Author Topic: Home Brewing  (Read 19529 times)

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Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #30 on: July 07, 2010, 11:45:31 AM »
Ooh...a new idea.  Grow my own hops!

http://www.brew-dudes.com/homegrown-hops-update

I'll have to convince somebody to let me do it.  Or maybe I can start a hops farm at the Audubon? I'll look into that...

A project for next spring!

Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #31 on: December 22, 2010, 12:55:25 PM »
Okay, I'm waiting on $100 for minor webwork on Jan 1st.  When I get that, I'm going to start home brewing. At long last!

I've been on the fence, but just ran across this article in my Reader:

http://www.blogaboutbeer.com/4-reasons-to-start-home-brewing-in-the-new-year
Quote
There is a possibility this post may change your life for the better in the coming New Year. If you have never brewed your own beer before then consider some of the reasons I make in this post it might just make you pursue one of the most satisfying pastimes you can begin.
The Best Beer You Can Get

There’s no doubt in my mind that a carefully constructed home brew that you have created yourself is just as good, if not better than any you can buy. The reasons for this are more than the technicalities of taste and flavour. Just like whenever you make or craft something yourself there is much more satisfaction cracking the cap off a beer you have brewed yourself.

I will paint a picture for you if I may. You have sourced the best ingredients you can find, you have taken your time and set aside a few hours to lovingly steep your grains and boil your hops, waited a few weeks for fermentation and now for a few weeks your home brew has been sitting in the cupboard maturing. Now the time has come to open the first one, the sense of anticipation has been building so you crack the cap on one and savour your beer like no other commercial beer you’ve tasted.
Brew What You Want

This is a major positive for brewing your own beer. You don’t have to settle for what is available in the stores because you can think I want a (let me make a point here) Choc Mint Stout, yeah that’s right you want a smooth chocolaty, minty stout one day and start making it the following day.

Although I have seen some wild and wacky beers made, many of these are one offs or seasonal so by being able to produce your own, you can have them at any time.
Save Some Money

This is probably one of the biggest reasons a lot of people say why they start home brewing and that’s because it’s true. The raw ingredients to make beer are a tiny fraction of what the cost of the final product is. This is the primary reason why I and many other home brewers I know began brewing.

That does not mean for one second that it cannot be a drain on your finances if you want it too. I’m sure that if you have ever pursued any hobby you know that you always want the next best thingymabob or the other widgetyflip. Just bear in mind the start up cost of equipment required to make your own beer is offset after 1 or 2 batches. After this period you are then saving money on every brew.
Be Sociable

Home brewing can be one of the most social enterprises you can start. First off when you start telling your friends you have just made 5 gallons of beer you will notice they start taking a sudden interest and maybe arrange a get together. There is no doubt that giving your friends a beer you have crafted yourself will impress them to no end.

Along with this, if you are inclined there are all sorts of brewing competitions you can get involved in. This brings you together with other people who all share your desire to create great beer and a whole sense of competition and camaraderie that will mean you meet new friends and maybe more importantly, improve your home brewing.

So maybe if you are trying to think of a New Years Resolution, consider starting a new hobby.

Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #32 on: December 30, 2010, 10:34:55 AM »
Invoice submitted for $100!

Now...to begin... After searching all over and comparing dozens of sets, and exploring buying all the parts separately, I've settled on this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Maestro-Homebrew-Beer-Equipment-Kit/dp/B002BU5IF4

The nearest homebrew store is up in Columbia, so I'll have to drive up there if I want any add-ons or whatever... That's no problem. The big money is getting all the initial pieces together.

I also need a five gallon stock pot... The cheapest I can find is 40 bucks. Anyone got one lying around in their garage or something?


Offline Reginald McGraw

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2010, 11:32:08 AM »
Where is the homebrew store in Columbia?!?

Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2010, 01:32:45 PM »

Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #35 on: January 02, 2011, 12:02:34 PM »
Payment received! Home brew kit and five gallon stock pot ordered! 

Now... Wait a week or so before I'm able to burn down my apartment building, spill six gallons of fermenting beer in my bedroom, and poison myself with the results!

Offline nacho

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Re: Home Brewing
« Reply #36 on: January 03, 2011, 12:54:38 PM »
It's the science of home brewing that I find daunting... Like yeast and all that.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

And, of course, the big problem on the horizon is that I can't control the heat in my apartment and it's always a steady 80 degrees... Which isn't too beer-friendly.

Edit: A much better link on yeast.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2011, 01:10:46 PM by nacho »