Anyone Ever Try to Homebrew?

[Metalhead]

Didn't want to derail the local brew thread, so I started my own.

Has anyone brewed their own beer? I'm toying with the idea of doing it myself, and buying one of those brewing kits off the net but want to know if they are worth buying or should I look into an alternative? I think it would be fun to get into, but always been apprehensive about doing it. Was looking at www.mrbeer.com.

[molonlabetn]

This is something which I plan on trying in the near future.

[Tim Nunan]

I have done it frequently with great results. Used to sell the equipment and ingredients. Just have to be careful pouring as there is often sediment in the bottle. Don't try to reuse screw-on top bottles. They aren't thick enough to stand the pressure.

The finished product tastes like European beers which is quite different than American.

[Will]

Had the 5 gallon kit and all tasted like microbrew which I do not care for Bud and

Coors are lighter and what I like. The family liked it so it did not stay around long.

Had the capper and few empty cases of bottle (return) cases. Now the grape

and spud and other wines in same kit Yes. Cost on beer about what you can buy it for at Kroger.

[Guest m&pc9]

A buddy of mine made some Exlax and said it was homebrew:p

[chipperi]

I live close enough to Carter County to get "homebrew" right from the still

[Angus]

Hey Daniel, MrBeer is what I have used several times. I liked it. Up the sugar a lil and you up the alcohol content....my dad-in-law and I got sauced on a 2 liter bottle.

[Guest Jason F.]

I have been home brewing for a few years now. There are two good suppliers for beer and wine making in town. One is All Seasons on 8th Avenue near downtown http://www.allseasonsnashville.com/index.html the other is Worm's Way in Goodlettsville. http://www.wormsway.com/stores/TN.asp

There are also at least three local home brew clubs. The Music City Brewers, the Antioch Sud Suckers, and the Mid State Brew Crew (Murfreesboro). I highly recomend going to a club meeting, talking with a few of the folks, and sampling some of the beers.

Do not waste your time with a Mr Beer kit. You best bet is to find a current home brewer who will let you brew a batch on their gear. Offer to buy all the ingredients if they will show you the process and let you brew with them. Most are always willing to show a new guy the ropes. That way you get to see what equipment you really need and what you do not need. You also get to try some beer for very little cost up front to see if it is something you will really enjoy.

The cost of ingredients is cheap. I can make 5 gallons of beer for about $30 give or take. The equipment can cost some cash to accumulate though. You can get started with a bare bones brew system and add to it over time to help though.

I highly recommend three internet resources for seeing what is out there. Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/ is a great online retailer and supplier. Also Beer, Beer, and More Beer http://morebeer.com/. Both have great catalogs and info. There are also good Forums on their sites. The last one I recommend is The Brewing Network http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/ the do live broadcast streams of beer shows along with podcasts of those shows. They also have a good forum on the website.

Feel free to ask any questions you like here or via PM.

[Guest MEC]

I used to Homebrew a little. It was very easy and I was very happy with the results. I pretty much stopped drinking and so stopped homebrewing. But my wife has recently discovered she really likes some beer, that plus some questions from a friend at work have got me thinking about it again. I still have most of my equipment so I might give it a shot. It would take some investment, I think I broke my hydrometer, I never liked my racking equipment and I never did get a good wort chiller.

[Guest pjblurton]

Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/ is a great online retailer and supplier.

I feel that you should support you local brewshops when you can but anymore I buy nearly all of my supplies from Northern Brewer. Top quality ingredients and the price is right. Flat rate shipping too!

Mr. Beer will not be worth your time.

You really just need a good quailty stock pot, a good primary and secondary fermenter and a few other misc items depending on how you store your beer. Alot of people bottle their beer but I keg all of my beers in old soda style 5 gal kegs and use CO2 to dispense.

I am brewing, on average, 1 five gallon batch per month. So at any given time, I will have one on tap, one in the secondary and one in the primary. I'm the only one drinking in my house so the timing works out just about right.

Once you get a couple of batches under your belt, you will find that your homebrew turns out better than anything that you can buy commercially at any price!

Here is a pic of my kegerator setup.

Cheers:cheers:

[Guest Jason F.]

Yeah I keg most of my beer as well. I only bottle some specialty beers and some mead. I made my kegerator out of a small chest freezer. I currently have it set up for two taps but it can handle 3 if I so desire. Right now I have one set up with a commercial Sanky tap and a ball lock homebrew tap for the soda keg.

Kegging is far better than bottling but you can get going with bottles at first to get a feel for everything. You can put off the cost of the keg system until later.

[Guest tngunman]

Does wine count? I have a recipe for "Rebel Yell"

[Guest flyfishtn]

I live close enough to Carter County to get "homebrew" right from the still

I have friends in Greene County that get me that.

[Guest 70below]

I used to homebrew quite a bit back in college. I agree about staying away from Mr. Brew. If you really aren't looking to give it a fair shake and just want to say you did it, maybe. But if you want to take the time to learn how to make a quality beer and one that you'll be able to call your favorite, then get equipment and at very least use a canned starter. Bottling is a good way to start out cheap. Get a capper, some caps, sugar, and a bottle brush (to clean your bottles) and your set. I used to go to a local bar and ask for used bottles and they would let me pick through. I'd grab all the good grolsch bottles, and other heavy glass bottles. Heck I even used Corona bottles on some of the blonde beers. Get "Homebrewing: For Dummies" its a great beginners resource, its funny, and has a bit of history and a few recipes. Don't be discouraged at your first attempt. And if you don't like your new creation when you first try it. Let it age for a month more or so, and give it another go. Some of my favorite beers I hated the first time I tried 'em, but they matured into some of my favorites. My setup was pretty basic. I had a large inexpensive stainless stock pot, a 6gal glass carboy with rubber cap and bubbler, a 6gal food grade bucket with lid and spigot, capper, a cleaning brush for bottles and the carboy, a couple long spoons. I'm sure a few other things I'm not thinking about, but thats the majority of it. Remember, cleanliness is very important, you don't want the wrong yeast doing the job.

Just for fun, take a gallon jug of apple juice, drink a bit to give you some head space, then toss in a handful of raisins or crasins, cover the lid with a latex glove and rubber band, put it in a warm spot like your laundry room. Wait for the juice to bubble and inflate the glove. When the glove has deflated your cider is ready to drink! Enjoy!

Edited October 24, 2008 by 70below
clarification and addition

[Guest pjblurton]

I picked up "Homebrewing: For Dummies" before purchasing anything. It was a huge help!

I have tried a few recipies from the book as well that turned out great.

mmmm, I think I need another beer....

[Guest Jason F.]

The best books are "How to Brew" by John Palmer, "Brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil Z and John Palmer, "Brew Like a Monk", and "Radical Brewing". I forget the authors on those last two.

How to Brew is the best starter book and has every other book beat on the basic info on getting started.

[Guest Jason F.]

Oh and do yourself a favor, skip bleach and other such household crap as a cleaner/sanitizer. Go straight for a quality brewing cleaner and a good sanitizer. Powdered Brewery Wash as a cleaner and something like Starsan or Iodaphor as a sanitizer. Bleach is hard to rinse properly, bad for much of the brewing equipment, and just plain crappy to deal with as a sanitizer.

[Guest pjblurton]

"Brew Like a Monk", and "Radical Brewing". I forget the authors on those last two.

Stan Hieronymus wrote Brew Like a Monk. I have read that one. It is very good. I love trappist beers, though. I have done his Patersbier recipie several times. It's one of my favorites.

I'm not sure who wrote Radical Brewing...

[Guest db99wj]

I got one for Christmas back in the late 90's It came in a burlap bag and you hung it on a closet door, it really sucked, but I did the work, so I drank it. Sounds like I need to try this a again.

[Metalhead]

Thanks guys! Alot of good info in this thread - think I'm gonna pick up a couple of books first and see where it takes me.

PJblurton - I have that same kegerator on loan atm!

[Guest pjblurton]

PJblurton - I have that same kegerator on loan atm!

Cool... I got mine from a dude I work with. Getting rid of it was one of his 12 steps! (I gotta deal!)