Homebrew Tips Required

slimOl55 · October 31st, 2016, 09:22 PM

Any recommendations, recipies or tips for a nice hombrew experience.

Real beers, stouts and hoppy aromas would help this winter.

What kit should I scrounge to make this happen?

nearly Seasons Greetings

slimol55

**cginok** · October 31st, 2016, 09:36 PM

Ever done it before?

slimOl55 · October 31st, 2016, 10:18 PM

All new to me - could be titled: How not to end up with Beer on your face.

Where do I begin?

**cginok** · October 31st, 2016, 10:37 PM

Firstly, there's a forum called Homebrewtalk.com. Try there, they have a beginners section.

You need a beginners fermenting kit. They can run from $100 up to about $150, depending on how lavish you want to get. As with anything, you can spend about as much money as you have, or want, to spend. For starters start with a brewing kit. There's literally hundreds of prepackaged kits of every kind of beer you can think of. A personal fav of mine is Hank's Hefeweizen. The kits will come with all the ingredients you need, premeasured, with detailed instructions included, to make a 5 gallon batch of beer. You'll also need about 50 beer bottles...actually 55 to be on the safe side. If you already drink, and/or have friends that drink, start saving your beer bottles. You can reuse them over and over, just clean them out and sanitize them.

The two big online homebrew stores are Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies...just google the names you'll find them. I started about 2 years ago. I've made several batches from apple ale to maple syrup ale to honey wheat. Like I said, there's a hundreds of different recipes you can make. I can make a batch of hefeweizen for about 50 cents a bottle, which is half what the stuff would cost in a liquor store.

One problem you might encounter. When you make a batch of beer, you have to boil it for 60 minutes. You know how long it takes to bring several gallons of water to a boil? Then you have to sit there and watch it for an hour. If your wife doesn't mind her stove being taken up for a few hours, then this won't be THAT big of a problem for you. Which reminds me, you'll also need a stainless steel kettle to boil the stuff in. 5 gallons minimum, preferably 10 gallons. I bought a 10 gallon one off of Ebay for 150 IIRC. If you already have a big stock pot, or something like that, you should be set.

It's not as hard as it looks. The first few batches can be a pain, but after that, you'll do it without even thinking.

**seany65** · October 31st, 2016, 11:57 PM

If brewing beer at home is the same as making wine at home (well, basiclally the same), then be careful-my unlce had a go at making wine at home, at least one of the bottles exploded and the 'wine' wne all over the place, up walls, on the ceiling etc.

**cginok** · November 1st, 2016, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seany65

If brewing beer at home is the same as making wine at home (well, basiclally the same), then be careful-my unlce had a go at making wine at home, at least one of the bottles exploded and the 'wine' wne all over the place, up walls, on the ceiling etc.

It's called "bottle bombs." What it comes from is, you've bottled something while it's still fermenting. Fermentation creates CO2. If you cap or cork something while it's still fermenting, then there's nowhere for the gas to escape, you've got a time bomb on your hands. There is something you can put into the wine that will stop the fermentation...Potassium sorbate. It will come with wine kits. You can also cold crash the stuff by putting it into a fridge with a temp between 33 to 40 farenheit. The cold will kill the yeast, thus ending fermentation.

Making wine and beer is similar. Only you don't have to boil the wine when you make it. Plus, you don't carbonate wine...I guess you could if you're into that.

I have had one bottle of beer explode on me out of several hundreds of bottles. I did it while trying to recap some beer that I had over carbonated. I developed the habit long ago of wearing a leather work glove when I bottle anything. It saved me from several stitches the one time that bottle blew on me.

**Blue126** · November 4th, 2016, 09:04 PM

I had a go myself many years ago, really enjoyable experience.

What I did learn was make sure everything you use, clean and clean again.

My grand parents made excellent stuff, but took the recipes to the grave with them.

This is a excellent venture to get into these days and can be a very profitable adventure to be in.

Enjoy

**blueballsdc** · November 4th, 2016, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimOl55

All new to me - could be titled: How not to end up with Beer on your face.

Where do I begin?

Slim,

I have been a homebrewer for 30 or so years. It is not difficult to do but does require some patience and discipline.

I am not sure where you are located but I would suggest searching for a local homebrew supply house. If you have one locally it is a good place to start. They can help you with getting the basic equipment and for brewing supplies to start. The nice thing about the basic kit is you can use it for just about all types of beers. When I get people started I usually get them started with bitters (or pale ales) or California Common (Anchor Steam type) beers.

Here in the USA you can find good basic homebrew equipment setups for $80.00 to $100.00. The beer ingredients kits can vary in price. You can find brown ale or pale ale kits for as little as $25.00. I would recommend starting your home brewing with extract kits which consist of liquid (or dry) malt extract, hops and yeast. It is a good way to get started without a huge expenditure for equipment. All grain brewing does produce better beers but the initial outlay for equipment is higher and brewing is more difficult.

I would also suggest looking for local homebrewing clubs. Every homebrew club that I have ever dealt with loves to welcome new people and work with them to get started in homebrewing.

A good resource can be found online with the American Homebrewers Association.

And remember out motto:

Relax! Don't Worry! Have a homebrew!

Cheers!

snilefisk · November 5th, 2016, 12:08 AM

I have only brewed twice, with the first one resulting in the worst beer ever, so I'm no expert. From my little experience I would recommend that you watch brewers on YouTube before your first batch. Maybe we were just stupid the first time brewing, but reading the recipe without having done it before makes it kind of awkward. It makes a world of difference having done it before, or having watched someone else do it, when you brew.

From my knowledge stouts are a bit difficult to brew since they require very presise temperature management. I imagine that could be difficult for a first time brewer, unless you have a Speidel/Brewmaster that adjust this automatic. These are however very expensive, so I'm not sure if that is an option. I would rather brew an IPA/Pale ale the first time since it is more forgiving when it comes to temperature-management.

The only way you would get beer in your face is if your beer get infected during fermenting(in bottles). This occurs if your equipment is not clean enough, so make sure to use that Starsan! Starsan is one of those examples where it's useful to having watched someone else do it before, because it makes sense to wash away all the bubbles from that during brewing. Turns out you are not suppose to do that, but it still looks very odd to pour your beer in a bucket full of "soap-bubbles". During a christmasparty last year someone opened a homebrewed porter, and that one made a nice fountain spraying the ceiling.

As a last note I would advice you to test your equipment before brewing. When we brewed for the first time we thought everything was all in place, but it turned out that was a trap. When it was time to cool down the beer, we found out that our valve did not fit the cold water. Disaster! We had to hold the hose with our own hands, and that gets painful really fast! It's a miracle all of us still have all fingers remaining

slimOl55 · November 5th, 2016, 01:01 AM

Many thanks to all who have taken time to educate me, and encourage me to go ahead.
My problem now is location of barrel for brewing and fermentation. I wonder how crucial the accurate temperature has to be? What type of room or space is ideal or doable.
Any more thoughts on what to avoid are welcome.
My local homebrew supplier has recomended Beerworks Kentish Ale and a Beerworks Suffolk Sheepdog kits - so I now need to decide upon the location.

October 31st, 2016, 09:22 PM	#1
slimOl55 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 845 Thanks: 24,268 Thanked 4,956 Times in 774 Posts	Homebrew Tips Required Any recommendations, recipies or tips for a nice hombrew experience. Real beers, stouts and hoppy aromas would help this winter. What kit should I scrounge to make this happen? nearly Seasons Greetings slimol55

October 31st, 2016, 11:57 PM	#5
seany65 Vintage Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,651 Thanks: 80,415 Thanked 32,730 Times in 3,527 Posts	If brewing beer at home is the same as making wine at home (well, basiclally the same), then be careful-my unlce had a go at making wine at home, at least one of the bottles exploded and the 'wine' wne all over the place, up walls, on the ceiling etc. __________________ <-- That's Emer Kenny and I want to be stuck in her front bottom. Quote from electrofreak : I'd rather have questions that can't be answered, than answers that can't be questioned.

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October 31st, 2016, 09:36 PM	#2
cginok Vintage Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 603 Thanks: 61 Thanked 5,414 Times in 594 Posts	Ever done it before?

October 31st, 2016, 10:18 PM	#3
slimOl55 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 845 Thanks: 24,268 Thanked 4,956 Times in 774 Posts	All new to me - could be titled: How not to end up with Beer on your face. Where do I begin?

October 31st, 2016, 10:37 PM	#4
cginok Vintage Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 603 Thanks: 61 Thanked 5,414 Times in 594 Posts	Firstly, there's a forum called Homebrewtalk.com. Try there, they have a beginners section. You need a beginners fermenting kit. They can run from $100 up to about $150, depending on how lavish you want to get. As with anything, you can spend about as much money as you have, or want, to spend. For starters start with a brewing kit. There's literally hundreds of prepackaged kits of every kind of beer you can think of. A personal fav of mine is Hank's Hefeweizen. The kits will come with all the ingredients you need, premeasured, with detailed instructions included, to make a 5 gallon batch of beer. You'll also need about 50 beer bottles...actually 55 to be on the safe side. If you already drink, and/or have friends that drink, start saving your beer bottles. You can reuse them over and over, just clean them out and sanitize them. The two big online homebrew stores are Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies...just google the names you'll find them. I started about 2 years ago. I've made several batches from apple ale to maple syrup ale to honey wheat. Like I said, there's a hundreds of different recipes you can make. I can make a batch of hefeweizen for about 50 cents a bottle, which is half what the stuff would cost in a liquor store. One problem you might encounter. When you make a batch of beer, you have to boil it for 60 minutes. You know how long it takes to bring several gallons of water to a boil? Then you have to sit there and watch it for an hour. If your wife doesn't mind her stove being taken up for a few hours, then this won't be THAT big of a problem for you. Which reminds me, you'll also need a stainless steel kettle to boil the stuff in. 5 gallons minimum, preferably 10 gallons. I bought a 10 gallon one off of Ebay for 150 IIRC. If you already have a big stock pot, or something like that, you should be set. It's not as hard as it looks. The first few batches can be a pain, but after that, you'll do it without even thinking.

November 4th, 2016, 09:04 PM	#7
Blue126 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,927 Thanks: 19,029 Thanked 72,073 Times in 1,922 Posts	I had a go myself many years ago, really enjoyable experience. What I did learn was make sure everything you use, clean and clean again. My grand parents made excellent stuff, but took the recipes to the grave with them. This is a excellent venture to get into these days and can be a very profitable adventure to be in. Enjoy

November 5th, 2016, 12:08 AM	#9
snilefisk Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 29 Thanks: 1,559 Thanked 402 Times in 29 Posts	I have only brewed twice, with the first one resulting in the worst beer ever, so I'm no expert. From my little experience I would recommend that you watch brewers on YouTube before your first batch. Maybe we were just stupid the first time brewing, but reading the recipe without having done it before makes it kind of awkward. It makes a world of difference having done it before, or having watched someone else do it, when you brew. From my knowledge stouts are a bit difficult to brew since they require very presise temperature management. I imagine that could be difficult for a first time brewer, unless you have a Speidel/Brewmaster that adjust this automatic. These are however very expensive, so I'm not sure if that is an option. I would rather brew an IPA/Pale ale the first time since it is more forgiving when it comes to temperature-management. The only way you would get beer in your face is if your beer get infected during fermenting(in bottles). This occurs if your equipment is not clean enough, so make sure to use that Starsan! Starsan is one of those examples where it's useful to having watched someone else do it before, because it makes sense to wash away all the bubbles from that during brewing. Turns out you are not suppose to do that, but it still looks very odd to pour your beer in a bucket full of "soap-bubbles". During a christmasparty last year someone opened a homebrewed porter, and that one made a nice fountain spraying the ceiling. As a last note I would advice you to test your equipment before brewing. When we brewed for the first time we thought everything was all in place, but it turned out that was a trap. When it was time to cool down the beer, we found out that our valve did not fit the cold water. Disaster! We had to hold the hose with our own hands, and that gets painful really fast! It's a miracle all of us still have all fingers remaining

November 5th, 2016, 01:01 AM	#10
slimOl55 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 845 Thanks: 24,268 Thanked 4,956 Times in 774 Posts	Many thanks to all who have taken time to educate me, and encourage me to go ahead. My problem now is location of barrel for brewing and fermentation. I wonder how crucial the accurate temperature has to be? What type of room or space is ideal or doable. Any more thoughts on what to avoid are welcome. My local homebrew supplier has recomended Beerworks Kentish Ale and a Beerworks Suffolk Sheepdog kits - so I now need to decide upon the location.