Any home brewers ???

runningboar

runningboar

Joined
May 27, 2006
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I have my second batch of cider fermenting right now and was wondering if anyone else dabbles in home brew. I just started and it is a very interesting hobby, and if the SHTF knowing how to make a good palatable alcoholic beverage might come in handy.:rolleyes: :D

Chris
 
here here!

Me and a buddy home-brewed some batches of beer several years ago.
Man, nothing like it, tasted great.

We got lucky, had a local place called "brewmasters" that had all the supplies.
It was one of those kits that used the 5 gal plastic buckets.
We collected all the green bottles (we liked green) , washed and sanitized them, and capped a couple of cases in total.

Agreed, would be a good thing to know how to do.
 
Lots of good things to be made with yeast! (In a SHTF scenario, you'd have to figure out how to get yeast...)

In Central and South American cultures, there are a number of backwoods brews collectively known as chicha. (Saw a lot of it in Ecuador, but was never tempted enough to try it!) Made from corn, mantioc, casava, fruit, or whatever happens to be around, in many cultures it is a dietary staple as much as it is a social lubricant. Rather than germinating the grains to increase the sugar content (malting), they chew the starches and allow the salivary amylase to convert the sugar into simple sugars. Many also rely on natural yeasts for fermentation as well.

I've made a number of good brews and have come to prefer the clear bottles as it's easier to judge color and clarity. Midwest Brewing supply has a superb selection. I highly recommend their Oatmeal Stout. Sweet and almost chewy!

J-
 
Skunk,

I always thought I was a beer drinker but a while ago I discovered cider, now that is a drink, smooth, dry and tart and packs a punch like Cassius Clay.

I actually make a Cyser which is half mead, half cider and good to the last drop, and at about 12%, a pint is all you need, 2 pints will make you bark at the moon.;)
 
Haha, well of course!

No, About a year ago, my sister and I had about 2 cases of home made. Man tht stuff had a punch.
 
Homebru,

Thanks for the tip on midwest, I love stout, pretty much any full flavor brew. I went to a German resturant saturday that served a damn good hefeweizen.:thumbup: :D
 
I have brewed about 15 cases of beer in the last 5 years. Had about 2 cases that I had to dump out because of my bonehead mistakes. I use brown returnable bottles which I bought from a buddy for $2.50 a case. He runs a bar, and that was his deposit. Don't use the throw away type as they are thin glass and will explode. I used a kit that uses a 5 gallon bucket to ferment in.
 
Chris,

I'm an Ale guy, mostly IPAs, mostly doubles and triples.
Anywhere from 9% to 21% ABVs.

I never acquired a taste for Stouts.
 
SkunkWerX said:
Chris,

I'm an Ale guy, mostly IPAs, mostly doubles and triples.
Anywhere from 9% to 21% ABVs.

I never acquired a taste for Stouts.
Click to expand...

21% :eek: I'm assuming you meant 12%. If I'm assuming wrong, how the hell are you getting that kind of alcohol?

SS 93
 
I got two words for you lightweights: prison hootch.

Now then, about that cider... I read about hard cider in a Backwoods magazine a while ago, seems like a plan. (I like apples, I like booze, how can it be wrong?) Do you have any favorite recipes and hints you'd like to share, runningboar?
 
GibsonFan said:
I got two words for you lightweights: prison hootch.

Now then, about that cider... I read about hard cider in a Backwoods magazine a while ago, seems like a plan. (I like apples, I like booze, how can it be wrong?) Do you have any favorite recipes and hints you'd like to share, runningboar?
Click to expand...

I did exactly as thay had instructed in Backwoodsman but added a lot more sugar(white and brown)to produce a higher strengh product......the result was not bad at all !!!!:thumbup:
 
runningboar said:
I have my second batch of cider fermenting right now and was wondering if anyone else dabbles in home brew. I just started and it is a very interesting hobby, and if the SHTF knowing how to make a good palatable alcoholic beverage might come in handy.:rolleyes: :D

Chris
Click to expand...

I used to make lots of homebrew.
The initial waiting and the washing / sterilizing wore me down.
There is a lot of ready made home brew ingredients available. I made mainly strong Largers and Pilsenners.
I always found the trick was.
Use only first class ingredients.
Cleanliness was next to Godliness.
Filter the water if you can (removing addatives)
Keep the temperature constant at the recommended level.
Stick to the suppliers advice and try not to wing it too much.
I made great Beer, my biggest problem was I was better at drinking it than I was at motivating myself to make it.
The Well kept running dry :(
 
I've been homebrewing for more than 30 years but my activities have tapered off somewhat in the past few years. I guess I'm not as thirsty as I was when I was younger. Back in the old days my airlock consisted of a hose running into a bucket of water - now I have all the modern equipment. The quality is better lately since it's easier to get fresh ingredients and specialized strains of yeast.

I think using clear or green bottles is a major mistake. If your beer is exposed to light the isohumulones will undergo photolysis and produce thiols, most significantly 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol. Thiols are the same substances produced by skunks in their scent glands, hence the American terms "skunked beer", "skunky beer", and "skunk piss". Europeans usualy just call it "lightstruck". The best article I have read about the chemical reactions that cause this is here.

Happy brewing! BBbbbuuuuurrrrppppppppp....
 
I've been making beer, wine, mead and melomel since 1980 off and on. Haven't made any this year but have all the ingredients ready to go.
 
yeah, i brew - probably bottle my most recent batch this weekend. i like ipa's - lately i've been hopping with cascade and columbus pellets. gives it a nice grapefruity flavor.
 
I've done a bit in the past, and want to do more. Last batch of cider turned out spectacular. I had the juice and carboys ready to go this fall, and went out into my garage and found that mice had gotten into my yeast packets and ruined everything. :mad: So it's been postponed once again.
 
GibsonFan said:
I got two words for you lightweights: prison hootch.

Now then, about that cider... I read about hard cider in a Backwoods magazine a while ago, seems like a plan. (I like apples, I like booze, how can it be wrong?) Do you have any favorite recipes and hints you'd like to share, runningboar?
Click to expand...

http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/cgi/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=recipe

I am really a newbie at this but have turned out some really good stuff, I got all my information off of the link above. I have been using a very alcohol resistant yeast, champagne yeast, it is actually too strong, I have been shooting for about 7 to 8% but I am getting closer to 10 to 12 I think. My next batch I am going to tone it down, I would like to get off work and have a pint or two and not fall out of my chair.:o :D Chris
 
I have been brewing beer and wine for the better part of 20 years. Pretty simple and saves me piles of money.

About those wine kits with the concentrate and all those packets you are suppossed to use. I only use the concentrate, bentonite (clay), and the yeast. Then there are preservatives and stuff that I cannot pronounce. Meta-by sulfate or something, it has a warning on the package- do not breath or get on skin, get medical help if ingested. No way will I put those into my wines to help speed up the aging process.

While they claim the wine is drinkable after 4 weeks, it really takes longer 4 months at least. I use my well water and I have had many compliments. For good results make sure the pails are clean, don't use too much bleach. Usually less than an ounce will clean everything out, and it is easier to rinse the bleach away if you use less.

As for the beer kits, in addition to the sugar, I boil up some water and add a pound of powdered malt. This adds more body to the beer and adds another point of alcohol. I let my hooch age in the cool dark basement.

I can really keep the bills down around here by home brewing and burning wood for home heating. Hmm. someday it may be time to make good ol shine.
 
Bufford,

You sound like a man after my own heart, the batch I have in primary right now is juice, honey, and yeast, I am not using any chemicals except one teaspoon of bleach pure gallon of water for sterilizing. I have been reading about yeast nutrient but as of right now can't see why to use it, my yeast is damn lively I am getting a bubble about every 2 seconds through my lock, and my last batch was very stout. Chris
 
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