anyone brewing beer or making rum?

[1911cherry]

All these threads about wine got me thinking about my grandfather, he loved to make wine, beer ,rum, root beer anything he could brew or ferment himself. I sorta got nostalgic and made a couple gallons of his old rum recipie and was wondering, seems like a lot of us grow our own food , make our own boolits , any one home brewing? If so whatcha making... :D

[AlaskanGuy]

We are making wine as we speak.... Salmon berry.... In 5 gallon buckets... :)

[MaryB]

I used to brew beer, did about 40 5 gallon kegs a year...(brewed with friends and we went through a LOT of beer, to be young again and able to party like that lol) might get back into making ale from the beer kits you can buy. Using extracts you can turn out a pretty good beer these days with a lot less work than the all grain brewing I used to do.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Making rum requires distillation, an illegal act in the good ol' USA unless you're licensed by the Feds. You're allowed to make beer and wine.

I suppose that if you were running a little pot still for home consumption, you'd be low on the list of people whose doors need to be broken into, but you need to know the risks.

dale in Louisiana

[swamp]

I used to make mead. Just don't drink enough to make it worthwhile now.
swamp

[dtknowles]

I have made mead, wine, beer but never had a still. It is not really fun but it is good to know how in case I want to drink and they make it illegal again :-)

Tim

[MaryB]

You can buy stills online... probably land you on a government list somewhere though. A pressure cooker that has a built in thermometer will do in a pinch...(don't ask how I know this).

[Shiloh]

Isn't making rum illegal?? Homemade rum is considered moonshine isn't it??

Shiloh

[reloader28]

There is an actual difference between moonshine and rum. Moonshine is one type of alcohol. Rum is one. Whiskey is another. Bourbon is another.
Real moonshine is nothing but sugar, water and yeast. Thats it. Add a bunch of corn and you have corn whiskey.

We're talking about doing a little distilling, but so far just wine and beer.
I racked 14 gallons of grape and 6 gallons of gooseberry wine a couple days ago.
The next day I bottled 2 cases of nut brown ale.
Today I'm making 5 gallons of my house specialty. It started out as a Grolshe clone and after some tweeking here and there in the recipie, I have something I REALLY like. Its hard to keep this one in stock.

You just cant beat the full bodied flavors you get from home made/home brewed stuff. If its not quite right, adjust it a little.:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

[reloader28]

I am curious how 1911 cherry was making this "rum" though.
What does it taste like and whats the alcohol content?
How about a recipie.

I love Captain Morgan and root beer. Actually Captain is too expensive, so we use Admiral Nelson.;-)
Put a small dab of vanilla ice cream in it and you have the best root beer float on the planet.

[Dale in Louisiana]

You can buy stills online... probably land you on a government list somewhere though. A pressure cooker that has a built in thermometer will do in a pinch...(don't ask how I know this).

Yeah, like being a regular visitor to a gun-related forum hasn't already got me on a list or two.

Yes, you can buy a still online. If you have half a brain, you can build one MUCH cheaper.

They have 'legitimate' uses for producing pure water, for the concentration of aromatics for perfumery or flavorings, etc. And of course, if you put 'beer', a generic term for fermented mixtures containing alcohol, you can concentrate ethanol, a very useful product that can be a fuel, a solvent, and antiseptic, an anesthetic, and in certain applications, a social enhancement.

If you do this without getting permission from the government, you're committing a Federal offense.

dale in Louisiana

[farmerjim]

I read somewhere that you can license a home still for about $ 1,000 . You can make a small one for under $100.
I had one that I used to make distilled water. Accidentally put some fermented molasses in it and made some good rum.
Wife threw it away when we last moved.

[1911cherry]

Yes distilling is a legal red zone , if you can make alcohol for private consumption- I don't see why you couldn't distill it also, nobody like drinking yeast... I think where people find themselves in trouble is running massive pot stills, a tea kettle or stove top pressure cooker will fill all my needs and then some. You know Jack Daniels is made in a dry county- how does that work?
I just like doing things myself I guess, as for the recipie its dirt simple-1 gallon clean water, non chlorinated preferred,3lbs brown sugar dissolved in water- use molasses if you are a purist add 1 package bloomed yeast and watch em work- keep air out with an airlock or balloon and process when the yeast stops working. Makes a light white rum begging for some added flavors- coconut would be my suggestion. I never measured the content, just learning the scientific approach now, but every time it is processed the content gets 20-25% higher, one run=nice drink ,two runs has a lil bite, three runs is flammable.

[dbosman]

The government says
http://www.ttb.gov/faqs/genalcohol.shtml

Spirits
You cannot produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 (http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml) & 5602 (http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml) for some of the criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met that make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use. Some of these requirements are paying excise tax, filing an extensive application (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=177fd53684cdbe612f989c4b34785695&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.4.159.2&idno=27), filing a bond (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=177fd53684cdbe612f989c4b34785695&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.6.166.1&idno=27), providing adequate equipment (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=177fd53684cdbe612f989c4b34785695&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.7.170.8&idno=27) to measure spirits, providing suitable tanks (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=2cb681631158b600029ec232d8f64c70&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.7.168.2&idno=27) and pipelines (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=b3882eaa61f957a6b10ef10af44a82e5&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.7.169.7&idno=27), providing a separate building (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=b3882eaa61f957a6b10ef10af44a82e5&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.3.157.2&idno=27) (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed records (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=e4710d90c1807b5d2d00c7396e2d13d4&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.22.220.10&idno=27), and filing reports (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=e4710d90c1807b5d2d00c7396e2d13d4&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.22.227.48&idno=27). All of these requirements are listed in 27 CFR Part 19.
(http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=e4710d90c1807b5d2d00c7396e2d13d4&rgn=div5&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15&idno=27)

Spirits may be produced for non-beverage purposes for fuel use only without payment of tax, but you also must file an application, (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=e4710d90c1807b5d2d00c7396e2d13d4&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.235.9&idno=27) receive TTB's approval (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=e4710d90c1807b5d2d00c7396e2d13d4&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.235.15&idno=27), and follow requirements, such as construction (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=31fbab4968670ad7bd39e49dd7fbb8ec&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.240.33&idno=27), use, (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=31fbab4968670ad7bd39e49dd7fbb8ec&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.246.49&idno=27) records (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=31fbab4968670ad7bd39e49dd7fbb8ec&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.243.42&idno=27) and reports (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=31fbab4968670ad7bd39e49dd7fbb8ec&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.15.24.244.44&idno=27).

[dbosman]

And, by the way, if you're making enough spirits for fuel, the reporting requirements are stringent. The bureaucrats know exactly how much evaporation to expect at your location under any weather conditions.

Now, some universities offer distillation classes. ;) Gotta taste the product.
For instance - check out my local U's offering.
http://www.artisandistilling.org/

[Jupiter7]

Brewed all grain and extract for about 5yrs, always had one in primary and secondary fermenters. My supply shop was like an organic grocery store. When I moved I was stuck with Internet ordering. Now I only occasionally make wine from what I can pick up or grow locally, usually blackberry or muscadine. Still order real wine yeast online. Really don't drink much since getting married and deciding to carry a gun with me anytime I leave the house.

[2wheelDuke]

I'm drinking amber ale from a kit. I've got some strawberry wine set up too.

[square butte]

Lest we not forget Applejack. Hard Cider set out on a very cold night - minus 20 or so - The remaining unfrozen alcohol poured off in the morning = applejack - high test

[prsman23]

Always brewing here. Can't stop!

[Moonie]

I consider myself a mead maker, but I do brew beer as I have the equipment and it takes so long to age mead. Beer is ready in 2-4 weeks start to keg. Mead takes year(s) to age. As a diabetic I don't drink beer or mead, I make it for others to enjoy. I do know you can freeze and remove the ice in order to concentrate the alcohol content.

[GhostHawk]

Yes you certainly can freeze to remove water and concentrate alcohol and sugars.

I personally think it is safer than a still, as it is near impossible to smell, and up here in North Dakota there are dang few folks walking around outside "sniffing" for illicit alcohol.

Just bottle to the shoulder in 2 liter pop bottles and let it age while your waiting for cold weather.

Wild Plum "Freeze Brandy" Yum.

[trapper9260]

I will not say much on this but if there is a will there is a way and how you do it is up to you and how strong you make it.on all that have been stated.

[Col4570]

Marrow Rum,Take one large Marrow (Zuchini),Cut of the top to make a lid,hollow out the centre of seeds and membrane but leave the flesh on the walls,Hang it up and fill with soft brown sugar,poke a small hole in the side at the bottom and insert a loose piece of stick (wood).As the flesh starts to dissolve due to fermentation the resulting liquid will drip off the stick into a container.

[WRideout]

I have been brewing since about 1999. Have made all sorts including various ales, IPA, stout, and lager. The lager needs to be fermented cold; if you visit a commercial brewery in the US they ferment in huge tanks inside refrigerated warehouses. I once made a dark lager that I got carried away with. Kept adding a little more of this and that dry malt. When I got done it was rather potent. A friend had some, and said he couldn't imagine drinking three in a row.

Alcohol content in any fermented beverage is dependent on the amount of sugar or malt added. I made some wine once that was up around 18% and it would try to crawl out of the bottle when it was uncorked.

Wayne

[MaryB]

Worst alcohol content was an ale I made with a friend(we shared brewing equipment to cut the cost). Stuff was 13% and potent. 3 was it for me. Now I really want to get back into brewing. I moved for a job and sold my share of stuff to him so have to start over on some of it. I can and have a turkey burner so have a big enough stainless pot to use as a boiler. I would go the keg route, stays fresher and I know a fried would get a growler or two a day from me to use it fast enough(my limit is 2 beers a day on the meds I take).

[nhrifle]

My best batch I called Chocolate Covered Cherry Ale. So smooth and silky on the tongue, and oh so easy. Just a basic mildly-hopped pale ale, with the addition of two cups of baking chocolate powder and two cans of cherry pie filling. The chocolate is added during the boil and the pie filling is put into the initial fermenter. Keep it out of the sun and let it be for atleast a month. Rack into the secondary for a couple months. Bottle, keep in a cool (not cold) place for 4 to 6 months, and refrigerate for a day before serving.

[Duckiller]

I believe you are allowed to distill a small quantity of spirits for personal consumption. At least you used to be able to do so. May want to check with ATF. If you are not running a major shine operation why get in trouble with the feds?

[Denver]

[QUOTE=Duckiller;2830254]I believe you are allowed to distill a small quantity of spirits for personal consumption. At least you used to be able to do so. May want to check with ATF. If you are not running a major shine operation why get in trouble with the feds?[/QUOTE

A popular belief and wishful thinking, but 100% wrong.

[dragonrider]

Denver is exactly right. Because your uncle levies a tax upon ever drop of alcohol that is distilled, and he wants his tax, just ask the bootleggers. Funny story, years ago I was wandering around a state fair and came upon a fellow selling corn burning stoves, these stoves where just stating to get used around here and he had a good crowd around him and his stove that was operating with corn. As a sales pitch he said that you get 20% more heat than with pellets or wood stove because of the alcohol that was naturally occurring in corn. I could not let that pass so I said that he was wrong and that alcohol was a product of fermentation. He insisted he was right, so I said if there was alcohol in corn the ATF would have a tax stamp on every kernel in the county. He was unhappy but most of the crowd realized he was wrong. Still the stove was quite impressive.

I have not brewed for about a year, gotta change that real soon. Some years a go a friend brewed some mead made only from Honey, 17 pounds of it added to enough water to make five gallons. Boil for thirty of forty minutes while skimming all the junk that come out of the honey, bee parts etc. Cool and pitch with champagne yeast, attach vacuum lock and let ferment for 1 year. Rack and bottle as you normally would, it was absolutely awesome. You don't drink it like beer it's more like sipping whiskey. I have been meaning to make some ever since but haven't got to it yet. I use to make a rye beer that was very good, perhaps I'll make that again soon.

[Moonie]

Denver is exactly right. Because your uncle levies a tax upon ever drop of alcohol that is distilled, and he wants his tax, just ask the bootleggers. Funny story, years ago I was wandering around a state fair and came upon a fellow selling corn burning stoves, these stoves where just stating to get used around here and he had a good crowd around him and his stove that was operating with corn. As a sales pitch he said that you get 20% more heat than with pellets or wood stove because of the alcohol that was naturally occurring in corn. I could not let that pass so I said that he was wrong and that alcohol was a product of fermentation. He insisted he was right, so I said if there was alcohol in corn the ATF would have a tax stamp on every kernel in the county. He was unhappy but most of the crowd realized he was wrong. Still the stove was quite impressive.

I have not brewed for about a year, gotta change that real soon. Some years a go a friend brewed some mead made only from Honey, 17 pounds of it added to enough water to make five gallons. Boil for thirty of forty minutes while skimming all the junk that come out of the honey, bee parts etc. Cool and pitch with champagne yeast, attach vacuum lock and let ferment for 1 year. Rack and bottle as you normally would, it was absolutely awesome. You don't drink it like beer it's more like sipping whiskey. I have been meaning to make some ever since but haven't got to it yet. I use to make a rye beer that was very good, perhaps I'll make that again soon.

Might head over to www.gotmead.com and check out the newbee guide. Boiling the must is no longer recommended as it destroys the flavor of the honey. Lots of great information over there for the novice and pro alike.

[2wheelDuke]

I just ran a Munton's extract kit yesterday. I've got a bucket of Pilsner bubbling away here. My first run was sort of a hybrid kit, it had grains to steep and a can of liquid malt extract. I have one more kit that's a liquid malt extract to use up, then I'm thinking I might want to run pure grain for my next batch.

[dragonrider]

Thanks I will check that out.

[reloader28]

Sunday I bottled just over 2 cases of my house brew.
Yesterday I started 6 gallons of blackberry wine. My second batch. If anyone likes blackberries, I highly recommend this one. It is EXCELLENT.

[facetious]

You can buy stills online... probably land you on a government list somewhere though. A pressure cooker that has a built in thermometer will do in a pinch...(don't ask how I know this).

When I was a kid growing up in MN every spring the church would ship off all the kids thy could to good old camp Christmas Tree for a long weekend of fun, games. Well this one kid shows up with at least six 1/2 pints of his home made hooch. He made it in a pressure cooker and some copper tubing cooking it over a fire back in the woods some place. He said that he started with a jug of cider that he fermented and then ran it trough the pressure cooker still. So that night while the older kids were sneeking off to smoke and grope a few of us went for a little walk in the woods to give this a try. I don't recall the quality of it at 12 or 13 I hadn't spent much time in the "spirit world" but it wasn't to bad. Had about half a bottle and it did seam to make the fun and games more fun.

[vtwhelen]

I brewed beer pro for 8 years. Miss it alot collecting stainless to make a sweet home brewery. Home brewing is almost like casting you can go real hi tech pro or go minimal and still get good results.

[WRideout]

One of my favorites, although I haven't made it in years, is the Ucleduckfay Oatmeal Stout, from Charly Papazian's book. Smooth, very slightly sweet, with just enough bite so you know it's a stout. I'm trying to get my cholesterol down, you know (therefore the oatmeal).

Wayne

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah home brewing you can do. Home distilling you can't without the proper permits, paperwork, permission, pat on the head, handshake with fingers crossed, and more meddling by uncle. For more information on Home distilling and free links to information you can visit http://www.hillbillystills.com/ I have seen one of their stills in action (used legally by somebody else) and they do make impressive products.

For beer or ale I prefer dark brews over anything watered down (Monty Python - "American beer is like making love in a canoe!") I do enjoy a good mead, but I haven't had any in years.

GoodOlBoy

[762 shooter]

You can home distill in New Zealand, methinks. But owning a handgun is extremely verboten.

I'll take the handguns and 13% home brew thank you very much.

I have made a very dangerous concoction known as Skeeter Pee. Quite nice, but be wary if the beverage is cold and the day is hot.

http://skeeterpee.com

762

[EMC45]

I have 2 gallons of apple juice fermenting right now. I go simple......A gallon of apple juice, 1 packet of Fleichman's, 2 cups sugar. Let it alone for 14 days, rack it, let it sit for a couple more days then rack it again. Fridge it and you're ready to taste. It does not discriminate though and you must be careful. The ABV is enough to burn your nose if you sniff it hard enough. A 16 oz. Tervis tumbler is plenty for me.

[FrankG]

I use the 'brew in a bag' method and a 15 gal stock pot for homebrew. It was easier and less involved for me than the traditional mash tun method and it has been working great .

Just need a heavy hook above to pass a rope over to hoist the mashed grains out of kettle .

I have come up with several good ales . My favorite everyday beer is a pale 5% .

Made a Irish Stout 8.6% for St. Patricks day , smooth with chocolate and coffee overtones :)

Had to make my own electric grain mill to be grinding 12-15 # of grain at a time is a workout with a hand cranked job !

I need to get a 12 gallon batch of pale going soon :)

[woodsxdragon]

I made wine/mead/cider for a few years. some good some bad some really terrible. Tried beer brewing. Didn't like the results. think i'llstick with wine and the like. Moved to an apartment two years ago and finally got a house last summer. I finally got my wine cellar setup and at some point in the move lost some pieces to my fermenting equipment. Everything should be here in a week that i reordered. I'm pretty excited since my property has berries, concord grapes, cherries, and pears. well should. winter was rough.

[reloader28]

Woodsxdragon, did you try a kit brew or with grains?

I did several Mr. Beer kits when I started and wasnt happy, but now I have the Clone Brews book and aint made a bad batch since. I've tweeked the Grolshe clone and now its one of the best beers I've EVER drank. Its my light home brew.
I started doing partial grain and moved to all grain, but this book makes it extremely easy to understand for anyone wanting to try brewing.

[MaryB]

Mr. Beer kits... ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww might as well drink Buckhorn or...

[reloader28]

The wife went to the store yesterday and they had pears on sale.
She decided she wanted some pear wine and picked up enough for a 5 gallon batch.:bigsmyl2:

[Bulldogger]

reloader28, please share the recipe if you don't mind. I've been meaning to make Perry and wonder the best way. My first and only home wine making attempt, with my own grapes, wasn't great, so I've shied away since.
Bulldogger

[woodsxdragon]

Finally got my frozen apple juice going. Only made a 1/2 gal just to test. Its in the secondary. I did start a gallon of blueberry/raspberry. It smells wonderful and right now tastes like fresh berries
I'm hoping to make it semisweet around 13% at the end. Starting s.g was good.

[woodsxdragon]

I tried with Mr beer and with a... What's the word? Partial grain? The biggest problems I had with beer were probably my fault. Time management and spoilage. I did make a gallon of a "Killian's" ripoff that I brewed in time.for a party. It went well. I've had better luck making cider so that's what I used all my beer bottles for. My favorite thing is wine. Specifically fruit stuff. There's a lot of orchards near me so I have access to fresh fruit.

[Moonman]

Knew a BOOTLEGGER once, said he got a load of cheap bananas
from a train wreck.

Claimed it was the worse stuff he ever made, was just awful he claimed.

[AlaskanGuy]

Cheers.... Some of my beautiful wife's home made "booza"..... :D it is home made wine with a bit too much sugar added... So we call it Booza...

111069

Sorry about the duplicate pics... Darn pic posting anyway.

[reloader28]

Alaskan, that looks tasty.

Bulldogger
One of my recipes for 1 gallon pear wine....
3 1/2 quarts or so of water
2 lbs sugar or 2lbs honey
4lbs ripe pears
1 campden tablet (crushed)
Chunk the pears into a fermenter and crush them with the campden tablet. Pour in the water and sugar mixture. (you should boil the water but then youll have to wait til it gets back down to about 70*) then add
Add 1tsp yeast nutrient and
1/4tsp tannin
Cover and air lock for 12 hours then add
1/2tsp pectic enzyme
This one dont say when, but according to other recipes, you wait a few hours, then add a packet of champaine yeast.
Stir daily for a week.
Rack to a secondary and again whenever you get 1/4" or so of lees and top off with water.
When its done, you can stabilize and sweeten if you want.
Best served chilled

If you want Perry, like hard apple cider...
use only 3/4 - 1lb of sugar or honey
It will take less time to ferment and clear and will have less alcohol. Bottle when done and try in 2 months.
If you want it sparkling, add 1 1/2tblsp of sugar/gal when bottling.
DO NOT USE REGULAR WINE BOTTLES FOR THE SPARKLING because it is carbonated.


Thats as simple as I can make it, though I havent tried this one yet.
After butchering 2 dozen chickens today, its 100* and I've had a couple home brews and 2 or 3 glasses of home made Concord grape wine. MMMMMMM. Any questions, just let me know.
:drinks:

[woodsxdragon]

111255
so that was my original setup back when I lived with mom and dad. Thats been about 3 years ago. Lots of fun.
111257
This is what I have now. Eventually I'll mount a shelf along the wall but right now i'm just laying the wood there.

[Bulldogger]

reloader28, my next door neighbor just complained yesterday about their old pear tree that puts out bushels of little dollar sized pears that are kinds plain on taste. My reading about cider making says the mellow flavor fruits make better wine/cider because they aren't sickly sweet, and you can add sugar to adjust...
I also like that your recipe doesn't involve pressing the fruit, just smooshing and fermenting.
I guess I'm making pear wine/cider this week, free pears free, recipe, why not!

Bulldogger

[AlaskanGuy]

Well, get right on it hen Bulldog... And post pics of your progress... :)

[woodsxdragon]

Well this is my first all grain batch. Looks like quite a few places sell one gallon kits now. It's a "Belgium monk's ale" kit. Should be bottling it this coming week.
114649
My rasberry/blueberry is looking good. needs some time to develop for sure. think i may have ended up a little higher % than i wanted.
the other one is a apple-lemon one. Its gonna be a great party drink once it ages a little.
114650

[MaryB]

Just checked Northern brewer, 1 gallon setups are CHEAP and for me with my back problems perfect for easier brewing. I know what I am buying in October...

[ol skool]

Netted the vineyard last weekend from the birds. Cab, Sav Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Petite Syrah, Chardonay and a little Zin. ~50 gallons, well below mother gov't 200 gallon limit. Make blackberry if SWMBO has some she doesn't need and elderberry or elderberry/blackberry port if we get any RIPE elderberry after the birds have their share. Elderberry out here isn't really good enough for wine until it's been frosted once or twice then the berries dehydrate and sugars ramp up and the tannins are altered to long chain.

Have a recipe for green tomato wine that is, well, kind of tasty and well worth doing if anyone is interested. We put plastic over the tomatoes and peppers to save them from the first couple of frosts, then I get the green tomatoes when the days are to cold and short to ripen mater's anymore. Usually make ~10 gallons. Had a glass of last years vintage with dinner tonight.

I'm having a bad time with bald faced hornets this year. Anyone else?

[woodsxdragon]

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/Beer/One-Gallon-sm-All-Grain-Recipe-Kits/
http://craftabrew.com/collections/recipes
http://www.brooklyn-homebrew.com/beer-ingredient-kits-1-gallon-recipe-kits
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/all-grain-brewing/micro-bru-small-scale-brewing.html
http://www.love2brew.com/category-s/413.htm
http://www.homebrewexchange.net/catalog/pico-one-gallon-ingredient-kits
http://www.maltosecart.com/1-gallon-beer-recipe-kits/

I don't know when it started but i do know none of it was available like 4 years ago. I was super excited because everything i hae setup is basically for one gallon wine (jugs/fermentor/etc). I've got the stuff for 5-6 gallon batches but i never really needed that much beer. some of those kits are super cheap.


ol skool, not much of a problem with hornets for me up here. mainly had a problem with the weather last winter. nothing produced except my raspberries and blueberries. Pear tree had about 40 pears, cherry trees had 2 or 3 cherries. It was very sad.The local orchards/wineries got hit hard too. Troutman vineyards (makes a great farmers red) lost about 30% of their European grapes. Orchard near me had like a 10% yield of peaches. It was rough. The little concord grape vines I found didn't appreciate my pruning this year. Hopefully next year goes better for us.
As far as veggie wine... I made some killer jalapeno wine that i used for cooking and marinading.

[reloader28]

I just got 30 gallons of chokecherry wine into the carboys. Hopefully it turns out as good as last years.
A friend really likes the homebrew and wanted to help out a couple days ago so we made 5 gallons of beer.
I'll bottle it this weekend.

[Moonie]

I've never used a kit, I've always used recipes I've found online. I've done 1 gallon batches of mead but never beer. I do like my 3 gallon better bottles as I don't really have the room for my big 5 gallon in the house and it is never the right temp in my storage building/man cave for fermenting.

[AlaskanGuy]

We have 10 gallons of Nangoon berry wine cooking now... Never ever had as many nangoons as we we did this year, usually only get enough to make a couple of pints of jelly, and folks around here guard their Nangoon berry patches locations like Ft. Knox guards it gold.... But this year was un-precidented... Never dreamed we would get enough of the small berries for wine, but we picked gallons of them, and got 30 pints of concentrated juice.

But I will have to wait a while before it is done, and I will be gone to SE Alaska when it is ready... :(

When making wine, we dont over think stuff and just keep it simple.... Throw the juice of whatever we wanna make into a five gallon bucket, add the sugar, fill the bucket with water nearly to the top, sprinkle the yeast, and seal the bucket... That is all there is to it really. And 5 gallon buckets are cheap...

114830

AG

[44man]

Years ago at work, a friend found a Starbucks coffee grinder next to the dumpster. He took it in the tool room and stripped it to the motor, grinder and hopper. Found a bad micro switch in the cabinet. We wired it to a switch. I brought it home, cleaned the coffee oils out and adjusted it to grind grain. Takes no time at all to grind a batch. I get some flour and it grinds so fast I hold the shop vac near the top of a bucket.
I use a large, tall square Coleman cooler to mash, replaced the push button spigot with turn hande, lined the bottom with slotted copper tubing to sparge. Never get stuck with it. Found need to heat water 15* over the temp wanted.
I go up the road for spring water, my well water will not convert fast.
Had spoiled beer a few times until I found not to rinse B Brite with well water, just drain it.
I use pop kegs for the beer. Have a big CO-2 bottle if needed.
Fruit here is sad. Only once got enough wild black raspberries for wine but it was the best.
Lost most of my fruit trees to brown mold. Have a skimpy apple but leave for deer. Too lazy to gather mulberries. Makes great wine and pie.
Make other stuff too but need to not say!

[reloader28]

I got the last of the rhubarb in before everything froze and died outside.
That should give me enough for 5 gallons of rhubarb wine. YUMMMMM.

[WRideout]

Lately I am finding that single-fruit wine is not usually as good as a blend. Also, it lets me use up drips and drops of small wine batches. My most recent success with blending is from wild grape, mulberry, blackberry, black cherry, and "citrus punch". Everything but the citrus is from wild sources. It helps to run trial batches of various blend proportions. I got a 100 ml graduated cylinder from my kids for Xmas (remember Chemistry class from high school?) and use that to determine the percent of each in my test glass.

Wayne

[44man]

Paw paws are getting ripe now but I will never try wine with it again. Stuff boiled over out of the air lock all over the basement floor and can't be cleaned up easy. Need to scrape it up, sticky and slimy, thick stuff. Did not taste that good either.
Drinking the last of my all grain IPA right now.
25# of sugar and 10 gal of water is good for 4 gal of 100 proof if interested. They are trying to get small batches legal with a petition going on. Gov't doesn't care what you drink as long as you pay but taxes are paid on ingredients, then again on the product. Double taxation.
If they had their way they would tax a burger after you buy meat and cook it. Course, they do when you buy a burger.
They can stick a finger where the sun don't shine.

[w0fms]

Hmm.. never saw this thread before. I have 3 gallons of Mead going, 2 of cider and I did my first extract beer yesterday. Fun stuff.

[xacex]

Been making beer, and wine for many years. Ran a homebrew store for a while, and was ast. brewer at a large brewery in California for a couple of years. That is when it became no longer "fun." I have a computerized H.E.R.M.S. system in the garage that gets used a few times a year. I have a few "house" beers I make 20 gallons of at a time. The last batch I made was 15 gallons of a hard lemon-aid/wine. It is called "skeeter Pee" goes down good at 12%ABV. I keg and carbonate it for a nice tickle. I don't know how much all the equipment I have is worth, but it has certainly paid for itself over the years doing all grain beers. Anyone in my area is welcome to come by and brew a batch on this system here. Bring your own ingredients, and have at it. I can give even the most novice brewers an easy start, and get you going in the right direction. A couple of beers to drink while brewing is mandatory.

[ol skool]

I got the last of the rhubarb in before everything froze and died outside.
That should give me enough for 5 gallons of rhubarb wine. YUMMMMM.

Kudos to you! Rhubarb makes fine wine.

Put up the Pinot Noir for MLF this weekend and crushed and pressed 100 lbs. of Pinot Gris. Next weekend the Chardonnay and maybe the Sav Blanc will go if it doesn't rain too much. Isn't this fun!

I make plenty of bad wine too! When I do I pour it out. While it glugs out of the carboy into the compost pile I wonder why a free man (or woman) that can make 200 gallons of legal wine or beer a year can't distill a drop of this waste stuff to make at least something useful from it?

Steve
Oregon

[MaryB]

I just got 2 5 gallon glass carboys for free. Need some serious cleaning though. Thinking an acid bath first then lots of soap and water.

[ol skool]

You can pick up a carboy brush at your LHB store. It's just a real big bottle brush. Bend it to fit the bottom and curve at the shoulder of the jug.

Most folks around here use ammonia or bleach to clean em up. That with a brush will get the mud and algae out of old carboys. Gotta rinse till there's no smell left otherwise it could mess up your wine or beer. Detergent is too hard to get completely out of the jug to bother with...

Wine is way easier to make than beer, but it needs to age a bit to be any good.

[1911cherry]

You can put some small pebbles in the carboy and roll it back and forth be good as new in a few minutes, I use vinegar for cleaning the insides too, then just sanitize as normal.

[downzero]

I do brew in a bag homebrewing. Never made wine because I don't like wine. Same goes for liquor and it being illegal and all. I like beer better anyway. I have a freezer in the garage with a homemade temperature controller made from an aquarium temp controller. It keeps the beer at whatever temperature I want from 0-70 degrees. I have only made ales so far. My favorite is an American Pale Ale with citra. I have also made fruit beer, wheat beer, dunkelweisen, imperial stout, porter, etc. Once you learn to brew, you can make any beer.

[WRideout]

One of my favorite drinks this summer was ginger beer. The recipe is from an old book I found that was published in England. Apparently over there, the authorities are hot on people who make ginger beer over the legal alcohol limit, something like two or three percent. It's about the cheapest beverage you can make; a two gal batch uses two ounces of ginger root, three lemons, and two pounds of sugar. It normally takes about a week or so to finish, and can be bottled right away. I used to use empty pop bottles, but lost a few due to bad seal on the cap. Now I just bottle it in beer bottles with metal caps.
Wayne