Home Brewing and Winemaking's topics - tribe.net

Stainless Steel Conical Fementers

2009-12-22T19:54:04Z

I'm in negotiations with a Manufacturer.
Still working out pricing and shipping costs.

Is any one interested in obtaining a Conical in the 50 Liter Range
Pricing may be in the $400 - $500 range expected, less if I can get orders for some quantity of them, shipping is still in flux.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Nettle Beer

2009-10-25T19:10:32Z

So Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall posted this as a recipe for nettle beer on his web site (address below) and I'm in the process of preparing it now (cooling the "tea") so thought I would post it here and see if anyone has any other ideas for nettle beer/wine. It's pretty basic, but I never thought of nettles as anything other than a tea / fried greens plant (apart from the fact that they are seriously painful if touched the wrong way). I toyed with the idea of using honey instead of casting sugar, but my wife impressed on me the wisdom of trying it "his way" before I started tampering with it.

Here's the recipe (it's from the UK, so note measurement differences):

Ingredients:
6 litres water
A small carrier bag of nettle tops, washed
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
Juice of 1 orange, strained
750g caster sugar
30g cream of tartar
5g yeast

Method: How to make nettle ale
1. Bring the water to the boil in a large pan.
2. Add nettles, stir, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for at least an hour until it is at
blood temperature.
3. Carefully - you might want to enlist a helper at this point - strain the nettle liquid through a colander
lined with a large piece of unbleached muslin into a large brewing bucket or pan. Once the liquid has
filtered through, squeeze the muslin to get the maximum amount of liquid into the bucket.
4. Gradually add the sugar, stirring constantly to ensure it is thoroughly dissolved, then add the cream of
tartar, and lemon and orange juice.
5. Finally, once the mixture is tepid, stir in the yeast. Cover and leave for 2-3 days in a warm place, until
it's obviously fermenting.
6. Remove any scum which has risen to the top in fermentation and siphon the beer into sterilised bottles
and seal with corks.
7. Leave for at least a couple more days or up to a month before drinking.

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/nettle-beer-recipe_p_1.html

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

My Pale Ale

2009-10-01T19:36:13Z

Cliff’s Pale Ale
Produces 5 gallons beer

Grains should be slightly cracked leaving hulls in place
Water Ph start at 5.2Ph Adjust as necessary

The Mash:
1.) Mash the grain in 3.28 gallons of well boiled water (Strike Water) boiled and lowered to 165Deg-F
.............(i) Goal: to get the volume in the Mash Tun to 151Deg-F.
.............(ii) Start the strike water around 165 Deg-F
2.) Hold at 151-F for 75 minutes.
3.) A gallon (or more) of the strike water is added at the end of the mash
.............(i) Strike Water is well boiled.
.............(ii) This addition of Strike water is meant to raise the mash temp to 170-F
.............(iii) Hold at 170 F for 15 minutes This kills the enzymes
4.) GRAIN amounts.
.............(i) Pale Malt Maris Otter 8 pounds
.............(ii) Aromatic Malt 0.5 pound
.............(iii) Munich Malt 0.5 pound
.............(iv) Carafoam 0.4 pound
.............(v) Carared 0.4 pound
.............(vi) Caramel/Crystal Malt 0.4 pounds
.............(vii) Wheat Malt, Belgian 0.4 pounds
.............(viii) Barley, Flaked 2.08 ounces

Now you have wort.

Lautering:
1.) Rinse the wart back through the grain husks and other material till the wart runs clear.
.............(i) Method ONE: use any vessel, draw wort off the mash tun and pour it back through the settled grain till it runs clear of crap.
.............(ii) Method Two: Run the whole volume into a carboy then siphon back down through the grains till it’s clear of crap

CHOOSE CONVENTIONAL SPARGE OR BATCH SPARGE
Conventional Sparge:
1.) Sparge water is well boiled 168-Deg –F
2.) Time 75 – 90 minutes
3.) Sparge water 3 gallons
4.) Flow 1.5 Gallons @ 15 minutes
5.) When Wort runs clear Sparge with the remainder of hot water necessary to complete the volume in your Secondary Fermenter.
6.) The Sparge water is run through the mashed grains to capture any residual sugars in the mashed grain.
7.) Combine all the wart and sparge products in one container and Chill the Wart.

✔✔Batch Sparge:
1.) Draw off all the wort First.
2.) Sparge water is well boiled 168-Deg –F
3.) Time 30 minutes
4.) Sparge water 3 gallons
Add a few extra pounds of base grains to compensate for efficiency losses

The boil:
1.) Use a tube to drain the wort from the Tun to the kettle Don’t spash it in ( it may pick up things in the air) .
2.) Bring wort to a boil TIME 75 Minutes
3.) Make a Stick with Carved Gallon Markers on it that fits your Boil pot. ( ya gotta know how much water ya got after all the Grains have soaked up whatever they keep)
4.) TIME THE BOIL

Hopping:
1.) Once a boil is achieved mark the time.
2.) put hops in nylon sacks (7 nylon sacks needed)
(i) 2 packs: Liberty 1 oz
(ii) 1 pack: Pearle 0.5oz
(iii) 0 packs: Styrian Golding ( replaced Centenial)
(iv) 0 packs Amarillo
(v) 0 packs Cascade
(vi) 3 packs .5oz BLEND @: Amarillo 7.8%, Cascade 4.0% Styrian Golding 5.9% (3/4, less than 1/2, little more than 1/2)
(vii) 1 pack 1oz BLEND: Amarillo 7.8%, Cascade 4.0% Styrian Golding 5.9% (3/4, less than 1/2, little more than 1/2)

3.) 10 minute mark Add Pearle at the leave in 60 minutes
4.) 10 Minute Mark Add BURTON SALTS
5.) 45 minute Mark Add Liberty 0.5oz
6.) 30 minute mark: Add Liberty
7.) 60 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
8.) 65 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
9.) 70 minute mark Add BLEND 0.5oz
10.) Half-Whirlfloc-tab Added at the last 15 minutes of boil.
.............(i) on flame out stir into a large spinning whirl
.............(ii) let settle before siphoning off
.............(iii) only use half a tablet
11.) Flame out add BLEND Hops 1oz for 10-15 minutes

Wart Chilling
1.) Chilling water is well boiled water frozen in clean containers
2.) Add the sterile ice to the wart to lower the temperature to a little less than 80Deg-F

Yeast casting:
1.) With wort in the primary fermenter at 80 Deg F or less add yeast to the wort and place tight lid on with CO2 trap. Wyeast 1968 London ESB Activator.
.............(i) this yeast can tolerate 10% alcohol.
.............(ii) Can add corn sugar if desired to boost alcohol..

Primary ferment:
1.) Ferment till foaming stops ( a week or less)
2.) Use a Fermentation Trap
3.) Then transfer to glass secondary fermenter.

Second Ferment:
1.) Put Wort in Glass fermenter add a touch corn sugar (less than an ounce) and install Fermentation Trap
2.) Ferment till bubbles stop and yeast settles.

Bottling:
1.) Siphon Beer off to a holding Carboy making sure not to transfer any yeast from the bottom of glass fermenter.
2.) Add carbonizing sugar 4oz stir and bottle.
3.) Hold in bottles for 1 – 2 weeks before consuming.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Howling Jack Mead

2009-09-06T20:54:34Z

Howling Jack: Honey Pumpkin Mead
by Aurora

This mead is the color of a ripe peach and smells like autumn leaves - perfect for a Harvest party or Sabbat.

1 sound, hard-rind pumpkin (approx. 2 quart capacity)
Paraffin wax
1 1/2 quarts of water
4 lbs. honey
2 each oranges and lemons
1 pkt. wine yeast
1 tea bag (black tea)

Prepare yeast starter.

Sterilize honey and water by boiling for 10 minutes, skimming the froth as it rises.

Remove from heat; stir in sliced citrus fruits, including skins.

Cool to room temperature; pitch yeast.

Allow to sit over night.

Prepare pumpkin by cutting off the top with a sharp knife. The top must "mate" with the bottom so cut carefully. Clean out the seeds, strings, and membranes of the pumpkin. Rinse out with water.

Pour the liquid into the pumpking, leaving an inch of air space between the liquid and the rim of the opening. Replace the top.

Prepare the paraffin/water bath: Fill a plastic bucket with hot water, melt the paraffin wax and float it on the water.

Dip the pumpkin, bottom first, into the warm paraffin until it is coated up to its lid. Once the paraffin begins to harden on the pumpkin skin, seal the lid by carefully pouring paraffin over the top, making sure to coat the seam.

Set the pumpkin in the middle of a shallow dishpan full of water to keep thirsty pickle worms at bay and place it in a dark, quiet spot.

Allow to sit for two months, then siphon off and bottle.

Note: It is probably a good idea to rack the mead into a glass fermenter, fitted with an air lock, for evaluation prior to bottling. If the fermentation is not complete and you bottle prematurely, the corks and glass may blow.

I found this recipe online... and I really want to try it, but I'm pretty new at this.. So! are there any problems anyone sees with this recipe? Or throwing whole cloves into it?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 10 replies

What should I get my homebrewer?

2008-12-23T00:34:04Z

Hi all,
I'm at a loss what to get my dear homebrewer for Solstice-or-whatever.(yeah, I'm late)....He's at a 1/2 whole grain 1/2 extract place right now,
wanting to move to whole grain. He brews in a big steel pot, maybe one of those big-ass collapsible pots with a spout? What are those?
Or a new....stove..thing? Any ideas? He's interested in all kinds of ferments, too, I'm sure he'd dig some herb or mead setup with recipes or somethin'.
Any suggestions are helpful, thanks so much!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Slowest cider EVER

2008-12-13T14:49:57Z

Alright, I'm really frustrated with my first 3 gallon batch of hard cider. It seems like the yeast refuses to settle, it's terribly cloudy and still has a very yeasty aftertaste.
According to the recipe, it was supposed to be ready in 30 days.
I started it on 9/30/08, using this recipe:

3 gallon preservative-free cider
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup wildflower honey
1.5 cinnamon sticks
peel and juice of one lemon, one orange
I brought it all to near-boiling, let cool, poured into 3 gallon glass carboy... my hydrometer put the must at 8%. Pitched my activated c1118 champagne yeast, placed airlock.

Was very active for 8 days, racked into clean carboy, added1.5 cups of sugar to sweeten the very very dry brew... racked again in 22 days, cloudy and still dry, added 1/2 cup more sugar. No airlock activity.
On 11/4 I pitched another packet of ec1118 yeast, thinking the fermentation may have been stuck. Fermentation began again, slowly. Been popping once every 1-2 minutes since I pitched new yeast. Racked again on 12/5. STILL popping, STILL cloudy, STILL tastes yeasty.

Any suggestions? What the hell is going on?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Bottling

2008-12-09T03:10:43Z

I am planing ahead to when my cider is done, I am trying to select a "Good" bottle for the money! My choices are the following. I can ether use a metal cap or what they are calling E-Z Cap (Flip-Top) Beer Bottles. Anyone have any experience with ether of them one way ore another?

Peter

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 6 replies

Watch out for Cinnamon!

2008-12-07T01:15:57Z

I decided to do a small 3 gallon batch to experiment with, basically a brown ale with a bit of fresh ground cinnamon. And damn I hardly used any cinnamon and the brew is over powering! It's been in the bottle for about 3 weeks now, hopefully after I give it a month or 2 to condition it will mellow out a bit.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 9 replies

priming with honey

2008-07-18T02:29:29Z

i wanted to try priming a new batch of beer with honey instead of corn sugar. any recommendations on the correct ratio of honey per 5 gallons of beer?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

uses for bad batch of beer?

2008-07-17T16:30:19Z

i tried an experiment and used hop pellets, it was a bad idea because i have a whole batch of beer that tastes like it was made for cows. other than watering tomatoes with it. anyone have good uses for bad beer?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 8 replies

Old beer...

2008-05-14T14:06:52Z

So how long should I be able to keep commercially produced beer (Corona, SweetWater) in my fridge before I should throw it out? I have some stuff which has been in my 'fridge for at least a year, and it seems to be okay. But I'm no connoissuer. I have no discerning pallette for this sort of thing, and am wondering if there's a general timeline for these things...

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

water quality same ? I posted in anon

2008-05-06T13:05:45Z

does anyone know what I need at add back to the water after RO filtering to keep yeast happy?
Thanks. I think I have nutrients and energizers but I'm not sure what they contain.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Air Stoppers, Yeast and other misc. random ?

2008-05-04T07:21:41Z

Hey Brewers!

I have little access to brewing supplies here in Brazil so I m looking to do a couple of things myself.

One: making an airstopper. How do you do a good one. I don't want to resort to using a balloon. I know people in jail use balloons and plastic bags. They ferment OJ. but this guy that went to jail told me that it takes like poop but it gets you buzzed,
(they also use stale bread crumbs as yeast...)

Two: yeast? A wanna make some simple ciders. How can I make my yeast from locally bought products. i.e., Can I use old champagne as a
fermenter catalyst. Has anyone tried bread yeast?

Three: Specific gravity meter? How can I determine the level of alcohol without one? This is probably the one I can't go around

Four: Bad idea to use a 5 gallon plastic water jug? Probably, so I might resort to wine bottles...

Kind of Random but would love to know your thoughts

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

dandelion wine!

2008-04-22T00:48:42Z

i am about to bottle up my batch of dandelion wine from last year and start a new batch i cant wait!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 14 replies

corn - - pop corn

2008-04-12T00:49:54Z

Making a mash from pop corn.

I've not done it but it would seem to me that it might be good idea since the carbohydrates have already been partially converted to sugars and popcorn should present more surface area to the yeasts.

Has any one tried it?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

corn liquor

2008-04-08T15:34:23Z

or that from rye or malt

Has any one taken up the task of making whiskey~?
I tried distilling once a very long time ago with little success. Yet I've heard about large home stills that can produce a gallon or more an hour. I'd be happy with a gallon a week If I had my head around the skills to get it right and clean.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

Mead?!

2008-04-05T23:01:46Z

i got a hook up on local unprocessed honey.

i have never done mead before and can read all i want online,
but actual response is way cooler.

i want to start soon.
any suggestions?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 6 replies

How did you all learn?

2008-04-01T18:10:20Z

Hi Everyone! I'm a lurker wanting to turn into a participant in this tribe. Not just as a writer but a brewer as well. What I'm curious about is how you all learned the craft? Did you take a class? Read a book? Have a mentor? Recieve divine inspiration from the beer gods? All of the above?

As for me, I'm looking for a good book to start out with and then move on to purchasing basic equipment once I know what I want/need. Someone mentioned "The Joy of Homebrewing" as a particularly good read...

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 23 replies

Using vanilla to flavor beer??!!??

2008-01-30T20:47:32Z

My partner and I are brewing beer and are trying to come up with new recipies..............has anyone ever used vanilla in a beer recipie??

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!! :o)

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Wort Cooling

2007-12-26T06:56:46Z

So, yesterday was my first time brewing at my new house. I previously used to cover up the wort and drop it into the pool to cool it, which did a great job. Yesterday I had to cool it in an ice bath in the sink (no bathtub either), and was really disappointed by how long it took to cool.

So, here is my idea, the night before a brew day, chill or freeze 1-3gal of brewing water, and then when the wort is done boiling, pour it into an intermediate sterilized vessel containing the frozen or chilled brew water. This would cool it off rapidly so I could pitch the yeast and put it in the fermenter with more coagulated proteins. Any comments on this? Could the rapid temperature change be harsh on the wort in any way? Has anyone here tried this?

Thanks,

Mike

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

agave fermentations

2007-12-03T19:08:43Z

I've looked around here and elsewhere and I haven't found too much on the subject of agave used in fermentations, beer, kombucha, ginger beer, mead, or whatever concoctions people are dreaming up. Is this absence due to lack of experience with the recent wide availability of this product or is it no good for this purpose?

Please share your knowledge, links and experiences using Agave nectar in your ferments.

Cheers,

skooter

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 8 replies

historical intrest: bronze age brewing

2007-11-29T18:54:46Z

Interesting article on what may be early Bronze age irish breweries.

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/magazine/15-12/ps_ale

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

posts didn't go through! CA AB 1735

2007-11-24T05:10:23Z

sorry about the mulitiple posts ~ the first two didn't go through.

if you haven't heard about CA's new law, AB 1735, which will effectively make it impossible to purchase raw milk in CA, please read my blog here on tribe.
even if you don't live in CA, eat raw milk, or eat dairy at all, this bill affects you and your healthy food options.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

Ginger Brew Recipes

2007-11-13T01:37:44Z

Fellow brewers: Any tried and true ginger brew recipes you wish to share?
Thank you & Farewell~

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Cider

2007-10-24T20:19:36Z

Does anyone have any advice on dealing with a High gravity brew?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 15 replies

Funny mishaps

2007-10-20T22:42:26Z

Thought I might start a thread of funny brew mishaps...or just weird.

When I first started brewing, everything seemed to have a hint of a little stress tied to it. Just that stress of being ready for the next step in the brew process and making sure everything is sanitized to the best of my ability. At the time I had only a handful of all grain brews under my belt and each one is rarely that smooth. The day was long and I had just completed the final boil and started cooling my wort with the coil-submerged-in-the-wort method. Things were going well and I'm just waiting when there is a rustle from the tree above and some squirrel drops a 1.5 diameter rock right into my semi-cooled wort. Arrrrggg!

Luckily the beer still tasted good and was immortalized with the name "squirrelly pale ale"...but it might be difficult to recreate. :-)

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Looking for tomato wine or mead recipe

2007-09-03T02:50:05Z

Last year my crop of tomatoes was so abundant I made tomato jelly and even tomato cheesecake. I'd like to explore other possibilities this year as it's a great tomato year. At a dinner party last night a piece of tomato fell into my friend's wine. This led to talking of tomato sangria and that got me to thinking about wine and mead with a tomato juice base. Anyone tried this and/or have a recipe?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

Date Syrup?

2007-08-22T23:48:33Z

Has anyone tried to make mead out of date syrup?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

wine not rising up

2007-08-22T23:45:44Z

is this a lost cause?

i put blackberries with lots of white sugar and raised their temperature to - not burning but hot to the touch - let it cool and added red wine for the yeast. there is a condom on top of the mason jar - and apparently this should baloon if the yeast is - activating.

is this a lost cause? can i add more yeast?

10-Q!!

zip

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

acid levels

2007-08-02T20:11:37Z

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I figured this group has a better handle on beer chemistry so I'll post here first! =)

Do hopes alter the level of acidity in beer? I ask because I'm susceptible to acid reflux (heartburn) and have noticed that really hoppy IPAs tend to cause me more trouble than other kinds of beer. If it's not the hops, can anyone speak to variations in acid levels between beers?

Thanks!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Brewing With Vanilla Beans

2007-07-10T11:43:06Z

What is the proper way to brew with whole vanilla beans?

I just did a batch of brown ale where I used a vanilla bean but was not %100 sure on the correct way to use it. I ended up cutting it in half and splitting the halves long ways and adding them to the boil, I then strained the pieces out and threw them in the carboy with the fermenting brew. Is this method a good way to use vanilla beans?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

took a chance and popped the cork on a bottle of last fall's white

2007-05-26T04:36:09Z

the last time I did (~2 months ago) I was thinking the batch was screwed by having left the stems in the mash too long, but this time...

THIS TIME :-) ....the stemmy astringency has mellowed into quite a lovely thing ...and the fruity flavor is back, too.

...tho' it could just be a bottle to bottle variation.

regardless, I'm happy.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Question About Mead

2007-05-21T18:42:42Z

I attempted my first batch of mead this week and I'm not sure it's going too well. I started with a small 1 gallon batch for my first try. I used 2.25lbs of wildflower honey and used bee pollen as a yeast nutrient. Within 1 hour of pitching my yeast there was active fermentation, the next morning I saw something strange, I could see that it had been really going by the dried foam almost all the way to the air lock but it had all subsided to just a slight film on the top of the wort. Now I only get 1 bubble every 20 or so seconds out of the air lock. Is this normal? BTW I used California ale yeast as this is what the owner of the local brew shop recommended.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

New Tribe! Have you ever wanted to learn from someone hands on? Do you have skills to share?

2007-05-08T12:49:28Z

I have started a mentoring tribe with the hopes that it will provide a place for us to network and find people local to us to share skills and knowledge with.

tribes.tribe.net/mentoring

If you are looking for someone to guide you post a request and make sure to include your location. If you have skills to share please do the same.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Looking for a mead recipe

2007-04-05T18:46:47Z

I am looking for a mead recipe for a very small amount that can be made without purchasing a bunch of equipment. I want to try it out before committing myself to the expense of a bunch of brewing equipment.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Sacramento winemakers club meeting

2007-03-21T22:19:34Z

The Sacramento Home Winemakers Club (SHW) is a nonprofit organization. The
goal of the club is to promote the art of winemaking through informational,
competitive, and social meetings.

Monthy club meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at the
Sacramento Turn Verein on 3349 J Street and usually start at 7:00 p.m.

http://www.sachomewine.org/mainframe.html

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Water

2007-03-08T18:51:08Z

In the past I have used tap water for the boiling water then filled my carboy with distilled bottled water to top off to 5 gallons. Yesterday I forgot to pick up water and just decided to top off using tap water. What has been everyone's experience with using different water sources for their brew?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

Reusing Yeast

2007-03-08T18:23:31Z

I'm interested in reusing some of my yeast out of this current batch I'm brewing. I want to brew cheaper and this is one thing I can do to reduce my cost. Does anyone have any pointers or suggestions on re-pitching yeast?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

What do you have brewing?

2007-02-06T23:47:53Z

Figured it'd try to spark a little activity here, so what do you have brewing?

On Saturday I brewed a 5 gallon batch on Honey Porter:
6lbs. Pale malt extract
1.5lbs. Orange Blossom Honey
1lb Honey malt
3/4lb Chocolate malt
1/2lb Roasted Barley
California V Ale Yeast

Fermentation is well under way and should be ready to move to some bottles in about 7 days ... Mmm can't wait to try it.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 15 replies

Fall Bounty to be Brewed

2007-01-29T18:47:03Z

Hello, Just packed 2 gallon jars with fruit to make Peach & Pear cordial. Who else is using up the fall bounty & How are you accomplishing it?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 8 replies

Dead Guy Ale clone.

2007-01-08T01:22:25Z

I bottled up this Dead Guy Ale clone last night. Bottling took about 4 hours, which is typical. Also, the recipe called for 1.5 oz. of Perle hops...I used 1 oz. of Nugget hops instead (I accidentally bought the wrong kind). I'm predicting that it'll have a hoppier flavor than Dead Guy...we'll see, though. It smelled great out of the fermenter.

I also used liquid yeast for the first time and I wasn't that thrilled with it, so I may stick to dry yeast in future batches.

Linky: http://webtrolley.org/mivastore/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BaderBrewandWine&Product_Code=4170&Category_Code=1007

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Should I?

2007-01-07T22:59:32Z

ok, without going into the long story, in Short I recieved 9 corney kegs for free yesterday. 4 of which still are full with home brew. These have been sitting for at least the past 5 years. one has a label the says it was kegged in 95.

so should I try them, or dump them.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Silly beer commercial

2007-01-04T03:01:28Z

This takes bit to load, but it's pretty funny.

http://www.framestore-cfc.com/press/05pr/051003noitulove/amv_gune339_050_qt.mov

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 6 replies

Honey Mango Beer

2006-12-29T02:03:13Z

Aloha, I am planning on making a five gallon batch of beer using about 6 pounds local honey and another 6 pounds of 2 row and light crystal, and the adding mango into the secondary fermenter. I was wondering if anyone out there has made a beer like this, with about half honey and half malt for fermentables. Most of the recipes I've run across were either braggots (about 10 pounds honey and only two pounds grain) or traditional honey beers (mostly grain with only a couple pounds honey). Also, anyone experimented with mango before?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

Fermentation Question

2006-12-29T02:00:55Z

Ok, so the temp here finally got to a point where I can start brewing again. I picked up the ingredients for a honey brown ale. It's been in the carboy for just under 3 days now and it's going a little different than the other 2 batches I've brewed. Only about 15hrs in the carboy and I had a VERY active fermentation going, but at the 2 day point it really backed off then this morning it was going really slow. I'm afraid my fermentation is going to get "stuck" before it's complete. What do you guys think? Am I just on track to a really speed fermentation or is the sudden abrupt slow down a sign of something else? I've read the brown ales tend to be quick fermenters, but it's just acting quite differently then the other batches I've done.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Merry Christmas...

2006-12-25T04:08:52Z

Here's to you and your's from me and mine. Happy Holidays...

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

1st Batch in 15 years

2006-10-27T00:15:15Z

After a 15 year hiatus, I'm brewing again. Here are my notes my set-up and my 1st batch.

The first purchase for my set-up was a mini-fridge. I know its not essential brewing equipment, but one of the reasons I stopped brewing before is that I like Lagers and I've never had a spot that's cool enough to age them properly. So I got a 35 bottle wine fridge (Danby DWC310BL) for about $180 with shipping. A 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket fits nicely in it. My carboy is still over at my in-law's house, so I haven't had a chance to see if it will fit too. I'm a little worried about the verticle clearance. I also need to get a thermostat switch for it--when its barely on it chills down to 44 degrees.

My next stop was Annapolis Homebrew to pick-up a beer kit and the equipment needed for primary fermentation. I could have gotten everything I need from start to finish on this trip, but what's the fun in that? Anyway, I spent $90 and this is what I got:
Hydrometer
Hydrometer Thief
Syphon Starter
Mixing Paddle
Floating Thermometer
6.5 gal Fermenting Bucket w/ Lid
6 ft of 5/16" Hose
Star San sanitizer
Munton's Gold Porter kit

The Porter is a no-boil kit. So I just had to sanitze the equipment, then mix the canned malt with enough water to make 5 gallons and then add the dried yeast from the kit. The initial gravity was 1.0425.

Stay tuned, next week I rack to my secondary fermentor. I just hope it fits in the fridge.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

Oh the humanity of it!!!!

2006-10-04T14:37:47Z

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/03/hops.fire.ap/index.html

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Yeast nutrient??

2006-09-15T05:43:14Z

Anyone had any experiance with this and does it really make things go better? I ran an experiment a while back with suggar water and yeast that I then mixed a coolaide into for flavour. Yes I know its not a fine wine but it was quite drinkable much like a wine cooler or a mixed drink. The price was right and since we have a large percentage of young women who like the little fruity drinks it went over well. The problem was it took quite alittle while to cook up. I was thinking that maybe sugar alone wasnt enough to keep the yeast healthy. Anyone have any ideas or comments I'm welcoming suggestions. For all the purists out there who think what I described sounds like blasphemy just remember the purpose isnt a dinner wine but rather bulk party supplies for about a dollar a gallon.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 6 replies

Rookie Move!

2006-09-11T14:24:24Z

I just put my first batch into the fermentor and during boiling I had my hop bag with pellets open up into the brew ...doh!. At which point, and how, should I strain out that hop sediment? or should I just let it settle and just be careful about transfer to secondary fermentation???

thanks,

The Rookie
posted by:

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

hops!!

2006-08-28T10:59:20Z

ok , this is year three of my hops growing er experiment and suddenly I have GALLONS!
Ignoring a friends' advice, I was a little heavy handed on this latest IPA yesterday
and today the house smells of magnum/centenial/ and some forgotten breed.
Hope it's drinkable ;)
how does one calculate acidity of an unknown batch?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Making Stronger Beer?

2006-08-28T10:53:24Z

Ok well summer I’m starting to think about brewing another batch in about a month. Last spring I made a pomegranate stout that was super tasty, I loved it and everyone who tried it loved it. The only thing was it wasn't very strong, I prefer to drink beer with a slightly (ok well I want it to be STRONG) higher alcohol content, it gives it a good bite. So let’s say I have a recipe I love, how do I make that beer come out with a higher alcohol content? I would assume you need more sugars for the yeast to convert, but what do I put in to add more sugar? And do some things work better for different beers (honey, Belgian candy sugar, etc...).

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 9 replies

Looking for a cooper/barrel maker - Xpost

2006-08-28T00:56:47Z

Hello,

Please forgive me for crossposting this:

I am looking for someone to dismantle and re-assemble a 1930s era wine vat. It is in the basement of a home I own in San Francisco; I would like to move it to my residence in Oakland. Unfortunately, the house was built around the vat and it needs to be taken apart.

So if anyone's interested, or can make any recommendations, please send me a message. Thanks for your help!!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

berries in beer

2006-08-21T04:23:21Z

I have a gallon of service berries (june berries) and a gallon of wineberries, both frozen. can anyone suggest a recipe in which I could use these berries (either of them or both)? I suppose some sort of lambic thing would be in order but I don't know much about these beers. thanks for the help!
-sequoia
P.S. I only have 5gal carbois, so it would have to be that batch size.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

wild yeast?

2006-08-07T21:26:32Z

I've been searching for ways to brew fruit wines and such that don't need chemical sanitizers- I'm especially interested in using location-specific wild yeasts...the problem is that I can't find any! one batch started producing co2 after a week, then turned quickly to nasty vinegar, while the other hasn't seemed to do anything but smell like alcohol (no bubbles through the airlock, no wine-y taste). Both of them were left covered in screen for up to a week (stirred daily) before being capped.
Any tips? anone have another way of finding wild yeasts?
thanks muchly
---me

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

Summer Brewing

2006-07-18T18:13:29Z

My first batches I made were in spring with a pretty mild temp. I think I will have a hard time keeping my wort at an acceptable temp in the summer. Without getting a fridge to regulate temp what is the best way to keep the wort at an optimal temp in the summer time? Are there certain varieties of yeast that are mor forgiving to the heat? Any suggestions...thanks!

-Joe

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Cherry-Strawberry Heather Meade

2006-07-14T05:11:47Z

I just mixed up 5 Gallons of the following potion 4 days ago:

1 1/2 Gal. Raw Fireweed/Wildflower Honey
1 1/2 Gal. Raw Orange Blossom Honey
1 Gal. Canned Black Cherries and Juice
1 Gal Frozen Strawberries
1 Gallon Yet-To-Be-Determined Juice
1 Oz. Heather Flowers and Tips
4 Vanilla Beans
Scottish Yeast
Yeast Nutrients

It has just begun to ferment. I hope it is ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I tried real hard to get Heather Honey, but had no luck. Can anybody help? I'm willing to pay quite a bit of money for it.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Rosemary In Beer?

2006-06-21T02:14:27Z

I have a TON of rosemary growing in my front yard, does this herb mix well in beer> Or would it be too medicinal?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 8 replies

Advice On Making a Converted Keg System...

2006-06-21T01:36:13Z

Does anyone here have any experience at making a converted keg system? I've got a line on some retired kegs, and am thinking about putting one together. I've found a wealth of information on the internet about these things, but I've been hoping to get some pointers from a brewer who's already put one together; you only get one shot at modifying steel vessels like these. Any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Need beer making equipment?

2006-06-16T02:16:41Z

I am trying to find a new home for my brewing stuff as I just dont have the time and space to keep making 5 gallon batches of beers. If you or anyone you know wants to get started, here's what I got:

Four gallon enamel boiling pot with lid
Bottle Capper, two hand model
Bottle filler tubes and valves
50+ blank bottle caps
Carboy Brush
Glass fermentation bottle 5 gallon capacity
Vapor lock
Specific gravity measuring device (for sugar and alcohol content)
4 gallon boiling pot
24 new bottles, brown glass

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

First try.

2006-06-15T14:02:31Z

I just got a home brewing kit. My first beer was done on tuesday. I skunked it, very badly. Any pointers or help anyone can offer?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 11 replies

Whats your brewing space like?

2006-06-15T13:13:17Z

Hey home brewers!

I just bought a house and am looking to set up a basement brewing space as best as I can. I already have plans for installing a sick and counter to work on but today realized I hadn't thought about how I was going to set up a place to boil. I have been brewing for about 5 years now and also making due in whatever apartment I have been in. Mostly I have used the turkey fryer outside of the garage - which I have liked - however at my house I do have a garage but my driveway is steep right out of the door - no level surface a safe distance away.

How do folks have the brewing spaces set up? I would love to hear people’s suggestions

Brew on!

Michael

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

mite infested hops... ok to use??

2006-06-05T21:04:31Z

We have gorgeous hops growing up the side of our house. We noticed that a lot of leaves were turning brown but hadn't figured out until this week that it's mites (spider mites, I guess, I just read up on the webs and there they were). Now some we have cones ready to harvest and I'm not sure we should use them 'cause Bug Brew sounds a little gross. Anyone have any experience with this? Will the mites go away while the hops are drying? Will we run the risk of ingesting way over the FDA approved quantity of bug carcasses? Does it matter?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 12 replies

Dry Malt Vs. Liquid Malt Extract...

2006-06-05T03:52:29Z

So far i've been using Liquid Malt Extract, what is the difference between this and dry malt extract. Is one cheeper? Does one produce better beer? Just curious.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Does Yarrow Make Particularly Strong Beer?

2006-05-30T05:19:23Z

I have read that Yarrow makes beer that is extremely intoxicating and that has a wicked hangover as well!!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Adding Fruit Juice to Beer?

2006-05-27T01:02:56Z

I'm pretty new to home brewing but so far I am really enjoying it.

My last batch was pomegranate stout. After my boil I added 1 quart of pasteurized pomegranate juice to the wort. After I let it sit in bottles for 2 weeks I tried it and the fruit juice added a very pleasant tartness, I was expecting this as this is what the local brew store said to expect for this recipe.

My question is, will all fruit juice turn out tart? What if I actually want to taste the sweet flavor of the juice in my brew? In the stout I made all I tasted was the tartness and no hint of the juice itself. Does it make a difference if I add the juice while the wort is boiling or after? Anyone have some insight on adding fruit juice?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

violent fermentation

2006-05-27T01:01:47Z

I don't know what to do. I am brewing a peach cyder and it is fermenting very violently the fome went up into the bubbler and is cloudy. This is the first time this has happen to a batch that i have brewed. Is this normal? what should i do?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

nettle beer

2006-05-24T00:17:18Z

my friend suggested a recipe for me to make some beer with all the nettles I have:
1#lite crystal malt
1/2#biscuit malt
1/2#aromatic malt
6#NW gold malt extract
1 ounce czhech saaz hops (at the end)
belgian yeast.
but he didn't tell me how much nettle to use. he said he used about 3 gallons of plant matter, but I just used that much for a mead, and I could be wrong, but right now it smells (through the airlock) that it's going to be more medicinal than culinary. that is to say, it smells really f'ing strong/bitter and I doubt it will make much use as a dinner wine.
I'm thinking to just use one gallon of plant matter (leaves and stems) but I don't want it to be too weak. he suggested boiling the wort for 50 min. adding the nettles at ten, then the hops 1/2 at 45 and 1/2 at 50. another consideration is that my biggest pot is about 3 gallons, so I were gonna do more than about a gallon of plant matter it would have to be boiled separately.
thanks for the suggestions!

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

yeast

2006-05-06T22:36:15Z

What temp. can yeast be added? Thanks

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

extra hops in beer kit?

2006-05-05T22:20:33Z

hi-- new to home-brewing (moved from Portland, city of great micro-brews, to small-town Nova Scotia, home to 2 microbrews)--and we've found an easy IPA beer kit (just add water for primary fermentation)-- how can i make it more hoppy? i love the extra-hoppy beers --(any PDX folks ever had the fresh-hopped IPA at the Horse Brass on Fridays??) Can I make a hop tea and use that instead of water? any tips?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

POLL: What are you brewing (now or next)?

2006-05-05T17:03:00Z

and...
when did you last brew?

my answer:
I am brewing a PORTER next (but haven't yet figured out how to pollute (i.e. flavor) it.

I last brewed about 2 years ago. Slackin' a bit.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 47 replies

A better syphon starter?

2006-05-02T16:24:44Z

Does anyone have a syphon system that always works? My hubby just about blew out the vein in his temple trying to syphon a batch of cider into bottles today. He starts it with water, but it kept getting bubbles and foaming and stopping. Ideas will be appreciated.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Has anyone tried agave in cider?

2006-04-30T16:37:48Z

wondering how it would taste

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

transfering from carboy

2006-04-28T15:33:17Z

Hello everyone, I am new to this tribe and new to brewing beer. I am working on a California Ale now. I will be carbonating in bottles. I could use some suggestions on what you think is the best way to transfer the uncarbonated beer out of the carboy leaving the wert without contamination and as little mess as possible. My first batch came out great, but while doing this step I felt clumsy using a syphon, it was a mess and it seemed I had potential for contamination...like there had to be a streamlined way to transfer it. Anything would be of great help, thanks.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

Smoked Maple Bacon Ale ???

2006-04-20T01:00:30Z

I want to brew a bacon brew however, I know I cant use a "real" pork product. Maybe imitation bacon bits ? I know it's strange but it's how I roll. Need that bacon flavor. Any suggestions ?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Making Mead in tropical conditions

2006-04-06T12:25:01Z

Hey,
I like to make a mead here in Brazil. I have access to cheap honey but I don't have any materials or recepies for making it in 80 to 90 + degree weather. Any suggestions and/or homemade supplies I might be able to use here?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

delirium tremens

2006-02-24T16:55:46Z

anyone have a clone recipie for this wonderful brew? I would die a happy man if i could make it

thanks!
Eric

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

What ails your ales? The Seattle Home Brew Fair.

2006-02-14T18:55:04Z

What ails your ales?

The second annual Homebrew Fair is taking place in Seattle on March 25.
The Homebrew Fair brings together all of the local clubs, vendors, and judges
for socializing, lectures, and competition.

The competition is run to the BJCP style guidelines, but is unique,in that,
after the 2-person team of evaluators score the beer, they discuss it one-on-one
with the brewer. This rich feedback forum helps both the brewers and the judges improve their skills.

Last year, it was the largest one-day competition in the state and was
sucessful beyond our wildest dreams, mostly due to the number of people
that showed up to help us evaluate beers. We need judges and experienced brewers! Even if
you are just thinking about taking the test, this is a great opportunity, as we
pair inexperienced judges with "mentors" and the feedback from the brewers is like
real-time test experience. It's also much more rewarding to actually meet
the person and get their appreciation face-to-face.

We would sincerely appreciate anybody who would like to come evaluate,
lecture, or just hob-nob. This year Brouwer's Cafe is hosting the post-event party where we can continue to enjoy and discuss our passion for things fermentable. And really, that's what it is all about - the passion.

Please visit the site www.homebrewfair.com for sign-up and more
information.
(Please pre-register so we can order the correct amounts of swag for the
evaluators, we are making a concerted effort this year to reward your
efforts.)

Remember, we only have the venue for a few hours, so we really need the
evaluators to show up on time (12:15). We will not be wasting your time, you will show up and judging will start almost immediately. This worked really well last year and I can't thank people enough for their timeliness.

If you want more information please contact Jon Tobey at
jontobey@yahoo.com

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Too Easy

2006-02-10T04:30:01Z

Buy one gallon organic apple juice. Open and pour a 16 oz. glass. Drink it. Sprinkle a little Lalvin EC-1118 yeast in the one gallon bottle. Top with fermentation lock and 71/2 stopper. let ferment until it stops. Rack it into another gallon bottle. Let age in fridge for one month. Share it.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 16 replies

Kegging question

2006-01-30T14:54:06Z

I've managed to accumulate 4 empty (though functional, I think) kegs. I've got a co2 system and some other gear on order, but I was hoping to find out about cleaning my kegs between use.

On pro-brewer.com I found a couple of threads about OPENING 1/2 barrel kegs to clean them out, but this has gotta take a lot of hardware. Plus it sounds impractical for somebody just doing a few kegs a year. What's the proper technique and cleaning regimen to make sure you get those things safe for another batch?

Cheers

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 14 replies

bottling issues

2006-01-23T10:26:05Z

A few months ago I made a hefeweizen and a christmas ale. I made them the same day and bottled them when they were both done. The christmas ale is great. It's nicely carbonated and tastes wonderful. The hefeweizen, however, refuses to carbonate. It's been bottled now for over a month and it still tastes sweet from the corn sugar and has no carbonation. I used the same water for both and sterilized everything religiously. Any ideas?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 5 replies

Please forgive me, but....................................

2006-01-20T22:33:20Z

I'm just a little buzzed from one of my experiments and just wondering:
Do any of you notice the differences in the effects of the alcohol caused perhaps by the ingredients you use? Cannabis connoisseurs report subtleties in the effects of the THC from strain to strain and depending upon the growing method(soil or hydroponic, organic or conventional, etc.).
I experimented with various types of sugars and found fructose has a better "buzz" than corn sugar(dextrose). It also yields a more palatable product. I am using various fruit juices in my experiments and would like to hear your thoughts on this.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

First batch, yeast question...

2006-01-18T12:41:09Z

I just cooked up my first batch tonight, and ran into a problem. I got an extra pale ale kit and upon using the "smack pack", I failed to break one of the pockets open. I didn't notice this until it was time to pitch the yeast. I did note that the package had puffed up a bit over night. I went ahead and mixed it in anyway.

Have I doomed my first batch from the start or should I wait and see?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 7 replies

Cranberry Cordial

2006-01-18T02:02:41Z

I just set up some cranberry cordial. I plan on sharing it at a xmas eve party.

I took 2 packages of cranberries (24 oz), pulsed them in a food processor until they were coarsely chopped, and pored them into a 2 qt bottle. Then I pored in 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of light rum.

I'll let it sit in the pantry and give it a shake every few days to get the sugar off the bottom. On xmas eve, I'll filter it into a decorative bottle.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

for the techs: too much grain for my setup?

2006-01-17T20:40:24Z

I am again trying a BIG barley wine in my half keg set up
and got really poor effeciency last year. 30 pounds of grain for 6.5 galllons is huge, maybe beyond my meager set up.
So I substituted 7.5 pounds of LME for some of the grain.
Anyone have any thoughts?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

Lift a mug for Ben!

2006-01-16T18:55:39Z

http://www.beertown.org/events/pra/sites.aspx

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

homemade liqueur

2006-01-12T10:29:04Z

hey, i want to make a homemade liqueur. i'd get a recipe off the internet, but i like winging things. some advice would be nice, though.

i also haven't settled on ingredients. an idea in mind is something with coconut and cinnamon and a nut (maybe other wintry spices too?).

using Indian "Gud" (raw cane sugar stuff, interesting material) instead of typical Western sugar...

I bought Vodka to do it with. When do you use one alcohol base and when do you use another? I really haven't the tastebuds to sort it all out.

How long should it steep for? Is using a dark glass bottle a smart idea? Could I trial-run do a bunch of different small batches first?

Is using cheap vodka (or other base) a bad idea? (I got something distilled, don't worry).

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

hmmm..... I wonder

2005-12-21T12:05:42Z

http://www.watercone.com/product.html

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply

when wine goes sour

2005-12-19T23:53:58Z

There was too much air in the carboy when it fermented and now it has a vinegar taste/smell

Are there any cures?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

bad beer

2005-12-19T03:36:11Z

I used to make beer at my parents' house in their basement and it always came out awesome. I would sanitize everything with a dilute bleach solution. Then when i moved farther away from them I started making beer at my home and letting it ferment in the garage (about the same temp). I also started using the food grade sanitizing liquid (iodine?) that you pick up at the brew store. well both batches I've made so far have turned out bad (acetobacter). The only variables have been the location and the sanitizing agent. Besides the obvious one, could the location make it more susceptable?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 6 replies

bulk malt extract

2005-12-15T20:22:49Z

can anyone tell me where i can find cheap barrels of malt extract?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 2 replies

Looking for Home Brewing Help/Support in S FL

2005-11-29T15:25:40Z

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to see if there is anyone here in the Group that could possibly offer up some info concerning Home Brewing Supply Stores, Home Brewing Clubs and Info here in the South Florida area, I would really like to get into making my own Beer..Lager or Ales in the near future.
Any and all help would be appreciated

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 4 replies

Questionable Fermentation

2005-11-02T03:53:16Z

So I am sick of brewing 5 gallons at a time. It isn't enough for me. I was looking into those larger conical fermenters that go upto 25 gallons but they are pretty expensive and would require me to ferment in the garage where I don't have temperature control.

I thought I found the perfect vessel this weekend. My local brew store has a 16 gallon plastic bucket that the malt gets shipped in. The store owner was willing to sell it to me for 3 bucks. It has a big old fat handle on it so I can lift it up 150lbs full. I can seal it with threaded plugs. Has anyone tried using these yet? Am I missing something or is this the perfect thing?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

anyboy know a gluten/wheat/barley free beer?

2005-10-06T02:00:18Z

Just found out that I'm allergic to gluten, but love beer, any one know of a good sub for barley?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 9 replies

Off taste

2005-09-09T19:26:15Z

Hi everyone,

I have made several batches of beer, cider, mead I would guess somewhere around 15. I enjoyed the process and the product.

Having said that not one of my beers, ciders or wines would be comercial quality. I seem to have subtle off tastes and odd flavorings. It isn't to say that the beer is bad but I don't think I would buy the 6 pack a second time.

Is this something that I will work out over time? Am I not sanitizing enough? Is homebrew suppose to be a little off?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 15 replies

into Root Beer?

2005-09-01T20:49:15Z

One tribe for that:

http://rootbeer.tribe.net/

(not a beer per-se, but a great libation, to be sure)

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

When do you usually harvest your hops?

2005-08-26T22:03:46Z

Do you harvest them 1 time or 2 times a season?

How do you dry them?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 0 replies

Anyone ever tried?

2005-08-25T15:30:33Z

Anyone ever tried plain sugar water?

just sugar water and yeast? I mean I know it SHOULD work but has anyone ever actually tried it? I was just currious how it would taste? And if from there you could mix it with herbs like mint etc...

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 3 replies

Any one here make Liqueurs?

2005-07-25T21:42:31Z

I have been making liqueurs for a couple of years now and was wondering if there was anyone else that has done it? Perhaps trade some recipes?

Also, how about country wines?

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 15 replies

Homebrewing Programmer(s) Needed!

2005-07-20T17:09:53Z

Hi all,

I'm looking to get one or two more programmers involved in an open source project a couple friends and I have started.

We're creating a cross-platform homebrewing app. Come on....software and beer? What could be better.? ....Something similar to ProMash (www.promash.com) ... but with a better interface, more userfriendly, modern features i.e. XML recipe format) and well, it won't just work on Windows... I'm a Mac user myself, and another one of us is a Linux guy, so...

Just send me a mail if you're interested...or just curious....

posted in Home Brewing and Winemaking - 1 reply