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jim4065
11-04-2009, 06:49 PM
I need another hobby - something wholesome! So what about home brew? Anybody here have experience? My inclination is to buy good equipment to start with, rather than replace all the stuff in a "Basic starter kit" within a year. The theory is that you can sometimes get back most of your money with good equipment, whereas cheap stuff is usually trashed. We have an outlet in N L Rock, but I don't know anything about them. :roll:

lunicy
11-04-2009, 07:42 PM
acctually, the cheap MR Beer kits are pretty good (and cheap). A good kit wont cost much either. The bigger "basic" kits are probably all you need, and as you progress, you add to them. The bigger kits brew 5 gallons of beer at a time.

dragonrider
11-04-2009, 09:09 PM
I have brewed a bunch in the past, don't drink beer anymore so don't brew anymore :mad:, The best way I found was to go to a "Brew on Premisis" business. They have all the equipment and ingredients, you brew 15 gallons at a time in their kettles, filter it, chill it, get it into a fermentation barrel, pitch the yeast, and they store it for two weeks, you then return to bottle it with their equipment, or you can keg it. They have many reciepes for virtualy every style of beer there it. Excellent beer and no muss or fuss, they do all the cleaning etc, that would keep the wife happy.

Doc_Stihl
11-04-2009, 10:47 PM
I've brewed many batches with the 5 gallon bucket starter kit. I've used most of the upgraded tools as well and the starter kits work just fine. Turkey pot/ww smelter works well. And I'd suggest doing your first batch in the garage if SWMBO doesn't enjoy the beauty of boiling wort (HOPS are aromatic).

I'll find the name of the kit and some good websites if you want more info, just PM me.

cheese1566
11-04-2009, 11:11 PM
:drinks:Good times! I would start with a basic kit from Williams Brewing or a comparable supply house. It is kinda like casting and reloading-you can do it cheap or expensive- all on how you want to spend money. In the long run-it will turn out the same. I used to make country wines and mead in plastic garbage cans!

Check with Williams Brewing for ingredient kits and the book, Joy of Homebrewing. Stick with the specialty brews. If you try making beer that tastes like Bud or Miller, you'll be dissappointed. The ingredient kits are prepackaged with specific instructions.
Keep an eye out for a glass carboy-those glass jars bottled water used to come in. Get at least a 6 gallon, 5 gallon at the very minimum. A 6 gallon bucket can be used for the first stage of fermentation. A glass carboy (so you can see what is going on is nice) or another bucket for secondary fermentation. It is amazing to see the vigorous action of fermentation and watching your wort come alive!

My tips:

Make sure all equipment is clean, clean, clean and sanitized!!! (Straight bleach by the gallon!!)
Watch the boiling wort- a boil over is a sure thing if you take your eyes away- a guaranteed sticky mess on the stove.
Preplan the brewing process from begining to end. This includes the boiling through bottling process which typically take about 30 days. There are different stages at different times to do specific things.
Don't buy bottles-EMPTY YOUR OWN!!!!:drinks:

Have fun and enjoy-it is not rocket science!!!

scrapcan
11-05-2009, 01:02 PM
I agree with Cheese1566 and Doc Stihl.

I was given a williams started kit (plastic 5 gallon bucket) and I have a few other upgraded tools but last weekend batch 39 went in to the original wiliams fermenter. batch 40 will go into a better plastic carboy style fermenter. Both work well.

If you need bottles go to a local mexican food place that sells beer. good mexican beer still comes in non twist top bottles. One batch I did went into twist tops because I didn't have enough crimp style bottles. It worked but I try not to make a habit of it. You can also use champgne bottles.

scrapcan
11-05-2009, 01:26 PM
Northern Brewer and williams are places to start if you want to mail order.

If I were you I would go to the local beer making supply and strike up a conversation. I will be willing to bet that they will be as free with the information as it is here at castboolits.

Also look up the american home brewerers association to see if there is a local chapter and go to a meeting. http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/

Teach a friend to brew day is November 7th. Go to the beer store and see what theya re doing for the occasion.

jim4065
11-05-2009, 10:08 PM
Got the basic equipment kit and a "German Style Light" ingredient kit. I can see where this could get interesting.

markshere2
11-05-2009, 10:26 PM
Get the basic kit and give it a whirl.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

these is good people with great recipe kits.

#2 son just cooked up his first batch - a very nice tasting stout.
It's in secondary fermentation now and we should bottle it this weekend.

pmeisel
11-05-2009, 10:28 PM
I used to, and enjoyed both the brewing and the beer. Don't anymore for space reasons... home brewing works best if you have a basement or cellar (cool place that you don't need) to store it while fermenting. Where I am now, there is no good place.

Glen
11-06-2009, 01:50 AM
I started brewing beer in 1982 and have brewed a lot of beer over the years. You should buy a copy of Charlie Papazian's "Complete Joy of Homebrewing" and read it. It's fun and it will answer all of your questions and have you brewing first-rate beer in no time at all.

muleequestrian
11-06-2009, 03:42 PM
I brew all my own beer. I like a dark stout similar to Murphy's Stout. Get a book called " Home Brewer's Companion " by Charlie Papazian, ISBN # 0 - 06 - 058473 - 4. This book explains EVERYTHING to get you started.

My wort is made of a combination of light and dark dry malt extract ( powdered sugar made from grain ). I add a brew sock of cracked / partially ground barley -- black patent, dark crystal, and two row. I use Cascades hops pellets and Irish moss in the wort at first, then Fuggles hops pellets in the last 15 minutes of the boil. The more sugars you use, the higher the alcohol content. The stouts I keep right around 5 - 7 % , and the lagers I go as high as 10 % content. All measured for specific gravity with a hygrometer.

GOOD STUFF !!!

jim4065
11-06-2009, 09:36 PM
Bought a copy of Joy of Homebrewing from Powell's in Orygun. That was last week and it's still not here. However, I mixed and boiled the first batch this morning. I'm having to let it ferment upstairs, whereas the boiling takes place in the kitchen downstairs. Got that heavy muther #$$%# up the stairs and on a high table, then tried to push the air lock through the grommet in the lid. The grommet pushed out and fell into the wort. Did it float? Get real! (Why me Lord?) So I lugged the bucket back downstairs to the kitchen to pour the wort through a strainer, re-installed the newly sanitized grommet, carried the freaking bucket back upstairs and (finally) got the airlock installed.

Went shooting with my brother - when I got back the airlock was bubbling merrily. Sometimes things work best when you just leave 'em alone.............. :drinks:

WRideout
11-06-2009, 10:12 PM
First post for me. I have been brewing for about nine years now. You can get started pretty cheap, with just a 5 gallon food-grade plastic bucket and a can of hopped malt extract. You need a couple of other things, of course but the initial outlay is cheap, if you don't want to get in over your head.

As any brewer will tell you, there are two kinds of beer; ale and lager. Ale uses a top-fermenting yeast that produces a lot of CO2. Bubbles keep the yeast on top where it is very active, and will produce finished beer in a week or so. Lager on the other hand is a bottom fermenting yeast that works at cold temperatures. Here in Western PA I make ale in the warm months, and save the lager for winter, when I ferment it in my unheated garage. It takes a couple of months for lager but is worth it. I once created a batch of dark lager that I got carried away with. My friends said that two was their limit.

If you want something similar to a commercial brew, with absolute repeatability, use the canned commercial malt that already has the hops in it. If you want something unique, you can experiment with all sorts of different recipes from books, or make up your own. I generally put some "aroma" hops in at the end of the boil, even when I use the canned malt.

have fun; you can be a kind of Mad Scientist.

jim4065
11-07-2009, 09:49 AM
Welcome to the forum WRideout. There are a bunch of extremely able casters here. (I'm just learning, still.) I think that most of the questions you may have about casting are answered here (someplace). You'll find a lot of friendly people and a few grouches.

Been wondering about making a lager out in the shed, but the temps still swing quite a bit. Will it harm the beer to go from (say) 40 to 65 on a night/day cycle? I can keep ale pretty constant in the house, but don't see how to control lager without a devoted refrigerator. :???:

Boondocker
11-07-2009, 09:45 PM
Dang it Jim now you got me curious on this brew making. I just cant look as the other half will clamp down on me. Iffin I do try I am blaming you lol.[smilie=w:

scrapcan
11-10-2009, 01:17 AM
One caution if you use a glass carboy. Make sure to cool the wort down before you put it in. The glass on a cold counter can cause bad things to happen when the boiling wort. Or that is what I am told by a coworker. I will bet it was pretty exciting when his better half got to see the mess.

jim4065
11-10-2009, 09:42 PM
Since I've taken up brewing, it's become a necessity that I empty as many beer bottles as possible, in anticipation of Bottling Day. (Why would any "Real American" buy empty bottles?) This has lead to a new appreciation of such esoterica as "Blonde", IPA, Irish Red, et al. I digress.

The gun room is upstairs; kitchen and bathrooms downstairs. Obviously I get way too much exercise, and being certifiably "over-the-hill" the knees went bad ages ago. This brings us to the crux of the problem. On a semi-hourly trek to the refrigerator - doing my duty - SWMBO distracted me sufficiently to lose concentration on the JOB AT HAND - so that when I sat sat down at my Power Desk, I discovered that the "Paradise Porter" was still capped. A quick 15 minute search failed to turn up an opener, so it's back down those god-awful stairs to correct the error. Happily, I survived, and the Porter is breathing beside me.

Solutions? Upstairs refrigerator? New wife? Hire a competent man Friday? As a stopgap, maybe put an old Coke opener on the wall........... :drinks:

pmeisel
11-10-2009, 11:05 PM
I always have a spare opener at my desk, workbench, etc....

WRideout
11-12-2009, 07:01 PM
Welcome to the forum WRideout. There are a bunch of extremely able casters here. (I'm just learning, still.) I think that most of the questions you may have about casting are answered here (someplace). You'll find a lot of friendly people and a few grouches.

Been wondering about making a lager out in the shed, but the temps still swing quite a bit. Will it harm the beer to go from (say) 40 to 65 on a night/day cycle? I can keep ale pretty constant in the house, but don't see how to control lager without a devoted refrigerator. :???:

Jim, I ferment my lager at temps between 28 deg and 35 deg, estimated, during the winter. It will still work at higher temps, but you may get a different character in the finished beer. Sometimes lager yeast at high temps (above 5o deg) can cause off flavors (so I'm told). It does take a couple of months to finish, when it is fermented that cold.

RayinNH
11-12-2009, 08:48 PM
Jim do like they do in the old westerns, just snap the neck off of the bottle...Ray

jim4065
11-12-2009, 10:20 PM
Jim do like they do in the old westerns, just snap the neck off of the bottle...Ray

Yea - but there goes the bottle! :drinks:

jim4065
11-12-2009, 10:27 PM
.......... but you may get a different character in the finished beer.

Not sure I'd like that. The only character who gets in my beer now is my brother - and he's got a key to the shed. :cry:

aaalaska
11-13-2009, 01:40 AM
All those years of experience an you don't have an opener on your key chain?
Alex

oldhickory
11-13-2009, 04:00 PM
I did it for a while in the 90s with a pretty basic plastic bucket kit. Trouble was I was never satisfied with the brew kits and was doing it from scratch making some very "rich" ales and stoudts that cost more than if I would have bought them by the case. It was fun though, we had a loose club that met at the home brew store last Sat. evening of the month to sample each others product, eat, and exchange ideas and recipes. It was a nice gathering, like a bunch of boolit casters getting together.

grages
11-13-2009, 04:04 PM
Here is a great online book called "How To Brew"

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

You can buy a print copy also which may have just a little more updated info, recipes etc. But this is all you really need. It is in my collection of brewing books.

Shawn

grages
11-13-2009, 04:11 PM
Here is a starter Kit from a surprising source

Costco (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11300955&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|3605|79163&N=4040915&Mo=5&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=79163&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=)

It doesn't look to bad, wish the pot was a little bigger, and it doesn't come with bottle caps or a capper.

Might be better to go with one from Midwest or one of the other brewing supply houses.

Shawn

toddrod
11-13-2009, 04:53 PM
I have the full setup, including a chest freezer with 8 - 5gal kegs. Love it. My recommendation if you are just just getting started is to visit homebrewtalk.com. This site is to homebrewing as this site is too casting.

waksupi
11-13-2009, 10:44 PM
I brewed for a few years, along with making Saki, wines, and "other" spirits. Don't really know why I quit.
We have lots of micro brewerys in this area. Best, because of fringe benefits, was Lang Creek. The owners were bluegrass pickers, and we would get together once a month in town at their outlet and play music, and also at the brewery itself a couple times. A most convenient place for jam sessions!

jim4065
12-03-2009, 08:53 PM
Holy Cow!

I poured my first bottle of homebrew today. True Brew "German Style Light" and I'm impressed. It's clear as the truth, very well carbonated and quite tasty. Not a gusher, but 15 minutes after pouring it's still bubbling like a Judy Doll.

I think I'm gonna like this! :drinks:

scrapcan
12-04-2009, 12:31 PM
Yep now you are hooked. I hate botling and I suspect many others do also. I would brew alot more if I could get over my distaste for cleaning and sanitizing bottles. Now having the kegging equipment mentioned above I would end up drinking way too much home brew.

coyotebait
12-04-2009, 02:21 PM
Jim
I can see a dedicated fridge and a PID controler for lagering in your future. I brewed for fifteen years and enjoyed it a lot until our liquor stores finally carried good micro brew. I gave away my equipment to a new brewer and asked that he do the same, pay it foreward if you please. Have fun.
coyotebait

jrgift
12-20-2009, 07:37 PM
I have been using brew kits and supplies from EC Kraus in Kansas also wine making supplies. Get a catalog

PepperBuddha
01-09-2010, 09:30 AM
http://www.mrbeerfans.com

hicard
01-09-2010, 07:26 PM
Stay away from plastic fermenting equipment, if possible and try to find a local home brew shop that can assist you with good kits and advice.

10 ga
01-10-2010, 11:21 PM
Air locks, chlorine buckets like chlorine for the pool comes in,siphon hose, caps, capper, bottles, malt, hops, yeast, water, big stock pot to cook the wort. It's pretty cheap and simple. Don't make it any more complicated than it is. Easy to get stuff and cheap. Quality of materials does not relate to quality of beer, that comes from the sanitation, water, malt and hops. Much like boolit casting you can spend a lot or a little on equipment, but it's the skill of the caster that determines the quality of the product. Former home brewer and about to become active home brewer as I'm retired and have more time than $. 10 ga

TDB9901
01-26-2010, 12:36 PM
Got a starter kit for Christmas, hoping to give it a try soon!!!

jlchucker
01-26-2010, 01:36 PM
You guys don't need all of that Yuppie stuff you've been talking about. Back in the day, in my home town, an old farmer/lumberjack used to come into the local store about once a week, buy a can of Blue Ribbon Malt syrup, a 5 pound bag of sugar, and one yeast cake. Everybody in the store knew what he was up to. He fermented his beer in a big open-topped crock with a cheesecloth over the top, bottled it when looking in with a flashlight showed him that the tiny bubbles were now rising slowly, waited for the sediment in his bottles to clear, then started drinking. I don't think this guy ever bought store-bought beer, but when the occasion called for wine, his favorite was Old Duke! He shot big deer every year with his 38-55 (a levergun but I don't recall if it was a Winnie or Marlin) and eventually died at a ripe old age when a tree fell on him. I doubt if this guy would ever go buy a beer kit if he were alive today.

TDB9901
01-28-2010, 11:33 AM
I don't think they make many like that any more!!!

scrapcan
01-28-2010, 11:53 AM
My first intro to homebrew was what jlchucker mentioned. Only a couple differences as it had potato chunks fermented with the sugar, hone, and blue ribbon malt. It was bottled with a raisin in each bottle. Not bad, but you can do far better.

and there is a third kind of beer besides the ale and lagers, and that would be gluten free using sorghum or tapioca malt. It is not bad, but many celiacs can get away with regular beer as long as it isn't a hig proportion of wheat. But that is an aside for those who may miss their beer due to special diets.

jlchucker
01-28-2010, 05:50 PM
My first intro to homebrew was what jlchucker mentioned. Only a couple differences as it had potato chunks fermented with the sugar, hone, and blue ribbon malt. It was bottled with a raisin in each bottle. Not bad, but you can do far better.

and there is a third kind of beer besides the ale and lagers, and that would be gluten free using sorghum or tapioca malt. It is not bad, but many celiacs can get away with regular beer as long as it isn't a hig proportion of wheat. But that is an aside for those who may miss their beer due to special diets.

You could add in a few more raisins for that extra little kick. That's what Gordy used to do. Sometimes he bought pale malt, other times dark. I was way too young to drink when all of this was going on.

AZ-Stew
02-01-2010, 09:16 PM
Since I've taken up brewing, it's become a necessity that I empty as many beer bottles as possible, in anticipation of Bottling Day. This has lead to a new appreciation of such esoterica as "Blonde", IPA, Irish Red, et al. I digress.

Ah, the joys of becoming "educated" with respect to beer styles! Stick with it and you may attain the title of "beer snob", a worthy ambition!


The gun room is upstairs; kitchen and bathrooms downstairs. Obviously I get way too much exercise, and being certifiably "over-the-hill" the knees went bad ages ago. This brings us to the crux of the problem. On a semi-hourly trek to the refrigerator - doing my duty - SWMBO distracted me sufficiently to lose concentration on the JOB AT HAND - so that when I sat sat down at my Power Desk, I discovered that the "Paradise Porter" was still capped. A quick 15 minute search failed to turn up an opener, so it's back down those god-awful stairs to correct the error. Happily, I survived, and the Porter is breathing beside me. Solutions? Upstairs refrigerator? New wife? Hire a competent man Friday? As a stopgap, maybe put an old Coke opener on the wall........... :drinks:

I feel your knee pain. This is why they make Swiss Army knives. Always an opener at hand (or in pocket).

If I were you, I'd stay away from the 5 gal plastic bottled water jugs. They're harder to clean than glass carboys, and if scratched inside, they may hold contaminants that will spoil the flavor of your beer.

I've been away from brewing for a number of years, but I intend to do it again. The last batch I made had so much alcohol that it killed the yeast. No yeast, no second fermentation = flat beer. I should have stoked it with champaign yeast to get it going again, but never got around to it.

Regards,

Stew

PepperBuddha
02-01-2010, 09:18 PM
http://bbdart.com/garden/TwoTADs.jpg

PepperBuddha
02-01-2010, 09:19 PM
http://bbdart.com/garden/beer/2009Hops1.jpg

Dick Dastardly
02-01-2010, 09:22 PM
It's about the beer, the fun of brewin' it and the enjoyment of drinkin' it in the good company of yer own choosing.

So, go ahead, brew up a simple brew, follow the directions and invite someone that matters to share the "opening" of your first bottle.

Later on, you will learn to brew more complicated brews, but always remember, it's about the beer. That and the good company you invite to share it. Beer was the original reason that bread was invented. Beer first!

DD-DLoS

jim4065
02-01-2010, 10:18 PM
Hey Pepper Buddha! I'm just starting with one of those Tap-A-Draft's and Iv'e already got problems with it. The Hefe was "pre-carbonated" with Honey, but the Tap-A-Draft can manage (at best) a weak stream - coupled to two cylinders. Are they always that way?

Dick Dastardly - glad to hear you're on the side of the Angels. All my wife's relatives are in the "Alcohol is Evil" crowd - kinda makes for strained get-togethers. [smilie=w:

PepperBuddha
02-01-2010, 10:28 PM
My TAD's flow fine. I usually start with 1 cartridge on the right. When it slows I add one to the left. When it slows again I change the one on the right. You need to throttle it properly to control head. Full open is little to no head.

TCLouis
02-01-2010, 10:41 PM
The trouble with drinking a good home brewed beer is that it lets one know what great beer should taste like. I had a friend that could brew some fine drinking material and he actually made foam insulated temperature controlled brewing system. Tried for something like plus or minus 2 degrees during the brewing.

Store bought pales in comparison.

jim4065
02-02-2010, 01:09 PM
"Store bought pales in comparison."

Amen to that. :drinks:

AZ-Stew
02-02-2010, 08:33 PM
Store bought pales in comparison.

Not necessarily. Sure, Miller, Bud, Coors, et. al., of the "Cheap Yellow Beer" variety pale by comparison, but there are HUNDREDS of specialty beers on the market (if you have access to a good store) that are very much up to the caliber of home brew. Some are imports, others started as home brew, became micro brew and finally went prime time with regional, if not national, distribution. The problem is trying to find all the good ones. I keep working at it, but I don't foresee a complete list of suitable brews for some time to come. This work is hell.

Regards,

Stew

3006guns
02-05-2010, 09:55 AM
I tried making some home brew many years ago. No real info, help or supplies available at that time, so I removed the ten gallon plastic water tank from my camper, added Blue Ribbon extract, sugar, baker's yeast and water topped off with a home made fermentation lock. Let it sit until the bubbling stopped and siphoned some off into a glass. Tasted like sour apple juice with very little head. My wife came home from the store later and found me laying on the floor, giggling and speaking in tongues.............

Although I'd done EVERYTHING wrong when it comes to home brew, I did produce a beverage with a considerable alcohol content.

I'm older, wiser and have access to decent info and ingredients these days so I might just have to try it again!

jim4065
02-05-2010, 11:25 AM
I've made about a dozen 5 gallon batches so far, wit generally "good" results. It's certainly made me more aware of the endless possibilities in beer and increased my appreciation of "hoppy" beers. As far as it goes, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is maybe my favorite commercial beer (of those available in this very limited market area). Six months ago I would have said Miller "Chill". It's so easy to get better beer - IF - you're willing to pay the price. SNPA is $10 a six-pack here. :groner:

As toddrod said: www.homebrewtalk.com is a very strong resource; as is the BeerSmith software. Now that SWMBO has thrown me out of the kitchen (one too many boil-overs) I'm getting rigged up to go all electric in addition to all-grain. The depth of complexity in the hobby is much more than I would have thought. :drinks:

scrapcan
02-05-2010, 12:04 PM
wicked,

you need to get hop rhizomes. A good source for those is Northern Brewer.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-ingredients/hops/hop-rhizomes/

The trouble is you then have to decide which variety you want. Also you want to be careful where you plant as some varieties are very hardy and will grow well (take that to mean they will take over).

TDB9901
02-05-2010, 03:12 PM
You might also check "MoreBeer" at their web site MoreBeer.com They offer rhizomes in the spring, and if you sign up for their newsletter they will notify you of what is available around March.

They seem to have a rather comprehensive catalog of equipment and kits. That's where my son got my starter kit. I've been studying rather extensively, but have yet to fire up the burner and get my feet wet.

Williams Brewing also have an extensive catalog, and web site.

TDB9901
02-05-2010, 03:24 PM
Hey, FWIW I just went to the MoreBeer website, and they are currently running a rhizome "pre-sale".

44man
03-13-2010, 10:51 AM
Been brewing for many, many years. I use all grain, no syrups. Put 100 bottles of beer on a table with one syrup beer and I will find it. Good but they all have a certain flavor.
I have a commercial coffee grinder I cleaned and adjusted to grind grain, (Starbucks tossed it with a bad switch.) takes only minutes to do a batch. I grow hops too.
I use pop kegs and a CO2 bottle, bottles are a pain.
Bought a wort cooler long ago and would not be without it. Bioman makes super beer too and borrows my cooler.
I add oxygen for fermentation with an oxygen tank from my welding set. Starts yeast FAST.
I have a spring close by with great water, can't use my well water because of high lime content that slows conversion.
I would love to have a setup to do everything. I have to convert on the kitchen stove and table, do all else in the basement and boil in the garage at the open door. Moving buckets up and down is a pain.
I boil in stainless beer kegs with the tops cut out on a turkey fryer propane stove.

TDB9901
03-14-2010, 03:03 PM
Sounds like fun I'd like to try it from scratch someday, but where do you get the malted grain?

Don't know where you are located, but getting it shipped in could be a big expensive hassle here.

George_J
03-14-2010, 04:29 PM
My first post here.

I have been brewing for about a year now. I started out fermenting in a glass carboy, but changed to using better bottles due to concerns about weight and breakage. I ferment in 15 gallon batches and make a copy of Pilsner Urquell.

Things I learned are to use Fermcap S foam control to reduce boil over in the boil pot. (turkey fryer pot) More Fermcap in the fermenting jug to avoid fermenting foam (Krausen) from blowing out the airlock. Got rid of airlocks and just put Saran Wrap over the top of the Better Bottle. I use Safale US-05 Yeast so I don't have to worry about keeping a low temp during fermentation. Finished beer is siphoned into 5 gallon corny kegs (Cornelius kegs) and I carbonate in the keg.

I get my malt from brewbyyou.com in 55 lb boxes. Most other stuff I get from rebelbrewer.com. Both places have been nice to deal with.

TDB9901
03-15-2010, 09:24 AM
Thanks George, I'll check those sources.

And welcome to the forum, Home of Heavy Metal Madness.

George_J
03-15-2010, 11:28 AM
Thanks for the welcome, TDB9901.
I've been lurking here for quite some time and this site has helped me avoid the more basic mistakes. I only have one small lead burn and scavenging zinc with sulfur when melting wheel weights seemed to work well for me.

The lung trouble I got from inadvertently breathing in some of the burning sulfur fumes is going away now. I made up 18 cartridges in 45 ACP with very light to medium loads of Bullseye and it is a real thrill when the first one goes bang and everything works.[smilie=w: No one is calling me stumpy or one-eye yet so all is going well.

TDB9901
03-15-2010, 07:23 PM
I cooked up a batch of Porter from an extract kit this afternoon, the US-05 yeast is what I use also.. It may not be as good as the all grain route, but it is so much better than most commercial beer.... I can't keep it around..
The son who bought me the kit to get me started stops by and has a couple and takes a couple, and it goes fast.

It is a thrill when things work according to plan, and the boolit exits the muzzle isn't it? sorry to hear about the inhalation problem....I go to great to avoid the zinc so as not to have to do that....

Tom

jim4065
03-15-2010, 10:00 PM
I'm hoping to be able to roll out the new brewstand by the end of this month. Bought a 15 gallon pot so I could make double batches - now I've gotta cobble up a control box for the PID, Timer, switches and idiot lights. It's coming together slowly - really slowly.

The one thing I've learned about home brewing is that you've gotta keep the pipeline full. Every time I turn around some damn fool has drunk up all the beer............:confused:

frankenfab
03-29-2010, 10:13 PM
WOW! I am so blown away! I didn't even take time to read all the posts I was so excited to see this thread! I used to brew beer. Made 200 gallons in 2000.

The tips I would give would be are:

Use glass. It's easier to clean and sanitize. I ended up always using a 6 gallon carbouy for primary, which would fill a 5 gallon secondary with minimum airspace in the neck.

Champagne bottles take regular bottle caps. Use them. It's less washing of bottles, and the beer's so good you will want to drink that much at a time anyway. The "party pigs" are also great, but a little more expensive. I never made it to the Pepsi keg or Lauter tun with grain level.

There's a pretty good Pizza-Pub-Brewery close by, but you can gets Sam Adams just as cheaply, which I think is good beer, But there's lots of other good brands available, too.

I liked brewing the "Brown Ale" the best. It was ready the soonest, and was great tasting beer. The Corona style took a little longer to be ready, and the Budweiser style rice beers even longer.

Don't belive it when you read in " Modern Brewing", that your beer will ready to go in 3 weeks. It is so much better if you wait a little longer. The rice stuff takes about 3 months to get perfect. This is all without micro-brewery/professional equipment, of course.

A whole vicious cycle of "brewing my ass of so I can have more beer and let it mature longer" can develop if you're not careful:redneck:

TDB9901
04-06-2010, 12:03 PM
It will, and has.

Just bottled another batch this morning. Got a "Tap-a-Draft" mini keg setup that works OK, and takes part of the work out as I don't bottle the whole batch. I've been doing one 6 liter TAD bottle out of each batch, and bottling the rest.

Need more TAD bottles though, and will someday soon (hopefully) step up to a better keg system. That will streamline it considerably.

I just have to stay out of it until it gets some age......... By the time it gets really smooth, it's nearly gone......

jim4065
04-21-2010, 06:01 PM
I finally got this to be functional and it's made two 5 gallon batches so far. Still has an annoying leak in the HLT, but the water is staying off the 4500 watt element, so it heats OK. That black box on top of the HLT hold a stir motor to keep the water moving around the HEX coil inside. The Boil Kettle is 60 quart capacity, so it really wants to do 10 gallon batches. I'm pretty sure that the Rubbermaid 10 gallon Mash Tun will hold 20 pounds (at least) of grain, so my next batch will be an attempt at a 10 gallon "Noble Pils" clone. It's surprising that it took 3 months to knock out a "Ghetto Special" stand like this - maybe caused by doing everything "on the cheap".

Right now it lives inside that building, but the next phase will include enclosing the porch and then it'll stay outside. I also want to build big drawers at the ends of the stand to hold hoses, etc. By the way, I was worried about water vapor and steam from the BK so I sealed the control box really well and cool it by drawing air up the two tubes from below the top deck. That fan in the back is 110 volt and moves a lot of air past the SSR's inside. Thought about adding an "air screen" below the control box, but right now it looks unnecessary. :drinks:

TDB9901
04-22-2010, 10:32 AM
Impressive!!! Someday I gotta try whole grain.

I just scored (on the cheap ...25$) a 7 gallon ELECTRIC stainless steel combo turkey fryer-boiler, with thermostat and spigot in bottom. . Thought it might be handy for some purpose, either mashing or brewing.....

Haven't seen it yet,..... it is residing with a friend of a friend waiting for a ride from Omaha in a week or so.

I also found a small brew supply shop fairly nearby. ..... Well, it's within 100 miles,.... but in this country that isn't that far........ and a brew club that meets once a month in Broken Bow, about an hour away.....

jim4065
04-23-2010, 06:41 PM
........I just scored (on the cheap ...25$) a 7 gallon ELECTRIC stainless steel combo turkey fryer-boiler, with thermostat and spigot in bottom. . Thought it might be handy for some purpose, either mashing or brewing.....



I hope you post a picture of that electric pot - I've only seen gas-fired turkey fryers. If I could have scored an electric 7 gallon pot I would have been much better off. ($$$$$$$$$$$$)

You know that those 5 gallon Rubbermaid (or Igloo) coolers would be great for 5 gallon AG batches...........

TDB9901
04-24-2010, 12:48 PM
Maybe it will get it's ride home this weekend. in the meantime google "Masterbuilt".

It's the 28 qt model with drain valve, discontinued model I think, but I'm sure they replaced it with something in the line.

Will let you know as soon as I get it how it's going to work.......

acemedic13
04-28-2010, 02:00 PM
I have been following this thread with great attention. I have been thinking about getting started on this very same project for awhile now. I am about to be evaced home from Iraq and I am going to have some serious down time after my surgery. I could not think of a better way to spend the day than making beer.

I have been looking at the "Mr Beer" kits and they seem like they dont have anything a guy could not get himself at a store. The ingredients seem to be another thing altogeher. Where and what are you using? I have found several places online that sell them. Should I use a Kit or go with raw ingrediants first? Are the kit ingredient packages worth the time or expense? Thanks guys. I am really looking forward to this....Joel

pmeisel
04-28-2010, 02:18 PM
I started with a kit because it was convenient. If you have time, check a couple of the home brew sites first and read up some... there are lots of options....

PepperBuddha
04-28-2010, 08:18 PM
http://www.mrbeerfans.com

Tom-ADC
04-28-2010, 11:45 PM
Haven't done any homebrew lately but nothing taste better.
If you've never done it here's some reasonable kits to try.
http://www.overstock.com/search?keywords=homebrew%20kit&SearchType=Header

jim4065
04-29-2010, 10:23 AM
Haven't done any homebrew lately but nothing taste better.
If you've never done it here's some reasonable kits to try.
http://www.overstock.com/search?keywords=homebrew%20kit&SearchType=Header

Those "True Brew" kits are what I got started on, and they make good beer. Unfortunately the price is about the same as what you'd pay at your LHBS, and you really can't tell how long they've been in storage. Age is unkind to hops, yeast and Liquid Malt Extract, so I'd be a bit leery of "Overstock" when it comes to buying ingredients. You may have more luck with one of the big Internet sellers, like MoreBeer, Austin Home Brew Supply, Midwest Supplies, Northern Brewer, Brewmasters Warehouse or Williams Brewing.

One thing that I like about brewing is the tremendous variety of ingredients available leading to an inordinate number of recipes. So much beer and so little time...................:drinks:

TDB9901
04-29-2010, 11:17 AM
acemedic13

First......Thank you for your service, and speedy recovery.....

I would suggest you get a copy of John Palmer's book, How to Brew. It is a great reference from beginning to full grain.

Check out Moorebeer.com...... Thats where my beginner brew kit came from, and I am really satisfied with their prices and service. Shipping is free if you order $59.00 or more at a pop. (2 ingredient kits usually make the break) ............ Bulk items aren't included in the free shipping program though.

Their ingredient kits are good too, no complaints about freshness, and some of them come in at around 50 cents a beer finished cost.

The whole grain route would be fun to try someday, but shipping on the bulk malt is high in my part of the country, and I am so happy with the malt extract kits that it may be awhile before I make the leap.

Good luck, Have fun.....

Tom

waksupi
04-29-2010, 08:23 PM
I have been following this thread with great attention. I have been thinking about getting started on this very same project for awhile now. I am about to be evaced home from Iraq and I am going to have some serious down time after my surgery. I could not think of a better way to spend the day than making beer.

I have been looking at the "Mr Beer" kits and they seem like they dont have anything a guy could not get himself at a store. The ingredients seem to be another thing altogeher. Where and what are you using? I have found several places online that sell them. Should I use a Kit or go with raw ingrediants first? Are the kit ingredient packages worth the time or expense? Thanks guys. I am really looking forward to this....Joel

Joel, what's with the surgery? You OK?

threewheels
05-22-2010, 04:06 PM
just remember if you do this you will have friends showing up at all hours of the day and night to drink your cheap beer.I gave home brewing up because of this reason.I got sick of so called friends showing up after the bars closed because they wanted to keep drinking

BigBill
05-23-2010, 02:56 PM
I gave up homebrewing a couple of years ago for the same reason as threewheels. I got tired of "friends" showing up trying to get a taste of whatever I had just brewed. Only problem is that I enjoyed brewing too much and started again. I have ten gallons of a cream style ale bubbling away as I type. I am just going to keep it quiet and hopefully I won't have the same problem as I did before. BigBill