Home Brewing (Beer)

[Phobia]

Hey guys.

Well I am about to venture into the realm of brewing my own beer. I am more of a Stout or Porter drinker. I am getting tired of paying top dollar for a decent dark beer. So I am going to go down the road of making my own. Which I HOPE to be able to work out some decent brews over time and just simple learning as I go.

I am wondering if we have any guys who brew also. If so I know the gist of what I need. But if I am missing anything or you know of something better PLEASE lean a hand.

I know I need

Brew Kettle


Fermenting Bucket


Sanitation Bucket with Spigot (Thinking of using this)


Airlock with rubber stopped (for fermenting bucket lid)


Hydrometer w/ jar


Bottle Cap Capper


Then all the little things like.
Funnel, Stainless steel long spoon, Beer bottles (saving some now), bottle caps, then of course all the ingredients such as the hops, dry yeast, etc.

Do yall have any suggested resources, reading material, websites, etc.

Thanks guys and I plan on sharing pictures of my first brew. Motown, stumble, etc yall get in on this

[GenoG]

You really don't need an entire bucket for sanitation. You need to sanitize your primary bucket anyway so you could just fill that up with your water and sanitizer and just throw all your equipment in to get it nice and clean.

I picked up a wallpaper tray at the hardware store, and use that to keep everything sanitized. Its nice because it is really long, and can handle the hose, and racking cane which are usually too big to fit in the bucket. I picked up that tip from a fellow brewer.

Another suggestion that makes brewing so much easier is an auto siphon. I highly recommend getting one. Makes racking so much easier.



I brewed about 5 batches last year, and I am starting back up soon. Let me know how your first batch goes!

Good Forums
http://beeradvocate.com
http://ratebeer.com
http://forums.moreflavor.com/
Homebrew Stores
http://morebeer.com
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/
http://northernbrewer.com/

[Phobia]

Thanks for the tips Geno

[slickdtc]

Was going to create a new thread but the thread finder thing when you go to create one found this for me (I searched previously but didn't find anything too closely related). Kudos to adding that to the forum!

Got a Bed, Bath, & Beyond magazine yesterday with all the holiday shopping stuff in it. Looked interesting, I've been really big into music the past few months and they had a lot of electronics on the cover so I skimmed through it. But I was more enamored with this home brewing kit called Mr. Beer.

Now I'm no beer connoisseur but every time I hit the store, I like to try something different. With the holidays coming up, this seemed like a good gift to ask for or to get for a family member. I went to their website, and also Google'd the kit to check for reviews. After reading a bit, it seems like a good starter kit, which is all I really care for at this point. Plus, it just seems fun to be able to make your own beer and drink it and see how it tastes. Who knows, could grow into a hobby. But I thought I'd post about it here, see if anyone has tried out this kit or done a bit of home brewing themselves.

Here's their website: http://www.mrbeer.com/

And a great, informative review: http://www.bestbeerbuzz.com/Mr_Beer_Review.html

[fxair]

A good book to look at is how to brew by john j palmer and northernbrewer.com is good to.

[TheMatrix31]

Man, brewing my own is daunting as hell. Not sure I can do it. I'd like to, mainly because if I come up with something good I can turn it into a whole operation, but then part of me says to just leave the brewing to the brewers and I'll leave the drinking to me.

[slickdtc]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

Man, brewing my own is daunting as hell. Not sure I can do it. I'd like to, mainly because if I come up with something good I can turn it into a whole operation, but then part of me says to just leave the brewing to the brewers and I'll leave the drinking to me.

After I read the review on Mr. Beer, I felt that way a bit. Don't put too much in there or it might burst or gush, takes a few weeks to get your final product, etc. I was almost scared of the product.

But this Mr. Beer device is the most basic of them all. Only 40-100$ too (depending on the package you get). I think it could be a fun experience, and like I said, who knows, it could take off. They said the more you brew, the better they turn out as you get a feel for your palette and the brews you create.

[Phobia]

I forgot about this thread. I never got around to brewing any beer, but did some wine (because it is little easier).

I need to stop by my local brew shop and really commit to this. Great reminder I need to attempt this. Glad to see a revival of this thread