Home Brewing Beer

[kb1]

So I ordered a starter kit today and all the essentials to try home brewing my own beer. This is something I have wanted to do for a while and figured I would give it a shot.

Anybody home brew? Tips and advice for someone just starting out? I hope to have the kit here some time next week, and I'll start the process either some evening next week or next weekend.

[NobodySpecific]

[jbmass]

Start with the basics, thats how I did it. Malt, hops, and yeast. Then when you get that down good (and right down your recipes so that you can perfect them), try changing your brews with the seasons.

Watching the fermentation is pretty awesome, most beers I've made don't take more than 5-7 days. Have fun, and the internet is your friend for brewing advise!

[ZX-12R]

It's been a while since I've done it but I used to brew all the time. Best advice is cleanliness is next to godliness. It is very easy to wreck a batch of beer due to improperly cleaned equipment. Take your time and make sure it is CLEAN!

Stick to some known recipies when starting out. You'll start to get the feel of how ingredients affect the final product. As you get better and better, switch to an all grain method for superior results and much more flexibility in your recipes.

There are lots of home brew groups that meet regularly to talk beer, help beginners, share costs of bulk materials, and sample eachother's products. Once you start it is hard to stop. I got out of it because I didn't have the time due to my work schedule. Lately I've been trying to plan a way for me to get started again.

[kb1]

Yes I bought an ingredient kit for my first go at it, and a two stage fermentation brewing kit with all the necessary bottling accessories.

I'm an accountant, so for the most part I have the time to work on it.

[Trickniner]

I just brewed yesterday. I normally do extract/partial grain recipes. I've done all grain though and enjoy that as well. Like has been mentioned cleanliness is super important, you don't want to spend all the time brewing and then the 2 weeks or so waiting while the beer ferments only to have it turn out to be contaminated.

Also if you have the spare funds I would look into a kegging setup instead of bottling. I've never bottled, but from everyone I know who started out bottling they all say that they don't know why they didn't keg sooner. It saves a lot of time and work cleaning and prepping all the bottles when you can just clean a single keg and fill it up. Plus if you force carb a keg the beer is usually ready to drink in a few days where as if you bottle condition you have to wait longer for the beer to be ready.

[kb1]

I just brewed yesterday. I normally do extract/partial grain recipes. I've done all grain though and enjoy that as well. Like has been mentioned cleanliness is super important, you don't want to spend all the time brewing and then the 2 weeks or so waiting while the beer ferments only to have it turn out to be contaminated.

Also if you have the spare funds I would look into a kegging setup instead of bottling. I've never bottled, but from everyone I know who started out bottling they all say that they don't know why they didn't keg sooner. It saves a lot of time and work cleaning and prepping all the bottles when you can just clean a single keg and fill it up. Plus if you force carb a keg the beer is usually ready to drink in a few days where as if you bottle condition you have to wait longer for the beer to be ready.

Thanks for the advice! Yes I did read that kegging is much easier than bottling. However for the initial investment I figured I would try it with bottles. If I enjoy the process and decide to continue and brew regularly, I will most likely invest in the kegging system. I just didn't want to spend the extra $250.00 at the start.

[eboos]

If you find that you are short on time, I'll help you drink it.

[Kazinator]

The few people i know who have home brewed have made coffee variations.....all of them were really good. Just a thought if/when you start making it

[G21forme]

Watch the pot, that shit is a bitch to clean off if it boils over. I used to brew a lot but don't really have the time anymore, if you are ever in nashua check out jaspers on temple st. He has a few hundred recipes and all ingredients and knows just about anything you would want to know about home brewing.

[HanktheTank]

Ingredient kits are the way to go until you get the process down and get a better sense of what your doing.

It won't be long until you'll be coming up with your own recipes.

I know it was already said, but i will repeat... make sure everything is clean!!! Sanitizing bottles is hands down the worst part of brewing (my apartment is way too small for a keg setup) but it still beats going through all that effort for bad beer!

[mostly.lurking]

I've done about 20 batches so far. Kegging is by far the best. I have 2 5-gallon soda kegs that I rack the beer into and then force carbonate with CO2.

I have only done extract kits, but those turn out decent results. I usually add to/subtract from the kits to get what I am looking for. I currently have an imperial nut brown on tap and an imperial stout kit waiting in the wings.

I've also found that mead making is fun, too.

[pk4882]

Here's my advice (been doing it for a long time)... brew as often as you can.

There is nothing worse than waiting for a batch to come due without something to share!

Also, research and convert to grinding & mashing your own grain malt and kegging as soon as you can afford it.

You'll save a ton of money and get much better results!

Finally, good yeast and fast chilling your boiled mash are the keys to great brews... Google "Wyeast" & "homemade wort chiller".

Ask me for advice if you need...

Cheers!

PK

P.S. Drink your mistakes... they won't hurt you.

[mostly.lurking]

P.S. Drink your mistakes... they won't hurt you.

Nice...

[ZX-12R]

P.S. Drink your mistakes... they won't hurt you.

My experience with mistakes (short of a completely fouled batch) is to let them sit after bottling. Almost all of my mistakes turned into pretty good beers by letting them sit for a long time. In one instance over a year and a half.

[nhbubba]

Same.

Got a buddy that does this. He just started kegging. I like him.

Missus talks about it every once and a while... then I remind her what a decent setup costs.

[dipthat]

Anyone interested in home growing.
I got a green thumb

[khuygie88]

Thanks for the advice! Yes I did read that kegging is much easier than bottling. However for the initial investment I figured I would try it with bottles. If I enjoy the process and decide to continue and brew regularly, I will most likely invest in the kegging system. I just didn't want to spend the extra $250.00 at the start.

You will. Unless you're one of those freaks that likes bottling

I think I bottled my first batch and then ordered 4 kegs and a CO2 system for kegging. That was a long time ago. I recently unloaded almost all of my equipment. I still have a few carboys, cappers, and basic kegging equipment as I know that will be $$$ when I get back into it.

Basically, everyone else has touched on everything else. If you don't have a basement to ferment in or your house is not air conditioned, hit the google box with "homebrew swamp cooler" or the likes... basically fill a party tub with water and swap in ice bottles to keep it at the desired temperature for fermentation. Keeping your fermentation under 68-72 depending on the type of ale will make a hell of a difference.

I'm kinda bummed I had to get out of it- my semesters were brutal this year and I have grad school coming up, so no time for now!

[jwm2k3]

My experience with mistakes (short of a completely fouled batch) is to let them sit after bottling. Almost all of my mistakes turned into pretty good beers by letting them sit for a long time. In one instance over a year and a half.

I wish that worked with my wife...

[jwm2k3]

OH, by the way I LOVE home brew...unless you suck at it.

[Expat]

It's much easier to buy it! Or visit DejaBrew in Shrewsbury!

[kb1]

You will. Unless you're one of those freaks that likes bottling

I think I bottled my first batch and then ordered 4 kegs and a CO2 system for kegging. That was a long time ago. I recently unloaded almost all of my equipment. I still have a few carboys, cappers, and basic kegging equipment as I know that will be $$$ when I get back into it.

Basically, everyone else has touched on everything else. If you don't have a basement to ferment in or your house is not air conditioned, hit the google box with "homebrew swamp cooler" or the likes... basically fill a party tub with water and swap in ice bottles to keep it at the desired temperature for fermentation. Keeping your fermentation under 68-72 depending on the type of ale will make a hell of a difference.

I'm kinda bummed I had to get out of it- my semesters were brutal this year and I have grad school coming up, so no time for now!

I figured I would bottle my first couple batches and if it went well I would invest in the kegging system. That would also allow me fast turn-around if I wanted to always have a home brew on hand.

I can't wait until it gets here! I will post up some pictures of the first brew as I go!

[The Architect]

Second ferment. Not necessary but worth it. Throw it into another carboy and wait (sometimes a week or two sometimes more.) It'll help clear the beer up a lot.

[kb1]

Second ferment. Not necessary but worth it. Throw it into another carboy and wait (sometimes a week or two sometimes more.) It'll help clear the beer up a lot.

I read that as well, which is why I bought the kit with two carboys. My only nervousness is the siphoning and limiting it's exposure.

[Trickniner]

Second ferment. Not necessary but worth it. Throw it into another carboy and wait (sometimes a week or two sometimes more.) It'll help clear the beer up a lot.

Also if the type of beer calls for a dry hop, it usually takes place during the secondary fermentation stage. I guess you could just open up the primary and toss it in but I've always done it with a secondary carboy.