It’s Beer Thirty FReepers! Time For The Homebrewing / Wine Making Thread #20 November 9, 2012

Free Republic | 11/09/2012 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!

Happiness is a bubbling airlock! And a Cold Brew

 

BEER

Well, the Local Homebrew Store in Shriveport, La had their opening day yesterday. I drove the 35 miles to their location and was not disappointed. They had quite a collection of craft beers. They also have a nice selection of grains, hops and other supplies. I talked to the owner for a little bit, nice people. I bought a vile of White Labs Champagne Yeast (WLP715) and a pack of Nottingham Ale Yeast and a couple of other items I needed for a 5-gallon batch of another Hard Apple Cider. They also had quite a selection of Extract Kits. I will be going back when I need something. I am hoping they are successful in their business. It is nice to be able to drive to a store and not have to order over the internet then wait for delivery.

The link below is to a Sapporo Beer (Japan) commercial that was posted to me today on the Gardening Thread. Excellent Graphics. I drank quite a few of them as a young Marine stationed in Japan. I hope you enjoy it, I enjoyed the beer back when and the commercial today. It is not long but entertaining.

Sapporo Beer

I will start the 5-gallon batch of Cider tomorrow. My Irish Stout is still in the secondary for at least another week.

I hope all of you and your Brews and Wines are doing well. Stop by and share what you are brewing or let us know what your favorite brew, wine or spirit is.

[Third Person]

IPA drinker thinking about homebrewing... any FReeper recommendations on how to get started?

Thanks all!

[pennyfarmer]

Our wine is going nicely. We bottled 59 bottles of white wine and racked 2 carboys of plum wine to tertiary. For some reason there was lots of pulp still left in the plum. We need to add some finnings to it and at least one of the cherry wines has a haze also.

We are going to purchase a ratchet press next year so any suggestions on a press is appreciated.

[pennyfarmer]

I was bottling wine tuesday, which means we were also drinking what was on the bottom of the carboy. Fitting really.

[pennyfarmer]

IPA drinker heh. :)

Do you have a homebrew shop nearby? If so visit them. Expect to spend at least $100 for your equipment minus a pot and bottles. If you drink beer that uses crown caps you can save them and be green by recycling. :) If you know someone at a restaurant that serves those types of beers then you can get some free ones from them. I have a restaurant that saves me wine bottles. You will need a boiling pot of at least 16 quarts, but for an IPA you will really need to have at least a 20qt or larger pot to get good extraction on your hops.

Lots of technical stuff but your local homebrew shop will be more than willing to help. There are several good books and forums that offer lots of help.

One last thing, start simple. Don’t try to do any complicated clones of commercial beers that you really like. Stick with something that is extract about 9 lbs of malt extract 2 oz bittering hops maybe 1 or 2 lbs of specialty grains and 1-2 oz of finishing hops. Go with a quality liquid yeast even if you purchase a kit with dry yeast. If you start simple you will be much happier.

[Red_Devil 232]

First thing you need to do is get the equipment you will need. Start with a basic kit you can get the basics for less than $100. This decission will depend on what you want to spend. Like the different kits from here:

Standard

Then you will need ingredients - some starter kits come with an Extract Kit just have look around the internet searching for home brew or homebrewing to get your best price. There are many on line stores most charge shipping and some like the one above have no shipping charges if you buy over a set amount of $.

I started using Midwest Supplies They charge shipping on everything but have good Extract Kits. it is up to you

[Third Person]

Thank you for the recommendations... hopefully I can re-create the dear, departed Alchemist’s “Holy Cow”!

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/alchemist-holy-cow-ipa/29918/

[Gil4]

Aftertaste in a good beer is a feature, not a bug. (”Finish” is the term used.) The brown ale style tends to be fairly lightly hopped, so the finish is more subtle than something like an IPA.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style11.php

[Red_Devil 232]

Do the right thing and take your time, get the right equipment for what you want to brew. Ales take from about a month to brew, condition and mellow out to a few months and longer. Have patience and you will be rewarded with some incredible IPAs. Go for it!

[Joe Marine 76]

“Finish” That’s a good term. Thanks.

[Petruchio]

Finishing up my Hard Cider tonight. I took a sample to my LHBS for criticism and suggestions for finishing. It currently has quite an alcohol bite, it slightly overpowers the apple flavor. Cold crashing cleared up all cloudiness.

Suggestions were to add 1 gal filtered apple juice for sweetness/carbonation then bottle. If after aging it still needs sweetness, I can always add a bit of liquid Stevia.

All told, the 3 person staff at the LHBS were impressed with my first attempt.

[Red_Devil 232]

That cider may need a little more aging. How long have you aged it? I understand it can take a few months to mellow out and get rid of that Rocket Fuel Alcohol taste and then the apple flavors develop and comes through.

This five gallon batch I am doing tomorrow I intend to let age about six months then bottle for carbonation for two weeks or so.

[Petruchio]

4 weeks.

It is now bottled and going to a dark shelf ‘till Christmas. This has been an interesting experience.

[knews_hound]

I literally just drank my next recipe.

It’s a modified version of Blind Pig.

18 lbs of 2 row pale.
1 lb of Crystal 40

No bittering hops but a full pound added from 20 minutes to 170 degrees.

A full pound.

Flavorful, hop forward without being uber bitter and hops, hops, hops.

Will post after I brew it. My buddy made 10 gallons and the single glass I had was far to little.

On the plus side, he had a glass of the chocolate coffee stout I made a few weeks ago and is stealing my recipe to make his own.

That’s what I love about homebrewing.

I tell people that I liken it to cooking a gourmet meal (one of my other hobbies), but unlike cooking where the meal is really at its best 5 or 10 minutes after making it, home brew can be shared for weeks and weeks.

Well, days maybe in my case ;0)

Cheers,

knewshound

[Rio]

Thanks for the reply. Beet/dirt wine seems like something that could use some help. From what I can tell of the recipe, the only fermentable is white sugar. Could maybe use honey instead and end up with Beet Mead?

[knews_hound]

I strongly urge you to think about apple juice concentrate rather than juice. It adds more sugar and apple flavor with far less volume.

I mean, who wants to drink wimpy cider?

Cheers,

knewshound

[knews_hound]

My bad, there is a huge caveat to using concentrate.

It will add enough sugars that unless you keg carbonate, it will bottle bombs unseen by modern man.

If it gets warm, it WILL ferment. Beware.

Cheers,

knewshound

[knews_hound]

I wrote a easy to use, step by step article on homebrewing. You might like it.

I went for the low buck, easy to do method.

http://knewshound.blogspot.com/2007/11/homebrewing-1a.html

Cheers,

knewshound

[castlebrew]

I started with a copy of The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, by Charlie Papazian. And a lot pf hanging out with the local homebrewer's club and the brewing supply store...

[Petruchio]

I did use concentrate, reconstituted with boiled and cooled water. If fermentation restarts it is not a big deal. I bottled it in 1 gal jugs with a screw on cap. I can crack the seal and bleed off excess pressure if needed.

I tasted a small glass with a Cinnamon stick tonight. The added juice did great things in smoothing it out. I think it is a keeper.

[Third Person]

Thank you!