For all the homebrewers here

3551 Views 29 Replies 12 Participants Last post by hophead, Sep 30, 2009

bantam700

Discussion Starter · Jul 10, 2009

What do you have fermenting and bottled or on tap?

Myself, I've been lazy brewing-wise so all I have fermenting is a pinot noir pyment in the secondary. I have a lemongrass wheat and flanders red ale bottled and ready to drink, a Belgian golden strong ale conditioning and a very hoppy Czech pilsner on tap.

Hopefully I'll get the chance to brew next weekend, if I do I'll probably make either a german hefeweizen or an ESB

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Xela

· #2 · Jul 10, 2009

Man....It is way too early on a workday for me to read a post like this! I am taking my dad to Bosco's (Boscos , the Restaurant for Beer Lovers) tonight so at least that will help get me through the day.

I just returned from a trip to Germany and Belgium and your Belgian golden strong ale (Duvel clone?) is making my mouth water. It was an amazing trip! Carried back 18 bottles and 6 goblets in an extra suitcase that I took.

Because of vacation, I am behind on the brewing. I only have an IPA bottled now and nothing on tap. IPA is my drink of choice in the summer. Just gotta keep those hoppy beers out of the sunlight, though. This IPA is my third iteration so far this year. I plan on perfecting this recipe during the hot months and working on my porter recipe over the cooler months.

Haven't been bold enough yet to venture into the land of Belgian homebrews.

Can't tell you how many miles on the bike the thought of a chilled homebrew waiting at home has gotten me through.

peaches

· #3 · Jul 10, 2009

Sounds like a really neat restaurant! We don't have one around here

Xela

· #4 · Jul 10, 2009

Not really "around here" either. I'm traveling down to Little Rock (about 200 miles) for the weekend, and I really like going to Bosco's while I'm down there. Both the food and the beer are quite good.

dixie

· #5 · Aug 7, 2009

I always wanted to try my hand at homebrewing, just never really got around to it. Seems there is alot to be learned before mastering the skill.

bantam700

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 8, 2009

dixie said:
I always wanted to try my hand at homebrewing, just never really got around to it. Seems there is alot to be learned before mastering the skill.

If you can boil water, use an egg timer, and start a siphon you can brew beer. That is one of the things I love about it, the basic kits are very easy to make once you decide to go for it and once you get used to making those you can slowly work your way up to some very technical brewing.

TxCyclist

· #7 · Aug 8, 2009

Right now all I have is some aging Apfelwein.

I'll blow the dust off my equipment this Winter and get back into brewing. I go through phases of hobbies.

coco2

· #8 · Aug 13, 2009

Right now i'm making lots of The Glenlivet whisky...does that count?

coco2

· #9 · Aug 13, 2009

I'm a distiller on night shift, hence the late hour.

hophead

· #10 · Aug 13, 2009

coco2 said:
Right now i'm making lots of The Glenlivet whisky...does that count?

Need any help there?

I'm a big fan of single malt whisky. My favorite is the peaty smokey stuff from the west coast/Islay: Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Abdbeg, Caol la etc...

I've got a cask strength 26yo from your distillery in my liquor cabinet. I've had it for several years now. Just waiting for the right occasion to crack it open.

Good to have ya here lad.

Slainte!

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Grape Ape

· #11 · Aug 13, 2009

hophead said:
Need any help there? I'm a big fan of single malt whisky. My favorite is the peaty smokey stuff from the west coast/Islay: Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Abdbeg, Caol la etc...

I've got a cask strength 26yo from your distillery in my liquor cabinet. I've had it for several years now. Just waiting for the right occasion to crack it open.

Good to have ya here lad.

Slainte!

Never wait for the right occasion or someone will be toasting you with it at your funeral. Invite some good friends over throw some meat on the grill. Have a few brews and as the evening winds down break the seal on that thing and make a toast to great friends and great times.

So when do you want us all to show up?

coco2

· #12 · Aug 13, 2009

Hi hophead, totally agree with you regarding the Islay malts they are just sublime the flavours oooohhhh so tastey.

I did work at Bowmore distillery for a number of years, i've fond memories then.

Oh and thanks for the warm welcome.

And i agree with grape ape...drink it while you can and enjoy...

hophead

· #13 · Aug 14, 2009

Grape Ape said:
Never wait for the right occasion or someone will be toasting you with it at your funeral. Invite some good friends over throw some meat on the grill. Have a few brews and as the evening winds down break the seal on that thing and make a toast to great friends and great times.

So when do you want us all to show up?

Good point Grape! Well, I at least have to wait 'till my gf gets back from Denver. Or maybe I'll bring it out there when I go. She loves good malt whisky too. Her favorite is Caol la.

bantam700

Discussion Starter · #14 · Aug 17, 2009

Hit 80% efficiency for the first time today! Today's batch is gonna be good in a month or so!

HandsomeRyan

· #15 · Sep 27, 2009 (Edited)

Beers:

• Red Ale bottled and at the time of posting this about 1/2 the bottles have been consumed.
• Porter (all extract) that is on the lower end of mediocre bordering on bad and is likely to get dumped out as soon as I make something else and need bottles.

Wine:
• 6G of Strawberry White Merlot bottled and being consumed.
• 6G of German style Apple Wine (half carb'd, half still) bottled and being consumed.
• 6G Riesling in secondary.
• 3G Chocolate Raspberry Port in primary.
• 1G Blueberry Currant wine in secondary.
• 1G Chokecherry wine in secondary.
• 1G Autumn Olive win in secondary.
• 1G Jalapeno wine in secondary.
• 1G Staghorn Sumac wine in secondary.
• 1G Red Chile Pepper wine in primary.

On Deck-
• Merlot
• Graff (apple based beer-like drink) **update: see below**

UPDATE: I decided to stop by the homebrew store this afternoon and pick up the ingredients to make Graff so I have 5G of that happily bubbling away in primary right now.

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Smiley

· #16 · Sep 28, 2009

This thread makes me want to start brewing again. What are the differences in brewing wine and beer, besides the obvious of course.

hophead

· #17 · Sep 28, 2009

Smiley said:
This thread makes me want to start brewing again. What are the differences in brewing wine and beer, besides the obvious of course.

Wine is Waaaaaaaaaaay easier. No milling, mashing, or boiling involved in wine making.

Smiley

· #18 · Sep 28, 2009

Wow, then I guess I should do wine. It usually it is only one bottle involved for the wine, right, instead of all the bottles for beer? I am definitely going to start! How long does it usually take for a batch to be ready?

HandsomeRyan

· #19 · Sep 28, 2009 (Edited)

hophead said:
Wine is Waaaaaaaaaaay easier. No milling, mashing, or boiling involved in wine making.

+1!

I prefer wine because it's easier to make and you can find all kinds of fun and different things (besides just grapes) to make wine with. I have a few examples of happening upon wine making fodder-

Example 1) I was hiking on a trail near my house a few weeks ago and happened to notice a few chokecherry trees growing beside a stream. I picked some berries and in another month or two my chokecherry wine will be ready to bottle! All it cost me was about $4 for the 1 gallon jug and another $1 for the yeast. Where else can you fine a gallon of wine for $5 much less exotic chokecherry wine.

Example 2) I was standing at the bus stop a few weeks ago waiting on a bus to go into DC and I noticed a waste lot across the street from the bus stop. Growing right next to the sidewalk was a "bird planted" staghorn sumac tree that was covered in bright red clumps of berries. I came back that evening with Mrs. Handsomeryan and harvested a few clumps of berries to0 make wine with.

I suppose having gone to college for horticulture and having an extensive library of books dealing with edible/medicinal wildplants gives me the advantage when looking for "free plants" to make wine with but I believe anyone could learn this if they put a little time and effort into it. There are a lot more useful/delicious plants out there than there are poisonous/useless ones.

Smiley said:
How long does it usually take for a batch to be ready?

Usually you need 2 vessels to make wine. A primary (I use an inexpensive plastic "ale pail" from the homebrew store) and a secondary usually either a glass or more modern plastic "carboy" or jug.

Most kits can got from a box of juice to ready to bottle in about 4-5 weeks although many will improve in flavor with a little more age. If you like wine coolers, they are generally ready to drink within 4 weeks. Something like a Port or CabSav may need at least 6 months or more to really begin to have full flavor.

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Smiley

· #20 · Sep 28, 2009

I have chokecherries in my yard, and raspberries on the mtn. I don't think that I could just pick any berries off a tree or bush, as I would probably get the poisonous kind!

Thanks for the info, I just found out we have a new brew store, so I will have to check out what they have!

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