Any home-brewers???
- Thread starter Greg24
- Start date
Monthly or nearly so. Just finished off my summer kölsch style beer. Was gonna do an Octoberfest, but I think I missed my window, as it's a lager and I don't want to rush it. Frankly I'm not too big a fan of Octoberfest anyway... but like to have some available in October.
I started homebrewing 26 years ago, almost to this day! I don't do it much, anymore, though--just the occasional batch with a buddy or group.
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- #4
I started about 15 years ago, did 5 gallon batches for a long time. Then the kids came along and I didn’t do much for a while. I just don’t have time to brew, or time to drink 5 gallons. Earlier this summer I started doing 5L batches and have found it to be much more manageable.
I did a fall ale the other day and finished the whole process in 3 hours while cooking dinner and getting the kids to bed.
I love Oktoberfest beers, I may make a few marzens this winter when my house has cooled down, or maybe a hells...
I did a fall ale the other day and finished the whole process in 3 hours while cooking dinner and getting the kids to bed.
I love Oktoberfest beers, I may make a few marzens this winter when my house has cooled down, or maybe a hells...
No, but I've been wanting to try it for a while now.
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- #6
It’s a great hobby and super accessible for beginners. You can buy a kit with all the ingredients you need to make a batch in several sizes. There are lots of different starter equipment sets that will scale as your hobby grows as well.
The only downside is time. Once you are doing 5 gallon batches with all grain recipes your generally looking at around a half day to brew a batch.
I find the smaller batches are much easier to manage time wise!
Thanks for the information! I seriously think I will eventually do it. I'm retired and need a hobby, lol. I like growing stuff too, and have thought about trying my hand at hops.
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- #8
I know a few people who grow hops. As long as you live in a moderate climate zone they grow pretty well.
Most medium sized towns and cities have homebrew clubs and local home brew stores. The community is super welcoming and always happy to share tips. It’s a great place to start if your looking to get into the hobby.
I will seriously look into this. I grow everything organic, which is no big deal, but I've done it 40+ years, lol.
PM me if you want to talk a little about getting started and sixteenth ways to go about it. I used to teach brewing and judging. I got a lot of help from a lot of great brewers, and it always is my pleasure to keep paying that forward.
Thanks. I will need a lot of help when I get around to doing this, as I am a complete noob.
3 vessel gravity fed electric system with backyard bar and 6 keg system. Just preparing for xmas and ny'ers.
Stir plate set up for liquid yeast strains. Millmaster grain set up. Wish I could grow hops. The dog limits the hop use.
Stir plate set up for liquid yeast strains. Millmaster grain set up. Wish I could grow hops. The dog limits the hop use.
Forgive my question, but why does the dog limit hop use. (Told you I'm a noob!)
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- #14
Hops are very toxic to dogs so you would have to watch out for pets getting into them.
I would wager that if you were to grow your own hops you would make quite a few home brewing friends in your area!
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- #15
That’s one of my favorite things about home brewing. You can get started with as little as a $20 ingredient kit, and $30 worth of buckets and tubing, but the amount to learn is almost endless. You could spend your whole life learning about the ins and outs of making beer.
Any suggestions on a good kit to brew a small batch just to see if it interests someone?
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- #17
Here is a kit for about $60 that has almost all the equipment you would need as well as a ingredient kit what would work for a beginner batch.
The only things you would need are a pot that will hold 2 gallons, some bottles, (you can reuse commercial bottles as long as they are not twist off) and some sanitizing solution. A properly diluted bleach solution works well enough for just getting started as long as it is rinsed off after.
1 Gallon Craft Beer Making Kit
There are lots of other places you can get kits, and a local home brew shop could also set you up. The one above just happens to be where I get most of my ingredients.
The only things you would need are a pot that will hold 2 gallons, some bottles, (you can reuse commercial bottles as long as they are not twist off) and some sanitizing solution. A properly diluted bleach solution works well enough for just getting started as long as it is rinsed off after.
1 Gallon Craft Beer Making Kit
There are lots of other places you can get kits, and a local home brew shop could also set you up. The one above just happens to be where I get most of my ingredients.
That is so cool and I did bookmark it so I could find it again.
I have never homebrewed before but I have to admit that I did work at Budweiser as a blue collar brewer for 24 years and that a couple of my co-workers did homebrewing so I do know something about the process. I operated the cookers and kettle before they automated it and it became an IT (Instrument Technology) thing for more consistancy.
I had always thought that it was all five gallon batches so to find that five liter kits were available is refreshing. Gonna have to try that sometime although I am retired and seem to be busier than when I was having to work for a living.
Mike
Awesome! It may be more economical for me to brew my own beer haha.
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- #20
I remember when I started it was all 5 gallon batches with some people doing 10 or 20 gallon batches. In the past few years a lot more 1 and 2 gallon equipment has come on to the market. I think it helps make it more accessible to people living in smaller places and those who may not have the time to brew and bottle 2 cases of beer.
The ingredient kits have gotten so much better too. It used to be that starter kits were a bunch of dusty boxes sitting around for god who know how long. Now most brewing suppliers offer their own kits, with seasonal offerings and put them together in house.
That’s cool that you worked for Budweiser I did a tour at a Budweiser brewery a while back and was impressed at the scope of their brewhouses. They go from grain to bottle in something like 14 days. It takes homebrewers months sometimes to make a lager that light. I don’t drink a whole lot of commercial lagers but I appreciate the process. It really has to be dialed in to consistently make that style of beer.
