Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I found a beer making kit under the Christmas tree this year and am currently working of some wort right now.

I am curious anyone else making their own brew?

I am using a "store bought" package this time but am considering trying a batch from ingredients raised locally. I am sure that won't be as good but might do in a "pinch."

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I tried it once, but I don't drink enough to make it worth the effort anymore. My uncle in England, tho, always had at least 3 pressurized kegs of different types going at any time. Kegging is much more efficient than bottling, but the kegs are terribly expensive over here.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I started out as you with a "kit" and have now upgraded and built a 10\gal Brewery in my garage. Complete with kegerator and largering fridge!!!

Fun hobby plus I always have 5-15 gal of beer on hand.

-Prost!

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I used to, but its not cheap if you are buying malt or malt extracts, etc compared to just buying beer for $10 a 30 pack. I just don't drink enough anymore to make it worth the effort. Its a shame that, because I have all the equip to keg and a CO2 system so it won't go flat.

If I was to make it again, I think I'd make ginger ale again. That was good stuff, and because it didn't use malt, it wasn't expensive.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

What kind of gutter swill sells for $10 a 30 pack?

I have all the stuff to start home brewing, just haven't got started yet. I even had some hops growing in the garden up until a month ago. We'll see if they grow back in the Spring. I've been trying to make a drinkable wine first, but the jury is still out on that.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

To be totally honest, I've made really good ale, as good or better than Sam Adams Cream Stout or Killians Red (my favorite bought brands), and I've made ale that tasted lousy compared to the "gutter swill" as you called it, Old Style and Old Milwaukee, which I still buy, or Busch or Millers Highlife which I won't buy anymore because they are no longer American owned. I drank the lousy stuff, too, except for one batch which I literally dumped down the drain. Not too bad for 30 yrs of brewing.

My best successes were with Cream Sherry, Apple Wine, Cream Stout, Red Ale and Ginger Ale (the REAL thing). My attempts at regular ales and beer were nothing to rave over considering the cost, and that's why I went back to buying the gutter swill or nothing for occasional drinking. A case typically lasts at least 6 months unless I'm racing.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

The beer I like to drink is $10 for a 22oz bottle, or at least $12/six pack... so homebrewing is very worth it.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

This looks really easy!

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser...er_Ale_Ag0.htm

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

Making wine is even easier than that!

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I drink probably 10 ouces of total alcohol a year, usualy rum and mead, rarley if ever beer.

but I have ALWAYS wanted to try home brewing, espcialy mead, which I love and have such a hard time finding a good COMMERCIAL brand for.

i jsut simply dont drink enough. But that might change when/if I start making some mead.

This winter I am going to take a crack and real ginger ale and root beer.

GIM has a good home-brewers social group you should check out.

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

Amen. If you're into "big" beers like I am where $6-8 a bottle is average and barleywines easily going to $10-12, the time and effort is well worth the investment. Besides, there is a tremendous satisfaction in brewing something that tastes good and is exactly what you want.

I just bottled a barleywine for serving next winter and have a batch of mead in the fermenter. :23_30_104:

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

Thanks for the heads up on the Homebrewer group......I have now joined up!

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

I dunno. I thought about it once, enough to look it up. I found umpteen pages of instructions, a list of equipment to buy, endless warnings to wash and sterilize repeatedly, ... And the stuff still costs half or more of store bought. Did I get the wrong site or something?

I've heard of those kits sold by Harbor Freight. I think not!

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

Don't go with the harbor freight kit. You will just end up getting a real kit anyway. There will be an upfront cost for the equipment, but if you make ~two batches, you will at least break even, and after that it will be about $0.50/beer for much higher quality stuff. It's also a fun hobby, not just a way to get cheaper (and better quality) beer.

Check out these sites:

www.northernbrewer.com
www.midwestsupplies.com
www.morebeer.com
www.austinhomebrew.com

and get a starter kit. You will also need bottles, which don't come with the kits. You can buy empties or reuse from commercial beers. PET bottles are the easiest way, or you can even reuse empty 2L soda bottles if you want.

Buy a beer extract kit of your liking at the same time from wherever you get the equipment.

Watch a few "how to brew extract beer" videos on youtube and follow the generally simple instructions that come with the kit. If you want a book, there are plenty of them out there.

As a beer expert has stated, Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew! :beer:

Re: Rekindling old hobby--Home brewing
 

i made a few batches of home beer about 10 yrs ago.
i bought from these guys....nice items and nice pricing too.

http://www.hoptech.com/cart/cart.php...ategory_id=260