what I did last weekend

[koyote]

Okay, so I got two done and sold! and I've got... oh, 9 more knives I'm working on.

But what we really did this weekend (I have an assistant who washes stuff) is brew.

5 gallons of stout, 5 gallons of smoked porter, 5 of raspberry apple cider, 5 gallons of my special maple mead lambic, 5 gallons of straight mead, and 3 gallons of mulberry mead.

Going out today or friday to pick up the new brewpot and burner - 15 gallons batches now! and I have 4 empty kegs waiting for vessels to use.

Now, if only I could make myself a stainless steel conical 15 gallon fermenter!

 

[grease-man]

Pssssstttt! Any chance some of that Porter or Stout could make it to Wisconsin? Too bad there's not a drool icon!

On less serious note, where do you get your supplies from for home brewing? I had thought about trying it at one time, but never really looked into it much. Thanks. -Matt-

 

[koyote]

I sometimes mail some homebrew in the wintertime after this batch of porter is done I'm going to do a big batch so that I can get a bunch of it off to friends and family.

Anything I can't get local for supplies I order from Northern Brewer*, which has a good website. I'd recommend grabbing a good homebrewing book, one of the northern brewer brew kits (unless you can get one locally) and a beer ingredient kit.

with something like their basic starter kit you can expand - the only thing I would do is definitely get a stand capper if you do a second batch of beer (because that means you are addicted) and I personally like the 3 piece airlocks. Glass carboys you eventually find at garage sales and swap meets, bottles are easy.

You have to see the gadget stuff online or at homebrew events to get a handle on it, but it becomes obvious fast how many modifications and new constructions in homebrew hardware can be done. Even without food safe stainless soldering.

* northern brewer is really good and has good enough prices on some things that I will order from them over my local store, but he knows what I will and won't buy from him and uses northern for half of his store supplies, anyway.


And EVERY homebrewer loves to give advice and trade brews. Just like knifemakers

 

[grease-man]

Sounds like a fun hobby, that could get serious in a hurry! I may have to look in to trying a batch. Thanks for the point in the right direction! -Matt-

 

[scottickes]

I sometimes mail some homebrew in the wintertime after this batch of porter is done I'm going to do a big batch so that I can get a bunch of it off to friends and family.

Anything I can't get local for supplies I order from Northern Brewer*, which has a good website. I'd recommend grabbing a good homebrewing book, one of the northern brewer brew kits (unless you can get one locally) and a beer ingredient kit.

with something like their basic starter kit you can expand - the only thing I would do is definitely get a stand capper if you do a second batch of beer (because that means you are addicted) and I personally like the 3 piece airlocks. Glass carboys you eventually find at garage sales and swap meets, bottles are easy.

You have to see the gadget stuff online or at homebrew events to get a handle on it, but it becomes obvious fast how many modifications and new constructions in homebrew hardware can be done. Even without food safe stainless soldering.

* northern brewer is really good and has good enough prices on some things that I will order from them over my local store, but he knows what I will and won't buy from him and uses northern for half of his store supplies, anyway.


And EVERY homebrewer loves to give advice and trade brews. Just like knifemakers

I'd add that it's a good idea to throw the yeast from those kits away and get a good liquid yeast for the type of beer that you're brewing. Liquid yeast did more for the quality and taste of my beer than anything else that I have ever done or learned!

Ickie

 

[koyote]

I'd add that it's a good idea to throw the yeast from those kits away and get a good liquid yeast for the type of beer that you're brewing. Liquid yeast did more for the quality and taste of my beer than anything else that I have ever done or learned!

Ickie

Yes....and no. Most of the kits you find at a *decent* homebrew shop these days are in house and the dried yeast will work fine since it's their own fridge shelf stock and cycles through. (I also rehydrate right before I start the rest of the process with a quarter cup of grade b maple syrup in a quart of water and the yeasties always wake up fast) Northern brewer is the same- not like the old style canned kits that sit in warehouses.

But liquid yeast is completely viable, and you can get WAY more varities specific to individual beer types.