature control. It's very technique specific so probably not a good one for beginners. I would also recommend all grain for that because it is so technique specific and a delicate flavor.
Also people tend to not have the correct water for styles like that.

 

[Happy Human 1001]

Probably start with ale recipes instead, and leave lagers for later in that case. If it came down to it, I have a mini-fridge that I could modify or take components from to make a specialty fridge.

Is Chicago water 'correct water'

 

[Myk]

if it came down to it, I have a mini-fridge that I could modify or take components from to make a specialty fridge. Probably start with ale recipes instead, and leave lagers for later in that case.

Is Chicago water 'correct water'

City water would at least need chlorine removed. I use a faucet mount filter.

Lagers aren't my thing but I think you're better off building water from scratch with them (and I normally poo-poo the people online who push everyone to water building).

Everything you ever wanted to know about brewing can be found here, http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/
Some of the old Sunday Sessions have some brewing information (and are funny). The Brew Strongs are a must listen to learn all the science. The Jamil Shows (not the CYBIs, although some of those are good too) give some good recipes and describe styles.

 

[Happy Human 1001]

thanks for the link.

I thought about getting into brewing before, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, but was living in an apartment at the time and didn't think I had the space for it. Got more space now for containers to let stuff ferment, and to store gear and such. Gonna look into it.

 

[Scoot26]

MY friend does is...He mostly makes IPA's though and I'm not a fan of those.

 

[Jntg4]

My best friend does..

You must be confused, I've never done that

 

[AuCN]

I have been brewing for about 5 years now. I just built a kegerator and have four beers on tap: Caldera Lager (Its a chili beer with serrano peppers in the secondary), Forscher Belgian Pale Ale (won silver in a Belgian competition out here in CO), Solitary Ale (attempt at an O'Dell's Isolation ale clone), and Rhyolite Rye IPA.
I have one beer in the secondary ready to tap this weekend. It is an Oktoberfest but done with a low temperature ale yeast instead of a lager. We have an Oktoberfest competition coming up so I hope it turns out!

I also just started my first mead. It is a very different style of mead but it is supposed to be a good starting point. It is called Joe's Ancient Orange Mead. Its been bubbling away for almost 2 weeks now.

I have also done a Pinot Gris, Port, and countless other beers. I second Myk's recommendation of beersmith. Somewhat cheap and very helpful. I would say to avoid kit beers. It is very easy to find a rrecipe online and follow that (if you have a homebrew store near you). However, if getting started, definitely get an "equipment kit" which usually comes with a carboy, autosiphon, hydrometer (your new best friend), 2 buckets, starsan, bottling wand, airlock, stopper, etc. You can make a wort chiller with some pipe from home depot. Just buy the pipe bender, make the chiller, and return the bender.

Any questions, feel free to ask. There seems to be quite a few knowledgeable people on here. And I still have a lot to learn myself. That is the great thing about homebrewing: It is a great mix of art and science; and you can get as in depth as you want, whether just brewing a beer or learning all of the intricacies such as pH, water building, brewhouse efficiency, hop utilization, etc, etc, and so on. How to Brew by John Palmer is a great place to start. I read it front to back before even buying my first equipment kit. It is also free online! http://www.howtobrew.com/

 

[MDB111™]

I'm working on an Amarillo pale ale.

i don't think you can go wrong with a pale ale. Just remember......dry hopping is your friend

 

[MDB111™]

I've tasted some really good home brew beers in the past, and brew-pub beers. Never brewed myself, but I have free time for it now. Whats a ballpark $ cost for equipment to start up? and does it matter what type of beer you want to brew? (I like pilsners)

100 bucks can get you started with all the plastics and extract kits. it can get pricey though. but for a hunskie, you can enjoy 5 gallons of nice beer. probably cheaper if you shop around or buy your own equipment at one of the big box giants.

 

[MDB111™]

City water would at least need chlorine removed. I use a faucet mount filter.

Lagers aren't my thing but I think you're better off building water from scratch with them (and I normally poo-poo the people online who push everyone to water building).

Everything you ever wanted to know about brewing can be found here, http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/
Some of the old Sunday Sessions have some brewing information (and are funny). The Brew Strongs are a must listen to learn all the science. The Jamil Shows (not the CYBIs, although some of those are good too) give some good recipes and describe styles.

too much chlorine and it will produce some off tastes but many breweries use their "city water" you tried DC Brau yet? they use DC's fucking water so if they can brew a high qaulity beer with that crap a little chlorine in your water wont hurt. But Myk is right, too much and you got a weird off taste. Even your well water can have a bad effect if it's too hard or soft. If you want a sure fire first batch I'd just go by 5 gallons of bottled water

 

[Heidenlarm]

Speaking of chlorine, I came across a solution for an easy to make bleach sanitizer that comes straight from the guy at Five Star Chemicals that makes Star San. http://llnw.libsyn.com/p/3/9/0/390d...id=1452161&h=7e60b531f353f97c78c1be161fae0a1f

For a 5 gallon batch mix two tablespoons of bleach and two table spoons of vinegar with water. Just do NOT mix the bleach and vinegar at the same time. Dilute the bleach in the water first and then add the vinegar.

Also it's no-rinse.

 

[Heidenlarm]

I have been brewing for about 5 years now. I just built a kegerator and have four beers on tap: Caldera Lager (Its a chili beer with serrano peppers in the secondary), Forscher Belgian Pale Ale (won silver in a Belgian competition out here in CO), Solitary Ale (attempt at an O'Dell's Isolation ale clone), and Rhyolite Rye IPA.
I have one beer in the secondary ready to tap this weekend. It is an Oktoberfest but done with a low temperature ale yeast instead of a lager. We have an Oktoberfest competition coming up so I hope it turns out!

I also just started my first mead. It is a very different style of mead but it is supposed to be a good starting point. It is called Joe's Ancient Orange Mead. Its been bubbling away for almost 2 weeks now.

I have also done a Pinot Gris, Port, and countless other beers. I second Myk's recommendation of beersmith. Somewhat cheap and very helpful. I would say to avoid kit beers. It is very easy to find a rrecipe online and follow that (if you have a homebrew store near you). However, if getting started, definitely get an "equipment kit" which usually comes with a carboy, autosiphon, hydrometer (your new best friend), 2 buckets, starsan, bottling wand, airlock, stopper, etc. You can make a wort chiller with some pipe from home depot. Just buy the pipe bender, make the chiller, and return the bender.

Any questions, feel free to ask. There seems to be quite a few knowledgeable people on here. And I still have a lot to learn myself. That is the great thing about homebrewing: It is a great mix of art and science; and you can get as in depth as you want, whether just brewing a beer or learning all of the intricacies such as pH, water building, brewhouse efficiency, hop utilization, etc, etc, and so on. How to Brew by John Palmer is a great place to start. I read it front to back before even buying my first equipment kit. It is also free online! http://www.howtobrew.com/

I think I might have to try making a wort chiller.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Guy on my referee crew is big into home brewing. I have a catalog he gave me and I might start soon.

 

[DaDanimal]

If anyone has a spare wort chiller layin around lemme know. I'll make one but I'm lazy.

 

[MDB111™]

Speaking of chlorine, I came across a solution for an easy to make bleach sanitizer that comes straight from the guy at Five Star Chemicals that makes Star San. http://llnw.libsyn.com/p/3/9/0/390d...id=1452161&h=7e60b531f353f97c78c1be161fae0a1f

For a 5 gallon batch mix two tablespoons of bleach and two table spoons of vinegar with water. Just do NOT mix the bleach and vinegar at the same time. Dilute the bleach in the water first and then add the vinegar.

Also it's no-rinse.

I always get paranoid that the "no rinses" will still produce off flavors so I always rinse. can't help it