Any Homebrewers Out There?

[shunoshi]

I'm new here, but figured I'd test the waters and find out who out there shares some of my hobbies. In this case, I'm talking about brewing beer. Anyone out there a homebrewer?

I have a tiny partial mash setup with a 2-gallon MLT. I've been on hiatus ever since moving into a smaller apartment (lack of room/stove firepower). My wife and I close on a new house at the end of the month though, so I've been wanting to get back into the swing of things. I've told myself that I won't start again until I get a kegging setup though. Wow, do I hate bottling.

My favorite recipe to date is a Two Hearted Ale clone. Loves me some centennial hops (bit of a hop head here).

I only just recently took up cigars (about 2 months ago now). My humidor is sitting at about 50 sticks, so I've barely gotten my feet wet yet. I'm looking forward to coming up with some top quality brews soon to go with some top quality sticks.

[samb]

shunoshi, meet garyf...... garyf, meet shunoshi..... Im sure you two will become the best of . shunoshi, you must seek out Mr. f, he is an avid home brewer and an all around American BA!! garyf is how the West was won.

[jmasterj]

Currently have a holiday brew in the primary. OG 1.058

Welcome to the forum Shunoshi

[lancashirescott]

Hi Shunoshi,

I haven't had a go at beer, but done quite a bit of hedgerow wines and Mead, with the latter with some good results.

I even had a go at Birch sap wine but I don't recommend it lol

Mead has different brewing capabilities than other brews you can have a really high S.G. and get some pretty potent but tasty results!

[shunoshi]

Lookin' good, jmasterj. I may actually move to all-grain brewing when I get back into the swing of things here. I'm comfortable with the mashing process since I've done quite a few partial mash batches. I just need to buy the equipment, including a big enough brew kettle.

Hi Shunoshi,

I haven't had a go at beer, but done quite a bit of hedgerow wines and Mead, with the latter with some good results.

I even had a go at Birch sap wine but I don't recommend it lol

Mead has different brewing capabilities than other brews you can have a really high S.G. and get some pretty potent but tasty results!

I actually have 3 1-gallon batches conditioning right now. A rhubarb wine, rhubarb mead, and strawberry rhubarb mead. They finished fermenting about 6-7 months ago. Looking forward to giving them a taste. First try with these recipes, with using rhubarb, and with making mead in general. I'm crossing my fingers.

[jmasterj]

including a big enough brew kettle.

Can never have a big enough kettle!

[stargazer14]

I brewed my own beer for years.

There was a time in the states when any beer different than Bud , Coors, or Miller were the 'exotics'-

and we had so many to chose from : Molson, Amstel, and Heineken. That was it!

So, being dragged around Europe as a kid I developed a taste for full bodied beers and had to brew my own.

These days however, all those guys that got into homebrewing back then now own a brewery

and the selection of beers in the states is endless.

Its just not worth brewing anymore.

Anybody need any old equipment?.....

[SeanGAR]

I have been known to brew a bit of beer. I have ten 5gal corny kegs filled at the moment for class ... hmm .. lessee what we have ... PA, IPA, ESB, porter, cherry porter, imperial Russian stout, Kolsch, malt liquor (a cream ale my TA doubled up on the ingredients by mistake), crystal hefe, Irish red ... yup, that's all. I'll brew an ESB and a 2 hearted clone for myself when I get free kegs. Oh, I forgot .. I also have a Flemish red ale sitting in a secondary ... it was started last fall so I should be thinking of having a sniff sometime soon to see how things look.

[lancashirescott]

I actually have 3 1-gallon batches conditioning right now. A rhubarb wine, rhubarb mead, and strawberry rhubarb mead. They finished fermenting about 6-7 months ago. Looking forward to giving them a taste. First try with these recipes, with using rhubarb, and with making mead in general. I'm crossing my fingers.

I know this a bit late, the Straw/Rhub sounds good have you sampled it yet?

If you do take to the taste of Mead there is one recipe I did that was just so good young it was the only one I did a 5 gallon batch of "Joe's Ancient Orange" it's renowned for being drinkable in only 2 months, it is fermented with actual everyday "Bread Yeast" believe it or not!

If memory serves me correctly you literally cut a couple of oranges into 1/8ths shove them in a DJ with cloves, honey, bread yeast, ferments in a couple of weeks and as soon as the oranges sink to the bottom it's clear as a bell and drinkable in about 5 weeks to 2 months!

Also worth a try are "Cysers" honey and apple juice either on it's own or with various fruits.

I have a few that are in storage, Blueberry, Strawberry/Vanilla, Blackberry, Traditional Mead using "Bee Pollen" as a nutrient to name but a few, there all very good and if fermented dry are better than the sweet cloying comercial types I have tried!

If you want to try the Ancient Orange let me know I will dig the recipe out!

Also let me know how the Straw/Rhub tastes sounds good,

Cheers Scott

[gfoster]

Sorry, I completely missed this topic (not sure how, I must have been drunk).

Yep, I'm an avid homebrewer, used to brew competitively. I don't currently have anything on tap or in the fermenter though, I am still recovering from the brewing marathon for Oktoberfest.

I generally tend to favor bitters, milds (brown ales, etc), and other British-style ales. I have one hell of an oatmeal stout which many people claim is a dead ringer for Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout (I didn't consciously clone it, guess it was a happy accident lol). Brown ales have to be my top favorite style to brew (and drink).

-- Gary F.

[TrickNick]

Avid homebrewer. I do wine and mead for fun, but my beer goes to competitions.

[stargazer14]

I had now-gone beer guru Michael Jackson sample one of my brews years ago at a competition in Philadelphia,

dont remember winning anything, but did have fun brewing. As a graphic artist I also go into my labels pretty seriously!

[Ethernut]

Ahhhhhh IPA's I'm a sucker for a Dogfish Head 90 or 120 minute IPA...

[thechenman]

Ahhhhhh IPA's I'm a sucker for a Dogfish Head 90 or 120 minute IPA...

I can second you on that. DFH 90 minute IPA is my regular beer, and the 120 are another favorite. Saved for after a big meal with a cigar and friends.

[cabaiguan juan]

I just got a home brew set-up from my bro-in-law for Xmas. I am about to renovate my Kitchen, but once its done, I'm looking forward to starting my first batch.